Bar Corso

While I was in Montreal last year, I sadly didn't get a chance to meet up with Sexy Mexi.  But she was in town in August and had some time to meet up!  We decided to check out Bar Corso on Commercial Drive where they offer up beverages with small plates to share.  They describe themselves as a place where you might forget that you are in Vancouver and be transported to the streets of Rome.  Well, I must attest to that as I was just in Rome last year.  It really felt like a slice of the old world with drinks and delicious Italian plates.

Since we were in time for Happy Hour, we decided to get 2 each of the Tonno and Wagyu Crostino.  If this was what we were going to get for our entire meal just based on these little bites, we were in for a treat!  Nicely charred, the crostinis were aggressively oiled and maintained their crunchy texture despite being topped with wet components.  I found the tuna to be buttery soft and sweet while the tonnato underneath added even more appealing fishiness and creaminess.  The fried capers provided the necessary salt.  As for the Wagyu, it was buttery soft while the addition of smoked bone marrow emulsion added a smoky silkiness that was full of depth.  Those pickles broke up the heaviness and the onion ash gave a background smokiness.

Next, the Beef Carpaccio was presented in a very unique manner.  They sliced the dry-aged Wagyu thin and wrapped it around watercress and then topped it off with capers, egg yolk jam and puffed quinoa.  I found this way easier to eat as we could just pick them up and pop them in our mouths.  The meat was buttery with a pleasant meatiness where the watercress brightened things up with a slight pepperiness.  Loved the egg yolk jam as it was custardy and aromatic.  Capers added crunch and saltiness while the crunch of quinoa was so appealing.

Absolutely loved the Italian Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, fermented honey, balsamic pearls and walnuts.   This was a substantial plate with a variety of plump tomatoes that were flavourful and sweet on their own.  However, the addition of fermented honey not only imparted some sweetness, it also had tanginess.  That was further enhanced by the balsamic pearls which provided more tang and sweetness.  As for the burrata, it was creamy and was a natural compliment to the tomatoes.  Loved the crunch of the walnuts as a textural contrast.

The Fior Di Zucca was a little bit different than other versions I've had.  Usually, the zucchini blossom is stuffed with some type of cheese, usually ricotta.  Hence, it is fairly light and matches the blossoms delicate texture despite the deep frying. In this case, it was stuffed with an A5 Wagyu meatball.  If you can imagine, this was much more robust and filling.  The meat was moist while till meaty in texture.  The white plum mostarda added sweetness and a slight kick to the plate while the spiced house ricotta provided creaminess.

Onto the bigger plates, we had the Aglio e Olio Di Mare.  This was friggin' fantastic featuring al dente angel hair pasta that was bathed in EVOO, calabrian chili, garlic and bisque.  In addition to this, this was a expert level use of salt.  Just bordering on salty without being so, the flavours were amped as I got brininess, creaminess, silkiness and a bit of spice.  There was sauteed prawns that went through some high heat as the flavours were caramelized but they were not overcooked.

Lastly, we had the 6 oz Bavette Steak with roasted romain and fermented garlic zabaione.  Prepared somewhere between medium-rare and medium, the steak was still moist and tender.  It was seasoned well on its own, but the pungent zabaione was creamy and aromatic.  Loved the grilled romaine as it was still slightly crunchy but nicely wilted.  It was also well-salted.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the food at Bar Corso.  Definitely reminded me of Rome, especially sitting outside.  I thought the pricing was reasonable and the portion sizes were fair.  I would definitely come back to chill outside again (when the weather is permitting) and share some food and drinks.

The Good:
- Tasty food
- Loved sitting outside
- Fair pricing given the quality and portion sizes

The Bad:
- Outside is fantastic, but inside is a bit dark

Vennie's Sub Shop

When one thinks of sub sandwiches, it inevitably turns to Subway or if we really reach down, Mr. Sub.  I personally have no problem grabbing the occasional sammie from those places as they are predictable, if not a bit pricey for fast food.  So if I'm going to spend $12.00+ on a footlong, why not go for something a bit different for just a bit more money?  Well that was the case when the temperatures reached 40 C plus earlier this week.  We were in no mood for cooking, even on the BBQ.  Therefore, I got Viv to pick up some subs from the newish Vennie's Sub Shop on her way home.  Also, the proximity to Down Low Chicken isn't a coincidence.  They are indeed part of the same group.

Unfortunately, they were sold out of the Pastrami Sandwich, so I had to go for something else and I decided on The American Deli sporting mortadella, Genoa salami, spicy calabrese, shredduce, slivered onion, spicy red pepper relish, herb seasoning, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  There are 2 sizes available and I chose the 225 gram version for $17.00.  As you can see, this was loaded with meat and no, I didn't go hungry after this.  There was plenty of spice from the calabrese. 

Similarly stacked with corned beef, mayo, beer mustard, Dubliner cheese, Black Vogue kraut and slivered onions, The Lucky ate just like I expected it to.  Lots of corned beef and tang from the kraut and pickles.  There was some sharpness from the onion and there was further zip from the mustard.  I thought the bread was okay, but a bit stiff and dry for my liking.  Maybe if I had nuked it, it would've been softer.

Now I can somewhat understand the choice of bread because it barely held up in The Smoked Chopped Cheese.  The combination of smoked Aftermath Beef, queso, pepper relish, caramelized onions, garlic butter and provolone started to really soak the bread.  Hence it was soft and some parts were mushy.  Granted, this traveled about 20 minutes before we ate it.  So I can see how they had to pick a heartier bread to stand up to wet ingredients.  This was good though with tender smoky beef with plenty of cheese.  The red pepper relish added some sweetness and background tang.

I don't think I would ever say such a thing, but I thought the amount of meat in The Deluxe Pizza was a bit much.  Due to the density of the pepperoni sheets combined with the double mozzarella, this was really heavy and of course pepperoni forward.  But then again, this is a pizza sub and they aren't going to add lettuce and tomatoes to it (I guess you could).  This sub pretty much said it all about Vennie's - plenty of meat and full-flavoured.  Worth a detour from the usual sandwich shops.

The Good:
- Lots of meat
- Full-flavoured
- Pricing just a bit more than the regular spots

The Bad:
- Wasn't a fan of the bread, but I get why they are using it
- Maybe too much meat? Get the smaller versions possibly

Marcello's

With all of the new Italian restaurants that have opened up in the last few years, it is easy to forget the OG spots such as Marcello's.  Sure, we find sexier spots such as Caffe La Tana, Oca Pastificio, Livia and even the American Italian Pepino's strewn along Commerical Drive.  However, Marcello's continues to go strong with their normal sized pastas and pizzas.  What I mean by that is you don't need to order more to get full.

I revisited the place to get a refresher of what Italian food was like along the Drive before the boutique spots opened up.  Case-in-point, the Frittura di Calamari was enough for the table to share with a pile of perfectly fried squid and foccacia.  The light batter was crispy and properly seasoned.  The squid itself was tender while retaining a bite.  This was served with 2 sides of tzatziki.  I mention this is most places do not give you enough tzatziki!

We also went for the other squid dish in the Calamari alla Griglia with peppers and foccacia.  As expected, this was considerably different than the fried version.  The tubes of squid were tender with a slight chew.  They were kissed on the grill which added some smokiness.  I would've preferred a bit more seasoning and the peppers could've been grilled a bit longer.

Our last antipasti was the Melanzane Parmigiana or otherwise known as eggplant parmigiana layered with cheese and tomato sauce.  I really enjoyed this where the tomato sauce was bright and tangy.  This was a nice counterbalance to the amount of melted cheese.  I liked how the eggplant was tender and delicate, yet not mushy.  This was rather heavy for an appetizer, so sharing it was the way to go.

Moving onto the pastas, we started with a dish I've had before in the Chef Tagliatelle in a creamy tomato sauce with sautéed mushrooms, black olives and capers.  For a vegetarian offering, this was bursting with flavour from the tangy capers and equally salty and tang olives.  Due to the amount of moisture, the tagliatelle was a bit past al dente, but this was exactly the same execution the last time I had this dish.

Next, we had the Spaghetti Puttanesca with spicy tomato sauce, black olives and capers.  This had a similar flavour profile to the chef tagliatelle due to the ingredients, yet it was considerably more impactful due to the spice in the tangy tomato sauce.  Furthermore, the lack of cream meant this was much more in your face as the capers and black olives came through with less counterbalance from the cream.  Unlike the last dish, the spaghetti was perfectly al dente.

My favourite pasta dish, if not the best dish of the meal, was the Ravioli with Beef Shortrib in Truffle Mushroom Sauce.  The fresh made-in-house pasta was thin and completely al dente.  Inside, there was a generous amount of tender and well-seasoned shortrib.  I thought the sauce with a bit of the braising jus was just the perfect compliment to the ravioli.  Naturally, truffle and mushroom go well with shortrib.

Possibly drowning in a bit too much sauce, the Linguine Carbonara ate better than it looked.  I realize without enough moisture, carbonara can often become sticky and clumpy, but this was just a bit too much.  Surprisingly, the pasta remained al dente despite this.  Also, it was tasty with enough parm and pancetta for impact.  They are consistent though as this is exactly how I had it last time as well.

For our one gnocchi selection, we chose the AI Quattro Formaggi.  This was as cheesy as its description and definitely benefited from the gorgonzola.  It provided a sharpness that brought life to the dish.  Since it was baked, there was a layer of crusty cheese on top that added both texture and nuttiness.  As for the gnocchi, the little pillows were soft with just the right amount of chew left.

If you have read this blog enough, you know my favourite pasta dish is Linguine alla Vongole and yep, we got that too.  This was a good version loaded with fresh clams and tangy tomatoes as well as plenty of garlic.  Noodles were al dente with just enough moisture to keep them from sticking together.  Possibly, the dish could've used a bit of clam nectar to amp the brininess, but other than that, this was really good.

We went basic with the next pasta in the classic Tagliolini e Polpette.  Sporting 4 large meatballs, this was hearty and comforting.  The pasta was al dente while coated with enough tangy marinara sauce for both flavour and moisture.  I thought the meatballs were on the firmer side due to the lack of filler and the leanness of the meat.  However, it wasn't dry though being tender and moist.

Transitioning from pasta to a meat dish (that still featured pasta), we were served the Chicken Parmigiana with Tagliolini Pomodoro.  I was a bit confused because the pomodoro was a bit too similar to the marinara.  However, it was still fresh and tangy, so it wasn't a huge deal.  The large piece of chicken was tender and moist with a light breading and plenty of cheese.  This was probably the best representation of ol' skool along the Drive.  You wouldn't find this at the new small craft pasta shops down the street.  Not overly fussy, this dish was both satisfying and a reminder of times past.

We finally made it to the pizzas and unlike the ones you'll find at most Neapolitan-style joints in town, this one was loaded with toppings and tonnes of cheese.  The crust was still relatively thin and uniformly crunchy with some chewiness in the middle.  We ended up trying the Carciofi e Salsiccia and the Funghi.  Naturally, with spicy Italian sausage and artichokes, the first pizza was more zesty and tangy.  The funghi was more subtle with some woodsiness.  But frankly, it was more cheesy than anything else.

Not many places in town serve up the classic Calzone these days and we were ecstatic to try the Classico consisting of ham, salami, mozzarella and tomato sauce.  Similar to the crust of their pizzas, the calzone had a crunchy exterior giving way to chewy, properly seasoned interior.  There was plenty of filling that made this a dish that definitely needed to be shared.  I liked how that the crust stayed firm even though there was considerable moisture inside.

We ended off the meal with a combination of in-house desserts and prepared Gelato from Mario's.  I'm not going to get into the Mario's desserts but say what you want, they are solid nonetheless.  As for the in-house desserts, we had the Panna Cotta, Hazelnut Chocolate Semifreddo, and Mascarpone Cream.  I thought all 3 were good, especially the semifreddo as it was creamy, purposefully sweet and nutty aromatic.  So as you can see, the dishes here at Marcello's is a little more ol' skool complete with ol' skool portions and ingredients.  Still solid after all these years and offers up a different experience than the newer spots.  Most likely you will be more full too.

*All food and beverages were complimentary"

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Fair portions
- Huge menu and equally large dining space

The Bad:
- Some pastas were too saucy
- Not sure if this is necessary a bad for most people, but maybe too much cheese on the pizza?

Oca Pastificio

It isn't hard to find pasta in the Lower Mainland, I mean you can get it anywhere (including chain restaurants).  However, it is difficult to find legit house-made pasta.  Even many Italian restaurants in town cannot lay claim to that.  I've had some lately at La Tana and I must say that was absolutely delicious.  Now down the street on Commercial Drive, we find a new spot in Oca Pastificio (part of the same group as La Quercia) offering made-to-order house-made pasta in the former location of Absinthe (which has moved a block over).  Viv and I decided to check it out right at opening (5:00pm) as they do not take reservations.  Good thing too as they were packed by 5:05pm and still packed when we left.

Seeing all the delicious featured pastas on the board (that is their only menu), we figured the pasta tasting for $60.00pp was the way to go.  They started us off with Spicy Soppressata & Proscuitto with pickled zucchini and focaccia.  The soppressata was indeed spicy and also had a nice nuttiness thanks to the fat content.  We liked the flavour of the zucchini but predictably, it was mushy.  After this nice appie, we moved onto the pastas with the Tortelli with winter squash, sage and butter hitting the table first.  Okay, if this was what we were to expect for the rest of the meal, this was going to be a real treat and worth every penny.  The pasta was perfect.  I mean it.  Thin, al dente and delicate, the house-made tortelli produced beautiful mouth feel and rebound.  We found the squash to be front and centre being sweet and well-seasoned.  There was an appetizing nuttiness from both the caramelized bits of squash as well as from the butter.  I love meat, but I could eat this pasta again and again.

Next, we had the Maltagliati with lamb sausage, braised kale, artichoke and parmesan.   Again, the main ingredient was clearly on display with the unmistakable rich gaminess of the lamb coming through.  Interestingly, the pasta was more lamb-tasting than the actual sausage.  Must've been the activated fats adhering to the pasta itself.  This made for plenty of umaminess without the need for too much salt.  The sausage itself was juicy and springy which was lightened up by the artichoke.  Due to the thin sheets, the pasta was a bit less al dente, but be aware it is fresh pasta.  One of our favourites had to be the Rigatoni Bolognese with parmesan.  Each tube of pasta was delicate and not stiff, yet at the same time, firmly al dente with plenty of bite.  The meaty bolognese was rich, but not heavy while the sweetness and earthiness of the carrots really coming through.  Loved how the bolognese was cooked down enough so that the flavours were concentrated and the meat was super tender.

The Orecchiette with sausage ragu, calabrian chili and radicchio took a bit of time to arrive because they were made-to-order and it definitely showed with the end product.  Each little morsel of pasta was firm and chewy (in the best possible way) with appealing resistance.  With a very low rumbling spice that came and went, the pasta was flavourful from the meaty sausage as well as the slightly bitter radicchio.  Once again, the salt level was mild which allowed the ingredients to do all the talking.  Our last pasta was the Tagliatelle Ragu Oca with hand-shredded goose and northern spices (which makes sense as the name of the restaurant is Oca Pastificio).  With a combination of milder spices, once again, the main ingredient stood out.  With the gaminess of the goose and creaminess of the ragu, the pasta was rich, but not heavy.  The tagliatelle was texturally on point with nice resistance when chewed.

Finally, our last course was the Pannacotta with citrus segments and candied orange rind.  This was so rich and creamy, yet refreshing at the same time due to the citrus.  Unlike some other versions, this one was not stiff nor too gelatin-like.  Rather, it ate like a custard and was just sweet enough while spiked with plenty of aroma.  Okay, I don't usually get overly excited about restaurants because most are in the middle with very few that are great and even fewer that are bad.  But Oca Pastificio is a place I wouldn't hesitate to eat at again (very soon too).  Pastas are on point and the pricing is okay with all things considered.

The Good:
- On point pasta
- Excellent service
- Flavours stood on their own without the aid of too much salt

The Bad:
- Very small restaurant with tight seating
- Getting pastas a la carte might actually be a better value than the pasta tasting menu