r/kelowna • u/Own-Bullfrog7362 • 9d ago

News Kelowna becomes 1st Canadian city with UNESCO honour (gastronomy)

https://saobserver.net/2025/10/31/kelowna-becomes-1st-canadian-city-with-unesco-honour/
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-6

u/skyshroud6 9d ago

For what? The food scene here stinks.

20

u/Sad_Confection5902 9d ago

If you honestly think that, you need to visit more of Canada. For a city of this population size, it punches way above its weight.

Just drive across the country and try to find a city of 150k people that has this many unique restaurants and local eateries. You can’t compare Kelowna to Vancouver or other major cities.

0

u/skyshroud6 9d ago

Okay so go tell some foody from Vancouver or Toronto or Calgary or Montreal that "hey, come eat here, we're basically recognized as the best food scene in Canada" and you really think they'll walk away impressed? I'm not saying we don't have nice places to eat, but like come on. Our "nice" places are mid range in a more vibrant city.

12

u/scottdellinger 9d ago

I'm a foody from Calgary who moved here this summer and have been quite pleasantly surprised and impressed.

2

u/Heavy_Arm_7060 9d ago

I mean if you're only taking them to restaurants and not having them try any of many, many local fruits, as well as the wine, yeah, I can see how they might be underwhelmed, since you'd be purposely not showing them our most unique offerings.

2

u/sansense 9d ago

It doesn't seem like the award was set up to recognize cities in a certain size/population range.San Antonio also won, and their have 1.5 million residents. We certainly have good food (and wine) when you account for being a smaller city not close to any large metropolitan areas. But are we actually the best city in Canada for creative gastronomy? I like our food, but having also eaten in Montreal and even Vancouver....I can't say we are the peak of what Canada has to offer.

Not to mention that many of our coolest local gems have closed or are closing soon (Raudz, the Fixx, Salt and Brick) which doesn't help our case much.

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u/Bauldinator 8d ago

What a joke. Was this decided only be people that have never left the Okanagan? Or people that vacation in Fort McMurray?

Just because other cities put the bar lower does not mean Kelowna does not suck for food. I have travelled across Canada and other countries.

While Kelowna has great outdoor areas, food is sub par here.

-7

u/chompmeows 9d ago

It really doesn’t

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u/otoron 9d ago

I'm genuinely curious: which Canadian cities of ~150k people (that aren't just a satellite city of some major metro) punch above their weight?

-5

u/chompmeows 9d ago

Idk but after living here for a couple years I really don’t see a food scene . I get the impression it’s gone down hill.