Osoyoos is known for its soaring summer temperatures, great wines and resort life, but don’t forget it is also a gourmet haven. Osoyoos and neighbour Oliver offer world-class cuisine in one of wine country’s most beautiful regions. With the likes of award-winning stars like Miradoro Restaurant, Terrafina Restaurant, Nk’Mip Patio and, of course, the long-standing quality of The Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl — this hood is a palate pleaser
I recently spent the weekend at Walnut Beach Resort in Osoyoos to attend the first annual OOOyster Festival (www.oooysterfestival.com) — what a delight! The Art of the Oyster event was hosted on Walnut Beach’s beachside patio under a perfectly blazing summer sun. Tables featuring members of the Oliver Osoyoos Wine Association offered perfect pairings from Black Hills Estate Winery, Burrowing Owl, Castoro de Oro Estate Winery, Fairview Cellars, Gehringer Brothers, Hester Creek, Nk’Mip Cellars, Oliver Twist Estate Winery, Road 13, Stoneboat Vineyards and Tinhorn Creek. Oysters, of course, were the feature and were prepared every which way you can imagine by the featured Oliver and Osoyoos star chefs.
Besides the dreamy oyster feast, I was thrilled to discover a tasty gem located smack in the middle of Osoyoos: Dolci Deli & Catering. Offering delicious breakfasts, lunches, takeaway baked yummies and gourmet grocery items — this is a favorite local hub for a reason.
Dolci Deli & Catering proprietors, chefs and chocolatiers Annina and Jörg Hoffmeister moved to Canada in 1997 and are an absolute delight to chat with. Talk about the ultimate foodies, this couple does everything from creating stunning wedding cakes to smoking the most delicious bacon. Both received their degrees in Europe — she in Switzerland and he in Germany — and have brought us their creative talents and passion plus their worldly scope of flavours and taste.
Annina and Jörg focus on fresh local produce and offer a local wine list featuring many of their award-winning neighbours. The catering options are endless, beautiful and delicious — if you have a party to plan this summer down south, these are the folks to contact.
And then there is the meat. Oh yes! After tasting their delicious bacon at breakfast, we learned that they have other offerings to take home:
Smoked bacon — home cured and double smoked with Osoyoos east bench apple-wood.
Smoked prosciutto — their very own cured and smoked.
Smoked beef — the Dolci version of smoked beef, they also serve it in their Ruben sandwich.
Bundnerfleisch — a Swiss specialty. Lean beef cured like prosciutto — heaven.
We giddily ordered some of each, loaded up our basket with other gourmet items and left Osoyoos with that and a trunk load of wine, grinning ear to ear. We have decided all future wine-buying trips will now include smoked meat.
Dolci also makes fabulous coffee and lattes and has a cozy patio out the back to retreat too. Mmmm. www.dolcideli.com.
Jennifer Schell is the editor of B.C. Food and Wine Trails Magazine.
