Were once again working up our appetites by looking at several interesting restaurants that have recently opened or are about to. If the new eateries have anything in common, its that theyre decidedly casual. Think lots of authentic pizza, some old time beer-swilling and plates of freshly shucked oysters. Time to dig in.
Verace Pizzeria | 189 Keefer Place | 604-669-5552 | VeracePizzeria.com | Now Open
This one snuck up on me. I stumbled across this brand-new place while crossing the small roundabout off Abbott Street in front of T&T Supermarket the other day. While the décor didnt immediately grab me (a palette of mustard, white and dark brown), the mouth-watering smell of pizza and the sight of a happy pizzaiolo hand-tossing dough certainly did (they were also very nearly empty during what should have been their lunch rush, so now is the time to strike). Though theyre tabling ample antipasti dishes, sandwiches, pastas and calzones, the menu really narrows its focus on traditional greatest hits pies. There are 17 pizzas in all, ranging from the classic Margherita to the tomato-less Blanca. The pizzas are prepped in a brick-lined, gas-fired oven, the operation of which can be viewed from several elevated seats at the bar.
Novo Pizzeria & Wine Bar | 2118 Burrard | August
Veteran local frontman Scott Fitch (ex-FigMint, Feenies) has been hired by Carmine Paradiso and Roger Visona, two Italian Canadians from the Eastside, to run their first-ever restaurant, a 2,000-square-foot arched-ceilinged looker of stone and marble called NOVO Pizzeria & Wine Bar. The 88-seat space (with an additional 34 seats on the streetside, south-facing patio) will open its doors at 2118 Burrard (the old Incendio West address) in three weeks or so, right next to the boutique Fifth Avenue Cinemas. To ensure that they get their pizzas just right, Paradiso and Visona trained at the North American branch of the Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) in Los Angeles. The VPN is an association established by the Italian government to preserve the art of authentic pizza making, so taking a turn in its classroom is a fine indicator of good things to come. (Bill McCaig, the owner of Gastowns Nicli Antica Pizzeria, did the same course, and his restaurant makes the best pizza in Vancouver.) To augment its selection of pies, NOVOs menu will include plenty of antipasti, salads, panini and simple pastas. Cue the drool.
Pizzeria Barbarella | 654 E. Broadway | PizzeriaBarbarella.com | August
Ive made brief mentions of Barbarella in WEs weekly Fresh Sheet ever since I got wind that its coming back in January. Its still not here. Thankfully, however, we dont have much longer to wait. Owner Terry Deane (formerly of the famed Ah-Beetz in Abbotsford) expects it to open in August at 654 East Broadway, barring any hiccups with city inspectors. The coolest thing about Barbarella? Well, aside from its menu which will feature some seven pizzas prepared in a Napoli-New York hybrid style its the fact all the table tops, bar and pizza table frontages are being custom-built from 100-year-old Douglas fir beams that were reclaimed from the old bones of the recently demolished Pantages Theatre on East Hastings. I cant wait to see how it turns out!
Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar | 2201 Yew | September
After a half decade of shucking oysters at Yaletowns iconic Rodneys Oyster House, Richard Chew (aka Chewie) jumped ship this past January to start working on his dream: Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar. When it comes ashore this September, I imagine well see a suitably boisterous neighbourhood joint with some 60 seats in and 36 outside. Itll be a casual place where fresh oysters and other seafoods can be had in classic and innovative guises. He and partners Jamie and Mel Haddad have invested in a location that is something of a gamble (the Yew St. address has spat out two restaurants in recent years, the last being a surfer joint called Karv), but the threesome has a secret weapon in chef/consultant Owen Lightly (ex-Aurora Bistro, West, Araxi). Lightly, whose affinity for local ingredients is well established, is one of a few young chefs quietly leading a new generation of Vancouver toques, so Im particularly excited to see and taste what he has to offer in this first chance to design a menu of his own.
Bitter | 18 West Hastings | October
Bitter is the next big project from serial restaurateur Sean Heather (see also The Irish Heather, Salt Tasting Room, Judas Goat and more), so I often get asked about its progress. WE first broke the news that it was on the way shortly after New Years, so its been a long time coming. We can expect to wait a little longer, too, as the address, 18 West Hastings across from Pigeon Park, is undergoing a major face-lift. Heather takes possession in September but anticipates a quick turnover as hes doing much of the construction off site. When it launches toward the end of October, we will be entertained by some 50 beers in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of Vancouvers pre-Prohibition era, when the ales, lagers and bitters flowed liberally from a multitude of local breweries.
