Bogner's of Penticton - A Taste Test

I'm going to preface this by saying one thing - I'm not fancy, and I'm not a foodie. That being said, I love good food and drink - which is exactly what I got at Bogner's of Penticton last night. As a part of the Sun FM/EZ Rock team, I was invited to try out what the menu had to offer and now I'd like to share!

The outside of Bogner's is a bit sneaky when you drive up.  It's set inside an old Doctor's house from 1905, which quite frankly, is pretty unusual but adds to the overall ambience.  If you don't know you're looking for a house, you might miss it, even with the signage. As far as location, it's just outside Downtown Penticton and easy to get to.


When would you go to Bogner's? Any time you want a nice night out.  The restaurant is set up to encourage conversation with it's low, smooth dinner music, dimmed lighting, and linen-clad tables.   The decor is beautiful with chandeliers that play well off the support columns and wide, framed windows.   You can tell a lot was put in to creating an elegant dining environment that feels comfortable. 

A really great part of living in the Okanagan is the fresh fruit and veggies that grow in our backyard.  The climate here is perfect for all kinds of growing, which is why this is "Wine Country" as well as the home to many fruit growers.  Chef Darin Paterson actually pointed out to us some of the spots where herbs and veggies are grown right outside the doors of the restaurant, and told us about their farm that supplies a lot of what's on the menu! Chef Darin and his team are very passionate about keeping it local as he expressed to us throughout the night while explaining the different food items.  They grow their own veggies and raise their own chickens.  In 2014, it's nice to know where your food is coming from (and that it's not processed).

  Liquids: 

Any time I sit down at a table and am brought a drink I've never tried before, I know I'm going to enjoy my restaurant experience.  Cue the Pineapple-Sage Mojito.  It was sweet, a little sour and a truly unique flavour.  It's made with "patio grown Pineapple-Sage, White Rum, Pineapple-Sage infused Sugar, & Lime".  A drink that's delicious and dangerous.  And of course, it wouldn't be a dinner in the Okanagan Valley without wine.  We were offered some choices from River Stone Estate Winery in Oliver.  I personally tried the Pinot Gris and it was lovely. Fruity, but not too sweet and it paired quite well with the food!

Appetizing Appetizers:

There were all kinds of appys brought out and shared among the table.  If there's one thing you never do in radio (or ever, really), it's turn down food! Some of the items were simple choices that anyone would love, like freshly made flat bread and Classic Wedge Caesar Salad (with the biggest, freshest pieces of romaine I've ever seen!). The rest of the options were inspired by the season and what the team had on hand when creating the menu.  There were vegetarian options like the Organic Curried Zucchini Squash Spring Roll with Japanese Plum Sweet and Sour Sauce or the Asian Crispy Pumpkin Fritters with Sour Ranch Dressing and House Fermented Pear Hot Sauce.   I, myself am a carnivore.  While some of my co-workers enjoyed Warm Shrimp Dip Brie or Snails with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Capers done up with Chardonnay and herbs, I had something very interesting placed down in front of me.  House Duck Sausage Ravioli with sage butternut walnuts and roasted mushrooms.  I've only had duck maybe twice in my life before this, but I've eaten a lot of ravioli (pasta fiend, right here) and this was by far my favourite, maybe ever.   

After a little more wine and conversation, it was time for the main event. 

Entrees:

A few different meals were brought out for the table and randomly placed in front of each of us.   There's no better way to explore new food than to have the chef "order" for you (and I'm normally a pretty picky eater, so there was some risk here). If there is one thing you can always get from proper dining, it's an excuse to use a fake french accent. To the left of me, was a Châteaubriand à la Forestière, which is roasted tenderloin of beef with made to order béarnaise sauce and a potato croquette with forest mushroom sauce.  It looked like this: 

Thanks to Karen for taking a photo of her meal, I have never insta-food-grammed in my life and I didn't think to take pictures!

Across from me, was the Slow Braised Organic Chicken Cacciatore with garlic potato rösti, carrots and mushrooms.  It smelled heavenly.  Some of the other meals down the table included Parchment Roasted Arctic Char with shaved fennel and preserved lemon pan roasted potatoes, and a Local Okanagan Rack of Lamb with herb Mashed Potatoes, reduced lamb demi and veggies.  

I ended up with a Bacon Wrapped Halibut Steak with grilled mushrooms, maple glaze and french fries.  You read that right - BACON WRAPPED.  We all know maple and bacon go well together, but I was surprised at how well it paired with the Halibut Steak.  Personally, I've never been big on any kind of seafood, just eating the odd bit of tuna or salmon, but this halibut was done up well.  The maple and bacon flavouring really soaked in to the steak and gave it a savory flavour (because: bacon, as the internet would say).  Trust me, me finishing an entire halibut steak is a feat for any chef up against my picky, ocean-opposing taste buds (you win this round, Darin!).  Plus, I had the only plate with french fries, it's like they knew my weakness for deep fried potatoes.   I also tried a bite of the mushrooms, the flavour seemed alright, but I've never liked the texture of mushrooms and couldn't get past it(picky eater problems).   Overall, my main course was not something I'd have picked off a menu, but something I ended up truly relishing! 


Coffee & Dessert:

After dinner, I think we all needed a few minutes to breathe, digest, and digest some more.  As a part of dessert, the coffee orders were taken, and I was impressed with the options at Bogner's.  While most restaurants offer coffee, not all offer espresso-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.  Being the caffeine addict that I am, I opted for the cappuccino.  As a certified coffee connoisseur (I swear I'm telling the truth here as long as connoisseur really means barista/addict.), I was happy to receive a cappuccino with the perfect amount of foam, good quality espresso and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  I even managed to avoid giving myself a foam mustache in public, so obviously I'm a real grownup.  Dessert for me was a made-in-house Raspberry/Strawberry ice cream, Orchard Coffee Cake, berries and Chocolate truffles.  Was I in heaven? Yes.  Did I ever want to leave? No.  The ice cream made by Chef Darin's team blew me away.  It was sweet, tart and you could tell the flavour came from actual berries.  So.Good.   Around the table, there was also some Cherry Apple Cobbler that looked and smelled fantastic, as well as the always popular Creme Brulee.  


At the end of the day (literally, it was like 9pm when we left), Bogner's was truly a great experience.  We spent almost 3 hours enjoying food and conversation, and time really flew by! If you want to have a divine girls night, or a special date night - this would be my pick for where to go.

If you're worried about price, they've got some great deals on right now with complete meals for $25 or $35.  Plus there's a Groupon right now.

Sun listeners can go to www.sunonline.ca where Bogner's is the Restaurant of the Month and you could win a GC to try it out! 

The full menu is at www.bogners.ca

Thanks for reading (and sorry if I made you hungry)!

Wine and Decadence

This past Friday night, I felt much classier than usual.  Instead of retiring in my pajamas to a night of catching up on the week's TV shows, I headed out to the Wescana Inn to join their MLCC Wine Club in experiencing some new flavours. 

Seeing as I'd never been to one of these things before, it was tough knowing what to expect.  Unsure of how to dress, I stuck with a pretty coral dress with some lace detail and a black bolero-style sweater with black suede boots and tights (it's still winter at -24 after all).  I probably could have opted for a nice sweater and still been fine, but why not dress up if you're going to be experiencing fantastic food and wine right?

Let's roll through the courses, their pairings, and the party my taste buds experienced while I enjoyed fine conversations.

1st Course: 

"Sweet Onion Marmalade Ravioli - Dressed with sage nut butter, shaved parmesan & arugula.  Paired with a Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2011 - Argentina - Vibrant red colour, smooth tannins, and a bouquet of red fruit such as plum and cherry, combined with the sweetness of oak"

Reading that description may make your mouth water, but actually tasting it was a whole other thing.  The balance of flavours in this dish made it a wonderful complement to the wine.   The dish was sweet and savory.  The familiar flavour of the parmesan with the sage nut butter was very welcoming as it encompassed the sweetness inside the ravioli. My brain couldn't process which part I liked best, and once it was paired with this robust red, it only tasted better (which I didn't think possible). 


2nd Course: 

"Cherry Blossom Vietnamese Duck - Served with rice noodles, asian style vegetables & cherry au jus. Paired with a Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - South Africa - Medium bodied, deep red and purple in colou.  Sweet cherry, cassis, earth, licorice, and cedar tones. Soft tannins on the finish."

I don't remember ever eating duck before now, and as much as I love Duck Tales (a whoo-oo), I will definitely be eating it again.  The texture and full flavoured taste of the duck topped on simplicity of rice noodles and veggies was a perfect mix.  Personally, I didn't enjoy this red as much as the first, though it was a nice addition to the dish. 

On a side note, I'm usually not too adventurous when it comes to food, I stick to the classics (mostly meat and potatoes), but I would order a dish like this again.  It was divine.


3rd Course: 

 Smoked Roma Octopus a la Gremolata - Seasoned with gremolata and Chinese five spice, with a baked garlic calzone.   Paired with a Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand - Aromas of gooseberry, bell pepper, and newly mown grass.  This wine is fresh and lively with excellent balance on the palate."

First things first, I love Italian food, and that calzone was delish.  Notice how I skipped right over the Octopus?  Not because it wasn't great, I just really like calzones.  Personally, I don't handle seafood well in general (because of the texture), and the only squid/octopus I've had before was deep fried as calamari.  The seasoning on this dish however, allowed me to really enjoy it.  The octopus was part of a salsa-like mixture with the gremolata on top, it was not only appealing to the eye, but quite tasty alongside the Sauv Blanc.  This wine may have been my favourite of the night, except I'm partial to Moscatos, and dessert always has the upper hand, but we'll get to that. (Also, how much fun is it to say "Monkey Bay"?  Seriously, it just makes discussing the wine extra fun)


4th Course: 

"Korean Barbeque Shoulder of Pork - Pork shoulder dressed and marinated in Pad Thai barbeque sauce.  Paired with a Santa Christina Pinot Grigio - Italy - Bright yellow in colour, intense fruit, particularly pear, green apple and orange.  This pinot grigio has vibrant acidity and lasting finish."

It is as good as it sounds.  There are a lot of places that offer pad thai flavoured options in Canada, and I really enjoyed this one.  It was slightly different than most I've tried.   The first bite was perfectly marinaded and then a little kick of spice at the end was just right.  The spice was counter balanced nicely by the bright taste of the Pinot Grigio. This is a taste I would want to try and recreate at home, it was moist, flavourful and close enough to my comfort zone that it may get an add on to my "list of things to learn how to do/make" (it's a long list...).


5th Course: 

"Dukkah Crusted Moroccan Salmon - Dukkah rubbed side of salmon, served with chili &lime dressing.  Paired with a La Playa Cabernet Sauvignon Rose - Chile - Vivid pink colour with violet hues.  Rich fruit aromas with distinctive notes of candied raspberry, strawberry and touches of herbs."

Talk about spice!  The dukkah crusting on this salmon was fantastic.  It had a curry-like kick to it that lent itself well to the salmon, which was perfectly flaky.  A little spice, a little crunch and large sides - I could have made this a meal on it's own, but I do think it would be delicious over rice.   The rose was very lively as well, it was a good pop of fruit to counteract the spice in the dukkah. 


6th Course:

"Agave & Lime Creme Brulee - Burnt Sugar topped, infused with tequila and accompanied by lime.  Paired with a Pfeiffer Moscato 2012 - Australia - This moscato is a highly perfumed wine, with aromas of musk and rose petals.  It is light and refreshing, with fruity, tropical flavours and a light spritz." 

I'm not sure there is anything greater than burnt sugar in this world.  If there is, I haven't found it yet.   I'd like to mention that the presentation of this dessert was adorable.  Each one was made in a coffee mug and there was a lime, blackberry and raspberry on top of each burnt sugar top.  This creme brulee was perfection, the texture was smooth, and it was decadent.  The moscato they paired was delicious and summery.   the Pfeiffer was a wonderful dessert wine, but I could also imagine sipping it on the deck on a warm summer's evening.  Delightful.


Overall, I quite enjoyed my first Wine Tasting and I believe it will be great experience to have under my belt when I move to Penticton next week (aka - wine country, BC).   I commend Chef Julius Jeppe of the Wescana Inn and Celeste from the MLCC for the wonderful job they did on the menu and wine pairings.   Any evening filled with food and wine that good is worth a second visit, and a third, and many more.

Oh and don't worry, despite the -20 temperature, I walked home full and content.