Aman Dosanj 9/9/19 Aman Dosanj 9/9/19

6 New Food Ventures in Penticton

Recently, there’s been an explosion of new things to really kick up the food and drink scene in Penticton a notch. From our craft beer and cider trails to Asian eats to naturally fermented wines, there’s a lot going on.

The South Okanagan has always made me swoon. The drive alone from Peachland to Summerland is enough to do just that. Recently, there’s been an explosion of new things to really kick up the food and drink scene in Penticton a notch. From our craft beer and cider trails to Asian eats to naturally fermented wines, there’s a lot going on.

Here’s an insider perspective into what’s new with hopefully just enough background to make you want to get to know them better yourself:

Wayne & Freda

The Okanagan is known for its power to draw people back in. It is an all too familiar tale that you hear over and over again, especially as I was also one of those people. Sometimes, you need to move away in order to really see how special it really is and that’s when the magic happens.

This has been the case for Wayne and Freda’s owners, Jen and Ryan, who moved back from Vancouver to set up shop and make their romantic 10-year coffee shop dream a reality. Oh, and how they’ve blown it out of the water since opening this year.

Whether its the inviting look and feel with all its small touches by former interior decorator, Jen, the lightly caffeinated atmosphere, the sustainable choices on their menu or the tribute to both their grandparents with choice of name, Wayne and Freda is a business with intent.

“We very much wanted to create a space that would elevate the neighbourhood and connect the community. Almost daily we get to see people run into each other here. Big smiles, often even bigger hugs are exchanged. Daily, there are tables of families and friends gathered to spend time together, to joys or to soften the blows of a hard day – these moments and exchanges are the life force behind this place”, says owner, Jen.

Well, how do I top that? The Okanagan is a place where people can truly dream. W & F has been a great addition to our community. Within walking distance to pretty much everything in the downtown core, this is the perfect spot to start your day before heading to the Penticton Farmers’ Market (or any day at that), to scheme away in one of their many nooks or to just say hi.

105-249 Westminster Avenue W, Penticton

Sushi Genki

Husband/wife tag team originally from Kumamoto City in Japan, who made their way to Canada via the Fairmount Banff Springs hotel before deciding to call Penticton home. As a former small family business, I applaud their ballsy open hour decisions in search of some work/life balance. Closed on weekends and open until 7:30 PM on the other days, I hope more follow.

Their tiny location is buzzing with takeout orders for their stellar sushi, ramen and udon. The washroom is behind the curtain through the kitchen, so that’s a pretty cool adventure in itself. Sushi Genki has been around for a number of years, but they’re new to me, so think of it as more of a hidden eat of the Okanagan. You’re welcome!

104-95 Eckhardt Avenue E, Penticton

JoieFarm

Winemaker/Owner, Heidi Noble is a chef turned self-taught winemaker and she makes delicious small lot wines. This year, JoieFarm has amped up their collaboration game by teaming up with Yellow Dog to conspire on a barrel-aged beer/wine hybrid called ‘Like Minds’, which is available on tap in the winery’s Picnique area.

They also continue to spark conversation with their limited release experimental label called Chic Fille. It was also an opportunity for Heidi to revisit her self-taught roots and an opportunity for apprentice winemaker, Alyssa Hubert to shine.

Under this label is their, now sold out, Pinot Noir Rosé, which had an incredible raspberry lemonade colour to it with added sparkle, a Gewürztraminer that was left on skins for a sexy pink hue, a Pinot Blanc and two Pinot Noirs (fruit from the same vineyard, one fermented with ambient yeast and the other fermented with a Burgundian cultured yeast strain). In their words, ‘This collection is fun, flavourful, très chic adventure: a tour of cool-climate, lake-moderated terroir at its purest and natural winemaking techniques at their most elegant.’

The Picnique area is open with Benton Cheese, True Grain Baguettes and Oyama Sausage providing snacks for a non-pretentious, picnic blanket filled winery experience overlooking the lake. I was fortunate enough to have a tasting with Alyssa who was working the outdoor tasting bar that day. If you go, ask for her.

2825 Naramata Road, Naramata

Gusto Ferrari

How does a woodfire pizza besides the Penticton Rec. Centre sound? Random and awesome is the answer. Family owned and operated by a real life northern Italian family, with Chef/wife, Roberta in the kitchen, and husband, Flaminio, front-of-house and the kids helping to serve.

Italy is known as the land of fast cars and slow food. Opened in December 2018, The Ferrari family combines both those things with 48-hour fermented dough, sauces made from imported San Marzano tomatoes and the likes of Cannery Brewing, Truck 59 cider and a South Okanagan wine selection going hand-in-hand with the Italian stuff.

Another random fact is that Flaminio used to sell pizza ovens in Italy, so it’s definitely safe to say pizza is their forte with around 15 pies on offer.

201 Okanagan Avenue E, Penticton

Creek & Gully Cider

This is what happens when two former Joy Road Catering alumni’s with farming backgrounds put their brains together and take a chance.

The unfortunate reality of our food system means that there is little economic value in organic apples nowadays. So, first time small business owners, Kaleigh Jorgensen and Annalise Simonsen decided to turn their orchard’s apples into cider with their Slow Food thinking philosophies in mind.

In their words, ‘We believe small actions have a big impact’.

With 4 releases in their portfolio, there is one thing in common: their ciders are made using just one ingredient - apples! Leaning towards drier styles with no added sugar or water, they let the cocktail of apples do the talking with natural fermentations and a bit of Okanagan sparkle.

You can meet the ladies, as well as Spooky the dog, in their beautiful ‘cider cathedral’, have a tasting in thrifted mis-matched glassware or sip on their natural cold pressed juices. Oh yeah, I should mention that this is a cidery where the apples come directly from their orchard(s) and you’re welcome to wander and ask questions. They’re down the road from Poplar Grove Cheese and Lock & Worth for a really diverse tour of ‘The Bench’.

1053 Poplar Grove Road, Penticton

Neighbourhood Brewing

Ok, this one is exciting.

The BC Ale Trail has been exploding with craft brewers popping up everywhere. Port Moody is home to some excellent breweries, including Yellow Dog. Now, the Yellow Dog family is expanding with a second location in Penticton. The head brewer from Yellow Dog relocated his family to the South Okanagan, meaning we’re seriously stepping up our brew game with Neighbourhood Brewing. Another cool thing to see is the support from their neighbours at Cannery, Bad Tattoo and Slack Water, to name a few.

Although they haven’t been able to break ground on their building yet, they have recently launched their brand new beers in cans. Good things come to those who wait and all.

187 Westminster Avenue, Penticton

Doing things the right way is often the hardest way. Good people deserve good things, and when we support small, independent or family-run spots, your spending choices really does matter and make a difference. I closed the doors of my own family-run restaurant in 2016, but I always promised to do what I can to try and help.

The Okanagan is this change that’s happening and that’s pretty bloody exciting to watch.

About Aman Dosaj and the Paisley Notebook

Food geek, marketing geek, former England footballer (soccer), people watcher, middle child, Slow Food member, adventurer, imperfect environmentalist, storyteller, and just weird enough to be interesting. The former Western Living Magazine ‘Foodie of the Year’, organizes pop up dinners across the Okanagan aimed at bringing the community together. The Paisley Notebook was the winner of the ‘Culinary Tourism Experience’ category at the 2018 Canadian Tourism Awards, and a two-time finalist in the BC Tourism Industry Awards ‘Remarkable Experiences’ category, and has raised over $47k for local charities since 2017.
Website: PaisleyNotebook.com
Instagram: @paisleynotebook
Facebook: PaisleyNotebook
Youtube: The Paisley Notebook

Aman Dosanj 7/23/19 Aman Dosanj 7/23/19

Edible Adventures

I’m all about stories and adventures. My adventures, however, always tend to be of an edible kind. Leaving my pop up dinners aside, this particular one started with a little scavenger hunt across Kelowna, sourcing local goodness for the orchestrated 3-course moveable feast to come.

Ok, the initial plan was for us to check out the sacred and very cool looking Spotted Lake in Osoyoos (I even created a dish inspired by the place in preparation), but sometimes Mother Nature interrupts adventure plans, but that’s when new plans hatch on the fly, which leads to epic new memories. So off we went to chase waterfalls at Christie Falls. Oh, wait…we also didn’t quite make it there either. With no cell service, we stopped at coordinates unknown because, well, we got hungry and there was a tranquil lake to help slow things (and us) down.

Photo credit: Aman Dosanj and Sian Flanagan

First up, an ‘Onion Tea’, prepared using first of the season onions that were boiled then steeped like a tea, then finished with a green onion oil to make the broth look like the lake itself. Food is precious, even if it seems abundant, so I tapped into that mindset by using all parts of the onion (zero waste and all) to reflect the ‘sacred’ nature of the lake. Did I mention that I tell stories with food?

And off we went, this time to Bear Creek Provincial Park in West Kelowna. At the base of our hike, we had two choices – left, which winded around the mountain, or right, looking upwards at the wooden stairs. We opted for the not-as-widely-used stairs route, followed by the sound of water to zigzag our way. As we left the stairs behind and looked up, we noticed a tree standing tall at the very edge of a rock – a little reminder that you can grow anywhere. Thank you for the lesson, nature.

With a backpack loaded with our locally inspired picnic, eco-friendly water bottle and Mr. Sun making a dramatic appearance, we had to work for the rewards of lunch, but to be honest, that is the best way to feel. Food has become so accessible that eating is something we just do. My project is all about trusting my local ingredients by learning about the people and stories behind it - it’s only when you get hands-on and play with your food, do you see the value in it. That is something I try to hang onto, even with something as simple and routine as lunch.

As we got to the base, the landscape shifted to this shaded lush green, sounds of the stream for added ambiance and a gigantic fallen tree. It was time to make a reservation for the restaurant at the north end of the woods. In a few short moments, our naturally constructed feast magically appeared. From cheese, pickled carrots, snap peas, salad greens, duck rillette and a freshly made baguette – everything from here by people with names and faces and families and all crazy and sustainably delicious.

There was no wait times or delays in our food, we took our time whilst eating and enjoyed each other’s company without the usual thoughts of turnaround times and average check sizes with restaurant life. It was definitely a Slow Food-dining experience that we’d both remember for a really long time, even if our restaurant were a made-up one.

Finally, we ventured over to the Bear Creek beach across the road to end our 3-course meal with dessert and a familiar Okanagan Lake view. On the menu, a simple homemade chai spiced baked yogurt (using local milk) with first-of-the-season cherries. And so, our edible adventure was over.

The best thing about living in the Okanagan is that the Valley can make even locals feel like tourists. Each sub-region is beautifully imperfect in its own right with all its twists and turns to keep you on your toes. You definitely need to experience a place in each region to really see how magical the Okanagan is.

If you’re willing to do a little work, these adventures really are accessible to everyone. Dining in the Okanagan or supporting local doesn’t necessarily have to be really expensive to create epic food memories.

Until next time.

Today’s sustainable eats included:

Duck Rillette from Sandrine French Pastry & Chocolate
Organic Carrots (pickled in-house), Salad Greens & Snap Peas from Crooked Sky Farm at the Kelowna Farmers’ & Crafters’ Market
Organic Cherries from Forbes Farm at the Kelowna Farmers’ & Crafters’ Market
Bella Stella Organic Brie and Organic Plain Yoghurt from the Kelowna Farmers’ & Crafters’ Market
The Paisley Notebook’s Plum Chutney, made with last season’s Claremont Ranch Organics Plums, Brainy Bee Honey and NOMAD Cider Vinegar (by-product of the cider making process) and homemade local Raspberry Vinaigrette
Baguette from Sprout Bread
Abeego beeswax wraps to keep that leftover baguette alive
Nomnomnom

**About Aman Dosanj and The Paisley Notebook:**

Food geek, marketing geek, former England and Arsenal footballer (soccer), people watcher, middle child, Slow Food Member, adventurer, imperfect environmentalist, storyteller, and just weird enough to be interesting. The former *Western Living Magazine* *‘Foodie of the Year’*, organizes pop up dinners and collaborative events across the Okanagan aimed at bringing the community together. The Paisley Notebook was the winner of the *‘Culinary Tourism Experience’* category at the **2018 Canadian Tourism Awards**, and a two-time finalist in the BC Tourism Industry Awards' *'Remarkable Experiences'* category, and has raised over $47k for local charities since 2017.
Website: PaisleyNotebook.com
Instagram: @paisleynotebook
Facebook.com/paisleynotebook

Aman Dosanj 6/12/19 Aman Dosanj 6/12/19

Discover the Edible Okanagan

The Okanagan is not only a beautiful place, but a delicious place, too. When you take the time to really look at it and explore our land, you start to see things a little bit differently.

Where the Wild Things Are

Let me start by saying this: the Okanagan is not only a beautiful place, but a delicious place, too. When you take the time to really look at it and explore our land, you start to see things a little bit differently.

For this particular edible adventure, I met fellow Slow Food thinking friends, Kevin Kossowan (From The Wild director and multiple James Beard award nominee) and Tyler Harlton (top class little intervention winemaker of TH Wines) for a spot of foraging in Osoyoos. I’d like to also add that when your adventure starts with a dropped pin with the meeting point, you know it’s going to be a good one.

Before unloading my camp stove, hefty cast iron pan, homely spice blends and knife roll, we took a little wander to see what we could scavenger hunt for a field lunch with a five-finger discount. Blue skies stretched for miles, the path ahead muddled muted desert lands with the idyllic and familiar backdrop of lush blooming vineyards further away.

Photo credit: Aman Dosanj & Kevin Kossowan

From a local perspective, the subdued trail was used for the every day - walking the dog, a leisurely stroll or pretty straightforward flat run. That wasn’t our perspective or purpose. We literally travelled to Osoyoos to eat lunch together, but it wasn’t just a lunch date, it was a four-hour experience with the freshest, most local produce around.

Everywhere we looked, there was something new to feast on. We walked down the path, looking in every direction, losing track of each other in search of something delicious. ‘Is that…?’, ‘look over here…’ – the questions and answers kept on coming. Amongst the sameness came wild asparagus, nettles, rose petals, sumac, lamb’s quarter, pineapple weed, tarragon, mustard greens and lot and lots of poison ivy (danger is my middle name!) – all of which (minus the poison ivy) completely and magically safely edible.

With a bucket load of food stimulus around us, we quickly came up with a plan to bust out the old camp stove and cast iron pan and set it down under a tree along the river trail. It was only until we unloaded our haul did we realize the extent of what Mother Nature gifted us. And then it was my turn to add a little Indian vibe and create some new food memories.

Mother Nature really does have your back.

When you start foraging or growing your own food, you start to see the environment as the delicious place it’s supposed to be - proving it’s not necessarily expensive to eat locally and in-season.

Just remember that the land is borrowed and it’s not only ours. Share with the other members of our little eco-system and leave enough behind.