Food & Drink

Get to know the grapefruit

Photo: Contributed This week’s column is a bit of good, old-fashioned watercooler fodder. I am sharing a bunch of facts about grapefruit that I bet many of you don’t know. So, settle in and be prepared to be amazed. Let’s start with some history. Did you know that

Monashees changes hands

Photo: Jon Manchester The largest private liquor store in the North Okanagan is changing hands. Otter Co-op, based out of Aldergrove has purchased Vernon's Monashees liquor store. Otter CEO Jack Nicholson confirmed the deal Thursday. The sale will close Feb. 15. "We&#

Helmut's under expansion

Photo: Helmut's Sausage Kitchen Walls are going up on a major expansion to the production facility of a much-loved Vernon foodie destination. While Helmut's Sausage Kitchen is across town on 48th Avenue, construction is well underway at the Helmut’s Vernon Sausage Company

Rise clubhouse rising

Photo: therisegolf.ca Vernon’s newest restaurant is rising – at The Rise. Work on a clubhouse and restaurant at the popular Vernon golf course has begun and, when complete, the eatery will show off the course's spectacular views above Okanagan Lake. The multimillion-

Frind Sparkling Brut

Photo: Contributed Wine: Brut (sparkling), NV Winery: Frind, West Kelowna Why drink it? A medal winner in several international competitions, this is good value for a sparkling wine. A blend of Riesling and Chardonnay, this lively bottle of bubbles begins with aromas of green apples

Midtown sold in just 6 days

A downtown Vernon restaurant owner and outspoken critic of vaccine passports wants to clear the air after six years in business. Kelly Lacroix of Midtown Bistro says she had multiple offers within hours of listing the business for sale. On Friday, she said she has a sale pending and is loo

DIY meals vs. take out

Photo: Contributed Since the pandemic brought us back into our kitchens, we have been experimenting with variations on how to make a meal. Some of us started out honing skills like sourdough bread-making but eventually things got busier. Whether by choice or necessity, depending on ou

Food cuts start to happen

Photo: Jon Manchester Canada's food manufacturers are starting to cut capacity and focus on key products as they confront labour shortages and supply chain problems that show no signs of easing. Experts say food manufacturers are facing inflation, shipping backlogs and delays in ob

Wine tasting with wings

Photo: Contributed The list of wineries participating in a new Vernon wine event is growing. Dahl Group Events and Wings Vernon say Meyer Family Vineyard, Mayhem Wines, Peak Cellars Winery, Play Estate Winery and Waterside Wine will take part in the Vernon Wine Show. The event will

Explosion of Indian fare

Victoria Femia The popularity of Indian cuisine is clearly growing by leaps and bounds in Vernon. The number of Indian restaurants has exploded over the past couple of years, and now Vernon also has its first Indian grocery. Shahi Grocery has opened up in the old Peoples Store location

2017 McWatters Brut

Photo: Contributed Wine: McWatters Brut (sparkling), 2017 Winery: Time, Penticton Why drink it? From the McWatters collection, a tribute to B.C. wine pioneer Harry McWatters, the first element to note: the elegant, minimalist design of the label, evoking an “ooh, where is this

Something we all share

Photo: Contributed Kristen Peturson-Laprise with her friend Dick Herring at Chaine BelleAuberge. I was cleaning my office space this week and inside an old Daytimer I dusted off, I found a newspaper clipping a friend sent me years ago. The friend was a fellow foodie, so the article

Time to rethink the drink?

Photo: Basak Gurbuz Derman Has an occasional glass of wine on the weekend turned into one or two a night during the pandemic? Do you have a regular happy hour to unwind after work? Or daily beer after being on the hill? If so, you likely aren't alone, but you may want to consider

Distillery takes home gold

Photo: Okanagan Spirits Vernon's Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery struck gold at the prestigious 2022 Canadian Whisky Awards. It won the Artisan Distillery of the Year title and took home three gold medals for its BRBN bourbon-style whisky, BLK BRBN cask-strength bourbon, and Blac

Wine with your wings?

Photo: Pixabay Wings Vernon and Dahl Group Events are planning the Vernon Wine Show. The event will take place Feb. 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the local restaurant. "It is about time we all get out and have a bit of fun, for God's sake," says Dahl Group spokesperson Lea

A one-of-a-kind Whisky

You can create your very own, one-of-a-kind whisky – and you don't need your own still to do it. Tyler Dyck, CEO of Vernon's Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, says its private label custom cask program has been "hugely successful." Typically, whisky (note the '

New year, new food

Photo: Contributed Did anyone out there make a resolution? I am guessing that many people are not feeling into it, what with all that has been thrown at us in the last couple of years. Perhaps you decided that just getting out of bed and making the coffee should count as a success? Wel

Popeyes opens the doors

Photo: Jon Manchester Chicken lovers rejoice – Vernon's newest restaurant opened its doors on Monday. And another isn't far behind. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen opened for business at the corner of 27th Street and 37th Avenue. The franchise chain is famous for its frie

Township 7 Sparkling

Photo: Contributed Wine: Rigel (sparkling), 2019 Winery: Township 7, Langley/Penticton Why drink it? Buzz continues to grow for this winery’s sparkling wines, each named for a specific star, and most bottles allocated to its club members – as this one is. Rigel is a sing

Finding joy in new year

Photo: Contributed I grew up in the 1970s with young parents. They were not exactly hippies, although they did wear tie-dye shirts and drove a Volkswagon Beetle when I was a baby. At one point, we had a crochet wall-hanging in the dining room. My childhood was filled with happy memori