The Okanagan Coffee Route
December 11, 2008
Now that I regularly drive the 1.5 hour journey from the Similkameen to Kelowna to teach my wine classes I have had to create a coffee route to keep me fueled along the way. One of the most important things for me in any place is to find out where to get the best latte. It’s easier said than done up here, but over the years in the Okanagan (and now Similkameen) a number of decent coffee houses have popped up in the towns along my new path.
The first stop as I head north is Penticton. There are now two very solid stops to be found. If you are heading up the hill towards the Naramata Bench, a visit to the Bench Market is essential for good coffee and panini (and you can pick up some Vij’s curry for dinner). The second stop in Penticton is a new entry, the Bellevue Cafe. This little spot on Main Street makes for a perfect break as you browse your way through the farmer’s market in the summer months, and with free wireless it is also a good stop en route from which you can send a few emails.
After jumping back in the car and heading north, you are probably just finishing one coffee as you roll into Summerland. The Beanery at the end of Main Street makes a pretty decent latte and I am visiting this place a lot more as the roadwork between Summerland and Peachland causes many unplanned delays.
By Peachland, you can drop into Bliss Bakery for a coffee or sandwich and kill some time by staring out over the lake, but it is the next stop that is probably the most exciting for me.
Now, in one of the many large strip malls that have popped up in Westbank, you can find the Okanagan’s first Caffe Artigiano. This is the now the best coffee in the Okanagan and a forced stop on any journey through the big-box storeland of Westbank. I was there on opening day a couple of weeks ago and was pleased to see the new staff just making latte after latte until they’d reached the expected perfection. It is nice to see such commitment to product quality.
The only challengers to the Artigiano crown are the two Bean Scene cafes in Kelowna (Bernard Ave and Ellis Street). The coffee they call the “Traditional Cappuccino” is actually a small, strong powerhouse with perfectly textured steamed milk and intense flavour. The Bean Scene food is very ordinary, but for coffee they were the first ones here who were really committed to training staff to make it properly.
I have yet to explore in-depth the caffeine scene of Okanagan Falls, Oliver and Osoyoos, or the north Okanagan around Vernon, but at least, for a good length of the Okanagan and Similkameen, we can be sure of finding a great cup of coffee now, another sign of the improving food scene in the Okanagan.
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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.
Nice round-up, Rhys. If you’re headed through Princeton, the folks at Cowboy Coffee do a reasonable brew.
In my opinion, the Bean Scene will always be better because of the staff and the character and it is more comfortable.
there is an Artigiano here?
Can I throw another name into the hat?
Along with the Bean Scene in Kelowna (both locations – Downtown, and North shop) I particularly enjoy grabbing a latte at “The Roasted Bean.” This little shop, which is in the same complex as the Cabana Grille, has solid baristas and uses the beans roasted by John Anderson of Bean Scene Coffee Works.
On the south side of Oliver, on the west side of the Hwy, there is a little shack in the middle of a parking lot where they make decent espresso.
Also good is Smith and Company Beverage Purveyors on Winnipeg Street in Penticton. Formerly a tire dealership the shop is huge, has a projector and stage for movie nights and live performaces and a giant patio. It’s a bit quirky with a casual bo-ho feel and is a good place to meet friends and hang out for awhile.
Rhys,John Anderson of The Bean Scene Coffee Works here. Good article on the Okanagan Coffee scene. It is encouraging to see that there is a growing amount of people in our area interested in quality coffee. Kudos to all of you out there. If you ever want to talk coffee feel free to contact me.