White Spot Celebrates BC with Local Ingredients

Credit: Aaron Barr

White Spot’s truffled mushroom flatbread, pictured at right, is featured on the Celebrate BC menu and has local truffled exotic mushrooms, local Amorosa tomatoes, and Okanagan goat cheese

Almost 50 percent of White Spot’s ingredients are locally sourced and now its wine list is 100 percent BC VQA

When my husband and I first moved to Vancouver we lived in Kitsilano and discovered the Triple O’s White Spot at Cornwall Ave. and Cypress Street. 

We loved the diner atmosphere, with our favourite oldies playing on the radio, and we loved the Legendary Burger and fresh-cut fries – it became one of our favourite cheap dates.

I still think it’s one of the best burgers in town and was so pleased to hear that the nearly 5 million pounds of potatoes used to make White Spot’s fries each year are all supplied by BC producers.

Nat Bailey opened the first White Spot restaurant in 1928 and now there are over 60 locations across the Lower Mainland and throughout BC and Alberta, plus dozens of quick-service Triple O’s locations that only serve burgers, fries and shakes.

In a recent press release, White Spot president Warren Erhart said, “Almost 50 per cent of White Spot’s ingredients, from tomatoes to potatoes, are locally sourced and we are proud to support the producers that grow delicious food right in our own backyard.”

Every year White Spot purchases over 675,000 pounds of tomatoes, almost 5,000,000 pounds of Kennebec potatoes and 73,000 pounds of blueberries from BC producers.

White Spot has also switched to a 100 per cent BC VQA wine list, featuring wineries such as Peller Estates, Mission Hill and Red Rooster, making it the only casual restaurant chain in the province to offer exclusively local wines. 

And it’s currently offering a seasonal menu called Celebrate BC, featuring local blueberries, tomatoes, sweet mini bell peppers, candied Pacific salmon, and exotic mushrooms.

For a recent date night, on a sunny summer evening, we sat on the patio at the Georgia and Cardero location in downtown Vancouver and tried the truffled mushroom flatbread (pictured above) and candied salmon cavatappi (pictured two below) from the Celebrate BC menu, and Bishop’s Curry (pictured below) from the regular menu, which features local chicken breast, sweet bell peppers and mushrooms.

The delicious curry was inspired by John Bishop, a man instrumental in Vancouver’s sustainable food movement and the owner of Bishop’s restaurant in Kitsilano.

The truffled mushroom flatbread was really tasty and so was the candied salmon cavatappi – I loved all the fresh vegetables and the candied salmon was nice and fresh, not chewy or dry.

Other Celebrate BC menu items include the candied salmon spinach salad with BC blueberries and gingered pecans, the Okanagan summer salad with BC blueberries and Okanagan goat cheese with a champagne vinaigrette, and the truffled mushroom burger with local exotic mushrooms.

The Celebrate BC menu is only available for a limited time, visit the White Spot website for more details.