Fresh start for Aspen Grove
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Those people who enjoy a classy and mouthwatering meal in a casual atmosphere have a new option when choosing a local restaurant to dine at. In an effort to make their menu more interesting Aspen Grove has brought in a new top chef with close to twenty five years working in high end restaurants.
A quick glance at chef Tim Floritto’s last name would lead one to expect a menu heavy with Italian influences, however, Floritto’s culinary skills stretch well beyond the borders of his ancestors’ homeland. Yet he doesn’t deny the traditional styles of Italian cooking, rather, he combines them with techniques and flavours he learned while training as a professional French chef to cook in a style he describes as Mediterranean.
When Aspen Grove owner Tom Stanbrook began searching for a new executive chef his biggest concern was finding someone who could bring some real change to the restaurant.
“I talked to quite a few people that had worked in kitchens before but their experience was mostly as line cooks and that’s something I wanted to get away from,” says Stanbrook.
Stanbrook is confident that he’s found what he was looking for in Floritto.
“When Tom phoned me he explained that he wanted a new menu that could define the restaurant but he wasn’t sure how to go about doing that. I came out here to look around and it looked like a good place to work and I believed I could really accomplish what he was asking for,” says Floritto.
The first thing customers can expect to notice when they sit down to a meal at Aspen Grove is a slight reduction in menu size. Floritto says a smaller menu lets the kitchen focus on perfecting the quality of the options that are presented.
When the servers arrive with the food the first bite will convince diners of Floritto’s value to the kitchen—if the aromas wafting from neighboring tables don’t do that first.
‘From scratch’ is the new buzz phrase around the kitchen. Floritto’s menu scraps what he calls boring, tired and pre-made pub food in favour of fresh meat and produce and, homemade sauces and marinades.
Growing up as a boy, Floritto was raised on a ranch which has led him to subscribe to the ‘local is best’ school of thought popular amongst chefs and food aficionados. Buying from local farmers affords the community an obvious economic benefit and their meats and produce are preferable from a culinary point of view as well. Floritto says local foods are always of a better quality because they can literally be served within hours of being harvested. He even plans to take advantage of Aspen Grove’s enormous property to plant an on-site garden for herbs and favourite produce such as heirloom tomatoes.
Over the past 25 years Floritto has worked in upscale establishments throughout the central Okanagan—Sunset Bistro at Summerhill Pyramid Winery, the Hotel Eldorado and Lake Okanagan Resort, just to name a few. He also owns and operates The Hungry Chef Catering and Consulting company.
While Floritto is a major part of Stanbrook’s attempt to revitalize the restaurant at Aspen Grove, the executive chef is just part of the overall strategy. A new 1400 square foot kitchen is in the midst of being installed and a new reception hall that will have seating for approximately 200 guests is also being constructed.
Adding to the excitement at Aspen Grove is the upcoming holiday season. Right now Floritto is making preparations for Christmas parties and hopes local patrons will continue to support the restaurant by booking a reservation.
The restaurant is open Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Stanbrook encourages prime rib lovers to come out on Saturday nights for Floritto’s prime rib special.
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