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Penticton’s Main Street turns into foodie heaven

Angry Vegan, Wild Ginger, Twisted Chopsticks and Gratify recently opened

Foodies, take your tastebuds to Main Street in downtown Penticton which is quickly becoming a hotbed for good eats and specialty treats just in time for summer.

Several restaurants have opened up along Main Street in the past few weeks, much to the delight of locals and visitors. The latest restaurant to open is Wild Ginger, an Asian-fusion restaurant that moved into the historic Elite restaurant location.

The restaurant offers popular Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes.

The Angry Vegan also just opened its doors, going in where the Smugglers Smokehouse used to be at 536 Main St. The irony must not be lost on the Angry Vegan owners Daren and Yesenia McWhinney that they took over a barbecue meat restaurant. Angry Vegan was unexpectedly uprooted from their Westminster Avenue location but quickly pivoted and, finding that Smugglers was closing down.

Famous for their Buddha boxes and smoothies, the Angry Vegan adds a true vegan-only option to downtown dining.

Speaking of vegan, Gratify has moved across Main Street to a new location that offers a bit of a patio too so you can take in their to-die-for cashew cheesecakes or other baked treats. Situated beside Accent Chocolates, which offers true European handmade chocolates. On the other side of them is the Keto store, adding to Main Street’s flair for specialty foods.

Joy Road Catering opened the doors to their first-ever year-round popup bakeshop and cafe last month to a welcoming crowd who continue to come and enjoy the treed and private courtyard that has become a little oasis on Main Street.

Located in the former Craft Corner Kitchen, husband and wife owners Brent Turner and Olivia Fobert transformed the space to make it their own, offering breakfast and lunch and also ‘daily provisions.’

This summer they will be offering al fresco dining in the courtyard.

“It’s been a really great response to being open and having the community come back. It’s been so nice to see everyone again,” said Brent Turner who owns Joy Road with his wife Olivia Fobert. Joy Road had to pivot after the pandemic killed their catering business and as they wait on delays in building their permanent home Joy Road B&B and bakeshop on Winnipeg Street.

Joy Road owners and husband and wife duo Olivia Forbert and Brent Turner enjoy a quiet moment before the lunch rush inside the treed courtyard at their new Main Street location. (Monique Tamminga Western News)
Joy Road owners and husband and wife duo Olivia Forbert and Brent Turner enjoy a quiet moment before the lunch rush inside the treed courtyard at their new Main Street location. (Monique Tamminga Western News)

Another yummy option is the newly opened Twisted Chopstick, offering panko fish and chips, pogo sticks, pad Thai, ginger beef and more. Owners of Twisted Chopstick also have a food truck down at the SS Sicamous on Okanagan Lake that will be open all summer except for Thursdays.

They are located beside Caffe d’Italia, which also opened this year on Main, and offers Italian coffees and hospitality.

Other eats along Main are Sushi Heaven, (with the addictive Penticton roll), The Cellar which is an elevated Greek and fine dining experience, Happiness Thai for their flavours, friendliness and bubble tea. And, Lachi Fine Indian Cuisine will be moving to a larger location down Main Street sometime soon.

READ ALSO: South Okangan Tim Hortons raises over $8K for residential school survivors

READ MORE: City offers 10 minute free parking spots on Main St. for curbside pick up

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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