The Rockwater Grill and Bar has been a staple in Golden’s community for many years.
Attached by the same kitchen, the Whitetooth Bistro operates a finer dining experience on the other side of its walls, and the location provides both a fun nighttime experience and a lovely place to grab breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Before it was named the Rockwater, the location was home to The Lyric.
Curt Thorne purchased the Rockwater and the Whitetooth Bistro in May of 2018, but his history with the place began long before that. When he was younger and playing in a country music band, Thorne’s first gig was at the bar, and after that, he moved to Golden to work for the bar’s owner, Greg Swanson. Since then, he has made Golden his home, and has raised his family here.
After purchasing the Rockwater, Thorne decided that he wanted to have the greatest sound system in the Valley. One of the first things he did during its brief shutdown and changeover was install a state-of-the-art sound system.
“My goal is to get the best sound system from Calgary to Kelowna,” he said.
Some of Thorne’s priorities were to hire local contractors to install the sound system, continue operating locally, and to provide a great music venue at the Rockwater.
“We hire locally, we consider our demographic first as a priority,” he said. “We try to give back to the community a lot, like being involved with the Freeride World Tour.”
He holds his long time staff at the Rockwater and the Whitetooth Bistro in high regard. With Pat Legare at the Rockwater and Steph Boose at the Bistro, he says he couldn’t ask for a stronger team. Aaron Warnock keeps the kitchen running and in tip-top shape, providing great meals to either side of the building, and all of the staff that works at both locations are locals who enjoy living and working in the community.
“I feel lucky to get to work with them and their crew that they have there already,” Thorne said about Legare, Boose, and Warnock.
The Rockwater provides a bar atmosphere, great music from all different genres, comedy shows, pub-style food, and a place for locals and tourists to enjoy good times. The Whitetooth Bistro provides higher-end meals in a classier setting that is suitable for everyone. Thorne considers the Whitetooth Bistro to be among the best of the finer dining experiences in Golden, alongside Eleven22, The Island Restaurant, and others, he said.
