One of the smartest menus we've seen in a while was on one of the Gulf islands, almost spitting distance from the ferry terminal. The content of the menu wasn't that riveting, but its presentation was clever-organized by the time needed to prepare your order, complete with the caveat that the management is in no way responsible for you missing your ride home.
Time-challenged dining can be a boon for some restaurateurs, a bust for others. We can think of a couple of restos near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre that would lose their shirts if they weren't successful in giving their guests plenty of time to be in their seats before the show. Luckily, Lupo and Chambar excel at doing that.
Newly landed Novo (2118 Burrard St., 6046047362220) is the successor to Incendio. Having been served by the polite but doggedly efficient waiter Marius that, given fair warning, this is one place where you won't miss the start of Midnight in Paris screening next door at Fifth Avenue Cinemas.
Novo Pizzeria and Wine Bar is just what the name says, but with more bells and whistles. The former Incendio space has been transformed by new owners with a construction connection (we are told). And it shows.
The new room is more thoughtfully laid out, cleaner lined, and nicely textured, with acres of stonework, a wide selection of high tops, bar seats and booths wrapped in warm leatherette. Refreshingly, only two, not excessively big screen TVs dwell above the bar-easily seen, but not intrusive.
The focal point is a more open kitchen that boasts a serious pizza oven-the core of Novo's existence.
That said, this smart Kits newbie is more than a designer pizzeria, with a solid range of options, from a prawn and fennel salad with "Champagne" vinaigrette and copious orange slices ($16) to easily shared starters such as calamari with lemon basil aioli ($12). Creative pastas are plentiful, while the pizza lineup is hard to resist.
Somehow (a grievous oversight that requires a return visit) we missed the rustic potatoes with sea salt and smoked tomato ($6).
Intensive pizza research found us on the business end of a smartly sized prosciutto and arugula ($18) one day, and the house margarita ($13) on another. In both cases the crust and underside were artfully singed but not burnt, while the toppings were measured without being excessive or sloppy.
An equal amount of effort has gone into the wine list, which includes a good by-the-glass selection (such as stone-fruited Tolloy Pinot Grigio, or plummy, pizza friendly Tommasi Rompicollo) kept fresh by the state-ofthe-art wine saver system.
No surprise, Novo is already packing them in. To play it safe, staff suggest 90 minutes is a comfortable turnaround time, especially if you want to indulge in the house tiramisu and excellent coffee. Better still, plan to eat after the show. And if you're a group of six or more, try for the semi-private artful wall of wine and backlit bottles at the rear of the room.
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It may not be English Bay, but in addition to its main Aegean room and Greek street cart, the Kambolis family's souvlaki revival has sprouted another (very compact) spot: Nu Greek Street 2, beside Japadog in the heart of downtown at 542 Robson. Go for the classic chicken souvlaki, which could be the cold killer of the season with its hightest garlic tzatziki and pita.
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