Table 24 is located in a beautiful heritage building in the heart of downtown Salmon Arm. Formerly the town courthouse, the historic building has been beautifully converted into commercial space. The interior design, immediately struck me as perfect! Deep, rich paint colours, walls of gorgeous original heritage brick, and beautiful art all work together to create a breathtaking space.Our service was prompt and courteously provided by the proprietors, Len and Gena Wells. Shortly after taking our order we were presented with the amuse bouche of the evening, a puff pastry stuffed with roasted red pepper, roasted eggplant, and goat cheese. What a great way to start the meal! The soft, flakey, and moist pastry was still warm from the oven and made the perfect package for the creamy interior.

I asked Len if the pastry was made in house and he proudly informed me of the philosophy at Table 24. Not only do they make everything from scratch in their kitchen, but they also source as much of their product from local suppliers as is feasible. Len also informed me that the Table 24 kitchen does not have a microwave or a deep-fryer, two devices he believes have no place in gourmet cuisine. I truly wish more restaurants adopted the same way of thinking as Table 24.

For my main course I ordered the Smoked Chicken and Chorizo Fettucine ($22.00). The smoked chicken was absolutely incredible!!! It had a beautiful smokey flavour that was bold, without being overpowering or acrid. As mention, Len had informed me that they make everything from scratch in-house, but I was still very surprised to find out that they even smoked their own chicken, fresh from local farms. The chorizo was a great compliment to the chicken and added a nice little kick to the dish.

These meats were served on a bed of fresh homemade fettuccine, cooked to a perfect al dente. The dish was tied together by a nice light cream sauce. It’s very common for a cream sauce to be so heavy that it overpowers all of the other flavours, or slopped on so liberally that it drowns the dish. I’m happy to say that Table 24 they did a great job with the sauce, making the smoked chicken and chorizo sausage the focus of the dish just as they should be.

I wasn’t the only one enjoying my meal. My friend absolutely loved his salmon. He said that the most impressive thing about his meal was that everything was cooked to the perfect tenderbess. His salmon, basmati rice, and steamed vegetables all had the perfect texture.

We enjoyed a very nice Ortega from local winery Larch Hills with our meal. It was a little bit sweet with flavours of green apple, honeysuckle, and vanilla and a nice crisp finish. When I asked Len about his wine list he told me that in order to select the wines on the list he held a private tasting party for his regulars to determine what they wanted to see on the list. What a fantastic idea!

Another nice innovation at Table 24 is their take on dessert. They offer a sampling of mini-desserts for $3.50. It’s a perfect way to finish your meal when you want a little something sweet, but are already full. The mixed berry cheesecake had an incredible creamy texture, almost like a mousse. It was delicious on its own, but the mint leaf garnish brought the flavours out even more. My other mini-dessert was a macaroon. It was very simply done, with nothing out of the ordinary added. Simple is usually better than overly complicated and this macaroon was no exception. Absolute perfection!

In my previous columns I have written about how important it is for a restaurant to pay attention to all the little details, as that is what usually elevates an establishment from being good to being outstanding. Table 24 left no little detail overlooked. Everything was just right from their selection of elegant, yet modern cutlery and glassware, to the colour of the napkins, to the thank you chocolate (made in-house of course!) that comes with the cheque.

For two mains, a mini-desert and a half litre of wine, our meal was $82 before the tip. White it was far from an inexpensive meal, it was worth every penny. Next time you find yourself in Salmon Arm check out Table 24. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Ambience: 4.5/5
Taste: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5