In ancient Roman legends, there is the story of a young goddess who fell out of favour with the other gods and was cast out and turned into a thistle — prickly on the outside and soft on the inside. Thistles, in case you didn’t know, are from the same family as artichokes. The young goddess’s name was Cinara.
When chef/owner Lucais Syme of La Pentola and business partner Gill Book decided to open a second restaurant, they chose to move away from the classical Italian ethos of their first operation. “We wanted to branch out of the mold and cook what was most interesting to us,” explains Syme. “We wanted to be free to use whatever ingredients were fresh and good at any given time… just because it’s awesome.”
Syme’s wife Jill read the story of Cinara in a book on ancient Roman cookery, and the name seemed like a good fit for something that was meant to be beyond the border of any one country.
Outstanding starters such as the peas and carrots over honey-spiced ricotta are simple, elegant and fully adult dishes that owe nothing to greasy spoon trends, but do speak to modern European dining habits and ingenuity. The ricotta is sourced from a farm just outside Kelowna that raises hormone-free organic cows that graze freely in the surrounding pastures. The cheese gets made every Wednesday and is in Syme’s hands every Friday. Peas are still coming from hothouses at the moment, but the growing season is just around the corner, and Syme promises the dish will stay on the menu as long the green baubles are in season.
This doesn’t mean everything will be as long-lasting. Depending on what’s delivered daily from Syme’s army of suppliers, garnishes, salads, sauces, whole dishes will be changing on a daily/weekly basis, so best to take the online menu as more of a guide, rather than a bible. Rabbit terrine will stay on longer, due to the consistency of the supply, and it’s another winner.
Wrapped in prosciutto and served with mustard, pickles, toast and mixed greens, it’s a meaty, hearty starter that has incredible texture and a mild, sweet flavour. Roasted branzino (European seabass) or duck breast with fermented crepe feel more Alsatian in flavour, while pan-fried chicken livers with salad hint at German or more eastern roots.
The wine list is equally dynamic, thanks to sommelier Terry Threlfall’s consulting work. The list will rotate with the seasons and has a small but solid list of by-the-glass options, as well as several dozen reasonably priced bottles.
Service is stand-out thanks to GM Alison Shaw and servers like the über-knowledgeable and extremely pleasant Meghan Marshall. And in a room like this, with its bright windows, antique yet comfy chairs, and retro dishware, it all makes for a very pleasant dance indeed.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★1/2
Service: ★★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★1/2
Open for breakfast daily 7am-10pm and dinner Tuesday-Saturday 5-10pm.
Cinara | 350 W. Pender | 604-428-9694 | Cinara.ca
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday. FoodGirlFriday.com
