How time flies! Guess what everyone, this month my column celebrates its 17th year with the Kelowna Capital News. And, I’m still here! Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and congratulations over the past week. Many thanks to all of you, our readers, friends, colleagues and clients for supporting the newspaper, this column and me. Your loyalty and continued support and encouragement have made our success. Thanks for all the leads, faxes, e-mails, phone calls, letters, Facebook, LinkedIn messages, referrals, stops on the street and visits to the Ramada Hotel (where I hang my hat). Keep them coming. I appreciate everything, especially all of you taking me into your confidence each week. I certainly could not have made this great milestone without your help.
Along with moving to a new, larger facility, Little Creek Dressing is celebrating its 20th anniversary in business.
Little Creek has been creating delicious artisan dressings developed by owner Donna Denison, which complement the organic gourmet salad greens grown on their organic farm by her husband Dale Ziech. The name Little Creek came from a small creek that runs through their property. Originally, Donna used raspberries, basil and garlic which they grew on their farm. She purchased bottles and used a photocopy machine to reproduce labels she and others had drawn and coloured by hand. She then convinced a local Kelowna grocer to allow her to demo her new product and the rest is history, even though her first kitchen burnt down. Now, the company has expanded to a new production kitchen, warehouse and office location in Kelowna, 101-840 McCurdy Pl., but the production remains true to the small home-made artisan batches that the company is famous for. Jasmine Stonebridge is the company’s general manager and Donna’s son Jubi Steinhauer is involved in the business strategy. Their twin daughters Amber and Kerisa Denison contribute to the artistic design of the company and are working on a Little Creek Lifestyles cookbook to celebrate the 20-year anniversary. Current offerings of Little Creek are the Okanagan’s Original, Spicy Strawberry, Cherry Balsamic and Okanagan Caesar. While designed as salad dressings, they also make excellent marinades and dips. Their latest dressing, Asian Apricot is vegan, organic and wheat free and will be available in April. Call 778-478-1879; online littlecreekdressing.com.
After 13 years at Gallagher’s Canyon, the last nine as director of golf, Jon Kadin is working his final day on March 31. Kadin recently accepted a sales representative position with Nielsen Agencies. While a very difficult decision to leave the team and membership at Gallagher’s, Kadin is looking forward to his new career. He can be contacted at jnkadin@gmail.com. Nielsen Agencies is owned and operated by Mark Lindsay, formerly of the Okanagan Golf Club (Quail and Bear). Incidentally, both Jon and Mark were weekly contributors for my column for many years providing great professional tips to our readers.
More golf news. After three years with MacDermott’s on Bernard and MacD’s Lakeside, Brice MacDermott is going back to his passion, which is golf, having accepted the position as general manager and head golf professional at the Kamloops Golf and Country Club starting April 2. Before joining his family at MacDermott’s, Brice was in the golf industry for 12 years.
Rosebuds Designer Consignment Boutique, at 1855 Kirschner Rd., is having a big renovation sale. Rosebuds has moved a wall to create another 200 square feet of retail space. Special racks will be set up in their new area from March 12 to 15, all at $5 and $10. Rosebuds must do their own closet clean-out to make room in their much smaller work area. Call 250-861-1911.
The Basil Leaf Asian Fusion and Grill Restaurant is tucked behind MarketPlace IGA at 123-1940 Kane Rd. in Glenmore. The restaurant is owned and operated by Tom Guan, who is the chef, and his wife Mandy Lao, who runs the front of house. Tom’s mother also helps in the kitchen. They are all delightful people. Their menu offers a fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai cuisine serving everything from fragrant Pho to crispy coconut prawns. The restaurant offers many vegetarian and gluten free options as Tom cooks with the finest ingredients—fresh vegetables, quality meats and all home-made sauces and broths. On Saturdays and Sundays, Basil Leaf serves fresh Curry Laksa with your choice of chicken or tofu. This spicy coconut-based curry soup is served with vegetables, rice noodles and a spice-boiled egg. We sampled the spring rolls, coconut prawns, black pepper sauce stir-fry and Singapore style noodles. All were absolutely delicious and there was plenty to eat. While we were dining, we ran into several friends and people we know who frequent the Basil Leaf. All of them spoke very highly of the quality of the food and the great service in the restaurant. Open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and noon to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. Take out and pick-up offers 10 per cent off your bill. Call 778-484-6688; or go online to basilleaf.ca.
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has a new board for 2015-16. Congratulations to incoming president Ken Carmichael, a partner with BDO. The elected candidates are Tom Dyas and Brian Bonsma (incumbents); Una Gabie, Touchstone Law; Angela Nagy, Greenstep Solutions; Al Hildebrandt, QHR Tech; and Stuart Grant, MNP. It was a tough race as some of the candidates were only one to three votes apart. They will join the current directors still serving their term to round out the board of 14 members. Curtis Darmohray is the out-going president.
Aaron Dow has joined the partnership of Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP. Dow practices in the areas of corporate and commercial law, real estate, bank lending and wills and estates. He joined Farris as a co-op student in 2004, subsequently completed his articles with the firm and was hired as an associate in 2007. Call 250-869-3858.
Close on the heels of the recent news of a full kitchen renovation, Hotel Eldorado continues the momentum with the announcement of new executive chef, Stewart Sharp. Significant investment is being made to this boutique hotel and Chef Sharp is returning to the Eldorado to lead the culinary team. He is a red seal certified chef, having apprenticed under Swiss chef Boris Muller at The Palate in Fredericton. He also worked at the Delta Fredericton where he cooked for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh during the 2002 Royal Visit. As a member of the Canadian Culinary Federation, Sharp was selected to compete in Canada’s first series of The Next Great Chef which premiered in December 2005. Sharp is no stranger to the Eldorado. He was executive chef from 2010 to 2012 before undertaking a key role working with flood relief victims of the Soskice Nation in Alberta, during the devastating 2013 Calgary flood. The Eldorado is delighted to welcome him back as a perfect fit. Recent renovations include a new wharf with 100 slips, refurbished floors, windows replaced with Nanawalls and a new menu. The hotel also still serves its famous Sunday brunch. Visit the new rebranded website hoteleldoradokelowna.com or call 250-763-7500.
The winners of the Kelowna Actors Studio, Freckleface Contest are Grand Prize winner, Kaylee Stannerd, 8,who won eight tickets (six kids and two adults) to opening night, a limo ride to and from the show and a meet and greet with Freckle and the cast; Olivia Lafault, 6, who won four tickets to the show; Autumn Hoolaeff, 9, the recipient of a one-week Spring Break camp; and Bill Peckham, 83, who also won four tickets to the show.
The Downtown Kelowna Association is calling for nominations for seven positions on the board of directors for the 2015-16 term. Nomination forms can be picked up from the DKA office,200-287 Bernad Ave., or downloaded at downtownkelowna.com/election. The nomination deadline is 4 p.m., Tuesday, March 31.
Nature’s Fare, 120 -1876 Cooper Rd. in Kelowna, will host a free event on Tuesday, March 17,from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with speaker David Stephan, a mental health advocate who has suffered from depression. He will speak on the subject Achieve Optimal Mental Health The Way Nature Intended. You will learn how to improve your overall mental clarity and focus, reduce levels of stress, improve your mood and how to unlock your greater mental potential. All attendees receive a 15 per cent off coupon to shop at the store. Seating is limited so you must sign up at the store’s vitamin desk. Call 250-762-8636.
Mamma Rosa restaurant in downtown Kelowna will be closed from March 15 to April 9, re-opening Friday, April 10.
The non-profit Anchor Thrift Store, 189 Highway 33, raises funds to send youth leaders and youth kids to Jamaica to share the love of Jesus through his word, songs, drama and puppetry. Anchor is also partnered with Soles for Souls and sends shoes to orphans and school children in the Caribbean. On March 1, the shop kicked off a local blanket drive called Covered in Kindness. The goal is to collect as many blankets as possible for Kelowna’s Metro Church, The Gospel Mission and Houses of Mercy which runs out of Rutland. You can drop the blankets off at the store from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Call Casey Scollon at 250-253-1080 or caseyscollon@live.ca.
There’s only a few days left in the 2015 Blood Donor Hospitality Challenge. It is open to everyone in the hospitality industry who donates until March 14. Book online at blood.ca or call 1-888-2Donate to book your life-saving appointment today. Larry Tuovila, with The Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre, has organized a group from the hotel to give blood this week.
Birthdays of the week: Happy 90th Sid Tamaki March 10; happy 65th Rudy Litz March 9; Art Hughes-Games March 11; Linda Manoin
March 12; Helen Hut March 12; Lise Sinclair March 13; George Apostolidis March 14; Christine Romanow March 14; Harvey Gorsline March 16; Patricia Ainslie Mar. 17). Sid and Tomi Tamaki also celebrated their 60th anniversary on Feb. 23.
