Fresh faces, flavours for spring
Change is as good as a rest, they say, and behind the papered-up windows, construction sites and moves, changes are underfoot. Here’s a roundup of some exciting things to come.
Time Winery is rebranding their restaurant to Orolo, featuring dry-aged steaks and cocktails, with a newly created Chronos tasting room, separate from the restaurant. Culinary director Kirk Morrison and executive chef Damian Cole will oversee the culinary offerings.
Construction is buzzing along on Estabrook Avenue in downtown Penticton. In the works is a tiny Spanish tapas bar — 20 seats inside, more on the patio — housed in a building owned by Dallas and Eric Thor of Terravista Vineyards. Chulo Tapas is the brainchild of Chris Royal, managing partner of Tratto Pizzeria. Royal promises Spanish dreams-come-true with delicious tapas and pintxos, gin tonics and wines by the glass. I can’t wait for this one.
Mid-renovation is underway at 557 Main Street, where caterer Cocktails & Canapes will be opening a new restaurant, Kin and Folk. No further details were available.
After 23 successful years, Penticton’s favourite chocolatiers Eva and Les Poloskey of Accent Chocolate are passing the chocolate baton over to new owners. Training has begun for Timea Bordas and Nikoletta Tormas (Timmy and Mikky respectively) and will continue until April 15. The two friends moved from Edmonton with their husbands a few years ago and have a professed love of chocolate. And, it turns out, their roots are from Hungary as are the Poloskeys. While we’ll miss being called, “sweetie-darling” by Eva, the new owners promise to continue the chocolate excellence. Drop in and say hello — and goodbye — soon.
Big changes at the Naramata Inn see chef Ned Bell and wife/partner Kate Colley stepping into the background as minority partners at the historic inn, with Columbia Hospitality assuming day-to-day management. Colley will remain as PR liaison with the couple’s Hatch Hospitality, while chef Bell continues his work with sustainable and thriving food systems as chef ambassador with Buy BC, the B.C. Seafood Festival, and as board member and cochair of sustainability for the Chefs Table Society. His final turn in the Inn’s kitchen happens this May, during their month-long season of guest chef collaborations. Welcome then the Inn’s new chef Jacob Deacon-Evans. He has big shoes to fill but brings a depth of experience to the table — from some of Vancouver’s most storied rooms, and most recently at Row Fourteen — and is cherry-picking a talented kitchen brigade. He will put his own spin on Naramatian cuisine continuing its hyper-local, hyper-seasonal mission. Festivities kick off March 17 at the dinner hour, with a wallet-friendly threecourse menu.
Winery restaurants are showing signs of life again after winter hibernation. Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek Winery is full-steam ahead for both lunch and dinner, seven days a week. It’s always one of my first stops of the year, to reacquaint myself with the gracious service from restaurateur Manny Ferreira, and the culinary talents of celebrated chef Jeff Van Geest’s kitchen. The foods of Italy, Spain and Portugual are his métier, with a deep knowledge of ingredient sourcing and ability to layer flavours.
The Bistro at Hillside Winery reopened March 15 for lunch and dinner, Wednesday to Sunday, with chef Evan Robertson back at the helm. Menu highlights include: roasted beet salad with puffed wild rice, whipped ricotta, and apple caviar; housemade pasta; and the ever-popular tomahawk steak.
Chef Rob Ratcliffe from The Restaurant at Poplar Grove Winery is leaving the Okanagan for Toronto’s Canoe restaurant, and as of March 15, executive chef Stacy Johnston, and chef de cuisine Minette Lotz will take the Poplar Grove kitchen on a new culinary adventure. You may recognize their names from the Naramata Inn, where Johnston was chef de cuisine, and Lotz sous chef.
Having worked alongside chef Bell, the tw are well-versed in the Okanagan food landscape, ingredient sourcing and sustainable seafood — Johnston worked for Vancouver’s Ocean Wise — and Lotz will incorporate her passion for sourcing wild edibles (she also makes incredible donuts). It’s encouraging to finally see talented female chefs in the Okanagan spotlight. The dynamic duo, known for their thoughtful cooking and generosity of spirit, have eased into the kitchen at Poplar Grove working alongside Ratcliffe. The recent “Hello, Goodbye” collab dinner, which I was fortunate to attend, saw all three chefs presenting courses expressing their unique culinary talents. We’re in for a delicious ride this year.