Sorella
3369 Cambie | 604-873-3131 | SorellaYVR.com
Open for dinner Monday-Saturday, 5pm-10:30pm; Sunday, 5pm-9:30pm.
Open for lunch, Monday-Friday, 11:30am-2:30pm.
When I heard a few months ago that Pied-à-Terre was closing, I felt a pang, albeit a slight one. The casual French bistro served up some of the best steak frites in the city over the last few years, but toward the end of its run, it took on a more high-end approach, redolent of Andrey Durbach’s original Parkside restaurant in the West End. Not surprising, as Durbach, along with business partner Chris Stewart, were the owners of Pied, as well as the still-running La Buca, on the West Side, and The Sardine Can in Gastown.
It was likely a bit too upscale for South Cambie’s casual vibe, and thus Sorella was born. Durbach and Stewart have kept the room as is (although the outside is now a bright red). The new concept is Italian-American classic. The only red checks are on the napkins, but the menu is full of comfortable dishes like veal parmigiana, osso buco, shrimp scampi, etc. Even better, the wine list is one of the most accessible in town. Most of the bottles are either $39 or $45, with “quartinos” available for $14 or $16.
A few cocktails, most under $10, also show up, including a classic Bellini and a Prosecco-grappa concoction that has a nice light note.
Vegetarians (and non) will love the eggplant parmesan ($21), one of the best I’ve tried in recent memory. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and slightly firm, its beautiful thick slices layered with punchy tomato sauce, fresh mozza and loads of basil. Spaghetti carbonara ($18) is a classic, no-cream version, rich with egg, guanciale (Roman bacon made from pork cheek) and parmesan. The grilled ribeye ($29.50) is a nod to Pied-à-Terre, served with large crispy onion rings, arugula and whipped gorgonzola butter. Durbach hasn’t abandoned his fondness for richness, as the lamb shank special one night proved. The first bite was both beautiful and almost painfully lush; you could practically hear the faint echoes of the lamb’s jiggle as it frolicked in a field. Served with a roast mushroom sauce, it’s not for the faint of appetite.
The pastas are all available in half portions, but you could also try the $35 prix fixe menu that includes antipasti or arugula salad, a trio of daily pastas, and the really excellent panna cotta topped with caramel.
Another dessert favourite was the zeppole ($8), large fried doughnuts dusted in cinnamon sugar and served with cream whipped to order and caramel sauce.
A new lunch menu also just launched, with $14 pastas and five dollars off any bottle of wine. It’s a deal that should have the locals lining up for a leisurely Friday repast.
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Ambiance:★★★★
Value: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
All ratings out of five stars.
*: Okay, nothing memorable.
**: Good, shows promise.
***: Very good, occasionally excellent.
****: Excellent, consistently above average.
*****: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. In addition to obsessively collecting cookbooks, she is a judge for the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards and the Taste Canada Food Writing Awards. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
