Chef Darren Bezanson looks forward to sharing his love of good, locally sourced food with Salmon Arm.
The former owner of the Fairways Bistro at the Royal York Golf Course in Armstrong will be opening the doors to his latest culinary concept, Bistro 1460, at Salmon Arm’s Hilltop Inn, on June 4.
Bezanson explained the restaurant will offer a family friendly feel and pricing.
“So families can still feel like they can come out for dinner and not worry about blowing the budget for one meal out,” said Bezanson.
The dinner menu, now on the restaurant’s website, features such tantalizing starters as Korean barbecue pork tacos, bangers and mash and a cranberry and orange salad. The list of entrees includes wild mushroom crusted B.C. salmon with a blistered tomato caper sauce, house-breaded pork schnitzel with mushroom and onion gravy, house smoked slow braised barbecue ribs and spinach and artichoke stuffed portobello mushroom finished with roasted red pepper sauce and balsamic glaze.
The menu also includes an assortment of burgers, weekly features and beverages.
“One of the things I love to do to is make desserts, so we’ll be doing homemade desserts all the time,” adds Bezanson.
The Bistro 1460 owner has been working in kitchens for about 30 years, including a stint at the former Wicked Spoon. Over that time, his vision as a chef has focused in on supporting local food producers/providers, incorporating their products wherever possible.
“For me, it’s farm to table, to try and use as much local ingredients as possible… supporting other businesses with the hope that in turn we would see the same support for our business. We feel the only real way we can sustain the local economy is by supporting the local economy,” said Bezanson.
Opening a new restaurant amid a pandemic is not without its challenges, but Bezanson is doing just that with eyes wide open. Included on the Bistro 1460 website is a long list of health and safety precautions being taken to protect staff and customers.
“We’re limited to what we can do… if they don’t feel they want to sit in they’ll still be able to pick up dinner from us as well,” said Bezanson, who has a glass-half-full outlook on the timing of the restaurant’s opening.
Read more: COVID-19 adds cost for reopening downtown Salmon Arm businesses
Read more: Salmon Arm’s Alexander Street to be open to foot traffic only on Saturdays
“This is just a great opportunity for us to start a little bit slower, not necessarily jump right in…,” said Bezanson. “Sometimes you don’t get a chance to breathe where at least now you have a little chance to breathe.
“I know people are anxious to get out and about so we though the timing is perfect… We’d like to just give it a chance to get started, get a few people working again and just see where things go.”
