A meal at Hillside Bistro is a must on every food lover’s itinerary in Naramata, even more so if you enjoy an excellent wine and food pairing.
We visited the Bistro for lunch on a Sunday. The restaurant features a cozy and rustic dining room with a European feel, as well as a lower outdoor patio and an upper open-air patio with views of Okanagan Lake.
We were welcomed with a glass of our choice — 2021 Pinot Noir for my husband and 2020 Syrah for me. I’m a big fan of Hillside’s juicy and more concentrated style of reds.
The Bistro offers a two-course lunch for $50. For the first course, my husband chose the Panzanela Salad – wild heart arugula, foraged berries, sunflower seeds, cedar feta espuma (foam), cattail sourdough. The freshness and flavours of the ingredients, combined with the crisp yet soft croutons, made for a divine beginning.
My own starter, the Duck Carpaccio – tomato, elderberry, mustard aioli, watercress, caper vinaigrette – was not only delicious but paired incredibly with the Syrah.
Executive Chef Evan Robertson also treated us to bone marrow popcorn topped with rose petal dust, a most gourmet munchie indeed.
Hubby ordered the feature pasta – lemon, orange and spruce tip ricotta stuffed ravioli, with arugula caper pesto, hazelnut crumb, sumac oil. While tasty, we thought it was too small for an entree.
My scallop and pork belly, however, was a decent size. Since I have a smaller appetite, I happily shared the perfectly cooked Sailish Sea scallops, Fraser Valley pork belly, and fingerling potatoes with hungry hubby. The meat was expertly enhanced by the truffle honey, sumac oil and kimchi.
I tried some Pinot Noir, Gewurtzraminer and Muscat with my dish and honestly couldn’t choose a favourite pairing. Each complemented the succulent, slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and 100% satisfying course in a unique way.
We ordered the upside down cake – Saskatoon berries, caramel, mint crème fraiche ($12) – to finish. It was rich and moist, and not too sweet. Chef provided extra mini-treats – cream curd tarts, mint meringues, Chantilly vanilla pastry cream puffs, and cookies and cream chocolates (my favourite of the bunch).
A memorable meal and a must repeat!
Lunch for two was complimentary courtesy of Hillside Winery & Bistro. All opinions are my own. #sponsoredpost #sponsored
