La bella Italia has always ruled romantic hearts when it comes to music, food and wine. Whether listening to bel canto opera, enjoying arancini stuffed with fontina and mushrooms, or sipping a cool Lambrusco on a hot summer’s day, the concept of la dolce vita (the sweet life) seems to ring true whether you’re from Italy or Invermere. Like many ethnic cuisines (think French, Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, Russian), the best of Italian fare arises from what was traditionally known as la cucina povera (the kitchen of the poor). The simple and hearty pastas, meatballs, risottos, cioppino, antipasti, etc. that most people enjoy all come from this culture.
In Vancouver, we have a few restaurants that have elevated this humble cuisine to new and delicious heights. Authenticity is not always perfectly achieved (and, truly, Italians think we’re crazy to import tomatoes from halfway around the world when we have beautiful product available in our own backyard), but the philosophy is showcased brilliantly, and in some cases, made into a fine-dining experience that leaves the povera in the organic cilantro “dirt” that dusts the rim of a plate.
Ask for Luigi
Newcomer Ask for Luigi in Railtown has received a lot of press, and many awards, for its simple, approachable and ever-inventive casual menu (people have vowed to riot if the anchovies and eggs ever come off the menu), but there are others who have been around a bit longer and are still attracting knowledgeable acolytes. All of these restaurants make their own pastas and source high-quality ingredients, but the result is something wildly different in each case.
Cioppino’s
The prices might make you hesitate, but chef/owner Pino Posteraro’s heady and light dishes have reflected la cucina naturale since 1999, focusing on classical techniques that emphasize the freshness of the ingredients. Sauces, like the pesto that graces the tagliolini, are light and pungent, heavy on flavour and easy on fat. The wild boar done two ways reminds me of fall in Tuscany, all earthy and bright. The wine list alone is worth a visit, being one of the most stellar collections in town, a veritable encyclopaedia that covers Italy from the top of the boot to the toe. It’s worth the splurge to go and feast at least once like Rome is burning.
Lupo
Originally opened as Villa del Lupo more than a decade ago, this fine-dining Italian bastion in the heritage house on Hamilton Street morphed into the more casual Lupo back in 2009. Co-owners Michael Mameli and Julio Gonzalez-Perini worked together at the original resto and came back to create their dream restaurant. The menu reflects the strong influence of local and seasonal in dishes like the beautifully plated octopus carpaccio with tiny pimenton (teardrop-shaped sweet red peppers) and drizzled with limoncello. The short rib brasato, braised in chianti and tamarind with mascarpone polenta, is the perfect summer meal after long days at the beach. Mameli is also the wine director and one of the most gifted somms in the city – go try him out and see.
La Quercia
It’s the little restaurant that could, tucked away in West Point Grey and filling its 30-odd seats on a nightly basis. Chef/owner Adam Pegg changes up the menu daily, and the tasting menu ($60 for five courses or so) is one of the best deals in the city. Rabbit loin with hazelnuts is brilliant, as is whole roasted branzino (sea bass). Reserve in advance, as the popularity of this place hasn’t died down since it opened in 2008.
Cin Cin
Celebrating its 25th year of serving stellar Italian cuisine by launching a new menu under EC Andrew Richardson, Cin Cin is one of the granddaddies of the Italian scene in Vancouver. From its lofty perch overlooking Robson Street, this beautiful room (and serene patio) serves up some spectacular iterations of Italian cuisine from its wood-fired grill/rotisserie/oven concentrates on simple and elegant dishes like the gnocchi with new asparagus, basil and ramp leaves, or the halibut with asparagus and morels in spring pea tip sauce. Master barman David Wolowidnyk is another reason to visit, as is the superb wine list managed by wine director Shane Taylor.
