Food & Drink

New food truck launches

Chelsey Mutter One man is bringing his heritage to Vernon through his new food truck. My Big Fat Greek Food Truck just opened and is run by Jessie Colovos and her husband TJ Colovos, whose dad is Greek and mom is Canadian. “We lived in Greece for just over 10 years, and it’s all

Wine tasting season is here

Photo: Lakebreeze Vineyards "Four seasons of fun" is an ongoing collaboration between Castanet and Visit Penticton showcasing what Penticton has to offer all year round. Watch for it every Monday morning. Sip, sip, hooray! April is BC Wine month and that means it’s o

Red Rooster Chardonnay

Photo: Contributed Wine: Red Rooster 2021 Sur Lie Chardonnay Winery: Red Rooster Winery Why drink it? If you like lemon meringue pie, this is a white wine for you. Lush yet lemony, it has lovely almond and spicy citrus flavours. The term “sur lie” (pronounced “lee&

Wineries help wildlife thrive

Photo: OSS Wineries in the Okanagan and Similkameen are trying to do their part for wildlife, working on sustainability and reducing their environmental impact. Throughout the month of April, the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship (OSS) said they are celebrating sustainable agriculture p

Benefits of cooking

Photo: Contributed Every day, we are constantly pushed and pulled by influences in our lives and those influences change how our lives go and how long they last. The quality of life you have is about all aspects of how you live. If you “super-size” your meals too often,

Unique local wines released

Photo: Contributed A unique selection of local wines will be available at BC Liquor stores starting Saturday April 22. The highly anticpated VQA Spring Release will showcase small, family run wineries as well as new varieties and vintages from established BC Vintners Quality Alliance b

Indo-Italian at La Mantra

Photo: Kirk Penton The Sekhon family was already entrenched in the Kelowna restaurant and beverage business, with three restaurants and a coffee shop in its portfolio. And it knew exactly what was missing on Bernard Avenue, so it decided to fill that gap. The Sekhons earlier this month

A gooey gold medal

Photo: Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Centre Left to right: Carol Hill-Lonergan AS Chamber of Commerce, 1st place Wild Oak Caf? (owner Elizabeth Reimer), David Beaudoin, Canadian Cheese Ambassador One grilled cheese reigns supreme in Armstrong – at least

Tin Whistle launches patio

Photo: Casey Richardson Click here to view gallery Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed Photo: Contributed The oldest craft brewery in the South Okanagan is opening up its patio for the summertime, and

Stag's Hollow Dolcetto

Photo: Contributed Castanet has a new wine writer, Shelley Boettcher. An award-winning food and wine writer and editor, Shelley holds her master’s degree in journalism and her advanced WSET certification, as well as her level 2 International Sommelier Guild certification. A wine

Learning to love baking

Photo: Contributed I love cooking in all its forms. I have been enamoured with it ever since I was a little girl. My granddaughter is now two and a half years old, just starting to help her mom in the kitchen. While we were visiting the grandkids recently, I was reminded of all the lit

Mag picks Hester Creek

Photo: Google. Eric Degerman, Great Northwest Wine Magazine founder, reached out to Hester Creek Winery in early January to congratulate them and inform them that they would be receiving the honour of British Columbia Winery of the Year. Hester Creek Estate Winery, just south of Oliver

Long-standing pie legacy

Casey Richardson Right along Highway 97, driving beside the turnoff into Summerland is a sign for locally-beloved Granny's Fruit Stand, a more than 30-year-old business with a tasty history. Granny's was founded in 1992 by Don Cameron, a former Summerland mayor, who operated it fro

Grocery's power imbalance

Photo: The Canadian Press The flyer for the Victory Meat & Produce Market, a small grocer in New Brunswick, recently featured fresh local turkey for $3.99 a pound, two bags of carrots or onions for $4 and a bunch of celery for $2.29 — prices that rival its national competitors.

New restaurant a big dream

Photo: Casey Richardson Chef and Owner Ian Cha stands in his newly opened restaurant, Katsu Heaven A new restaurant has opened along Penticton’s Martin Street, hoping to entice crowds in with freshly made katsu and Japanese dishes. After more than a year of renovations, Katsu

Bistro with international flair

Casey Richardson After a year of renovations and decor changes, Penticton has a new bistro looking to bring the culinary diversity of Europe to your plate. Garden House officially opened quietly on Monday, displaying an entirely new atmosphere from the previous Mexican restaurant in its sp

New take on a cup of Joe

Photo: Contributed To all the tea drinkers out there, I apologize in advance for coffee’s monopoly on the conversation in this week’s column. I am someone who enjoys both these hot beverages, so I want you to know I will give tea its equal due in a future column very soon.

Go back in time with wine

Photo: S.S. Sicamous Learn more about the history of the S.S. Sicamous while getting to taste wines from across the South Okanagan region at the ship's upcoming event. The Sip Back in Time event on Saturday, April 15 will have attendees exploring the historic sternwheeler in its fu

Food for the brain and soul

Tracey Prediger For the past 23 years, Anne Mae Rea has been serving up bagels and breakfast goodies to Vernon students. She got the idea to start a breakfast program when a youth group from her church rented out the gym at Harwood Elementary. After talking to the school’s princip

CedarCreek's taste of spring

Photo: Contributed As a season of new growth, renewed possibilities, and fresh hopes is upon us, CedarCreek Estate Winery has blissful spring experiences to complement. Sip on organically certified wine, while wine ambassadors guide you through tasting experiences, sharing CedarCreek&rsqu