Best of the Okanagan: Fresco

Fresco captures Gold once again for chef Rod Butters’s unfussed, seasonally inspired fare from land and sea, exemplified by dishes like Salt Spring Island mussels poached in paella broth with chorizo, or Violet Creek pork loin and masala-rubbed, fried pork cheek with morello cherry relish and beluga lentil ragout. Look for special dinners when chef Butters pairs up with a local winery.

Bouchons (Silver), a classic French bistro in downtown Kelowna, offers generously portioned table d’hôte menus, rillettes, pâtés, and a cassoulet that will warm your soul. Chef Dominique Couton injects his lively plates with tasty accessories like miniature vegetable timbales, terrines, scallop potatoes, and very good frites.

Waterfront Wine Bar (Bronze) cheerfully hosts winemakers and real-estate moguls who come for simple share plates and an eclectic wine list that favours small, local producers. The menu is a model of simplicity: 10 or so starters (Caesar salad, a platter of mixed olives, calamari dusted with chili and sea salt) lead to straight-up mains, including best-in-show short ribs.

Toasted Oak Wine Bar and Grill (let your server lead the way to unusual but always rewarding pairings with the kitchen’s gastropub fare) and Theo’s (where the Theodosakis family dish out hearty Greek classics like the avgolemono dolmades and taramasalata) both earn Honourable Mentions.

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