Creative writer gains following for praising, promoting Okanagan culinary scene

What began a few years ago with a thoughtful reflection on a bowl of stone soup has grown into an interactive online celebration of the Okanagan’s culinary scene for Osoyoos resident Tina Dolphin.

Dolphin takes in the tastes and ambiance of wineries and expresses her experiences through prose and photography on social media where she has garnered thousands of followers.

“I very much enjoy giving a shout out to businesses and it let’s me channel my creative writing,” she said. “It began as a culinary journey that was self healing, the followers were a byproduct I was not expecting.”

Originally from Edmonton, Dolphin arrived in the Okanagan in the midst of a divorce she was struggling emotionally to get through. Raised by a chef, she said she has always been a foodie so she set out to experience the culinary culture.

“When I came out here, I wasn’t quite finished with my divorce. Some days it was very gruelling and tiring, and I was emotionally getting over what I’d left behind,” Dolphin said.

She penned one of her first creative writing reviews while eating stone soup at The Bear, the Fish, the Root and the Berry restaurant at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos.

“I’ve always loved the story of stone soup,” she said. “As I’m eating this soup I’m melting and the knot in me is softening and could feel every little bit of me opening up and I sat there and wrote that probably within ten minutes.”

When she writes, she uses different styles, sometimes more romantic and sometimes weaving in historical elements of the venue or the menu.

“I like writing in short breaths, it lets you pause,” she said. “My style is a rhythmic blend of industrial romance, capturing the grit and mechanics of a place while elevating the experience through a lens of high-contrast luxury.

“I’m literally just sitting there jotting down the DNA makeup of a place, the pulse of it and how it makes me feel. Essentially, I don’t just review a business; I archive the soul of an experience to find the harmony in the chaos.”

Dolphin also posts photos of interesting culinary creations on social media under the question, “Where am I now?” and let’s followers guess what venue she took them in.

She isn’t getting paid to promote Okanagan venues, she said she does it because she loves the culture and the people. Often the restaurants and vineyards reach out to thank her for the reviews or ask her to share her photos with them.

“That just makes my day,” she said. “Or when I’m sitting at some place and get a free glass of wine or something and I’m happy knowing someone appreciates what I’m doing. I’m mostly doing it for myself and it took me awhile to accept the recognition.”

Dolphin was the winery manager at One Faith Vineyards in the District Wine Village in Oliver for more than three years where she made several connections in the industry.

She’s the donation coordinator for a charity car show event in the South Okanagan called Big Daddy’s Hotrod Roundup that happens every other year where local businesses donate items for a raffle and proceeds go to local charities.

She plans to continue posting her reviews as an outlet for her creative writing.

“I’ve fallen in love with the Okanagan and I’m here to stay,” she said. “Where ever I go, food and wine is at the heart of the people.”

Go here to follow Dolphin and read her culinary reviews.