Okanagan Must Eat Destinations

[Liquid_o2]

Going to the Okanagan next month for 5 nights. Osoyoos and Kelowna mainly, but going to spend some time in Oliver / Naramata as well.

Never done an Okanagan trip, girlfriend and I are pretty big foodies, so need some really good recommendations on places to eat and drink where we won't be disappointed.

Doesn't have to be fancy either, a hole in the wall joint is just as good.

[pintoBC_3sgte]

Kelowna - I like raudz for top spot in Kelowna , waterfront wines is good, smack dab is also good. If you're into salamis and such check out salted brick (also have meal items as well).
Wineries are good if you're doing a tour of the place. Good food too. (Mission Hill, quails gate, and summer hill would be my top 3.

[murd0c]

Salted brick is fantastic and there's an oyster restaurant around the corner that has $1 raw oysters at happy hour. For breakfast you have to go to the Jammery since its one of the best around.

You Gotta Eat Here! Video - The Jammery, Shut Up and Eat, Cacao 70 | Season 4 Episode 11 - Foodnetwork.ca

[smoothie.]

I'll be in vernon next month...

anywhere worth visiting there?

[pintoBC_3sgte]

Naked pig if you like bbq. That's my go to place in Vernon

[pintoBC_3sgte]

I should add to Kelowna right next to raudz is micro( pretty much an extension of raudz, but they have good drinks and appies/food if there is a wait. But drinks and appies at raudz are also amazing

[underscore]

If you're in Penticton then Theo's has amazing Greek food.

[k3mps]

Raudz in Kelowna for sure but last i checked, they do not take reservations. They'll send you to their bar a couple stores down in the meantime.

Jammery is good for breakfast. I also enjoy Bohemian cafe when I'm in Kelowna.

Believe it or not, Mabui is pretty good for sushi.

[Marshall Placid]

Originally Posted by underscore

If you're in Penticton then Theo's has amazing Greek food.

I second that.

[Derek_N84]

I really liked dining at Quails Gate winery, they always have a rotating menu to reflect the produce available that day/week!

[murd0c]

Hedley has some of the best beef jerky and meats around

Doug's Homestead Gourmet Meats

[pintoBC_3sgte]

Originally Posted by murd0c

Hedley has some of the best beef jerky and meats around

Doug's Homestead Gourmet Meats

Truth. They do sell out of jerkey if you're too late tho

[pintoBC_3sgte]

Ok, for Osoyoos there's only a couple of places the wife and I really like to go. Convivia (the osobuco is pretty tasty), and diamond steak and seafood (I'm a sucker for the Greek roasted lamb, but the prime rib is pretty good too). You could also try the restaurant at nk'mip. Been for breakfast and thought it was good.

[nabs]

in Kelowna, I ALWAYS make it a point to eat at RAUDZ

SO good!! Get the sablefish. The portions are great, its a little pricey but its normal for the area.

[nabs]

http://www.revscene.net/forums/67279...t-journal.html

Got some pics and review of a couple places there.

[Liquid_o2]

Ok, I'll give a review of the places I tried now that I am back. GF and I got to hit up a bunch of places you guys recommended, so thanks! Also tried a few places not recommended that were amazing as well.

Convivia - Food was pretty good, although my pasta was over-sauced. Pitcher of sangria was money, so boozey. Triple chocolate cake for dessert was rich but not sweet. Super friendly service. Really cute dining space. 8/10

Terrafina at Hester Creek Winery - Awesome lunch on their patio. Prawn appetizer, potato and white truffle thin crust pizza, smoked onion soup, and duck confit sandwich were all expertly prepared. The pizza's crust was so light and had a great chewy crunch to it. Lemon curd tart for dessert was one of the best tarts I have ever had. Great service. Their red wines went well with lunch as well. 9/10

The Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl Winery - Went there for a sunset dinner. Patio overlooks the whole valley. GF had the duck confit, I had the pork chop. Both were pretty good, but not overly memorable. There was nothing wrong with the dishes per say, but I felt they were lacking flavors to put them over the top. My pork chop was extremely tender, so kudos to the chef. The little housemade truffles to finish off the meal were a nice touch. Service was good. 8/10

Liquidity Bistro (@ Liquidity Wines) - Never heard of this place until the people at Vin Perdu winery recommended it. Awesome modern dining room overlooking the valley. Loved the space. Great service. Roasted Cauliflower soup was some of the best I've ever had. My pasta dish was lightly sauced, and the pasta was perfectly al dente. Wish I had chosen my GF's Roasted Garlic Baguette sandwich though, it was delicious and full of flavor. The pickled onions took it to another level. Brioche bread pudding was a rich but great dessert to share between two people. Wines were really nice too, especially their whites. 9/10

Salted Brick - Nice space, but we were the only diners for the entire night. This sort of killed the vibe a bit, but I suppose it was nice having a chef at our disposal to cook us a private dinner haha. Charcuterie board was great, except for their house made jelly which didn't fit the flavors of the other ingredients. House cured meats were all expertly prepared and flavorful along with the cheeses. Really affordable price at $12 as well. Also had the risotto with morel mushrooms and a crispy pork belly dish. Dessert was a panacotta. It was rich and creamy. Food was all very very good, the chef could take his time and didn't have to rush our order I suppose. Service was just ok though... I could see that the server and chef were bored. This could have been a 9.5 in my books, but the empty restaurant brings it down a notch. Good music playlist! 9/10

Raudz - Complete opposite of Salted Brick, it was packed (but also a Friday night I suppose). Service was ok, but not as good as any other place we visited in the Okanagan. Pork buns as an appetizer were interesting. They were supposed to come with house-made kimchi, but all we got were some pickled vegetables... I feel like something got lost in translation. Mains were hit or miss. GF's baked fish and chips were good. The chickpea batter gave it a different take, and it provided a nice light coating. My ling cod and pacific octopus though was a Jekyll and Hyde performance. Ling cod was really good, octopus was a bit overcooked, the red cabbage was really good with the addition of rhubarb, but the potato and chive rosti was a complete failure. It was more of a large potato pancake and they put it at the bottom of all other items (including the red cabbage!). This meant by the time I got to it, it was wet and mushy. Blah. Olive Oil Cake dessert was award winning, GF liked it, but I thought it was terrible since the cake tasted over-baked and hard. To each their own I suppose. 7/10

[pintoBC_3sgte]

Wow I'm surprised at raudz. Usually they're great. I do know they have a few new cooks as some of the ones that were there for a while moved on . I want to say you hit a off night for them ?!?!

[Liquid_o2]

Yah it might have been an off night. The pork bun appetizer was one night only, so it might have been something they were trying out for fun. The buns themselves were good, just the kimchi was not what I expect kimchi to be.

The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as all the other places we had visited, and based on the prices and reviews I was expecting something a bit more. I would give it another shot when I am back in town.

[6793026]

Originally Posted by Derek_N84

I really liked dining at Quails Gate winery, they always have a rotating menu to reflect the produce available that day/week!

i was there just few days ago. I liked Quails gate, fyi, the wine was cheaper to buy from groceries stores than from the winery itself. ahhahha

[Obsideon]

Is it weird I'm always checking RS for places to eat when I plan to travel somewhere? Thanks for the suggestions I'm gonna write these down haha.

[6793026]

^ you know what I do Obsideon, i use Evernote and i copy and pasted the suggestions so i know i have it as a back up

[unit]

whats a good winery to visit for just a drop in tasting?
we'll be driving so just gonna stop for only one winery. also we tend to prefer places that are a bit more micro and less commercial? and mostly reds. thanks!

[6793026]

Originally Posted by Liquid_o2

Convivia - Food was pretty good, although my pasta was over-sauced. Pitcher of sangria was money, so boozey. Triple chocolate cake for dessert was rich but not sweet. Super friendly service. Really cute dining space. 8/10

Convivia 8.5/10
I was here yesterday. 2-3 yr old new establishment. The lady was SUPER friendly, she used to work at Black Hill winery and gave us suggestions afterwards to go to Culmina and other wineries.
Lunch special: bacon and onion pizza with salad + soup for freaking $15
meat sauce pasta + salad + soup for also $14 damnnn such great value.

it wasn't too hot, sat outside and it was a treat! Off the strip, one block from city center, definitely would go back.

Originally Posted by murd0c

Hedley has some of the best beef jerky and meats around

Doug's Homestead Gourmet Meats

rule # 1, go early. they sell out every day.
2) if you see Hedley BC, you've passsed it, we had to turn back.

jerky was decent; i;ve been spoiled by the old International Sausage house in bby. Their rest of the sausages were legit too. I bought like $60 for my road trip and even had some home, it was great.

Black Hill
Wine tasting is $10, elite wine tasting is $20 and you can order a cheese board for snacks for $28. THey were "once famous" for their Nota Bene wine which was sold out within 37 minutes a few years ago. It's just not the same anymore.
Probably one of the more expensive wine tasting but the view and being able to sit down was OK.

[Traum]

Vernon is still very much a part of the Okanagan, right?

I was recently passing through the region, and on a friend's recommendation, I went to Station BBQ in Vernon, and it was crazy good. It's a Southern BBQ house type of place, and their tastes and portions definitely reflect that southern philosophy. The ribs, the pull pork, the Gumbo, and the smoked beans were all insanely tasty.

Supposedly, their lemonade is also very good, with the owner using a special recipe. But I only learned about it moments before leaving.

A thing to note is, their BBQ stuff is a touch on the sweeter side. It was certainly something I enjoyed, but I would imagine that some of us is not particularly keen about this sweeter BBQ style.

[underscore]

Vernon is on Okanagan Lake so I sure hope so.