Creative new Lakeshore Drive eatery 'Sociale Enoteca Ristorante' has deep Penticton ties

In just a few days, one of Penticton's favourite restaurants (458 Google reviews, 4.5-star average) will close its doors for the final time. And not long after, the entire structure, along with everything else within the huge parcel of land in the 700 block of Westminster Avenue, will evaporate under the wrecking ball.

Tearing down the stretch of aging buildings is just one more step in the wholesale reimagining of the city's North Gateway region, a generally aging chunk of Penticton that badly needs the upgrade. But that's cold compensation for the many fans of Villa Rosa Ristorante, which will officially end its decades-long run on Father's Day, June 19.

There is, happily, a substantial upside to the Villa Rosa saga. While the restaurant is disappearing, its spirit, its ownership, its staff and its tastes will live on in a brand new tapas-style eatery just a few blocks away.

On the waterfront.

It's going to be called Sociale Enoteca Ristorante, and it'll sit in the exact same space at 950 Lakeshore Dr. West where the Vallarta Grill once served up Mexican Food. But Vallarta is now gone -- to the Skaha East concession, actually -- and indeed the Crown Resort complex in which it resided has now become the Kettle Valley Beach Resort.

And along with the new accommodations comes what might just be one of the hottest Penticton openings this year. We sat with the Villa Rosa/Sociale ownership team of Nicole and Tyler Gable Wednesday afternoon and like what they've, er…cooked up.

Sociale, as it turns out, won’t be a Villa Rosa carbon copy. It is, we're told, a "sister" restaurant where small plates and tapas take the place of heavier Italian comfort food, and a slick new "grab and go" window will serve early morning and midday coffee and beverages, sandwiches and desserts.

And let's not forget that killer patio.

In the grand plan, said Tyler, the newfangled Sociale would prosper on the waterfront and the brand new residential-commercial structure being constructed at the old location will have room for Version 2 of Villa Rosa, a restaurant that was a smash hit the first time around.

But right now the emphasis is 100% on Sociale, which will be open long and late every day (11 am to midnight to start with) once it debuts sometime in the next three weeks.

To that end, the space has been a bit of a whirlwind as of late. Major interior renovations have included a brand new bar area, the new grab and go section, and wholesale upgrades to plumbing and electrical.

Additionally, there's new equipment throughout the kitchen and an updated HVAC system too.

But the makeover didn't stop at the exterior walls. Outside on the patio, the team removed pillars and a rotted pergola and reduced the height of the perimeter wall. There's now absolutely nothing obstructing that phenomenal view north along Okanagan Lake.

"And we're going to have a bartop that runs the perimeter of the patio," said Nicole. "We're making it a people-watching space. You'll be comfortable whether you're a party of one or ten."

That’s a philosophy that stands tall in the Sociale concept. Even the name is a nod to being social, being comfortable, whether you're in a group or alone.

"We thought about socializing being almost forbidden the past few years," said Nicole. "We thought this would be a great place for people to be comfortable socializing through coffee, through beverages, through a course of food, through dessert."

And TVs too. There'll be a pair of 75-inch Samsung displays to play stuff like old movies, music videos (sound down), and even Canada's World Cup stint.

As we alluded earlier, the menu will accentuate fresh and light. It'll feature stuff like Italian tapas, small plates, pork belly scallops and beef cheek gnocchi. There'll be no pizza ("We'll leave that to the other guys," said Tyler) though there may be flatbread, but for certain there'll be nothing heavy or difficult to understand.

"It's simple approach Italian," said Tyler. "We don’t want anything that people can’t read or don't understand. What made Villa Rosa successful is that we were rustic Italian homestyle cooking, so we're making that but moving it here and sexifying it.

Yep. You heard right. Sexification.

The grab and go part of the operation, meanwhile, will function almost as if it was a separate entity. And for good reason.

"For years we've thought when we walk by here on the lakeshore, there's no coffee or anything like this," said Nicole, glancing at the new windows where customers will order and gab their to-go goodies.

To meet the demand the Gables believe is there, the grab and go window will open early at 7:30 am and remain open 'til 2:30 or 3. Apart from coffee and refreshments, there'll be Italian breakfast sandwiches, local fruit-focused desserts and pastries from Granny's Bakery-Café in Summerland, vegan options courtesy of Penticton's Gratify, and charcuterie platters.

"It'll be a drop-by window, not a drive-thru," cautioned Tyler. "And we'll have menu boards on the outside."

There'll even be grab and go liquor -- as long as you order some to-go food as well.

"We can’t serve it like a liquor store," said Tyler. "But with our picnics, we want to gear toward wine tour companies, people staying in the motels, early morning coffee runs, that sort of thing."

But while much of Sociale is clearly a departure from Villa Rosa, not all ties are being broken.

"To start with," said Nicole, "because it’s summer, we'll be offering some of our favourite Villa Rosa sauces to go. Our red sauce, our Bombay sauce, our Caesar dressing.

"And then when the off-season hits, we'll gear toward offering a weekly set menu for grab and go that's strictly off the Villa Rosa menu. We may also do a monthly or bi-monthly Villa Rosa family-style dinner."

Dinner-wine pairings, four-course meals paired with craft beer courses, and music nights are also in the cards for the off-season (fall through spring) when Sociale will remain open with reduced hours and seeks to keep locals coming back for more.

Adult drinks throughout the year include wine, local craft beer, cider, Kombucha and creative cocktails.

Due to open later this month, Sociale Enoteca Ristorante is situated at 950 Lakeshore Drive in Penticton. Note that parking will not be available on premises. For more information once open, drop by or call 250-490-9595. We'll publish the website here once it's operational.