Way back in May, WE broke the news of the coming of Pronto Caffe, a new eatery on Cambie that was nearing the end of its construction. Id seen it while across the street eating a sandwich at Benton Brothers. It would have been tricky to miss, as the letters of the restaurants name were spelled out in deep red Futura letters above big, inviting picture windows.
The interior of the quaint little Italian trattoria back then was a hive of activity and when I paid my first proper visit this week for lunch it was also bustling. Gone were the workers finishing up Stefan Gagnon and Scott Cohens look (theyve teamed up for several Vancouver restaurant designs) and in were young families, couples of all ages, groups of friends and loner laptoppers sitting down for casual, inexpensive bites. The restaurants fitting motto is Where friends meat and veg.
The menu is brief sandwiches mostly but the queue at the counter can get long. There is no table service but, thankfully, the staff toil in earnest and their execution is quick.
Prontos speciality is the porchetta sandwich, which sees rolled, fatty, herb-treated and crackling filled pork loaded onto spongy buns. Its also the restaurants inspiration, as co-owner (and first generation Italian) Angela Maida spent two years perfecting the recipe after being floored by a sandwich at the famous Porchetta restaurant in New York Citys East Village.
They certainly seem to be the it sammy in town at the moment. Meat & Bread on Cambie (off Victory Square in Gastown) does a particularly superb one, and there are one or two others Ive had elsewhere. Prontos is right up there in terms of taste and because porchetta doesnt grow on trees (its definitely a labour of love getting it right) the $8 dent in your wallet is a bargain.
There are several other sandwiches available, all following the Italian theme. I went with a Proscuitto layered thinly with provolone, arugula and a tight, sundried tomato pesto, which I found to be a little pedestrian and dry ($7). Id lose the pesto and add a thin slice of melon, but thats just me. I saved half, and with no melon at home, dressed it in olive oil and balsamic instead (mmm). The grilled vegetarian Caprese panini was much better. They used buffalo ricotta instead of the more traditional mozzarella, and it pleasantly enveloped the acid sting of the roasted and balsamic-cut roma tomatoes ($7). The sidecar of tomato soup with croutons and basil oil was delightfully simple and brightly flavoured ($4). There is a limited selection of beer and wine, so there is drinking to be had, too.
Dinner was more hit and miss. I went early thinking it might be tough to get a table, but it was virtually empty for the duration of my meal. The porchetta sandwich was brilliant again, reveling this time in a pungently nutty side of leafy rapini ($4).
A delicious scallopine of veal teased on account of its small size, but its accompanying cheese-laced smash of potatoes made for a nice apology. The special pasta was anything but special. Listed on the chalkboard as linguine with a sundried tomato cream sauce, it arrived instead as overcooked spaghetti with sundried tomatoes and no cream ($12). A little Parmesan may have made it more palatable, but none was offered.
The difference between night and day was night and day. Misfires happen, of course, and balls are sometimes dropped, but if theyre hunting for a regular dinner crowd there is definitely room for improvement (and lots of competition nearby).
I still really enjoyed Pronto, and not just because its Italian (which I love) or because its especially respectful of the awesomeness of porchetta (which can never be overstated). Its just that Im a bit of a sucker for charm is all, and theyre running a tidy surplus of the stuff.
Aesthetically, there just isnt any other place like it in Vancouver. Nook on Denman in the West End comes close, which is telling because it, too, was a Gagnon-Cohen job (take a bow, boys).
Both are honest, unpretentious reflections of their host neighbourhoods, but Pronto feels slightly more authentic, especially on the soundtrack front (think Guiseppi Verdis Anvil Chorus versus New Orders Ceremony).
Mostly though, its the design, which is like something plucked from a Fellini movie set or meticulously copied from a Fred Herzog photo taken in the mid-1950s.
The wooden booths and rickety chairs are a little hard but ones first instinct is to revel in it rather than moan.
The palette of green, white and red is an unsubtle homage to the Italian tri-colour, but at the same time the shades are softer, giving it not the patina of kitsch but of age. And my goodness, the light! A wall inset with dozens of wood-framed mirrors bounces sunshine around the room like a Da Vinci contraption, taking in every ray and squeezing out every ounce for ambience.
Errors notwithstanding, the complete package is pretty exceptional in its simplicity and fealty to a straightforward concept. So more like this, please.
Pronto | 3473 Cambie | 604-722-9331 | ProntoCaffe.ca
