The best way to get acquainted with any city or town is through local food. Tofino, although a small coastal town, is populated with famous restaurants. From the world famous Tacofino food truck to BC favourite, Shelter Restaurant. Tofino is even home to one of Canada's top 100 restaurants, Wolf in the Fog, it's a culinary jewel in a rather remote location off the West Coast of Vancouver Island. From Kelowna it is a long 10-11 hour journey by car and boat then car again along winding roads that line ancient forests, lakes and the Pacific Ocean. Tofino offers some of the best seafood I have ever had as well as the best taco that has ever graced my taste buds. Hands down! During my ...
Food Blog
Sunday Pranzo: Summerhill Pyramid Winery Bistro, Kelowna
The tourists are practically all gone here in Kelowna making it possible for me to explore the parts of the Okanagan I love most. Traffic is less hectic and the beaches are no longer packed from end to end. The wineries and their bistros are still open and I can stroll into any of them without a reservation. This is the Kelowna I love most - when it is given back to the locals. For this Sunday Dinner Series I wanted to focus on a winery I've had a complex relationship with. Summerhill Pyramid Winery, one of Canada's most visited wineries and famed for their delicious sparkling and ice wines. Their pyramid, a replica of the Pyramid of Giza, is said to intensify the flavour of the wines ...
Top Ten Foodies on Snapchat
Until the recent addition of the GhostCodes app it was difficult to search out people to follow on Snapchat. Snapchat is now one of my favourite social media sources as a way to reach out to readers, friends and family. I have become addicted! Peaking into the lives of fellow foodies around the world, travellers near and far, celebrities and their daily events. For a long time I resisted Snapchat completely but now I can't get enough. GhostCodes helped me to find a few foodies and travellers that tell a good story (it also helped me gain viewers). But since there are too many to name in both those categories I've narrowed it down to my top 10 favourite foodies, although travel and food and ...
Top 3 Gelato Finds in Kelowna #MyOkanaganSummer
What does it mean to live in a "foodie" town? I am finding out with every year that I live in Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley in general. It means that you can find local produce and ingredients celebrated in the top restaurants for every budget but it also means that cuisine from other cultures are readily available and celebrated too but with a local flare. Italian is a huge influence here as is French but both cuisines are made with distinctly local ingredients. Within the last few years I've seen gelato popping up more and more. It's no longer just ice cream at your local provider but now it's either gelato and ice cream or strictly gelato. And even your local provider has grown ...
Joy Road Catering on God’s Mountain Estate
Where has the time gone? If you've subscribed to my newsletter you probably know that I am newly engaged! And little did I know what that really meant. I was never the type to plan her wedding at the age of 10 with Barbies and teddy bears strewn across my bed. Frankly, I had told people for years that I wouldn't get married. My fiancé James and I have been together for 7 years with the last 5 feeling like we were the equivalent to married. So why go through the stress of planning and family politics? But once again I am eating my words, happily I might add. To my chagrin when the question was asked and I felt the dizzying effect of life changing before my eyes I said yes and was ...
The Culinary Travel Guide: Style Files
Fellow Okanagan blogger Laura of The Culinary Travel Guide recently reached out to me about an idea for a new series she dubs Style Files. Laura has been sifting through chefs, travelers, bloggers and general foodies asking them the important questions in life....where & what do you love to eat?! After taking her Q & A myself I asked Laura, how about you answer these questions for my readers too? She kindly agreed and I learned more about her than I did at a recent lunch we had at our local yacht club. Laura and I are kindred spirits, no only do we both enjoy the occasional spirit or two in Las Vegas and Venice, Italy but we also have a passion for food and travel. I introduce ...
Tenement Museum Food Tour, New York
As a Canadian, Thanksgiving is October 8th and as a family, like many North American families on Thanksgiving, we gather to share stories and of course eat. I look around the table with my grandparents, parents, my and my sister's boyfriend and I notice that none of us identify as solely Canadian. My dad descended from Ukrainians, my grandparents from Norwegians, Swedish and British immigrants, my boyfriend James is descended from Doukhobor Russians and Irish immigrants, and my sister's boyfriend is British and French but born in Barbados. Our dinner table holds a varied history of both the privileged and poor but all tried/are trying to find a better life in a new and unfamiliar place. In ...
Naramata Heritage Inn & Spa, BC,Canada
If I were a retiree and was looking for a summertime home I would chose Naramata. It is a small, quaint and funky town full of character that consists of mainly artists, retirees, winery owners and their staff (of course I am being a bit reductive with Penticton being a short 10 minute drive away it isn't out of the question that people make the commute). Since I am not yet able to retire I arrived in Naramata as a visitor hoping to get as much wine tasting and food in as I could during my day trip on Saturday. My first stop in Naramata is always the Heritage Inn & Spa not because I stay there, or ever have before ($$$), but because of their Cobblestone Bar & Restaurant. Here I ...
One if by Land, Two if by Sea – NYC
If I were to read Chef Colt Taylor's techniques and cooking interests, like some culinary matchmaker's profile it would have been a first blind date worthy of a second go. Chef Taylor is head chef of One if by Land, Two if by Sea restaurant in the laid back Chelsea district of Manhattan. As explained on the website, Taylor's mother, Melissa Barbieri, is a fantastic fresco painter from Connecticut (I do love the arts) and is well traveled (hello? I love travel!). He learned his technique from chefs around the Western globe, from Austria to Miami and in the end favoured French cuisine above all. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a French restaurant and doesn't pretend to be but the technique ...
Harry’s Prime Steakhouse and Raw Bar, Cancun: Wagyu or Kobe?
As I previously mentioned, the food at my Cancun resort wasn't very good. In fact, most of the time the resort food made me feel ill. I explored my surroundings and was discouraged when the only alternatives I could find were Bubba Gump Shrimp and Outback Steakhouse. However, I strolled a bit further via taxi and found a great restaurant that offers luxury dinning for half the price of Canada and most luxury dinning in the USA. Harry's Prime Steakhouse and Raw Bar was the only spot I felt protected against feeling sick the next morning or later that evening. The food was amazing, the service was luxurious and the building itself was glowing and gorgeous. Usually, Kobe beef and Wagyu ...
Florentine Flaneuse
The first time I stood before the Duomo di Firenze I was consumed with the vast amount of detail on its exterior façade of green, creamy-white and soft, aging burgundy marble. Each personality depicted within the arched and pointed crevasses (and there are many) appear as real as you or I. Standing far below on the cobblestone streets you half expect them to direct their condescending gaze towards you. Image from Il Latini's website Not only is Florence a heaven for any art enthusiast, with the famed Uffizi gallery, it also provides a luxurious shopping experience with gorgeous scarves, brand names that every fashion connoisseur ...
Twisted Fork Bistro, Vancouver
Vancouver has proven to be an abundant source of delicious cuisine. Each time I go, I choose a new spot- sometimes a little place that's gotten traffic on Urbanspoon or a place that I've heard of from the lips of other foodies. Either way, I have yet to have a bad meal in this picturesque city nestled between mountains and ocean. Twisted Fork Bistro is an excellent example of a small restaurant that I stumbled on while hunting through Urbanspoon. I always research restaurants when I am traveling to a city, even if I have been there countless of times. Vancouver is so big and ever changing. People who aren't locals should definitely check out local blogs, foodie blogs (comme moi!) and ...
A Big White New Year!
I do not ski. I do not snowboard. I do not own snow pants (anymore). I do not like it when my legs become freezer burnt. I do not like falling on my ass when I ice skate. I do not like pellets of snow bouncing off my drying skin. So why would I celebrate New Year's Eve at a ski hill? I do like the looks of Ponderosas in fresh snow. I do like trying new things and what better way to start off 2012? I do ...
Grey Cup Musings
Here in Canada, the Grey Cup is kind of the equivalent to the Superbowl but without the je ne sais quois that the Superbowl or Stanley Cup possess. However, it was a lot of fun to go to and this year it was held in Vancouver, BC. Barney Bental Band - Not as exciting as others despite their stature The first day we spent the majority of our time at the Molson events hosted at the new(er) Vancouver Convention Centre. Needless to say there was a ton of beer ($7 each!) and lots of fun bands such as Barney Bentall, a Beatles tribute band, and Colin James. Slightly Blurry Photo Sorry Blame It on Spumante! This is the duck plate. This visit I tried a new ...
Anthony Bourdain In Vancouver
As a self-proclaimed foodie, I would like to think that my palate has two sides; a benevolent side as represented by the simplistic David Rocco, and an adventurous side represented by the intrepid Anthony Bourdain. I was fortunate enough to see the latter speak at The Centre in Vancouver. In case you don't tune in to the Travel Channel as often as I do, you won't be familiar with Bourdain's food-based travel show, No Reservations. He has also written many books ranging from cookery, memoir to a fictional mystery novel, however, the book that launched him to the top and gave him my dream job was his first non-fiction book, Kitchen Confidential (2001). His book depicted the culinary roughhouse ...
Ketchikan: Alaskan Style Seafood Feast
Earlier this year I was in need of some scenery, that good ol' fashioned idea of getting back to nature...without the discomfort of camping. University had made me slightly insane and I needed a break from my laptop. I was hoping that a cruise would be right up my alley so I went against every "traveler's"advice and became a sort of "tourist" for a week in September. I cheated a bit and missed the third week of my two Creative Writing classes (sorry to my Professors if they read this). Elk Burgers & Cappuccino Anyone? The first day of the cruise began as I had imagined. I woke up to a calm ocean, dolphins playing in the waves of the boat and a glimpse ...
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!
Sunday night was my family's Thanksgiving dinner and was it delicious! Thanks Mom & Dad! To prepare for the day I visited a series of local cheese artisans, the Kelowna Farmer's Market and a revamped Italian specialty shop. My family definitely goes all out for the day and this year we had a total of 8 dinner guests. My mom cooked the golden turkey, my sister did the mashed potatoes and my grandparents brought a pumpkin pie (just in case my homemade one didn't turn out so great) and chocolates. Vineyard view from our balcony This year I decided to make a triple chocolate pumpkin pie with ginger snap cookie crust and some delicious buttery rolls. Both were a hit, ...
A Historical Tea Time – Vancouver Revisited
This year for my birthday I was treated to a delicious tea time at the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel. Delicious finger sandwiches and cakes were served on a silver tower in a dimly lit ballroom with tall ceilings. Pinks and hues of blue-green set the tone of the room - art deco meets Marie Antoinette. To celebrate the occasion we ordered Lavender Earl Grey and Moet & Chandon Champagne. I must warn you that this is no cheap occasion and be prepared to treat yourself to a luxurious lunch with a girlfriend or two. The hotel also has packages where you can have afternoon tea and then head over to the Vancouver Art Gallery across the street to take in the latest exhibition. I was ...
An Italian Breakfast
One thing that drove me nuts while in Italy was the lack of bacon and eggs. I learned very fast that the Italians aren't big breakfast people and, often, the only thing I could turn to were pastries. However, while in Rome, I did get a complimentary breakfast of fried prosciutto and powdered scrambled eggs with very runny yogurt. Canadians know good bacon and wet/crunchy, hard prosciutto was not a satisfying alternative. However, I have to admit, there were some pretty darn good treats and the best cappuccinos I ever had. After a night out in Florence I needed a good breakfast to help me recover. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it anywhere near my hotel (which was not in the centre ...
And So It Begins…
Welcome to the first post of the Wanderfull Traveler! Like the title implies, I am an avid traveler and I love good food so I will be posting about all my great finds wherever I go; it may be around the corner here in Kelowna, or around the globe. I encourage you to comment about anything you see on my blog and even share some of your own delicious or spectacular discoveries, culinary or otherwise. All of the photos you will be viewing are my own and if you have any questions or ideas or just want to purchase a photo of mine, please do not hesitate to e-mail me here at canadianculinarytravel@gmail.com. A little bit about me: I am studying Art History and Creative ...
