The Terrace Restaurant at Mission Hill Winery

Mission Hill Winery in West Kelowna boasts incredible architecture, fantastic views, great wines and a fantastic restaurant. 

The Terrace Restaurant opened in 2002 and overlooks rows of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and Lake Okanagan. There are only 60 seats, and every table has a view.


















Staff are friendly and attentive without being overbearing, and they are highly knowledgeable about the estate's wines. While pairings are suggested with each menu item, our server was able to point out some attractive alternatives too.



In 2008 this restaurant was named by Travel + Leisure magazine as "one of the top five winery restaurants in the world... one of the most glorious dining experiences around." Wow.



Well, it was spectacular in every way. We were here for lunch and as it was after Labour Day, we were able to arrive and be seated without a reservation. I started with a roasted Haida Gwaii octopus dish that included a chick pea fritter, yogurt and mint. It was outstanding.










Sherry had a main course of  seared scallops, with summer squash, tomato jam and pork belly. The flavours were wonderful.











My main dish was a burger and the photo doesn't do it justice. It was smoky beef with appropriate garnishes, including a delightful local bacon, all done to perfection. It was quite possibly the best "burger" I've had since visiting Argentina (home to the best hamburgers in the world, which always include a slice of ham and a fried egg) with a nice medium rare quality that has all but disappeared from burgers in this country. The frites were hand-cut and impeccably seasoned.
















Coffee and a pear tart dessert, with little meringue things, followed and both were excellent.

Prices are what you might expect, though hardly inflated; the quality, flavours and portions go beyond expectations. The professional yet casual nature of the service, the quality and presentation of the meal, and the outstanding views, make this restaurant a destination all by itself.

While the restaurant was busy, we never felt an urgency to leave. We could have lingered over wine all afternoon, only to have dinner later. It's that kind of place.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

The Lamplighter Public House in Gastown

The Lamplighter Public House in Gastown has a distinct place in British Columbia's history. In 1925, as part of the Dominion Hotel, it obtained BC's first liquor license, and was the first joint of its kind to serve alcohol to women.








Named for John Clough, who lit the coal oil lamps along Gastown's brick streets through the 1880s before Vancouver introduced electrified lights.



Today The Lamplighter is part of the Donnelly Group which includes the nearby trendy and low-lit lounge, The Clough Club, and its hipster barbershop called Barber & Co.




The Lamplighter still boasts much of the original exposed brick, tin stamped ceilings and railings. There are many video screens and a sometimes exuberant sound system, plus pool tables and arcade machines, all along side a fine selection of local beers.





We dropped in after a walk around Stanley Park and tried a wonderful creation called Gin Palace G&T. It's an in-house creation using Dorothy Parker gin, bittered sling grapefruit and hop bitters, rosemary and Fentiman's Tonic ~ of course. There of savory notes, a hint of grapefruit and a wonderful tonic. Refreshing and more potent than it looks.










The food items that went by, carried by friendly servers, looked interesting, but we didn't indulge. We did however enjoy a visit with one of the pub's fine cooks, and Sherry's youngest son, James.



 


Partly catering to tourists wandering around Gastown, The Lamplighter also has a strong local clientele. They are young, trendy and like live music and Vancouver Canucks game nights. If you're in the neighbourhood, it might be a great mix.   

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Blue Moose Coffee House in Hope

Hope. We all live in hope. Especially the 6000 people who call the town home.














Hope is located at the eastern end of the Fraser Valley and is at the southern point of the Fraser Canyon. To the west is the Lower Mainland and Metro Vancouver. To the east, over the Cascade Mountains, lies the Interior region, the Okanagan, wine country and more. For many drivers, Hope is a convenient stop-off for petrol or coffee.

People have lived in the region for almost 10,000 years, when Sto:lo First Nations resided and prospered in the area. A smallpox epidemic in 1782 killed thousands of Sto:lo, or an estimated 60% of the population of the time. Europeans arrived in waves beginning in 1858 for the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.



The Blue Moose Coffee House began at the end of last century, when Wes Bergmann opened a coffee shop in December 2000. He had a vision for a place where people could meet and enjoy great coffee and conversation. Judging by our repeated visits, he succeeded.

It's a busy place throughout the day, with locals and travellers enjoying coffees, pastries and light lunch items. There always seems to be a queue to order coffee and the cafe staff are friendly and helpful. There's a positive atmosphere at the Blue Moose.









The wait for the coffee can be longer than might be expected, though it's worth it. Beans are from Ethical Bean Coffee of east Vancouver; the coffee is organic, shade grown, fair trade, locally roasted and tasty.

The tuna cheese melt sandwich was wonderful and made-to-order. I would have expected a nice Kosher pickle on the side, but ...










So. Next time you're on your way to wine country don't give up Hope. Stop and walk around and enjoy the vibe and the coffee at the Blue Moose.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

 

No deficits? A balanced budget? Not possible? Try again.

The matter of deficit spending has become an issue in our federal election campaign and much of the negativity is directed at Tom Mulcair and his pledge to balance the federal budget.

Mr Harper says this is nonsense, that the NDP has made too many costly promises to achieve that goal without raising taxes or abandoning commitments.

Mr Trudeau suggests deficits are a fine way to grow the economy amid global instability. The Liberals plan to run deficits to at least 2019, in an effort to spend our way into prosperity. Justin says the NDP plan to balance budgets will mean cutting existing programs.


Is spending borrowed money, even at low interest rates, the way to go? Obviously Tom Mulcair doesn't think so. Justin would have us believe his party is more progressive, more leftist than the New Democrats. That is balderdash, plain and simple, and we only have to recall North America's first socialist regime to see an example of progressive and prudent government.

Tommy Douglas came to power in Saskatchewan in 1944 and his crown corporations delivered provincial road systems, electricity to rural citizens, built modern water and sewage systems and created Canada's first universal health care system.

And he did it all, without going into debt. In 17 years as premier, he produced 17 balanced budgets.



When Tommy Douglas took office in 1944, Saskatchewan had a debt of $218 million, which was a staggering 38 percent of provincial GDP. Five years later he had reduced the debt to $70 million, and by 1953 the debt was eliminated altogether. By reducing debt, and interest costs, his government was able to spend more on public services without raising taxes. By the time he left office in 1961, Tommy Douglas had produced 17 successive budget surpluses.




Tommy's example was followed again in Saskatchewan by Alan Blakeney who produced an unbroken string of budget surpluses, plus an activist and progressive political agenda, between 1971 and 1982.







The Liberals and Conservatives will tell us Tom Mulcair's plan isn't possible, that it can't be done. And we will know better.

Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Idabel Lake and the danger of loons

Idabel Lake is an amazingly beautiful lake south of Kelowna. While it's minutes from the Big White Ski Resort, and only 45 minutes from Kelowna, Idabel is wonderfully remote and secluded. Apart from disturbing stretches of blocks of logged forest nearby, the terrain almost Hiroshima-like in its imagery.













Mobile phone coverage is spotty at best, and television, if at all, is by satellite. Idabel is largely a drive-by lake; people drive by on the way to somewhere else. For those who stop however, there are clear mornings, wonderful swimming and fishing, the joy of peace and quiet and the melancholy voice of a lone loon on the lake.

On a clear night the Milky Way is a brilliant display of planets, stars and all sorts of satellites and space craft from our world and others too. The natural audio of the lake in the middle of the night includes owls and raccoons, deer and other mysterious creatures that banged around outside our door at three in the morning.




Signs are prominently posted at Idabel offering warnings about loons. These birds might look innocent enough but the recent truth is much more disturbing. The signs, in plain English, warn boaters to beware of loons. Apparently, and increasingly over recent years, loons have been dive-bombing canoes, kayaks, and row boats with a passion to injure humans within the craft. Many boaters on waters known to be held by aggressive loons, have taken to wearing bike helmets and hockey shoulder pads to protect themselves.






We think of loons as being solitary, lonely and peaceful. All Canadians recognise the call of the loon as essential to our very national experience. That experience seems to be changing.

Photos by Jeem . Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.