Renovated Oasis Pub

Courtesy of Rhonda Kolcun, McLeese Lake contributor to Williams Lake Tribune:

The Oasis Pub in McLeese Lake is going to re-open just in time to celebrate Halloween. Owner Rob Swaan, his daughter-in-law Amber Swaan and Kitchen Manager Linda Bard are very excited to see their hard efforts come to fruition. They and many others have been working very hard and their efforts are finally paying off.

Let’s back up a couple of months to when Rob handed over the reins to Amber and both the Oasis Café and the re-opening of the Oasis Pub became her “baby”. She hired Linda to work in the kitchen in June and July but then Linda quit to look after family commitments and her Ranch in McLeese Lake. Amber called her up and negotiated to have her come back and manage both the Café and the Pub. They filtered many ideas back and forth and were very pleased with their final outcome. They came up with a new menu plan for the Pub. Linda says she is “very excited for the new food adventures the Pub will bring McLeese Lake. This is line cooking but with a gourmet twist”. The Café is more of a line cook type of restaurant but they have a few surprises incorporated as well such as Focaccia Bread now being offered. Linda brings incredible chef experience from previously working with a great chef at Tyee Lake Resort. She is most excited to have a brand new Pellet Smoker at the Pub on which she plans to prepare smoked chicken legs, ribs, brisket and pulled pork. They are thrilled to have two new double deep fryers, a new overhead fan system, a full flat grill, a steak grill, a new stand-up freezer and cooler, stainless steel sink and shelves, swinging bar doors and a brand new serving window. Linda says it is an “absolutely awesome kitchen”. They also have a brand new floor that looks amazing.

They will have many new items on the menu which include Pulled Pork Pizza, Pulled Pork Poutine, Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, Hobo Baked Beans and Corn Bread. They will be also offering new homemade Chicken and Rib Rubs and Barbeque sauces. They will offer an upgrade of an old favorite which is Nachos, but these ones will be Linda’s special recipe. Linda is excited to share that they will be offering delicious homemade burgers. Yours truly has seen the new menu and it looks fantastic. I can hardly wait for my husband, Gordon, and I to visit the newly refurbished Pub and sit down at one of the new tables and chairs and partake in what sounds like very delicious food. They also want to keep some “Greg and Gigi” classics such as Pizza and Smokies as an homage to the previous owners. Like Linda says, “there is a lot of history in the Oasis Pub. Besides being the very first Neighbourhood Pub in BC, it has a ton of memories including those from the previous owners.

Once they have been open for a bit, Linda plans on introducing special nights such as Wing Night, Steak Night and Baron of Beef Night just to name a few. As I sit and listen to Linda talking, the excitement on her face can’t be contained. She has so many ideas on her mind, I’m surprised she can keep it all organized. I can see it is the sign of a great manager. They have been working hard on getting both the Oasis Café and Oasis Pub running smoothly. She is excited that they will be serving Local Barkerville Brew on tap at the Pub. They like to support local suppliers. They just had a wonderful Thanksgiving supper at the Café where they served turkey that had been supplied by a local farmer.

In the summer, the lettuce and produce were bought from local farmers as well. Linda says, “anything that can be utilized to the recipes in our kitchens will be bought local first”.

The Owner and Managers want a Soft opening for the Pub. They plan on opening on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, to begin with. Their first night of opening is planned for Friday, October 31st. More details will be posted at the Café once they are finalized. They plan on having a professional Karaoke DJ with an awesome light show and they will also be supplying appetizers. To help offset all the entertainment and food that will be offered that night, there will be a nominal cover charge at the door. They hope to see many customers, both old and new at the Pub on the 31st and the Café any day of the week. Rob, Amber and Linda are looking forward to having the Pub re-open and once again be an integral part of this community. Linda anticipates it all to be good. It’s her community. She’s not an outsider coming in – she’s an insider coming out of her comfort zone. She credits Rob and Amber as well. Amber really enjoys being involved with both businesses. Rob is a very caring compassionate owner who is willing to do what it takes to not only make his businesses succeed, but he is willing to be a big part of it because he believes one hundred percent in his community. What more can be said!!