The 2009 “Naramata Unfiltered” Sommelier Bootcamp Begins
June 1, 2009
Arrived on the Naramata Bench for the annual Sommelier Bootcamp Wine Retreat a few hours ago with a couple dozen BC wine pros, chefs, and restaurateurs. Lots of familiar faces. Read more
Okanagablog: Eating P-Town
October 26, 2008
Joy Road doling out the goodies at the Penticton Farmer
Saturday, October 25 was the last Penticton Farmer’s Market of the season and I was pretty bummed as it’s definitely my favourite thing about the P-town. So off I went to eat my usual market breakfast feast and quickly learned why the market shuts down in the fall.
A wind-tossed tent lands on top of another
The number of stalls had dropped significantly since my last visit two weeks prior and the wind had made its blustery presence known. Tents blew up and over, hat stands came down with a crash, and leaves circled hurricane-like along with my hair.
I was surprised at how quickly the market atmosphere had changed, and instead of lazily loitering around the City Hall stairs eating this and that I headed straight to the good folks at Joy Road Catering for my usual seasonal fruit galette, cinnamon bun, and homemade granola. It’s more than I can (or should) eat but I need a taste of everything and like to lend my support, especially with it being the last market.
Dietz's bison sausage at the last Penticton Farmer's Market
Then it’s off to the Dietz sausage truck for a bison smokie loaded with sauerkraut and mustard. A look back down Main Street saw most stalls losing their tents and in danger of having their wares swept away. I guess it’s time to shut down the season.
I know the producers, farmers, chefs, bakers, knitters, chocolatiers, soap and candle makers have been working so hard since the early spring and are probably quite looking forward to the break. Cam Smith and Dana Ewart of Joy Road told me they were hosting 75 people for an end-of-season shindig at their place that night and were off to Maui the next day, and if anyone deserves a whole lot of R&R, it’s those two.
I also tried out a couple other restaurants in Penticton this weekend at opposite ends of spectrum. The seven month old Lee’s Fusion, a stylish addition to the city close to my part of town (Skaha Lake), and the fifty year old (plus) Capitol diner downtown on Main.
The Capitol has been under the same ownership for its entire existence – a couple from Greece. A little standoffish at first perhaps but owner Vicky warmed up 100% following some interest shown in her kitchen and history. Lunch Friday afternoon was a six dollar plate of bacon and eggs, served with four slices of toast and some pretty decent diner coffee. Remember when coffee cups held 6oz? Dig waaaay back.
The food was average and the atmosphere totally dated but there is something pretty cool about hanging out and watching the world go by in a place that has weathered many decades and is still around to serve locals their liver and onions.
We hit Lee’s Friday evening around 8:30pm, later than the norm in P-town, but there were a fair amount of people inside. We were happy to see that the seafood was Oceanwise and that all three types of Masa Shiroki’s Granville Island-produced Osake sake were on the menu. We had a few plates of good, if rice-heavy sushi, some toro and salmon sashimi, and my favourite: chopped scallop nigiri. Downing multiple teensy glasses of the mid-level sake option, we still ended up with half a bottle to take home…
Joy Road Catering
October 5, 2008
Details
Joy Road | Penticton, BC
Email: eat@joyroadcatering.com
Web: www.joyroadcatering.com
Telephone: 250-493-8657
Fax: 250-493-8667
Gallery
The People
Cameron Smith & Dana Ewart
About Joy Road Catering
From our inception selling pastries at the farmers’ markets, Joy Road Catering has primarily used local ingredients for the simple reason that fresh tastes better. And while socially-responsible food sourcing allows our customers to enjoy the Okanagan bounty at the height of ripeness, it also sustains the farmers and artisans who represent the agricultural heritage of this region.
Whether you are planning an elegant wedding feast, a rustic gourmet barbeque or a multi-course gastronomic extravaganza in the comfort of a luxury B & B, let us custom design a menu that will exceed your culinary expectations. Use your imagination – the potential for wine country cuisine is endless!
At Joy Road Catering, we proudly showcase the wealth of delicious food and wine options available in this region the best way we know how: creating unique dining experiences that feature premium seasonal ingredients.
With Advanced certification from the esteemed U.K.-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and an intimate knowledge of the local vintages, we are well-qualified to advise clients on suitable wine pairings with their menus.
We are based in Penticton Okanagan BC and cater to a multitude of fabulous venues, among them wineries, B&B’s, gardens, orchards, cliff tops, you name it. We are extreme destination caterers, and as such we will feed people delicious food just about anywhere. Every summer, our Alfresco Vineyard Dinners are held at the idyllic Gods’ Mountain Estate overlooking a Riesling vineyard and Skaha lake.
Press
“Joy Road Catering Smith and Ewart call their food cuisine du terroir, and with good reason. Tonight’s menu begins with home made bread made from organic Canadian wheat and antipasti, including local goat cheese and fresh figs- all of it washed down with Okanagan Blue Mountain Brut.” – Amy Rosen | The National Post
“If eating alfresco is the key- then the hottest dinner ticket all summer long was a seat at one of Cameron and Dana’s Sunday dinners on God’s Mountain…” – Rhonda May | City Food
“Cameron Smith and Dana Ewart are two enterprising Torontonians who used to work for uber chef Chris McDonald at the former Avalon restaurant. They were attracted to the nascent food and wine scene in the Okanagan and opened Joy Road Catering to showcase the area’s food and wine [...] We attended a wine maker’s dinner at an eclectic inn called God’s Mountain Estate situated on a cliff overlooking Skaha Lake. Dana and Cam matched the exceptional but simple food with very credible wines from Wild Goose Winery.” – Lucy Waverman | The Globe & Mail
