News

July 30, 2021 In News By alison

Guide to Kelowna’s Foodie Scene: Breakfast Edition

by Jennifer Schell

Some say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I say, make it an epic one!

Here are some delicious breakfast ideas that you must check out when you are coasting around Kelowna.

#1 – Karat Chocolate

Karat Chocolate has amazing croissants. This dreamy little Parisian style café downtown has a jaw dropping array of beautiful, sweet treats. The strawberry and cream croissant, the banana cream pie one or the cheesecake one…basically you can’t go wrong. Enjoy inside or at one of the quaint sidewalk tables.

#2 – Sunny’s Modern Diner

Sunny’s Modern Diner is tucked in right across from the Sails downtown and they are all about breakfast (seriously they open at 7:30 and serve breakfast all day).  I have to say that the famed Chicks on a Raft is really something you gotta eat. Scrambled eggs, gypsy bacon lardons, green onion, aged and very sharp cheddar, peanut butter toasted French loaf, hash browns or greens. Yes, I said peanut butter. Go try it.

#3 – Kalamansi Restaurant

Hidden away inside into Bernard Avenue’s District Mall there is a glammy little food fair with one of the city’s most delicious new food destinations. Kalamansi Restaurant is Chef Alex Lavroff’s baby, and the food is something to scream about. Here you can grab a breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheddar, and tomato jam or maybe a tart flambee with local peaches and whipped ricotta, Calabrian chili and tomato carpaccio.

#4 – Bohemian Café & Catering

The OG breakfast hangout is the beloved Boh (Bohemian Café & Catering), and it remains a favourite for locals. Inside or outside on their patio, be prepared for a little wait. My go-to is the Popeye (spinach) Omelette and hash browns and it is always perfect; however, the Eggs Benny are pretty awesome too. Here the bread is homemade, the jam is homemade, the sausages are homemade…you get my drift.

#5  – The Curious Cafe

The Curious Café has a wonderful morning menu with all of the breakfast love you need. Here you can choose to dine inside where there is a cool pizzeria style vibe or outside in their new secret garden. The Curious Famous Classic is good old bacon and eggs done right. It opens at 11 which makes it officially ok to order a breakfast cocktail.

Read the entire article here.

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July 15, 2021 In News By alison

Great Okanagan places to eat, Part 1: Perennial favourites still pop on top

Food and restaurants writer Mia Stainsby’s first instalment in a three-part series on where to eat in the Okanagan
July 15, 2021 – Vancouver Sun

The late, legendary foodie James Barber once dubbed the Cowichan Valley “Canada’s Provence,” a title oft repeated by writers such as myself.  But frankly, the southern France billing may better fit the Okanagan Valley, with its aromatic garrigue landscape softened by the carpets of lush vineyards, delicious wines and hot, dry summers.

Since we are now unleashed to travel B.C., here’s the first of my three-part series on where to eat in the Okanagan which, by the way, will in no way tell the whole story. First is a roundup of places I’ve visited in the past, have been around for some time, as well as a couple of newish ones. Travel safely!

RauDZ Regional Table
1560 Water St., Kelowna.
250-868-8805. raudz.com

Rod Butters and Audrey Surrao pioneered a new level of dining in Kelowna 20 years ago with Fresco, which later rebranded to RauDZ Regional Table. All along, it’s been about local, sustainable, farm-to-table. Check out their 20th-year celebration menu, highlighting dishes from their past, like grilled sockeye salmon BLT on fig anise toast with pancetta and fennel fries.

Sunny’s Modern Diner
235 Bernard St., Kelowna.
778-478-1170. sunnysmoderndiner.com

Bright, cheery spot for brunch or lunch by the same folks as RauDZ Regional Table. Named after their golden retriever, the large photos of the seemingly smiling Sunny adds more cheer.

Click here to read the entire article.

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March 5, 2021 In News By alison

Eggs & Peanut Butter are on the bucket list for Food Network Canada’s #BigFoodBucketList

This Saturday night the Food Network Canada series Big Food Bucket List highlights Kelowna’s own Sunny’s a modern diner.

In Big Food Bucket List, fan-favourite host and comedian John Catucci (You Gotta Eat Here!) takes viewers on one-of-a-kind food adventures across North America, checking the most drool-worthy dishes and must-see culinary stops off his Big Food Bucket List.

Food Network Canada producers were inspired to reach out to Sunny’s when they heard about the strange sounding, but delicious tasting, peanut butter and scrambled egg combo of Chicks on a Raft.  Both Chicks on a Raft and the popular Chicken Meets Waffle will be featured on the show.

Although an appearance on Food Network Canada calls for a party to celebrate, our commitment to the health and safety of our team and the community has put our party plans on pause. Instead we will share this national spotlight with our team, friends and the community by raising funds for a charity close to our hearts, the Kelowna branch of the BC SPCA.

On Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21, guests of Sunny’s who order either of the two dishes featured on the Big Food Bucket List episode, Chicks on a Raft or Chicken Meets Waffle will have 50% of the sales donated to this local charity.

You can catch the Big Food Bucket List episode, ‘You’re Waffle Cute’, on Food Network Canada on Saturday, February 20th at 5 pm and 8 pm.

Sunny’s a modern diner is one of four restaurants owned and operated by Chef Rod Butters and Audrey Surrao under the banner RauDZ Creative Concepts Ltd (RCC).  2021 marks 20 years of supporting local in the Okanagan community.

UPDATE:  WATCH OUR EPISODE

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February 25, 2021 In News By alison

Kelowna restaurant steps into the national spotlight

from KelownaNow, February 18, 2021
by Kent Molgat

Peanut butter and scrambled eggs. It may sound crazy, but the combination anchors one of two of Sunny’s menu items to be featured this Saturday as Sunny’s – A Modern Diner gets some national attention.

Earlier this month it was Salt & Brick that found a place on the Food Network’s ‘Big Food Bucket List’ with John Catucci, and now Sunny’s which is just a few steps away on Bernard Ave.

“It’s not just great for us,” said Sunny’s Chef Rod Butters. “I’m more excited for what it does for the Okanagan because I’ve always considered the Okanagan to be the chef’s ultimate playground.”

Butters restaurant company operates for eateries including Raudz Regional Table just around the block from Sunny’s. “To be on the national spotlight is amazing.”

The attention comes after 20 years in the local restaurant business for Butters.

“We’ve been trying to wave that Okanagan flag for quite a long time now.”

For Salt & Brick, the dish that caught the attention of John Catucci at the ‘Big Food Bucket List’ was a roasted brussels sprouts dish with maple syrup. For Sunny’s, there are a few menu items.

One is called Chicken Meets Waffle, and the other is Chicks on a Raft which involves the seemingly strange combination of peanut butter and scrambled eggs.

“It’s sauteed, double-smoked bacon, some green onions, some really sharp cheddar cheeses, scrambled eggs and it’s all sitting on this absolutely slathered french toast with peanut butter,” explained Butters.

“Trust me, it works.”

The show airs Saturday at 5 and 8 pm. To mark the occasion, Sunny’s is donating 50% of all sales of Chicks on a Raft and Chicken Meets Waffle this weekend to the Kelowna SPCA.

 

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February 17, 2021 In News By alison

Kelowna diner makes a splash on national TV

by Twila Amato, Kelowna Capital News

Sunny’s Modern Diner is the second Okanagan restaurant to be featured on Big Food Bucket List

Another Kelowna restaurant is making its debut on national television.

Sunny’s Modern Diner will premier on the show Big Food Bucket List with host John Catucci on Saturday, Feb. 20. The plan was to originally have the diner on the show last year, but due to COVID-19, travel and gathering restrictions, the Food Network crew weren’t able to make it out to Kelowna and film the segment.

But chef Rod Butters said it all worked out for the best in the end.

“It’s great for Sunny’s obviously but more importantly, it’s amazing for the Okanagan to be on the national map,” he said.

“I’ve always thought the Okanagan is certainly one of North America’s most exciting culinary destinations.”

Butters is the founder and owner of Sunny’s, as well as a few other Kelowna restaurants including Micro Bar & Bites, RauDZ Regional Table and the Okanagan Table.

All restaurants are managed by his company, RauDZ Creative Concepts, which is celebrating its 20th year in 2021. He said the episode featuring Sunny’s welcomes the company’s second decade perfectly.

“We’re very proud of that. It’s very difficult to do in the restaurant industry but we’ve grown our company and we’ve had amazing chefs work for us.”

The episode will feature two beloved dishes at Sunny’s: Chicks on a Raft and Chicken Meets Waffle.

Butters said Chicks on a Raft is sweet and savoury and was something he began perfecting when he was a teen.

Chef Robyn Sigurdson, the lead chef and manager at Sunny’s, said it’s been a popular menu item since the diner first opened.

“To be honest, I get so many people that look at me like ‘peanut butter with eggs?’ I’m like ‘you’ve got to try it’ and I’ve never had somebody not love it,” she said.

Chicken Meets Waffle is not your standard chicken waffle dish, Sigurdson added.

“It’s an extremely fun dish, a little bit out of the ordinary for chicken and waffle dishes.”

The chicken is brined for 24 hours before it’s covered in in-house batter, fried, and added to waffles and slaw.

Sunny’s episode will air on the Food Network on Feb. 20, at 5 p.m. and then again at 8 p.m.

From Feb. 20 to 21, those who order either Chicks on a Raft or Chicken Meets Waffle will have 50 per cent of those sales donated to the Kelowna BC SPCA.

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December 16, 2020 In News By alison

Big News for our Little Diner

We are excited to share that Sunny’s Modern Diner will be featured on the Food Network Canada series Big Food Bucket List.  New episodes are returning on January 9 with back-to-back episodes at 8:00 and 8:30 pm (PT).  Our delicious episode will air on February 20 at 8:00 pm.

In Big Food Bucket List, fan-favourite host and comedian John Catucci (You Gotta Eat Here!) takes viewers on one-of-a-kind food adventures across North America, checking the most drool-worthy dishes and must-see culinary stops off his Big Food Bucket List.   In each episode, John visits three restaurants across North America and tries their must-eat meals, from hamburgers to high-end plates. Then he hits the kitchen to lend a hand and learn how the chefs make their mind-blowing creations.

A big thanks to Food Network Canada for joining us here in Kelowna and to our ‘dog pack’ for their support.

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September 14, 2020 In News By admin

Sunny’s has it’s own JAM!!

We are excited to share that we have teamed up with our friends at SaltSpring Kitchen Co. to create our own signature jam!

Sunny’s Jam is our take on an Okanagan creamsicle – apricot, raspberries, orange and vanilla.

SaltSpring Kitchen Co. create gourmet preserves for cheese and charcuterie, and flavour forward and ‘funky’ hot sauces.  Now…an incredible jam for Sunny’s has been created.  Each product is handmade on Salt Spring Island and we are so thrilled to have our own signature jam.

Not only can you enjoy the jam while at Sunny’s but you can take a jar home too!  We have jars available here at Sunny’s or you can drop by our sister space ‘The Okanagan Table‘ for your jam.  If you visit The Okanagan Table, they also carry our Sunny’s blend coffee, Sunny’s bacon, our Gypsy bacon AND our Love Home Farm maple syrup.  The Okanagan Table is located at 1571 Pandosy Street (about a 5 minute walk from Sunny’s.)

 

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July 26, 2019 In News By admin

Local Knowledge for RauDZ

The following article was written by Roslyne Buchanan and published in Food & Wine Trails, July/August 2019.

Demand for the RauDZ Creative Concepts Ltd. family of restaurants heats up in the summer and a little local knowledge can go a long way.

RauDZ Regional Table

Take RauDZ Regional Table, where you can eat local like a local. As peak growing season transforms the Okanagan Valley, you may not have time to tour all the farms, orchards and farmers markets.  Don’t worry about it because RauDZ long ago developed strong relationships with farmers, foragers, fishmongers, ranchers, winemakers, distillers, brewers and other producers.

The menu at RauDZ brings the Okanagan’s bounty to you.  Rich aromatics of dill, lavender, tomatoes, peas, cherries and peaches are simply samples of the fresh flavours you’ll savour in the chefs’ creations.  It’s good to know that RauDZ takes reservations, and walk-ins are always welcome.

In other significant news, RauDZ has a 100 percent local wine list so there is always the option to try wines from wineries you may have missed in your touring or to relive that wine you regretted not buying.  With such a large valley filled with wineries and wine, it’s impossible to visit them all.  Audrey Surrao and her team excel at sourcing wines from small-batch wineries, offering exceptional examples of BC varietals that pair perfectly with the hyper local food and cocktails.

micro bar • bites

Another insider’s tip fro frequent diners is to make a festival of your RauDZ dining excursion.  Why not sip some #creativelysimple cocktails at micro bar & bites before heading to RauDZ for dinner?  It’s hard to beat the tapas there if you’re feeling a bit peckish before the main event.  If you’re a RauDZ walk-in with a delay for a table, enjoy a beverage at micro and be called when your table is ready.

Sunny’s Modern Diner

Locals know, too, that before heading out in the morning for wine touring, it’s smart to lay down the foundation of a good breakfast.  Sunny’s Modern Diner is just the ticket.  Reading the menu itself will have you smiling as you brush up on your diner lingo with dishes like Cluck and Grunt (eggs and bacon).

Whole Truth

In RauDZ restaurants, you’ll never be asked to “stay thirst my friends,” because each one offers an array of beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).  Just this spring, RauDZ Creative Concepts launched its own craft gin, The Whole Truth, in collaboration with award-winning local distillery Okanagan Spirits.

What’s a great spirit without a great line of cocktails to leverage it?  At RauDZ, you’ll find the The Truth, elevating the classic gin and tonic.  at micro, Can You Handle The Truth, is a tweak on a mint julep.  Then there’s Nothing But The Truth at Sunny’s, squeezing the best of the Bellini.  Finally, at the Italian-themed Terrafina restaurant at Hester Creek, you’ll find A Convenient Truth, an enriched version of a Negroni.

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July 1, 2019 In News By admin

The Whole Truth by RauDZ

The following article was written by Roslyne Buchanan and published in Food & Wine Trails, May 1, 2019

As the line creeps higher on thermometers and spring unfolds her joyous features, who doesn’t want to head to a wonderful patio for a front-row seat?

The restaurants of RauDZ Creative Concepts have always had a focus on fresh, local and comfortable, and that approach is extended to patios apropos to each location. Fresh air is a natural mood lifter and multiple studies indicate time outside reduces stress, eases muscle tension and lowers heart rate and blood pressure. Dining outdoors helps us relax and our spirits are boosted by sounds, scents and soft breezes.

Drink Local

Speaking of spirits, and timely for patio fever, RauDZ Creative Concepts has launched its own craft gin, The Whole Truth, in collaboration with award-winning distillery Okanagan Spirits. Like RauDZ eat local philosophy, here you drink local with the botanicals found in this custom gin. At each RauDZ property, a special cocktail features The Whole Truth gin.

At RauDZ Regional Table, it’s a revamp of  The Truth, a classic gin and tonic cocktail popular since the opening in Spring 2009. The Whole Truth cocktail highlights the namesake craft gin with cucumber carpaccio, lime, mint and Fentimans Tonic. While there’s no patio included, you’ll find spring freshness in your glass.

micro bar • bites and Sunny’s Modern Diner

The patios at micro bar • bites and Sunny’s Modern Diner sport a decidedly urban flair and are optimum for people watching. Can you Handle the Truth, at micro, stars the craft gin with a twist on the Mint Julep served in a copper mug with fresh mint.

It’s a worthy addition to the new cocktail list recently launched at micro, where the cocktail menu is always creatively simple. Although most famous for Eggs Benny and incredible breakfasts, Sunny’s has a few cocktails up the sleeve such as the Big Dog Caesar, the Peach Melba Mimosa and Bloody Dill Mary. Sunny’s new gin cocktail is a spin on the Bellini — a nice breakfast bubbly. It pairs well with the sparkle of Okanagan Lake that you can peek at from the patio.

Terrafina at Hester Creek by RauDZ

This Tuscan-style restaurant in Oliver offers a stunning setting for its patio on the Golden Mile Bench, overlooking vineyards, fruit trees and the mountains beyond. You’d be hard pressed to find a prettier patio even in Italy. Better known for its wine list, including the Italian selection, there’s also a cocktail list.

Sometimes our palates need a break from all that wine tasting and a cocktail is what we’re craving. A white Negroni called A Convenient Truth made with The Whole Truth gin and an ice cube of cucumber juice infused with mint and lime zest is the perfect crave satisfying patio sipper.

It’s been said there are two seasons, winter and patio. Outdoor dining and sipping does the body good and that’s The Whole Truth.
See you soon.

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May 24, 2019 In News By admin

Kelowna is in the midst of a delicious restaurant boom

The following article was written by Elizabeth Chorney-Booth and published in the Calgary Herald on May 4, 2019.

The time has come when many a Calgarian looks to the west to start plotting a trip to the Okanagan.  Driving out to Kelowna for some lake time or a weekend of wine-touring is a spring and summer ritual for so many of us, but navigating another city’s restaurant landscape- especially one in a state of growth- can be a challenge.

As a food writer, I get asked for recommendations for nearby vacation destinations like Kelowna more than I do for spots here in Calgary. While many Calgarians have favourites that they can’t pass by in Kelowna (places like Mission Hill Winery, Raudz Regional Table, and Waterfront Wines Restaurant and Bar all come to mind), several intriguing new restaurants have opened in Kelowna since last year’s season and very few of them resemble the classic winery dining room that so many of us associate with the Okanagan.

“There have definitely been efforts and inroads in the culinary scene over the last few years in Kelowna,” says Casey Greabeiel, owner of Salt and Brick and Jack’s Pizza Liquor and Bar, two of Kelowna’s newest and most innovative new restaurants. “But truly in the last 12 months — and in the next coming 12 months — we’ve seen a big boom.”

Here are just a few of the new places that are worth checking out:

Breakfast:

Sunny’s Modern Diner in Kelowna. Courtesy Spatula Media Calgary

Sunny’s
Part of the Raudz Creative Concept group (which is also opening a new concept called The Okanagan Table later this summer), Sunny’s, which is branded as “a modern diner,” has a retro-chic look and a menu of cheekily named lunch and all-day breakfast items. I emphatically recommend the Chicks on a Raft ($13.50), which is a nice chunk of baguette topped with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, very sharp cheddar cheese and peanut butter. It sounds weird, but it works surprisingly well.

235 Bernard Avenue, 778-478-1170, sunnysmoderndiner.com

Read more here.

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April 18, 2019 In News By admin

RauDZ Creative Concepts is opening ‘The Okanagan Table – kitchen | events | catering

Restaurant innovators, RauDZ Creative Concepts Ltd. (RCC), are bringing their latest idea to life in downtown Kelowna.  Like ‘The Okanagan Table’ cookbook that encouraged us to get in the kitchen and cook, this new space, ‘The Okanagan Table – kitchen | events | catering’ continues to share that enthusiasm with almost endless opportunities to enjoy food and its preparation.

RCC co-owners chef and author Rod Butters, wine guru Audrey Surrao along with RCC Executive Director of Operations Bernard Casavant, bring years of restaurant and hospitality experience together with this latest project.  Their award winning culinary, service and bar teams will continue to bring their warm hospitality and experience to The Okanagan Table – kitchen | events | catering.

Located in a beautiful heritage building at 1571 Pandosy Street, steps from popular local retailers Mosaic Books and Olive & Elle, The Okanagan Table – kitchen | events | catering adds a fifth location to the successful RCC restaurant group, consisting of RauDZ Regional Table, micro bar & bites, Sunny’s Modern Diner and Terrafina at Hester Creek by RauDZ.

The Okanagan Table – kitchen | events | catering is unlike their other spaces.  It’s not a restaurant; it’s a unique venue for use as a kitchen, customized event space, off-site catering preparation.

Award winning architect Tim Bullinger of Arca 3 Design Studio, who designed the RauDZ bar, micro bar • bites and Sunny’s Modern Diner is creating both a highly functional but upscale environment combining function with a dash of glamour.  Local trades have already begun work in the space with an anticipated summer opening date.

The kitchen will become the commissary kitchen for the four RCC restaurants allowing the culinary teams increased space to facilitate whole animal butchery, stock making, in-house training as well as lots of space for pastry chef Jason Whitfield to develop his desserts and treats for the properties.

In addition, this unique space provides the setting for almost unlimited creative events.  With seating for 30 or stand up reception space for 50, the space will host chef-led cooking classes, wine education seminars and tastings, and private events.  Moveable telescopic tables will run down the center of the space providing what Chef Rod Butters describes as the ‘ultimate chef’s table’ dining.  What used to be reserved exclusively for VIPs can now be yours at The Okanagan Table – kitchen | events | catering with guests seated steps away from the kitchen action, and menus created especially for the evening with wine pairings carefully curated to heighten the experience.

With the addition of the commissary kitchen RauDZ will now be able to facilitate off-property catering for exclusive private events with menus created by the RCC award-winning culinary teams utilizing the very best fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.

Jars of the addictive RJB Blackberry Ketchup, copies of the best-selling cookbook, ‘The Okanagan Table: The Art of Everyday Home Cooking’ and some exclusive kitchen wares that the RCC culinary teams use and love will be available in a small retail area as well.  Limited food items including the house made ‘Soul Stock’ will be ready for take-home use.

Over the years, RauDZ Creative Concepts has built a brand that attracts talent and aligns with the best in the industry while creating a quality experience for the guests.  The opening of The Okanagan Table – kitchen | events | catering in Summer 2019, allows the RauDZ team the opportunity to fulfill the frequent requests from guests for cooking classes, catering, private parties and other creative culinary experiences.

Visit www.theokanagantable.com for more information.

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April 12, 2019 In News By admin

RauDZ Creative Concepts launches their own craft gin

We cannot tell a lie – The Truth is out and it’s ‘The Whole Truth’.  RauDZ Creative Concepts is launching their own craft gin, ‘the Whole Truth’ in collaboration with award-winning distillery, Okanagan Spirits.

‘The Whole Truth’ gin was created to pair with the classic gin and tonic cocktail ‘The Truth’, a drink featured on the opening day cocktail list of RauDZ Regional Table back in  Spring 2009.  It’s been a hit for the past 10 years and now with the creation of The Whole Truth gin, it has found it’s perfect pairing.

In keeping with the RauDZ ‘eat local’ philosophy, you are also ‘drinking local’ with the botanicals found in this custom gin.  RauDZ Creative Concepts ‘The Whole Truth’ Gin is cucumber-forward with florals in the background and contains mock orange, a native BC shrub, that was hand foraged by Okanagan Spirits’ Tyler Dyck from Poplar Point, at the foot of Knox Mountain, less than three km from the door of the restaurant. Mint, cucumber, lemon verbena and orris root- the root stock of an iris, each add refreshing, cooling notes that are perfect for gin and tonics.

This farm-to-flask gin is available exclusively at RauDZ Regional Table, micro bar & bites, Sunny’s Modern Diner, and Terrafina at Hester Creek by RauDZ.

Although originally conceived for ‘The Whole Truth’ cocktail, Wes Hunter, Beverage Operations has put his creative bar skills to the test, developing a custom cocktail for each of the RauDZ Creative Concepts restaurants highlighting this new gin.  Terrafina at Hester Creek by RauDZ will feature the gin in a white Negroni with white vermouth, Sunny’s Modern Diner pairs it with citrus and prosecco for a breakfast bubbly and micro bar & bites serves it in their twist on a Moscow Mule.

‘The Whole Truth’ gin by RauDZ Creative Concepts launches on the cocktail menus at RauDZ and micro bar & bites on April 11 and at Sunny’s Modern Diner and Terrafina at Hester Creek by RauDZ on April 12.

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January 2, 2019 In News By admin

Kelowna 2018: The year in food

This article was written by Twyla Campbell for eatnorth.  You can read more here.

Change comes to the valley.

It was at Amuse, an event in March held to showcase the area’s best food and drink, that I noticed a shift in Kelowna’s culinary scene. More than 50 restaurants, distilleries, wineries, cideries and breweries featured their products in a food and drink pairing extravaganza that entertained and fed 500 guests in the Centre for Learning at Okanagan College. I was one of three judges tasked with tasting and scoring the entries.

Guffaw if you will, but our jobs were not easy.  The level of food execution and the quality of the drinks were unbelievably and surprisingly good.

50th Parallel Winery and its restaurant, Block One, took top honours in three categories. It shows what’s happening in Lake Country where five out of the eight wineries operate top notch restaurants; two of them (Block One, and the Garden Bistro at The Chase Wines) opened just this year. Both are housed in stunning buildings and both adhere to the ideology of using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

If I had to wrap up the Kelowna food scene in one sentence, it would be all about the feels: the food coming out of newly opened kitchens is thoughtful and compelling, and the people who make it are doing it for the right reasons. They want to feed you food that makes you feel good.

That’s exactly the approach taken by Kelowna restaurant pioneer Mark Filatow. This Okanagan chef opened Waterfront Café and Catering on Abbott Street in the waning weeks of 2017, making him miss the boat on “best of” lists like this. So, take note and grab a table. Every year, Filatow wins awards and recognition for Waterfront Wines for good reason. The café, although more casual, should garner the same respect because the food is of equal quality, which is to say, spectacular.

Speaking of pioneers, Audrey Surrao and Rod Butters, the duo behind Raudz, Micro and Terrafina (at Hester Creek Winery in Oliver) opened a much needed breakfast spot called Sunny’s Modern Diner. After all that liquid consumption, you’re going to need a big plate of whatever they’re serving at Sunny’s the next morning to set you straight. Pro tip: the breakfast poutine with fries (or hashbrowns), cheese curds, beef brisket, fried egg and hollandaise is a lifesaver.

You can read more here.

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June 20, 2018 In News By admin

Milkshakes to Support the SPCA

The following article was posted on KelownaNow by Savannah Bagshaw on June 20, 2018.

Sunny’s Diner donating $1 from Milkshakes sold today to the local SPCA

To add to the already glimmering sunshine today, local eatery Sunny’s Modern Diner is fixing to spread their own form of cheer.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

In honour of National Milk Shake Day, the new Bernard Avenue restaurant is donating $1 from every shake sold to the SPCA. This isn’t the only time Sunny’s has beamed with philanthropy.

It is common knowledge that year round, customers can play DJ while dining and pick their favourite album from the restaurant’s personal vinyl selection to spin for a donation to the SPCA. The love of the SPCA comes from the restaurant’s mascot, 14-year-old golden retriever, Sunny.

Perfect to cool you down while enjoying the Okanagan heat, the diner offers old-school shakes in the classic flavours of strawberry, chocolate or vanilla. If you have nowhere to be, you can even go as far as to add a splash of your favourite liqueur to amp things up a bit.

“It’s a great opportunity, especially on a day like today, to pop by in the late afternoon, enjoy a milkshake and support the SPCA,” said Sunny’s Chef and Manager, Robyn Sigurdson.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

Located at 235 Bernard Ave, Sunny’s is open until 3:30 p.m. today

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May 4, 2018 In News, Uncategorized By admin

Order Up at Sunny’s Modern Diner

This article was published in Food & Wine Trails, May 1, written by Roslyne Buchanan.

Dining Downtown Kelowna just got brighter with the arrival of Sunny’s — A Modern Diner at 235 Bernard Avenue across from the sails and waterfront.

RauDZ Creative Concepts Ltd. (RCC), owned by dynamic team Audrey Surrao and Chef Rod Butters, launched this addition to its restaurant portfolio this April. Located around the corner from other RCC hotspots RauDZ Regional Table and micro bar & bites, Sunny’s presents fresh, innovative takes on classic diner fare by a culinary team lead by award-winning Chef Butters.

It’s named after a canine restaurant muse, Sunny, a beautiful golden retriever. In short order, you’ll be barking out diner lingo, too, such as “Cluck and Grunt” for an order of eggs and bacon. “Two Cows, make ‘em cry” gets a double-stack burger with onions along with “Dog Soup,” aka water.

Chef Butter admits, “I’ve wanted a diner concept for many years so when this space close to the lake on the revitalized Bernard Avenue became available, timing was perfect to expand our culinary creativity.”

True to RCC style, detail delves beyond the kitchen and deep into the décor. The floor plan is long and narrow, reminiscent of the pre-fab, stainless-steel dining cars of the original diners. Tim Bullinger, Arca 3 Design, gave the small space a decidedly modern twist while addressing the craving for nostalgia by framing it with a reclaimed brick wall and soaring, 20-foot ceiling, topped with wooden timbers.

Grab a spot at the stainless-steel counter to watch the open kitchen as traditional diner theatre unfolds. Or select a table and feast on vintage Okanagan sunshine/lakeside memorabilia, such as water skis and reclaimed wood from boats that surrounds the bar. Plus, at the back of the space, there’s a “living” green wall. There’s also a nod to BC and Alberta tourist hotspots and hometowns on vintage pennants posted throughout. Similar in size to micro bar & bites, Sunny’s is small, while supersized in impact.

As patio weather arrives, Sunny’s will be rolling up the “garage door” to expand the seating capacity. For now, it’s exclusively breakfast and lunch served,  until those lazy, hazy, long days of summer arrive and then dinner service will be added.

Doors open daily at 7:30 am, and while lunch service starts at 11 am, you can have breakfast all day. There’s $1 Coffee Hour until 8:30 am, and a Power Hour from 2:30 to 3:30 pm in which “Hail! Caesar” cocktails are discounted $2. The menu descriptions entertain with tantalizing selections. Hmm, which Adult Milkshake should I order next?

In keeping with the fun, there’s musical entertainment. Working with Underground Music downtown, a collection of albums was curated. Spin your favourite tune on the provided record player for a suggested 25-cent donation to the SPCA.

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April 16, 2018 In News, Uncategorized By admin

URBAN FORAGER: Sunny’s Modern Diner

Urban Forager Shelora Sheldan wrote this article for the Penticton Herald, April 15, 2018

A stack o’ brown”, “a cup of joe,” and “two eggs lookin’ at me.” These are just a few phrases that emerged out of diner culture, a language spoken between waitress and cook to expedite short orders at the pass.

The diner was the place to go for gossip and sustenance, a place where the coffee was bottomless, the wait staff sassy and the service snappy – with food, a bit greasy.

The lexicon, like restaurant culture itself, has evolved over time. It’s a language largely forgotten, supplanted by other lingo, menus and locally roasted coffee.

Save for a road trip to small town America, where diner culture is still evident, along with museums that have tracked its history, it’s a culture that’s quickly vanishing.

Welcome instead, a road trip to Kelowna, and the recently opened Sunny’s, a Modern Diner, at 235 Bernard St. in historic downtown.

The newest culinary adventure by RauDZ Creative Concepts, Sunny’s pays tribute to the diner with a breakfast-all-day menu coupled with fun, modern twists by chef Rod Butters, one of the owners, along with Audrey Surrao.

Both are well known restaurant industry veterans, acclaimed for their popular RauDZ Regional Table, and Micro Bar & Bites in Kelowna, and more recently, Terrafina restaurant at Hester Creek Winery along with the release of an award-winning cookbook.

They’ve also appointed noted chef Bernard Casavant as executive director of operations to their team, perhaps hinting at more concepts to come.

Sunny’s is a long, narrow 34-seat space with exposed brick and retro touches such as souvenir pennants, a neon sign and cool, colourful light fixtures repurposed from wooden crates. It’s named for the owner’s Golden Retriever, and the pooch’s happy portrait features prominent on one wall, acting as watchdog over the space.

Grab a perch overlooking the open kitchen where you can watch your meal come to life by “top dog” Robyn Sigurdson, and her troop. Start your day with a bracing cup of java – bottomless by the way and locally custom roasted – along with one of Mom Wright’s rich butterhorns, served warm with a drizzle of icing and walnuts.

The menu delivers hefty sustenance peppered with diner lingo. For example, Door Stops (French toast), Cluck and Grunt (eggs with bacon), and Chicks on a Raft – aka scrambled eggs on toast – are given signature treatments to set them apart.

And modern-day wonders such as breakfast poutine hash, eggs benny with Illichman’s ham, or the green eggs and ham of poached eggs on a giant ham steak with a pumpkin seed pesto, piggy puffs, hash browns and toast, compete with chicken and waffles, and triple stack pancakes.

All suggest that you may want to forgo bikini season this year. (There is a garden bowl, and a simple toasted Mount Royal bagel with halibut pastrami for those of a delicate nature, and most dishes can be made vegetarian).

Sunny’s Chicks on a Raft consists of a toasted baguette slathered with peanut butter – yes, that’s right – topped with creamy scrambled eggs flecked with Illichman’s molasses bacon and sharp cheddar, with a side of hash browns and a grilled tomato garnish. The eggs are free range and the hash browns are made fresh, not frozen, and grilled on the flat top with butter. It’s exquisitely rich and delicious, and that peanut butter is a revelation.

The El Presidente consists of two flour tortillas sandwiching scrambled eggs, cheese, griddle beans and spicy chorizo, topped with avocado, sour cream, tomatoes and a wonderful pickle-y salsa verde that cuts through the richness.

Lunch, served at 11 a.m., rounds out the menu with sandwiches, fish and calamari with chips, burgers – 2 Cows Make ‘em Cry (aka two beef patties with onions) – and the Butcher’s Revenge of a jumbo meatloaf ball on French bread with mushroom gravy and onion rings.

You might want to add a milk shake with sprinkles – you won’t be judged – with adult liqueur-spiked versions available. Happy Hour starts at 7:30 a.m., when they open, where cakes, floats, fruit pies and side orders are the norm and coffee is only a dollar. Add-ons include local Arlo’s honey, custom Illichman’s meats and Love’s maple syrup.

The soundtrack is provided not by an iconic jukebox but by a turntable with vintage vinyl for guests to spin such 60s throwbacks as Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass or Santana.

Sunny’s will open their garage door to a 14-seat patio in the summer, where the hours will extend – they’re only open to 3:30 p.m. at the moment – and the Power Hour commences at 2:30 for fermented grape juice (wine), craft beer and two dollars off their signature Caesars topped with pickles and celery with Cheez Whiz. Dog soup (water) is always free.

Click here to read the full article with photographs.

 

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