Buona Sera Lake Country!
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I made a discovery I’d like to share with you. Last night for dinner, I did something that I should do more often. I made the short drive down Highway 97 from Kelowna to Lake Country, turning right at the big blue & white boat on the side of the highway (you know the one), and presented myself at Ricardo’s Mediterranean Kitchen on time for my reservation. As I discovered yesterday, there are 2 kinds of diners in these parts: those who absolutely love this restaurant, and those who don’t know it yet.
Great atmosphere at Ricardo's Mediterranean Kitchen
Their tagline goes something like this: “It’s like being home for mama’s best cooking – but better!” And that’s just how you feel when you walk in – welcomed, suddenly starved (when you smell the aromas coming from the kitchen), and at home. The restaurant is unfussy, much-awarded, and the mood is joyous. We were immediately greeted with big smiles from not one, but 4 or 5 people, staff and patrons. The Thursday night jazz ensemble was warming up for their sets.
How appetizing is this?
Everything on the menu appealed, and we wasted no time in ordering. The food came quickly, and lots of it. Freshly made gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce; fresh Catch-of-the-day Arctic Char with local berry salsa – I won’t make you hungry by describing it all to you, but check out their menu for youself!
Sue and Ricardo
As the name suggests, Chef Ricardo works his magic in the kitchen. It’s a family-run business, and Sue (Ricardo’s other half) has the role of Maitre D’. Three of their four children work in the restaurant, and you can tell that all their staff are like family.
The restaurant has a strong environmental and social bent, too. Sue filled me in on the green initiatives they have going: water conservation (pouring unused water into their rain barrels for their plants); biodegradable take-home containers made with (among other things) potatoes; non-chemical cleaners for their restaurant; a strong recycling program; and support to local farmers and wineries. They help local and international charities, too, with regular fundraising evenings that generate thousands of dollars to the charities they support. They’ve even adopted an orphanage in Laos.
The jazz ensemble played classics and requests. Diners applauded and interacted. Everyone from young hipsters to seniors were content to be, for this evening, famiglia. This is the bonus of dining in a small city – pretension is checked at the door.
At one point in the evening (probably as I was taking a break from my entree to digest a little and make more room in my tummy), I looked over to the bar to see Sue sitting contentedly, smiling at the happy patrons in her restaurant. Ricardo came to join her – probably a rare quiet moment in the kitchen when everyone else was tucking in. He brought her a dish and they shared a warm moment. I’m in the presence of happy people, I thought. They love what they do, and boy, so do we all!
Watch this video from Ricardo’s website to meet Sue.
