What would you like to see?

[mexi cali]

The restaurant biz here is dull. There are a few stars but for the most part, restaurants, even the good ones are just OK.

You hear that a lot.

And I think that is wrong. Food should be an experience. It should be something that folks look forward to. Going out to eat should be a treat and the experience should be good.

The restaurant doesn't have to be all decked out. It needs to be clean, organized, the staff need to be friendly and out going and the food needs to be WOW! Whatever it is.

I see too many restaurants trying to be too many things to too many people. The variety usually means that they don't do anything really well, rather they do a lot of things marginally well.

The problem is that they ask you to pay for 100% of your meal when they often only deliver 70 or 80% of what you expected. There usually is no WOW!. Just OK.

I realize that food is a personal thing and that tastes vary but if you had a specialty restaurant, people who are not fond of what you make don't go so the place should (in theory) be full of people who love........................ Fill in the blank.

Whether it's sea food or hamburgers or chicken or smoked or whatever. If it floats your boat and you saliva up when you think about it and the food is amazing, you'll go.

So what would Kelowna like to see??????

Have a look at DDD on the Food Network and you will see what I think we are missing and also what could be potentially great business, one that isn't likely to shut down quietly in the good night as many have before it.

[Retrosnap]

Let me be the first to comment and say that anyone who suggests that we need an Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Chili's or Applebee's need to be permanently banished from posting in this thread.

[EdCase]

The restaurant biz here is dull. There are a few stars but for the most part, restaurants, even the good ones are just OK.

You hear that a lot.

And I think that is wrong. Food should be an experience. It should be something that folks look forward to. Going out to eat should be a treat and the experience should be good.

The restaurant doesn't have to be all decked out. It needs to be clean, organized, the staff need to be friendly and out going and the food needs to be WOW! Whatever it is.

Totally agree with you: the restaurant scene here is boring at best. When you see some of the places on DDD and YGTEH, you realize that interesting food comes in many forms and it is the passion and dedication to providing an interesting, friendly experience that sets them apart.

There are some glimmers of hope - Fixx Cafe, Okanagan Street Food, Mama Rosa and a few other independents come to mind - but in most cases it's obvious that they backed the Sysco truck up to the door and fired up the microwave.

A couple of great gastro-pubs would be a good start - there are a couple with pretensions of delivering this experience but they are falling well short of what you find in other places.

[Retrosnap]

Haven't been there yet, but I'm glad to see the Salted Brick downtown...I love the Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver, and hope that they catch on here.

As well, I'd like to see a tapas bar, akin to Espana on Denman.

[EdCase]

Haven't been there yet, but I'm glad to see the Salted Brick downtown...I love the Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver, and hope that they catch on here.

As well, I'd like to see a tapas bar, akin to Espana on Denman.

Thanks for mentioning the Salted Brick - looks really interesting and the type of place we need. Yes, a good tapas bar would be good and I still long for some proper Chinese food in the Valley.

[MAPearce]

I have to admit that I have a hard time going out to anything other than a pub for dinner..

I get what I expect , and pay for , at a pub and that ain't too high ..But the last few times we went out to "fancy places" , even the Boss would have rather stayed home .

Now even she 's being critical of the food, service and expense of it all .. It just isn't worth it .

[EdCase]

Let me be the first to comment and say that anyone who suggests that we need an Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Chili's or Applebee's need to be permanently banished from posting in this thread.

Unfortunately, there is a large part of the population that equates these places with food, hence the number of bland chain restaurants in town.

[Captain Awesome]

A decent sushi place.

[beancounter]

I love the variety you can find in the South Main area of Vancouver. We enjoyed Creole, Italian, Greek, Indian etc from small independently owned restaurants on a recent trip. Little surprise hole in the walls, with great service and fantastic food. We've got a few here, but could use more.

[Snarf]

Don't laugh, but Chances in Kelowna has some awesome food! And reasonable. But since it's in a gambling establishment, you must be at least 19 years old.

White Spot is great too.

[Bpeep]

I agree about the food at Chances.
I eat there often.
Going tomorrow for lunch as a matter of fact.

[janalta]

Don't laugh, but Chances in Kelowna has some awesome food! And reasonable. But since it's in a gambling establishment, you must be at least 19 years old.

White Spot is great too.

I was actually pleasantly shocked by White Spot. Went there with my mom, expecting pretty blah food and ended up with the most amazing chicken pot pie I've ever tasted ! Who knew.

[normaM]

I'd enjoy a great Chinese place with dim sum made not nuked.
A real tapa bar not what they try to pass off here
French with dinner crepes
I agree, most places the food tastes the same.. pity because the prices are high
I'd like to see Castanet make me the rest. reviewer :/

[kgcayenne]

Norma, I'm with you on the need for a good Chinese restaurant, and by 'good' I mean China-authentic vs North American-bastardization full of sugar. *sigh* I know it is not viable here, though. I worked at Ruby's when Paul would have parties for his friends, and woah---that was some amazing/beautiful cuisine. I asked him why he doesn't sell food like that, and he flat out told me that no one here wants it.

I think the population here is simply too bland for anything truly interesting. Then you have the tourists who love the chain places because they know exactly what they'll be getting. Lots of folks are afraid of new food in case it is icky.

[brounal]

When in US think it was Arizona quite a few years back went into a restaurant not sure if it was a chain or what but they had basically comedians for waiters/waitresses and it was a great dining experience. Food was very good as well .

I would actually like to see a few chains come to Kelowna. I would like to see a Tony Romas in Kelowna, also Houston pizza chain is pretty good as well they are mostly just out west in Sask and think Alberta. Would like to see a few more Panago locations that would deliver to Upper Mission and Kettle. Would like to see a Chinese restaurant with good takeout that don't cheap out on the quantity and quality of their meat.And don't drown the food in oil. Would like to see a Hooters restaurant in Kelowna also. But pretty sure they only go into places like plus 500,000 people. Also wish they would open a Fuddruckers here. Red Robin is not nearly as good as Fuddruckers but as far as know only Saskatoon has one think its last one in Canada.
And really a Red Lobster might be ok . And maybe some Smittys . can't understand how those Da Deutche places stay in business and why there are no Smitty's here. We do of course have Denny's and IHOP.

Also for the size of city we don't really have that many Vietnamese places. Regina where I came from has way more than Kelowna. And they are cities about the same size.

Not sure also if there is a dinner theatre in Kelowna. Regina also had or maybe still has that. You can eat and watch a play at same time. And there should be a strip bar that is open at lunch time don't think current ones are.
Also when first moved here said the city needed frozen yogurt places and now we have lots of them but most of them are stupidly expensive. Be nice if could at least have one that was a lot more reasonable in price. I realize some of them do have very high overheads though. And my kids like to pile it on and find can pretty easily wind up paying 10 bucks a person or even more which is crazy for frozen yogurt .