The Powder. The Plates. The Pints. 

San Fran. Manhattan. Vancouver. And… the West Kootenay? True story, foodies. With more dining and lounging venues per capita than many of the continent’s big city culinary destinations, gastro-tourism and the greatest of outdoors melt into one big delicious gumbo in this corner of BC. Rossland, Nakusp, Slocan Valley, Castlegar, Nelson, Kaslo and the East Shore — this is where Michelin meets the mountains. 

The West Kootenay Food and Drink Scene — You Chews

Great cooking talents have perfected their skills here over years, while others have brought their professional palettes to the place for the lifestyle it provides, and the opportunity to build their own culinary dreams. The West Kootenay region has blown up, with killer cuisine from around the planet, a rapidly emerging craft brew, distillery and wine scene, and boutique cafes steaming away on seemingly every other block.

Like the backcountry bounty you see from pub-side patios and picture windows, the West Kootenay’s fields and farms are coveted by many of the region’s chefs. Hyper-local menus are in. And judging by the network of warm-weather farmers markets and agri-tourism attractions, food security is a topic folks here take seriously. 

The best part of any meal around these parts might very well start right after you stroll out into the afternoon or evening. You can dine and dash to a big fill of music, live performances, a gallery or shopping stroll, or cuddle up back at the crib. Nightlife, cocktails and apres-culture are non-stop. Nelson’s dining cosmos is small-town colossal. There are nearly 80 venues in the city and the surrounding burbs of Kaslo, Balfour, Harrop/Procter, Crawford Bay and along the East Shore of Kootenay Lake.

Historic taverns, trend-bending restaurants launched by hip big city arrivals, and a litany of global fare await, all within a few blocks’ walk or a scenic drive. A pillar in the city’s home-grown culinary history, Oso Negro Coffee is a veritable must-stop tourism haunt. The boutique digs for No6 Coffee are just down Ward Street. There’s even an award-winning culinary school, at Selkirk College, training up-and-coming hospitality talents. 

Around Kootenay Lake, Ainsworth Hot Springs Resorts’ Ktunaxa Grill, Red’s Bakery and The Hub Pub in Crawford Bay, and the century-old Sirdar Pub are ones for the road. The Village of Kaslo has a remarkable micro-dining map unto itself. Kaslo Sourdough bakes up some bad-as bread. Names like the Bluebell, Treehouse and the poutine or fish n’ chips at Chez Serge are synonymous with local winter weekend warriors and holidaying food lovers alike. Even Whitewater Ski Resort has a renowned menu and a popular cookbook series.

Over in Castlegar, there’s a heap cookin’ too. Greek. Vietnamese. Thai. East Indian. And Russian cuisine too — with roots reaching back through the kitchens and spirited celebrations of the West Kootenay’s local Doukhobour community. 

Just across the Columbia, in a Tudor-style stop beneath one of the West Kootenay’s raddest new rock climbing locations, The Lion’s Head Pub smokes up some serious meat, big ol’ brunches and myriad ice cold pints from a fleet of taps.

In Arrow Slocan the coffee culture is strong – not just the brew, but the funky locally curated side of coffee shop culture. Get to know each community by their coffee shop. Hit up Frog Peak Cafe in Crescent Valley, the Silverton Camp Cafe, New Denver’s Nuru Coffee Bar, or Nakusp’s Mountain Top Coffee. Get ready for a unique experience in each stop.

Looking for something more substantial on your journey up the Slocan Valley? Don’t miss a stop at Mama Sita’s Cafe in the counter-culture town of Winlaw. For that perfectly curated meal perfect for sharing and that works well with the house created cocktails, stop in at Bella Soriah in Nakusp. Waterfront views are found at the Leland Hotel in Nakusp and at Alcedo Restaurant and Bar at Halcyon Hot Springs.

 

And from sushi to shots, tapas to turnovers, there’s Rossland’s formidable food and drink scene. A simmered down and just-as-seasoned version of the Nelson/Kootenay Lake line up, nearly 20 pubs and restaurants dapple the jaunt from Columbia Avenue to the foot of Red Mountain. If the walls and stalls at Red’s Rafters could whisper, you’d understand why the winter time watering hole is considered one of the best ski bars in North America. Idgie’s, Gabriella’s, The Velvet Restaurant and Lounge, The Fying Steamshovel and The Alpine Grind are the stuff of Rossland legend. 

Speaking of Lagers and Ales. And Spirits. And Ciders. And Vino. 

From one end of the West Kootenay to the other, beer and booze crafters are booming. 

The Rossland Brewing Company, Trail Beer Refinery, Castlegar’s Tailout and Kaslo’s Angry Hen anchor the West Kootenay’s spectrum o’ suds. Distilleries, ciders and wineries include Tonik and Valhalla, up the Slocan Valley, and on the East Shore, Wynnwood Cellars and Wyndell Craft Distillery — just up the road from Creston’s collective of wineries.

The Slocan Valley is home to Tonik Distillery that makes its own vodka and gin onsite, turning it into sensational cocktails in its tasting room that also serves pizza. Need something to go? They have canned up their brew and mixed it with flavoured soda.

Up at Arrow Lakes, the Valley of the Springs Winery is making good of the unique growing climate in the area. Visit the tasting room to sample their wines on the vine covered patio, or pick a bottle to go. Head over to Burton and enjoy pizza and on tap ciders at Burton City Cider.

Kootenay Cider Works bolsters the Nelson triad of Backroads, Torchlight and Canada’s first organic brewery — the Nelson Brewing Company. 

Before you decide which bar to belly up to, have a gander at the Craft Brews of the Columbia Basin Film Competition and the sites for Red Mountain’s Beer Goggles Craft Brew Festival and the inaugural Kootenay Beer Festival.

Feeling hungry and thirsty yet? Bring it on and indulge in our palette pleasures.

Want to learn more about dining in the area? Visit the local tourism websites.

Enjoy the #WestKootRoute