There's been no shortage of restaurant openings in Penticton this year, and particularly this summer.
But this one is different.
It's different for its location, right in the midst of Lakeshore Drive's motel strip, an important waterfront area that's badly in need of the major facelift it could signal.
It's different for its scope - a two-storey, 4500-square foot, 174-seat giant with several unique dining zones and two spacious patios looking directly out to the lake.
It's different for its aesthetics, and its age. A brand new build from the ground up, it's modern and bright and sophisticated, with plenty of glass and metal inside and out and an airy open concept platform that seems to eliminate visual hindrances. Even the seats most distant from the street have unobstructed views through the venue to the outside world.
And it's different for its menu. Fresh, seasonal, and Turkish-inspired, the fare is unlike anything else in the city.
Elma, as it is known, began its soft-opening period last week, and it's been packed ever since. And while that's great news for the owners, the two years it took to get to that point were tough. Real tough.
"My father has owned the motel property (the Black Sea Motel) for 40 years," said Ayse Barluk yesterday morning. Barluk, along with husband Michael, are the Elma co-owners.
"There was a small cabin here (on the current Elma site at the northwest corner of the property) when he purchased the motel in 1978. And that's where he built the first restaurant on the waterfront."
Indeed, explained Barluk, the little cabin would ultimately become the very first home to one of Penticton's busiest restaurants, Salty's Beach House. "They did so well with Salty's that they ended up purchasing the lot next door," she said, "and that's where they are today."
In 2017, the Barluks began the transformation. The goal, from the very start, was to create a high-end structure that prioritized spaciousness and maximized views. They also wanted something that would appeal just as much to locals in the winter as it did to tourists in the summer.
"We tried to utilize every square foot of the build," said Ayse, "and to make something where we could offer the guest an experience all year round. It was never in our plans to be open in the summer and then close in the winter. Our business plan is first and foremost local-oriented."
Today, Elma is an engineering marvel. And nowhere is that engineering so obvious as the massive 60-seat second floor deck.
Here, a louvered roof that can be opened or closed in seconds via handheld remote makes the deck just as viable in winter as summer. In the latter, it can be opened to let the sunshine in. Yet it's strong enough when closed to handle formidable snowfalls.
Arguably more remarkable is the north wall, facing the lake. It's made almost completely of a series of floor-to-ceiling glass doors. There are no visible supports, and all the doors can be opened. And that's because all the support comes from thick metal beams that are tucked away from obvious view.
"Originally we had a wood structure up there," said Michael, "but in order to use wood, we would have had double the amount of beams. We wanted it to be open, so it got changed to steel."
It's sophisticated stuff like this that meant the project would take awhile. This wasn't your average build.
"It's hard to dictate how well construction will go," said Ayse. "But we never wanted to rush it. The way it's built, there's a lot of steel in here to provide that openness. We wanted that unhindered view of the lake."
But there were numerous other mitigating factors that would ultimately delay completion by more than half a year.
"We started when the lake flooded in the summer of 2017," said Michael, "and we were pushed back on our geotechnical because we couldn't excavate for our footings because the water level was too high."
"That winter was terrible, so while we were trying to put up our steel, the crew is unionized and wouldn't work in conditions like that, so they'd sometimes work an hour or two then go home. The framing was a challenge because a lot of the trades were working on the new hospital."
"The design changed along the way, and every time we made a change, it all had to go back to the consultant group, then the city had to sign off on it."
All told, he says, Elma was "close to a two and a half million dollar build."
Time will tell if it was all worth it from a financial sense, but one can only hope so. Architecturally, it's an absolute winner.
You'll see it in the colossal, all-wood entry doors. Or the lighting - so many different styles that somehow work harmoniously together. Or the colour palette, muted and intentionally feminine and so calming.
Or the tables, many of which were custom-made by Summerland's Sagebrush Studios. Or the tiles, all sourced in Turkey by the owners. Or the intricate moulding and millwork on the walls.
Adding to all of the above, each of the floors offer a unique atmosphere.
"We wanted beachy and tropical upstairs," said Michael. "But downstairs is obviously going to be our primary space in the winter. So we wanted it to be warmer and more inviting. More plush chairs, a different feel, make it a more comfortable, more vibrant space that people can enjoy on a winter day."
Both floors have noticeably high ceilings. There's ten feet on the main, 11 on the second.
Turkish inspired, the menu offers fresh selections, plenty of seasonal variety, and, says Aysa, whose parents are Turkish and who spent several years there in her youth, very little to confine it.
"We never went out to be 100 percent Turkish. We always wanted to do Turkish inspired cuisine with Turkish ingredients."
"The beautiful thing about Turkish cuisine, and what we pull from it, is that every Turkish province has a different take on food. Where my parents are from, a lot of the food is from the sea. The Agean, same thing. The country is surrounded by three bodies of water."
"And then you have the southeast, which doesn't have water access. Its very meat oriented. Lots of spices. And that's one thing about our food. It's very fresh, and there's so much flavor on your tongue because we use so many different spices."
"It's such a diverse region," said Michael. "Because of the Silk Road and the Ottoman Empire, there were so many travelers coming and going, and there's an abundance of different tastes and feels."
"We want to keep it fresh and different. As we go through the seasons, we want to introduce different dishes. We'll always have our signature dishes, like our Turkish flatbread, which we use our forno oven to make."
"And our plan through the winter is to do collaborations with breweries and cideries and wineries and create a menu based on the profile of whatever they have at the time."
And there'll always be a homemade vibe. "We pickle our own peppers, right here," said Michael. "One of our pickle dishes is all homemade."
And, said Aysa, "One of our desserts is my mother's recipe. It's like a spiral baklava, if you will, with pistachios and walnuts, topped with a syrup and vanilla gelato."
The Elma soft opening, and its soft opening menu, will continue for another couple weeks before the official grand opening. "We want to nail our signature dishes," said Michael. "We want to be able to execute well and consistently."
Elma's hours, currently 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Saturday (closed Monday) are also expected to change soon to facilitate lunch. Ayse tells us they've already developed a brunch menu.
One other interesting tidbit. Elma is likely just the start of a full-on property upgrade. "Our plan is restaurant first, then the rest of the property," said Ayse.
And, they say, that project could quite easily morph into a complete motel rebuild.
Elma is situated at 994 Lakeshore Drive West. For more info, check out the website.
