Convivia Bistro
“Food Porn on a Plate”
The term “food porn” was coined a decade ago to describe pictures of food uploaded to social media that make people salivate or instantly crave what they see on their phone screens or TV commercials.
If you’ve ever Googled or YouTubed “food artists,” you know that creating the perfect dish for a commercial requires immense skill and attention to detail. But here’s the catch: when the cameras turn off, those meticulously crafted dishes are thrown away because they’re often inedible.
Watch a video on how fast food chains make their burgers look perfect in commercials, then go order one, and I’m sure you’ll agree – what you get looks nothing like the ad.
Dozens of tricks are used to make food look better than it actually tastes, sparking that “food porn” craving that drives you to your nearest fast food joint. Only to be left disappointed, promising yourself never to fall for it again… until the next commercial.
When I visited Convivia Bistro in Osoyoos and a plate of lasagna was placed before me, I immediately had that “food porn” moment. But then I took a bite. As expected, it didn’t taste as good as it looked. Somehow, it tasted better!
Exceeding expectations.
Seldon Herman photo
Very few places manage to pull off food that looks as good as it tastes (desserts everywhere, I am looking at you). We all eat with our eyes first, and when something looks delicious, we expect it to taste just as good. When it doesn’t, we’re usually left disappointed.
I am often asked what my favorite cuisine is, and I always answer Italian. I’ve spent years making pasta from scratch, and just last week, I canned 24 jars of homemade tomato sauce. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to Italian food. If I’m paying for an Italian meal, it better taste better than anything I can make myself at home.
The lasagna at Convivia didn’t just meet that expectation, it surpassed it. When I got home, I found myself feeling demoralized, staring at the lasagna I had been preparing for the past two days.
My homemade sauce, béchamel, fresh pasta, and quality parmesan couldn’t hold a candle to what I had just experienced and ate at Convivia Bistro. It had me questioning everything I knew about Italian cooking and the years I have spent honing my craft in the kitchen, only to come to the realization that my lasagna was checkers and Convivia’s was chess.
I had a chat with Christopher, the manager of Convivia, who told me that their menu is primarily Italian and French and designed and made possible with talented head chef Romain Martinet, with a combination of menu items that might seem unusual but works perfectly together.
Christopher shared that 95 per cent of the food on their menu is made from scratch, and their special fire oven and grill give the dishes a flavour you won’t find anywhere else in town and can’t be replicated.
Seldon Herman photo
His personal favorites – and those of many regulars – are the French onion soup and cassoulet, both of which require a high level of technique to prepare properly. These aren’t the kind of dishes most home cooks can easily pull off and get the proper result.
Christopher also mentioned that their menu changes weekly, depending on what fresh ingredients they have available. There are weekly specials, like 15 per cent off pastas on Tuesdays, combination dinners (soup and a main) for $35, and live music on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m.
The restaurant itself is beautifully designed – one of the best I’ve visited – and watching the chefs prepare fresh pizzas with house-made dough in their open kitchen never gets old.
As a chef myself, I can confidently say that, dollar for dollar, the quality of food at Convivia is among the best in the Okanagan. The skill, time, and care that goes into every dish is evident, and I strongly recommend visiting if you haven’t already. And when you do, tell them Sheldon sent you.
Convivia Bistro is open Monday to Saturday, from 4-9 p.m., and is located at 8312 74 Avenue, at conviviabistro.ca .
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Sheldon Herman is the author of the international best-selling book The Tortured Traveller: How I Survived The Worst Vacation Ever and has travelled to and eaten in 60 different countries. Neither the writer nor the newspaper received financial compensation for this article; the thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly those of the writer. If you’re a restaurant owner or have a suggestion for one you’d like to see featured, please send an email to [email protected].
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