Oak + Cru

So after nearly 3 weeks, we were close to the end of our epic road trip.  On the morning that we were scheduled to drive back home, we decided to keep our lunch simple.  Sure, there are many great places in Kelowna for brunch/lunch, but we were tired and uninspired.  Therefore, we merely walked downstairs from our room at the Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort to Oak + Cru.  I was already warned that we might have an average experience here and that we were prepared for.  Hey, who knows, maybe we might get lucky (with the food that is...).

Let's just say even if the food wasn't good, the location and view was worth the price already. So onto the eats, my son decided on the O+C Burger sporting 2 wagyu beef patties, cheddar, smoked bacon, sweet onions, lettuce, pickles, vine ripe tomatoes and Russian dressing on sesame brioche.  This was pretty good!  The meat was tender with enough moisture while the abundance of produce was fresh (although he didn't eat any of it!).  Bacon was crispy and there was plenty of melted cheddar.  Fries were crispy too.  For myself, I went for the Baked Mac + Cheese with herb crumb topping and a side salad.  Although the cheese blend wasn't sharp enough for my liking, it didn't mean the dish wasn't flavourful.  I found it rather aromatic and salty enough for impact.  Noodles were al dente and the sauce was the right viscosity.

Viv decided on the Fish Tacos with halibut, corn tortilla, cilantro-amarillo mayo, guacamole, cabbage, queso fresco and jalapeno.  The smallish piece of halibut was flaky and moist with a thin crispy batter.  Veggies were fresh and crunchy while the mayo had a fairly strong cilantro aftertaste.  This dish would fall in the "not bad" category.  Of note, the green salad on the side (same with my dish) was supremely fresh with berries and tomatoes.  My daughter had the Pizza Margherita which was nicely blistered on the top.  Although the crust was fairly thin, it was a bit dry and too chewy.  On the other hand, the San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce were tangy and impactful.  Okay, let's just say the food wasn't going to win any awards, but for us, it did the job and was better than expected.  Combined with the gorgeous view, we left satisfied.


The Good:
- Outstanding location and view
- Food was more than acceptable
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Pricey for what you get
- There are better choices for the pricing