Good Food In The Similkameen?

It was with more than a little trepidation that Alishan and I made the move out of the Okanagan into the relative unknown of the beautiful but isolated Similkameen Valley. Drawn by the chance to purchase five acres of land that well-suited to a vineyard and the stunning beauty of the area, we made the move anyway. Thinking we were destined for home cooking and nothing more exotic than frozen Vij’s meals picked up from the Codfather’s Seafood Market during our weekly trips to Kelowna, our stomachs were ready for a barren run. When we signed the dotted line to purchase our house, I didn’t think there was an espresso machine in the valley. But things have been much better than we’d hoped.

The first discovery was the Riverbed Bistro. After a long day of shuttling our stuff between Peachland and Cawston, we were finally ready for pizza and a bottle of red wine amidst the rubble of boxes. We headed into town (Keremeos being our new “big smoke”) and discovered this newly opened restaurant, something that wasn’t there a couple of months ago when we were finalising our house purchase. The Mexican pizza turned out to be very good (we are now addicted) and on numerous other visits, their skill with the deep fryer has impressed us to no end. There is something great about a restaurant that only does simple food but does it very well. And they make a decent latté. Things were looking up.

The next major victory for our pioneering stomachs came during a fruit stand stop in Keremeos. The family that runs Sanderson Farms also makes authentic pakoras, samosas and a range of curries. My in-laws, who lived in India, proclaimed the pakoras the best they’ve tried since they left. So now we have our little bistro and some good Indian food sorted. Dare I say it, choice.

We also have the recently opened Benja Thai. I was used to some pretty good Thai food in Australia but so often our Canadian Thai experience has been second to many. Our hopes weren’t high but we kept hearing the local gossip about the new Thai restaurant and made our first foray in a couple of weeks ago. Wow. Some of the best Thai food I have ever had. Spoiled for choice.

The Similkameen has always been considered a bit of a backwater with little to excite the senses. But now with nine wineries (and a few more to open soon), this is developing into its own little wine region. And while it might not have the fine dining we often associate with wine, there is both excellent wine and good, inexpensive food to enjoy. There is the feeling that this is the beginning of something exciting. I will keep you updated as things unfold.

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Rhys Pender is a wine educator, freelance wine writer, wine judge and consultant to the industry. Visit his company Wine Plus+ online at www.wineplus.ca.