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The thick, stale yet sweet aroma of books that have been touched with time, in combination with the bold spice of coffee brewing, overwhelms your senses as you first step into the Pulp Fiction Cafe in Kelowna.
Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com
Followed by the rhythmic tick-tock of the clock and the smooth and sultry sounds of Ray Charles serenading in the distance, lovers of the written word, caffeine fiends, and individuals happily devoted to a time much simpler than ours immediately find themselves right at home.
Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com
Owner and operator of Pulp Fiction, Robbie Rare Books, and Britannia Antiques, Max Sloan, has always had a deep fascination for books. Retiring as a geologist and fulfilling his lifelong dream, Sloan opened up Pulp Fiction Cafe where he now provides the people of Kelowna a unique place to read, all the while enjoying a snack or two.
Max Sloan. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)
From the soy milk used in your latte down to the puffed pastries, Sloan is proud to boast that all of his ingredients are locally sourced and sustainable.
The beverage selection is grand and always changing. As Sloan explained, he often allows his employees to be creative and conjure up new and unique concoctions and brews.
Photo credit: KelownaNow.com
For Sloan, the devil is in the details. Caffeinated beverages are brewed fresh, and ingredients are weighed and timed in order to ensure the most authentic latte or macchiato possible.
“We will always evolve and never be satisfied with the status quo,” said Sloan. “We’re always striving for perfection.”
When it comes down to the food, imagine you’re at the grandparents’ house for lunch, but with a slightly modern foodie twist. Tasty soups, sandwiches, bagels, chili, and treats are available daily.
The hearty bowl of chili has the perfect level of spice without overpowering the savoury flavours of the dish, and the Montreal smoked meat sandwich has real Montreal smoked meat between two buttery slices of marbled rye bread.
Montreal smoked meat sandwich. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)
Creating new food and beverage items is great, but as Sloan said, they’re most proud of their selection of creamy and frothy milkshakes. Emerging as a real creative front-runner in the Kelowna milkshake business, Pulp Fiction has a wide selection of flavours that will cool you down on a hot summer day.
Using espresso to offset the sweet and creamy texture and taste of the vanilla bean ice cream, the caffeine based milkshakes at Pulp Fiction are very popular, added Sloan.
At Pulp Fiction, it’s more than just the food. The idea for Sloan’s café and Robbie Rare Books was sparked by his love for pulp fiction, and no, it’s not a reference to Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 classic starring Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta.
Pulp Fiction prints adorn the walls in Sloan's Cafe. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)
Pulp fiction is an attitude as well as a style of book, explained Sloan. The paper inside a pulp book is typically cheaper and less durable than your average book today. Sparked during WWII, pulp fiction novels came about as a way to produce entertainment while keeping costs and rations in check.
So whether you're a fan of great food or a lover of books, Pulp Fiction Café is a great place to check out.
Pulp Fiction is located at 1598 Pandosy Street in downtown Kelowna.
For more information, check out the Pulp Fiction Facebook page and Twitter.
A few weeks ago, KelownaNow wrote an article on O'Rourke's Uptown Market in downtown Kelowna.
Do you know of any fun and yummy restaurants to check out in our community? Let us know in the Facebook comment section or by e-mailing KelownaNow at news@kelownanow.com.
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