Crowsnest Vineyards — Restaurant in Area B (Cawston/Lower Similkameen)

We checked in and were very excited about our stay as we had just been visiting friends who talked about how great the place was and the food was excellent. When we checked in,(3pm) we were given keys to our room and asked if we wanted dinner reservations and we said do we need to make them now and was told no. So we said we want to get checked in, take the dog for a stroll and then have our wine tasting and have a charcuterie board and dinner later. Was told fine just let us know. We checked in - the room was awesome, we were thrilled - went down, took the dog and went to go to the restaurant and was told it was closed for a private party from 4-6 and so was the store(apparently sourdough bread to die for) . We asked the lady that was at the counter why no one told us that when we checked in and she said well I didn't check you in or you would know. I said well we are hungry and would have eaten right away when we got here if we were told. I said there is nothing around what are we supposed to do - she said well it is just 2 or more hours - wait or go somewhere. I said well maybe we don't want to stay here and she said hold on. Next thing my husband and I know the owner came out of the back definitely HOT and started yelling at me in the parking lot about how hard business is etc. He was the rudest person I have ever met. He wouldn't let us speak - I actually felt physically threatened. And all I said it would have been nice to know. I was almost crying. He made no effort to try to make anything right. No suggestions just yelling and putting his hand in my face. He ended up not charging us and basically said leave. When we grabbed our bags and I went to go and return the key I said this is how you want to leave this and he put his hand up blocking my face. Rudest person I have ever met.. All we wanted them to know was we should have been told on check in - we could have gone somewhere else and come back to what is supposedly a good restaurant. We were very disappointed as we were so looking...

We checked in and were very excited about our stay as we had just been visiting friends who talked about how great the place was and the food was excellent. When we checked in,(3pm) we were given keys to our room and asked if we wanted dinner reservations and we said do we need to make them now and was told no. So we said we want to get checked in, take the dog for a stroll and then have our wine tasting and have a charcuterie board and dinner later. Was told fine just let us know. We checked in - the room was awesome, we were thrilled - went down, took the dog and went to go to the restaurant and was told it was closed for a private party from 4-6 and so was the store(apparently sourdough bread to die for) . We asked the lady that was at the counter why no one told us that when we checked in and she said well I didn't check you in or you would know. I said well we are hungry and would have eaten right away when we got here if we were told. I said there is nothing around what are we supposed to do - she said well it is just 2 or more hours - wait or go somewhere. I said well maybe we don't want to stay here and she said hold on. Next thing my husband and I know the owner came out of the back definitely HOT and started yelling at me in the parking lot about how hard business is etc. He was the rudest person I have ever met. He wouldn't let us speak - I actually felt physically threatened. And all I said it would have been nice to know. I was almost crying. He made no effort to try to make anything right. No suggestions just yelling and putting his hand in my face. He ended up not charging us and basically said leave. When we grabbed our bags and I went to go and return the key I said this is how you want to leave this and he put his hand up blocking my face. Rudest person I have ever met.. All we wanted them to know was we should have been told on check in - we could have gone somewhere else and come back to what is supposedly a good restaurant. We were very disappointed as we were so looking...

The off-season price was a great deal, so I went for it. Somehow the booking came up for a day after my intended stay. The vineyard owner was wonderful about that, and got the mistake corrected nicely. I really appreciate the time he took to do such a chore, which solidified him as a great professional host. The room was nice and comfy, clean, nicely accommodating as a good pine furnished vineyard accommodation should be. An additional greatly appreciated gesture by the host was to offer to make us dinner, as there was not much available for dining locally in a snowed -in early January. The host's asperations as a chef were evident in the well presented plates. My wife's lamb chops were just what she wanted. My meal, however, disappointed and is why the four stars instead of five. My schnitzel was, rather than the nice breaded veal cutlet that I happily anticipated, a chunk of gristle that had been run through a tenderizer a few times to no avail. Add that to the undercooked veggies and I sighed in resignation. My hopes had been up. Darn. Well, some anticipations are like that in life. We slept well in a comfortable bed, and the morning breakfast served by kindly staff was very enjoyable, from the fresh coffee to the kiwi fruit. The fresh buns and bread and charcuterie put us into a fine mood with which to hit the road to our next destination. We left content.

While I appreciate the invitation to try the schnitzel again with hopes to have a good schnitzel the second time around, I have to admit that I was disappointed that the host never offered to pick up the tab on the next one to make up for the fact that the first one I had was unacceptable and could not be eaten. To accept the invitation, which is appreciated, would mean that I'd have to pay for two schnitzels to get one good one. Admittedly the dog had no complaints, but she likes gristle and...