Last night, for the first time since the fall of 2018, 340 Main Street was alive with the sounds of people out on the town.
And that's a good thing. 340 Main Street is an important Penticton address. For nearly a century, it was home to the Elite Restaurant, which was one of the swankiest eateries in the Okanagan.
But old age wasn't kind to the Elite. Though it soldiered on and in its latter years was home to a lot of local live music, it had lost its luster. 340 Main Street needed...something.
That something came on November 2nd, just a few days prior to the Elite's final night of operation. Local developer and ex-radio personality Fred Trainor had been scouting around town for a suitable location to fire up his latest brainstorm—a "casual" steakhouse.
Trainor bought the place and began what would ultimately become an arduous six-month renovation. Last night, he threw open the doors on his baby, Block 300 Casual Steakhouse.
Granted, it was a "soft" opening —a test run with friends, family, and assorted VIPs. The official grand opening is this Friday at 5 p.m. But it gave everyone in attendance a chance to check out Trainor's new gem on the Main Street strip.
The place was jammed with folks socializing, having a beverage or two, and, of course, eating. But even then, the spacious, airy atmosphere that Trainor and his team have clearly tried to instil shone through.
Block 300 has seen a complete and total rebuild. Everything that could be removed or replaced has been. The resulting space is contemporary and bright, with rustic touches throughout.
There are no walls or dividers breaking up the seating area. The ceiling is a towering 13 feet high, and hanging from it are trellises adorned with vines.
The floor looks like it was pulled from a beachfront cabin, and the tables look like giant chopping blocks. A bar runs down the south wall, and the back wall features a striking, illuminated wine rack. There are 84 seats inside and 16 more on the sidewalk patio.
"Fred and I worked together, pretty much exclusively, on designing the restaurant," says general manager Scott Greenshields, who has worked in the restaurant business since the age of 13.
"We didn't have a designer come in and tell us how to make it look. It's a little modern, a little contemporary, a little rustic. It's eclectic."
Greenshields made the move from Winnipeg just to run Block 300.
"I met Fred last fall. We had a few good conversations and we decided it would be a good fit and I'd take on the role of general manager and help put this restaurant together," he said. "We want to provide terrific quality food that's locally sourced, with a tremendous guest experience at affordable prices in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere."
And Greenshields says that underneath that huge new Block 300 street sign is the old sign from the Elite.
"Yeah, we kept the original sign. We put new panels on it, and replaced the inefficient neon with LEDs. It really pops. You can see it three or four blocks away."
And the street sign isn't the only holdover from the Elite days. Another is the executive chef, who happens to be the Elite's final owner, and the person who sold the restaurant to Trainor.
His name is Barry Wood, and he was all smiles while captaining the kitchen for the soft opening.
"It was a great transition," said Wood just before the dinner rush began. "Fred came in and sat down and said, 'This is where I want to be,' and I agreed."
"A few months later Fred was doing a great project and I stuck my head in the door and said, 'Wow, this is looking nice,' and Scott asked if I'd like to take on the kitchen and become the executive chef."
"The Elite lasted 90 years until I got my hands on it," he jokes. "And tonight, people are coming in and saying, 'Wow, what are you doing here?' And I'm saying, 'Well, I went upstairs for a nap and I come downstairs and what's going on?'"
Trainor has nothing but good words for his new top chef, who was hired in early April.
"Barry's a great guy. He has years of experience in the kitchen, he knows what he's doing, and he's committed to what we're doing."
Trainor was also pleased with what he saw Monday evening.
"I think everybody is having a great time. I think when you go into a room like this and people are engaged like our guests are here, that's a very positive thing."
"It's incredibly difficult—and expensive—to take a 91-year-old building and bring it up to 2019. But I think we've done a good job of it actually. We've got a great crew. Man, they've worked their hearts out to get ready for tonight."
He likes to think Block 300 is part of a downtown resurgence.
"I'm glad to be part of it. When you look at all the residential that's going on downtown, the new breweries, it's Penticton but it can be a vibrant Penticton too," he said.
Trainor says his highlight menu item is obviously steak, but wants to get the word out on his chicken, seafood, and "killer burgers" too. And the express lunch.
"If you work downtown and only have a half hour or so for lunch, we can accommodate that."
And, he says, "We'll also have patio beach parties every Saturday. We'll sell beer by the bucket. Five domestic beers will be $20. Five imports will be $25. We'll have a bar out there too, with bar stools."
Dekland DeCoste can't wait for Friday. The Nova Scotia native worked at the Barley Mill Pub for the past couple years, and is now a Block 300 mainstay.
"Getting in on the ground level of a restaurant like this is amazing. We don't have anything like this in Penticton. Something where people can come and feel comfortable and get good quality steakhouse food at a moderate price. I think we're going to do awesome things."
Paul Stawarz attended the soft opening with wife Beryl and friend Trevor Nelson, and loved everything about it.
"We were lucky enough to get an invite tonight," he said. "This town has been dying for a nice family-style steakhouse. The food tonight is fantastic. Fred's going to be very successful."
And he too thinks Block 300 is part of a new downtown-centric wave.
"After 6 p.m., the carpets usually roll up. But I think the more places like this, the more lively and walkable downtown will be in the evening. There's nothing but growth downtown right now, and I think you're going to see more development there too. I love the future of downtown Penticton."
Block 300 Casual Steakhouse will officially open this Friday at 5 p.m., then fall into its regular hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. And it'll be open every day of the week, making it a rare bird indeed on the downtown scene.
There'll be a happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., an express lunch every day from to 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a prime rib special every Sunday after 5 p.m.
For more information, including a glimpse at the menu items, hit up the Block 300 website.
