the dining diva

capricciosa pizza

Kate and I had just finished a great yoga class at my new home, Flow Yoga, and were looking for somewhere to grab a good bite to eat, but also get away with our post-yoga glow.

Admittedly, there’s not a lot around that area (Smithe and Burrard) that isn’t a chain. I was curious about Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante, as it used to be the home of a Lombardo’s – the same one that you can find on Commercial Drive. It was pretty busy, so we decided to give it a whirl.

The curiosity was killing me, so I asked our server. Turns out two people – one connected to the Commercial Drive location and the other an independent – opened the restaurant under the Lombardo’s name. The partner tied to Lombardo’s decided not to stay, so the other continued the restaurant under the new name. Everything except the name and a few items on the menu remained the same.

The menu was definitely expanded on the pasta side, which I always thought was a little sparse under the Lombardo’s banner. A few items struck me as a little strange, such as Spaghetti alle Cozze – B.C. Honey Mussels sautéed with garlic in a light coconut curry reduction. But for the most part, it stayed true to its theme of Italian cuisine with touches of BC ingredients.

I tried really hard to find something different than my usual, but sometimes tried and true is best. My absolute favourite pizza is the Capricciosa, which has Genoa Salami, ham, artichoke hearts, black olives, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. I discovered this pizza while travelling in Italy eight years ago, where it often called quattro stagioni (four seasons) pizza.

Kate and I also decided to order a carafe of wine (okay, so we may have negated any effects of the yoga class… but so what!). We decided to go with cheap and cheerful and ordered the Naked Grape Shiraz. No, it didn’t exactly blow us away, but it hit the spot that rainy Thursday night.

our cute carafe of wine

The pizza arrived and it was like an old friend returning home. I tore into it so quickly that I forgot to take a picture until I was a slice and a half into it (my first attempt at taking photos with my Blackberry – not bad!).

“I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this,” said Kate, who had ordered a half vegetarian and half Vesuvio (pepperoni , spicy Italian sausage, capicollo and Genoa salami, topped with mozzarella and quark cheese).

“Oh, I’m finishing mine,” I said. “Even if it take me all night.”

What is it that I love so much about the Capricciosa? In a simple sense, I love all of the ingredients separately. Maybe it’s the way earthiness of the mushrooms ground the saltiness of the olives, artichokes, ham and salami. Maybe it’s the occasional hit of spice from the salami. Or maybe it’s like an unlikely couple. It’s hard to imagine the two of them in a relationship, but when you see them together, it just works.

Needless to say, I finished every bite of that pizza (although it did take me a while).

The server said that many people who’ve been to both versions of the restaurant swear they’ve changed the recipes (although he says they haven’t). It doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that my old favourite was just as satisfying as ever. But maybe next time I’ll try something different. Maybe.

Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante
970 Smithe Street
Vancouver | BC
604.408.0808
pacificopizza.com

Italian sausage, chilles and sweet onions pizza

It was the kind of evening that already felt European. John and I had just spent a few hours checking out the Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and wanted to grab a bite to eat nearby. So to continue on the European theme, we decided to try Nook – a new Italian trattoria that just opened on Denman and Robson.

When I walked by a few nights before, the place was jam packed. It was just the same the night John and I went – even though it was nearly 8:30. But we only needed to wait a few minutes before a cozy table opened.

The West End is full of authentically ethnic restaurants, but a lot of them lack polish. Nook is different. Although it’s small (maybe only enough seats for about 25 and 10 of them are along the bar/kitchen), no space is wasted. Modern smooth lines paired with classic tiles on the floor and in the open kitchen create a sleek, but still relaxed diner.

We ordered a bottle of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riparosso Illuminati to start. The wine list is small, but carefully selected (all Italian, with the exception of the rose). We were both surprised at the wine, as neither of us had tried it before, and found it to be full-bodied with hints of raspberries and cherries.

Because I couldn’t decide on just one dish, we decided to share a pizza and a pasta dish – the Italian sausage, chilles and sweet onions pizza and the spaghetti Bolognese.

The pizza is made in their wood-stone oven, so I was excited to see how that would compare with some of my favourite pizzas in town (namely Marcello’s on Commercial). Although the flavour combination was rich and robust, I was a little disappointed in the crust (which can make or break a pizza, in my opinion). It was a little on the soft side. Not exactly soggy, but certainly not crispy either. But the sausages were juicy and the sweet onions were mild and not overpowering.

Would I order it again? Probably. It was still really good – just not as good as I expected.

spaghetti Bolognese

The spaghetti Bolognese was also simple, but flavourful. The meat was tender and the sauce still light. I was surprised to learn that a classic Bolognese sauce actually doesn’t have a lot of tomato, so it wasn’t as heavy as some others that I’ve tried. It was almost like an olive oil sauce with meat. And the hits of garlic also shone through, creating a dish that isn’t exactly innovative, but comforting all the same.

As we were lingering over our last glass of wine, the place started to slowly empty out. All that was left were a few tables, enjoying good conversation amidst the flickering candlelight.

Nook isn’t exactly breaking new ground in Italian cooking. But maybe that’s not what they’re trying to do. Sometimes, just like a piece of good art, it’s the classics that keep you coming back for more.

Nook
781 Denman Street
Vancouver | BC
604.568.4554
nookrestaurant.ca

hapa chicken salad

It had been a while since I last visited Hapa Izakaya. This Robson Street hotspot has been a favourite of mine since moving to this fair city and back then, it was the place to go for innovative Japanese tapas – also known as izakaya.

So when a former roommate invited me out for dinner along with his girlfriend on a blustery Monday in March, I jumped at the chance to revisit an old favourite.

The ambiance is still warm and inviting, with beautiful Japanese Canadian women and men shouting (what I assume is) “welcome!” in Japanese as you walk in. But even for a Monday, the place was not as packed as I remembered.

Nonetheless, the familiar favourites were still there – like warm facecloths to wipe your hands as you sat down. We sat in the lower level, near the bar, and it felt like the March coldness had crept inside.

I was a little apprehensive about meeting for dinner – not because I hadn’t seen my friend in a while, but because I was three days away from finishing the Wild Rose D-Tox. This meant that I wasn’t supposed to eat anything containing yeast (including soy sauce), sugar or a whole variety of other seemingly random foods. And the only thing worse than dining out while on a cleanse… hmm… let me get back to you on that one.

I decided to only slightly break my diet, mostly because if I stuck with it, I would only be able to eat edamame. My friend and I split the tuna carpaccio, ishi-yaki, and beef yakiniku, while his girlfriend ordered the Hapa chicken salad.

The tuna carpaccio came first and did not disappoint. The fish was buttery soft and fresh as can be. The yuzu sauce had a slight bite to it and was a perfect compliment to the silky tuna.

beef yakiniku

The beef yakiniku was next, which was AAA beef lightly seared and marinated with garlic and salt. It was so simple, but so delicious. I can’t say that I’ve had a lot of seared beef that melts in your mouth, but this was so tender and juicy, I could have eaten the whole plate.

My friend’s girlfriend’s Hapa chicken salad came out next and was a sight to behold. Organic greens were pilled mile high with sliced teriyaki breast and drizzled with a light soy dressing. The sweet chicken blended nicely with the salty dressing, but left a bit of a “pool” in the bottom of the bowl. Nonetheless, if you’re hungry, this would be a great dish to order.

The ishi-yaki has always been a favourite of mine. I ordered it the first time I came to Hapa and I think I have ordered it almost every time since. It’s served in a Korean hot stone bowl brimming with rice, minced pork, flower chives, egg, tomato, lettuce and spicy miso. The server then beats the hell out of it at your table while you wait for a few minutes for the flavors to meld.

This is the ultimate Vancouver comfort food – warm, spicy, and a little like an Asian risotto.

My trip back to Hapa Izakaya was just like my visit with my old friend – no real surprises, but a good reminder of why we became friends in the first place.

Hapa Izakaya Robson
1479 Robson Street
Vancouver | BC
604.689.4272

Hapa Izakaya Kitsilano
1516 Yew Street
Vancouver | BC
604.738.4272

hapaizakaya.com