I still remember the severe disappointment people expressed when they heard that the West End’s long-standing and extremely popular Tapastree on Robson was closing back in 2010.
That disappointment was slightly mollified when they understood that executive chef/owner Mike Jeffs and life/business partner Nicole Welsh were in fact closing it down in order to open up something new.
Tavola quickly became even more popular than its predecessor, adding to the success Jeffs, Welsh, and partner Brad Rourke had already established with Nook, just around the corner on Denman.
Fast-forward to a few months ago, and Nook’s second location arrived in Kitsilano, at the old Rossini’s space just up from Kits Beach.
Gone was the dark, smoky room that had seen its fair share of late-night jazz blowouts, and, in its place, a light, bright, airy room appeared, courtesy of designer Scott Posno.
The room is also larger than its West End cousin, with 60 seats, and, more importantly, the kitchen is larger as well, allowing for a few extra items on the menu, and the goal of offering lunch service by late May. “We have the space and manpower to do it here,” says Rourke over the phone. “Now that dinner is nailed, we can focus on other things.” There’s no patio, but the garage-style windows open fully, making it a perfect shaded retreat in summer.
Restaurant chef and new partner Jamie Maxwell runs the line here, and is turning out the same superb dishes that made the West End location such a hit. Meatballs are so moist and tender, I thought they must have been cooked for days, but it’s a clever trick involving a hard sauté in the tomato sauce, and then a quick 20-minute finish in the oven.
The new location also has a classic Lazio dish that I first fell in love with as a child in Rome, tonarelli cacio e pepe, long egg noodles with cheese and pepper. It’s the type of dish that’s easy to overdo, but Maxwell obviously and rightly favours simplicity, which helps showcase the stellar ingredients being used.
Gnocchi with tiny meatballs is another winner, as is the rigatoni boscaiola, with prosciutto, mushrooms and sundried tomato. Buratta is sourced from Cioffi’s and is considered to be one of the best in the city, although, when speaking to Rourke, he mentioned they might be switching to something “even better.” (Is that possible?) Maxwell also makes his own bread, like the lovely crostini smothered in chicken liver or ricotta. He’s also been playing around with some ancient grain recipes, which, hopefully, will make it onto the menu by the time lunch service starts.
The best part of the new location is the brunch menu, which is exclusive to Kits. Don’t look for eggs benny and hashbrowns on this menu, however. “Kits is such a brunchy neighbourhood, but we didn’t want to do what all of our neighbours are doing,” explains Rourke.
The menu includes items like baked ricotta drizzled with honey, and skillets of eggs with wild mushrooms and sausage, or polenta with pork ragú, among other options. The full pizza menu is also available (who doesn’t like pizza for breakfast?) and there are even pancakes, although these are the puffy Dutch version, more like a popover, and served with apples and mascarpone.
The small, carefully curated wine list is a treat, with low mark-ups on bottles and decent by-the-glass selections, although rosés seem to be in short supply. The Aperol spritz was standout from the cocktail list, and, along with the rest of the menu, makes for a much-appreciated addition to the growing list of neighbourhood joints.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
No reservations. Open for dinner daily at 5pm, brunch Saturday & Sunday from 10:30am.
Nook | 1525 Yew St. | 604-734-3381 | NookRestaurant.ca
Find Anya Levykh on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
