Bluenose Deli and Cafe

A deli and a cafe at a highway-front address on the edge of Coldstream, Bluenose sits on Highway 6, the road that carries traffic east out of Vernon through Lavington and on toward the mountains. That pairing of counter food and coffee on a main route usually means the trade is takeaway and lunch rather than dinner: sandwiches made while you wait, something warm, a coffee, the sort of food you pick up rather than sit a long while over.

A deli counter also does a second kind of business that is easy to overlook: cold cuts, cheeses, salads and prepared food sold by weight for a gathering, a picnic at Kal Beach or a weekend at a cabin, and that side of it usually wants a day of notice for anything beyond a couple of servings. If you are driving past on a specific plan, and especially if you are counting on a particular item or hoping to order a platter, a call to confirm beats arriving at a closed door. Turning off a highway and parking is also easier in the mid-morning lull than at the lunch peak, which is worth a thought if you are towing anything.