Vita Bella Ristorante

Restaurant: Vita Bella Ristorante

Cuisine: Italian/West Coast
Last visited: February 4, 09
Area: Burnaby, BC
4544 Hastings Street
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: 4.5

Ambiance: 3.5

Overall: 4

Additional comments:

• Specializes in Italian cuisine with West Coast flare
• Italian husband and wife operation - Chef Leonardo Moschetti
  
• Local BC seafood
• Extensive wine list – Italian/BC wines
• Friendly, family owned service
• Attracts locals/neighbourhood/ages 45+
• Affordable/casual fine dining
• Spacious/comfortable
• Old Italian tradition music
• $9.98 Take-out pasta specials
• $25 3 course menu (Sun-Thurs)
• Vegetarian/Gluten free options
• Charges $1 for hot water
• Minimum $15/person
• May be surcharge for split orders
• Dinner only – from 5pm
• Closed Tuesday
• Dine in/Take out
• Cash/Visa/MC/Debit

**Recommendation: Linguine Fumante, Zampina (more so because you can’t get it anywhere else)

Vita Bella Italian Ristorante has been around for 4 years and they specialize in Italian cuisine with West Coast flare. However taking a look at their menu I thought the items were on the whole Italian with minor West Coast influences in a couple of their sauces such as orange cranberry compote and cranberry vinaigrette.

Chef Leonardo Moschetti (husband/owner/chef) is born and trained in Bari Italy (Southern Italy) and continued his training in Vancouver (hence the West Coast flare). For me the food was more Northern Italian with Southern influences. Everything was homemade but also quite hearty and rich which is not common of Southern Italian cooking. The food was really good however it left me quite thirsty because of the richness and saltiness.

It was actually really nice because near closing time he actually came out of the kitchen to meet and greet every table for that evening. It was such a nice touch and it made the experience so much warmer. Vita Bella Ristorante serve great food at reasonable portions and prices compared to downtown. It’s family owned affordable fine dining.

On this occasion I was joined by fashion blogger Nicole. We were supposed to come here a month ago, but realized it was closed on Tuesday so ended up at El Inka Deli instead. We ordered a whole crap load of food and ended up finishing everything. We shocked the staff and even ourselves…we were even contemplating another dessert but my tights were starting to dig…

On the table:

Complimentary Freshly Baked Foccacia 4/6

• With balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
• They serve it complimentary, but it's also an appetizer for $3
• The Foccacia was served warm and it was lightly toasted and quite fluffy with lots of flavour from fresh basil, black pepper, oregano and a little bit of melted butter. The bread is good.
• The olive oil they served it with was not good – 1/6. It looked rich and flavourful, but it wasn’t at all – they need a better quality/brand.

**Veal & Beef Sausage "Zampina" 4/6

• House made, grilled atop tomato caper Bruschetta $20
• The zampina sausage is supposed to be one of their specialties. It’s a homemade traditional Southern Italian sausage. This is the only Italian restaurant I’ve ever seen it serve at, so I would recommend trying it because it is authentic.
• The zampina is made with minced veal, beef and some chopped sun dried tomatoes and some dried herbs. I felt like there were some jarred pimento peppers or pecorino in there too. It’s very slightly spicy and tastes mainly like minced beef.
• It actually reminded us of those Chinese sausages – it was a bit dry in texture and the meats were really lean so it wasn’t a juicy type of sausage. I actually liked eating the sausage by itself rather than with the Bruschetta.
• The Bruschetta was loaded with toppings such as tomatoes, capers, red onion, basil and green onion. It ended up making the bread soggy and a crostini mght have been better.
• There was a strong smoked salmon taste and I think they put little pieces in it and it wasn’t necessary. There were too many flavours going on and the smoked salmon taste was a bit overpowering and it took over the sausage. It was a bit salty too because there were so many big capers in it.
• The focaccia was also burnt and I could taste the bitterness.
  
• I could have used more balsamic reduction, they used it for décor, but the sweetness and tang made the dish better.

Gnudi 3/6

• House made ricotta cheese gnudi tossed with roasted peppers, butter and fresh sage $20
• I asked to order it as an appetizer and it was $12 which is a bit steep for the 4 we got. I think $10 would have been more reasonable, but it was a special request so I didn’t really mind.

• As an appetizer 3/6 as a main 2/6 because it would be too rich and I’d get sick of it before I’d finish it.
• Gnudi is basically a big version of gnocchi. They’re very fresh, handmade and were almost like ricotta stuffed ravioli.
• It’s really soft, almost like pizza dough or very soft bread stick. It’s very creamy and there’s a lot of ricotta stuffing so it’s very rich, filling and hearty.
• They served it with a sage butter sauce but all I could taste was melted butter. They needed more sage, I couldn't see or taste any.
• They serve it with pepperonatta which are sweet red pimento peppers cooked in olive oil, garlic and butter. I needed way more of this though because there wasn’t enough for the 4 pieces. The tangy sweetness helped to break up the creamy gnudi and gave it more flavour.
• I’ve had something similar at Lupo Resaurant + Vinoteca: The Ricotta Gnocchi – they’re not really comparable though.

**Linguine Fumante 6/6

• House smoked duck breast, sun dried tomatoes, assorted mushrooms in Grand Marnier demi-glaze cream sauce, drizzled with truffle oil $18
• Ding! Ding! Ding! This is the one. This was the star of the night and this is the one I would recommend and come back for myself.
• The duck is a star anise hickory smoked locally grown Fraser Valley heritage duck. It almost tasted like ham or bacon! It looks like the only give you a little, but it’s actually a lot when you start eating it.
• The duck skin tastes like those skins on European wieners – they almost snap back. I liked it!
• Since it’s smoked it’s not as juicy or sweet as duck can be. It was still good though.
• The sauce was a rich duck demi-glaze and it was delicious! It tasted like duck gravy drippings with a red wine reduction and then cream. I couldn’t tell it was Grand Marnier. It was so creamy and rich in flavour I loved it. It was surprisingly thick and sticky, very well reduced, so it stuck to the pasta very well.
• The pasta was cooked perfectly – al dente! People may think it’s undercooked, but it’s not! If you go to Italy they cook their pastas for 6-7min not 8-9min.
• The dish was delicious overall. I could smell the truffle oil and they used more than I thought they would! It was delicious with lots of juicy strips of mushrooms and sundried tomatoes. The sun dried tomatoes should be cut a bit thinner though because at times they were overpowering and very salty and tangy. A little goes a long way…

BC Golden Trout 4.5/6

• Rolled in mascarpone cheese and toasted almonds, in lemon cream sauce $21
• All seafood entrées served with risotto and seasonal vegetables. All seafood is from local BC waters.
• This was another rich and hearty entrée. It was even richer than the ricotta gnudi and that says a lot! The richness came from the sauce and the mascarpone cheese stuffing.
• It was a big piece of boneless trout with the skin on so there was a lot of flavour. However the skin wasn’t crispy which really bothered me because it was a bit slimy and didn’t go with the texture of the creamy stuffing.

  

• There is so much stuffing in this trout and it was almost pure mascarpone cheese! It was so rich and thick and it was actually hard to swallow, but it was really good! It had a lemon flavour and was ultra creamy…it was almost like eating a fluffy lemony melted cream cheese with salmon.

  

• The toasted almonds were ground up in the mascarpone cheese stuffing but I couldn’t taste them at all. They were the size of rice so it came off as uncooked rice or even fish bones. I think they should crust the trout with slivered almonds, or instead of almonds use pine nuts in the stuffing. It would have been a better match as the nuttiness was masked by Mascarpone.
• The lemon cream sauce was almost like a béarnaise sauce or a hollandaise sauce. It was really thick and rich and I could definitely taste the fresh lemon in this as well. It was quite tangy, almost like it had sour cream. As good as it was, I think a lighter sauce might have been nice since the mascarpone stuffing was so thick and rich already. To put it into perspective, after the mascarpone stuffing the buttery lemon cream sauce comes off as light!
• The veggies were tender and grilled with a little olive oil. They actually had a smokey flavour to them as well.

Saffron Risotto 4/6

• It could have been creamier, but the flavour was there. This was a super cheesy risotto with lots of parmesan cheese. It was actually stringy instead of creamy and came off as sticky rice or even mac and cheese. It was still really good though. I like the texture of the saffron risotto at Lupo Resaurant + Vinoteca better, but the flavour of this one was stronger.

Dessert

House Special Tiramisu 2.5/6

• Traditional Italian cheesecake made with savoiardi biscuits soaked in our secret mixture of espresso and liqueurs, layered with creamy mascarpone filling and dusted with pure Dutch cocoa $8
• The piece was fair but for $8 I think it’s a bit steep. It was worth $6-7 for me.
• It was obviously premade and sitting in the fridge…which isn’t the part that bothers me. But if you’re going to do this then you have to dust the cocoa powder on last minute before serving otherwise it actually looks like it’s been sitting in the fridge! That bothers me.

  

• I couldn’t taste the Rum or the espresso. Real tiramisu should use espresso and not a mixture of espresso and liquors – it came across as sweet syrup, so it wasn’t a “sophisticated” Tiramisu – although not bad either.
• The Mascarpone was creamy but not thick enough and it came across as whipped cream almost. They also didn't use enough and the middle layer was too thin.
• The Savoiardi biscuits were soaked quite nicely and it was a very moist Tiramisu, but I really missed the richness of the Mascarpone – which is weird because they used so much of it for the BC Golden Trout.

Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca

Restaurant: Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca

Cuisine: Italian/Pacific Northwest/Casual fine dining
Last visited: January 16, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
869 Hamilton Street
Price Range: $20-30 (for entrée)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 5

Ambiance: 4

Overall: 4

Additional comments:

• Located in historical Victorian house
• Executive chef Julio Gonzalez Perini
• Italian chef
• Specializes in Italian
• Italian with West Coast influence
• Extensive wine list
• Casual fine dining
• Clean menu, nice selection
• Home made desserts
• Great presentation on the whole
• Very friendly service
• Cozy, intimate atmosphere
• Great for parties, private rooms available
• Dinner from 5pm
• 5-6:15pm 3 course set menus $28/$38 available

**Recommendation: Hard to say – I liked parts of each dish. Ideally it would be braised pork cheeks on soft mascarpone polenta…which is a combination of 2 entrees. I’ll have to recommend the braised beef short ribs, and the lamb shank ossobucco is popular too. I’m very curious about the chicken; it’s supposed to be amazing. For dessert: Panettone Bread Pudding, Tiramisu

Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca recently reopened. The restaurant was originally Villa Del Lupo Restaurant but they went through some new owner and also had to reinvent themselves. Rather than catering to the $50+ clientele they are targeting to a $30-40 crowd and hoping for a more casual atmosphere. As much as they’re trying to revamp themselves it still feels intimate, cozy and slightly pretentious, although the service is not at all. Good thing! It’s almost impossible to leave this “cozy/intimate” atmosphere because the restaurant is in a historical Victorian house from 1905. I felt like I was walking into someone’s house for dinner, it reminds me of Mis Trucos on Davie, but more upscale.

It’s supposed to be serving traditional Italian food (what I was told), but the menu looks more West Coast Italian to me. The main ingredient in each dish is Italian, but there’s still some creativity and small global influences to it. I was more impressed with the service and presentation than I was with the food. The food was good, but it sounded better and I don’t think any of it reached its full potential. Everything was missing a note and parts of every dish had something going for it, but no dish on the whole was outstanding - it was quite good though. I would come again, but I also wouldn’t chose to come again.

My dessert post

On the table:

Ricotta Gnocchi 4/6

• Braised pork cheeks and porcini mushroom “sugo” $14/19 (14 appetizer size, but quite big)
• The pork cheeks were the tenderest meat out of lamb shank ossobucco and braised beef short ribs. It was really juicy tender and soft which just a thin layer of fat around the edges. Even as an appetizer it came with 2 cheeks which was a great surprise.
• The sauce was “sugo” almost like a ragout made with stewed tomatoes and mushrooms. The sauce was very simple in flavour and tasted mainly like tomatoes so it was quite tangy and one dimensional in flavour. I wanted to taste some red wine and some meaty flavour like beef stock.
• The mushrooms were very slippery and very soft. I didn’t feel like the mushroom flavour cooked into the sauce though.
• The gnocchi wasn’t a traditional gnocchi. The concept was there and I was really excited about it, but it sounds better than it was. I couldn’t taste the potato, and if I paid close attention I could taste the ricotta, but if I didn’t I could have forgotten it was in there. The ricotta made the texture a little more mushy and soft than typical gnocchi is. They also put some minced flat leaf Italian parsley and minced carrot into the ricotta potato mixture. It was quite flavourful, but I didn’t warm up to the texture.
• This may be getting a bit picky, but the gnocchi was inconsistent in terms of size. They were very oddly shaped and it might be because the ricotta made for an overly soft dough.
• They were also missing the fork indents so it’s didn’t pick the sauce up as well as it could have.
  

Risotto 3/6

• Seasonal wild mushrooms and garlic confit $16/20
• The biggest issue with this was the size and plating. The ricotta gnocchi as an appetizer looked the same size and was probably more filling than the mushroom risotto as a main dish size.
• It was served on a plate and I think it should have been served in a deeper dish. I wasn’t too impressed with the plating which is unfortunate because everything else was plated well.
• This wasn’t my dish, but I did get to try it. Based on my sample I wasn’t too impressed. I’d be really disappointed if I ordered it because at $20 it was really small and I’d still be hungry. Not just me too, anyone would.
• The price comes from the fact that this dish is loaded with mushrooms. The mushrooms are great, juicy and plentiful, but the rice is still hard. The texture could have been creamier and I felt like it was rushed.
• It also needed some truffle oil, which would have enhanced everything.

Lamb Shank Ossobucco 3.5/6

• Lamb shank ossobucco with lemon saffron risotto $20
• This has been an item on the menu for 20+ years. It’s the only item that has carried on from the old menu and it’s one of their most popular entrees.
• The presentation is lovely with mini scoops of zucchini and carrots – talk about fine details to plating.
• The lamb was coated with a simple tangy tomato sauce and it was tender but it could have been tenderer. It wasn’t falling off the bone and it still required some kni fe and fork action. The lamb also had a slight gamey taste at the end, it’s wasn’t too strong, but I’m really sensitive to that taste and I could taste it.
• The lemon saffron risotto was creamy but the rice was still hard again. It tasted like exactly what it sounds like so the recipe was quite simple. It was tangy and I could taste both ingredients, but not much of anything else. I could have used more parmesan cheese to give it more flavour. It maybe could have used some peas too, to give it some texture.

**Braised Beef Short Ribs 4/6

• Braised beef short ribs with soft mascarpone polenta $24
• It was really good, but could have been better. The au jus was the problem for me.
• The braised beef was boneless and very lean with little bits of juicy fat around the edges. It wasn’t chewy either.
• The meat was very tender but not necessarily juicy (except for the fatty parts) because there weren’t many spices or seasonings if any.
• The braised beef had more fat than the pork cheeks yet the pork cheeks were most tender out of the 3 meat entrees. The braised beef still shred away with a fork, but still not as easily as the pork cheek.
• The mascarpone polenta had a great texture and I loved the ultra creaminess. It’s creamier than the risotto. The problem was I couldn’t taste the mascarpone – even keeping in mind mascarpone has a very mild flavour. It was almost like mashed potatoes, but less starchy and it has a mealy (like polenta is) in texture. I really liked it though – just missing the cheese factor.

  

• The gravy they served it with also wasn’t very reduced. It was actually very salty and tasted like over salted beef au jus. At first I did not like the runny texture of the gravy, however with the polenta as the starch it worked well. If you let the polenta absorb the au jus then the mascarpone flavour completely disappears even more than it did before. The sauce was very overpowering and didn’t enhance the dish.
• On top of the short rib was a crispy piece of pancetta. I think it’s deep fried, but I didn’t like it. It was salty, and it looks nice, but it has the texture of egg shells.
• If the gravy is going to be like this then they need to serve it in a deeper dish so that the polenta can absorb the sauce. They should have served it like my Roasted Duck Leg at The Irish Heather.
• Again it had nice presentation, but hard for me to capture.
  

I didn't forget the dessert...yes there is always room...;)

Society - Restaurant & Lounge

Restaurant: Society

Cuisine: American
Last visited: November 18, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
1257 Hamilton Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Comfort food with a twist
• Executive Chef Brandon Thordarson
• Hometown classics/favourite - made gourmet
• Attracts trendy crowd - Glowbal feel
• Great decor/playful and contemporary ambiance
• Better for drinks/desserts
• Part of the Glowbal Group family
• Heated patio, outdoor seating
• Busy during peak hours/after hours/weekends
• Express lunches (under 45 min. or free)
• Housemade Ketchup
• Open 11:30am-12am
  
• Open 4:30pm Sat/Sun

**Recommendation: Junk food platter, Flight of hand cut french fries (not the poutine one though), housemade ketchup, roast garlic aioli

The Glowbal Restaurant Group is a powerhouse when it comes to opening restaurants. Society is the newest addition to family located where the old Coast (another Glowbal restaurant) used to be. I was really excited to try Society, however the ambiance and overall experience was more exciting. On paper the menu looks delicious and the majority of dishes are well-presented however the flavour and execution were lacking. I wanted to like it because I do think the Glowbal restaurants are good, but for the price I was paying I think Cactus Club does a better job. I would even prefer Glowbal/Trattoria before Society.

The food is definitely your American classics like mac n' cheese, shepherd's pie, milkshakes, cookies, cotton candy, and meatloaf - however everything is done with a twist or "Glowbal style", which means gourmet or fancy. The ideas are there, but I found that everything I tried I could easily think of a place that makes it better. In fact I'll list where I think they're better.

I thought the only thing that was up to Glowbal standards was the decor. The atmosphere is casual, playful and pretty girly yet the crowd is 25-45 and trendy. The staff "uniform" are light blue jeans and plain white t-shirts yet the atmosphere is more luxurious than this. It really does carry that "opposites attract" theme they are aiming for. I would go back with friends, but only for the experience and to enjoy some drinks or desserts. I MAY go back to try other things so I can really make a fair judgment.

• Click for my review on the junk food platter

On the table:

• Mac and Cheese Balls 2.5/6
• Jalapeno & white cheddar $8
• It was 6 white cheddar and jalapeno macaroni and cheese rolled into balls, lightly breaded and deep fried. It's served with housemade ketchup.
• They were well fried well with a crispy exterior however the inside was just not cheesy or creamy enough. It looks better in the pictures. When I order mac n' cheese I expect it to be indulgent and very cheesy...that's the point right? But it wasn't. It wasn't necessarily dry but they need to use a stronger cheese because it was kind of bland. The jalapeno kick was right on though and I did like that part.
• They serve it with their housemade ketchup which is great! However these mac n' cheese balls are best eaten with their roast garlic aoili. Dipping the mac n' cheese balls in this aoili gives it the flavour it needs...with this condiment I'd give it 4/6.
• Deep fried mac n' cheese balls are better at Cheesecake Factory in the States
• **Flight of Hand-Cut French Fries served 3 ways 3/6 $9
  
• It's pretty well-priced, however I think places like Fritz and even New York Fries do a better job. The fries were soft, but not really crispy. They're comparable to Fritz, but I think Fritz does a better job overall. The execution of each is better at New York Fries although the fries themselves aren't as good as the ones at Society.
• They need wider dishes to serve them in because only the top of the fries had sauce.
• **Au Natural - housemade ketchup, roast garlic aoili 3/6
  
• These condiments are great...I'd give both 6/6
• The ketchup tastes like ketchup, but better.
• We dipped all the fries into the garlic aoili.
  
• 
• Poutine - cheese curd, chicken gravy 1.5/6
• Can easily find a place that has better poutine. It doesn't even look like a poutine.
  
• Where are the cheese curds? They were melted right into the chicken gravy I think.
  
• Chicken gravy wasn't think or dark enough.
• Chili fries - housemade chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream 2.5/6
  
• The chili tastes like Bolognese meat sauce, the same thing they probably use in their lasagne except with red kidney beans mixed in.
• They topped it with shredded mozzarella and sour cream.
  
• It didn't taste bad, but it can easily be found better somewhere else especially when the chili tastes more like spaghetti sauce.
• 
• Loaded Prime Rib Burger 2/6
  
• Crispy bacon, sun-dried tomato aoili & caramelized onions $15
• It's served with fries. The presentation was great and it looks really good, but it looked better than it tasted.
• It could have been better if they only balanced the ratio of the ingredients.
  
• The caramelized onions we're great and so was the aoili, but it was all lost because the patty was so thick and overpowering.
  
• 
• The beef patty was very salty, but not falvourful. It was like eating pure ground beef with a lettuce leaf.
• It's weird because the middle was dry and it should have been moist because it's the thickest part so it should take longer to cook.

• Lobster Gnocchi 1/6
• 1/2 Atlantic lobster, tarragon cream, Parmesan crust & garlic bread $18
• It came with a side of garlic bread. This was not well presented, not worth the price and the portion was pretty small.
• The gnocchi was made really poorly. They were made much too big for gnocchi and it was very plain, mushy and too soft. I felt like I was just eating dough, they used too much flour and not enough potato in the mixture. There was no flavour or potato texture. There were also no fork ridges on them either and gnocchi should have them to hold the sauce.
• I have definitely had better gnocchi elsewhere...even their family restaurant Trattoria does a better job.
• There was actually 1/2 an Atlantic lobster in it (8 pieces), so that was good. The pieces were really tender and it was the only good thing I got from this dish.
• The cream sauce was bland and not strong enough to stand up to the overwhelming sized gnocchi. It was basically butter and cream...and cheese and tarragon which neither I could taste - a bit on the thin side too.
• Baked Lasagne 3/6
• Kobe meat sauce, tomato fondue, roasted peppers, herbed ricotta & garlic bread.
  
• You had to have seen this coming. A Glowbal restaurant without some "Kobe meat sauce" or "Kobe meatballs" just wouldn't be a Glowbal restaurant.
• This is almost their signature, so you knew it would be good...but that's the thing, it was just good, not outstanding or anything.
• It had about 7 layers and the bottom layer had roasted red peppers and the layer above had the ricotta. There wasn't enough though and the lasagne noodles and meat sauce over powered these 2 layers. I always think meat lasagnes are best homemade though.
• Lobster Shepherd's Pie 2/6
• Atlantic lobster, creamed potatoes $18
• There were carrots, celery and onions and it felt like a twist on a chicken pot pie rather than a shepherd's pie. It tasted like a chicken pot pie except with lobster...and not much of it. For $18, this was not worth it. There was way more lobster in the lobster gnocchi. This one had 5 pieces. The portion was small and it didn't look that appetizing.
• The gravy tasted like a chicken gravy rather than a lobster gravy. There was no lobster flavour except for the actual pieces and it was a bit on the watery/buttery/oily side too. I expected more from it.
• The creamed potatoes were good though. It was really smooth and creamy. I think they melted cream cheese into them because they were very flavourful and delicious. This was better than the lobster mixture/stew.
• Overall I was most disappointed with the lobster dishes, this one tasted better than the gnocchi, but it wasn't difficult to surpass that dish.
• 
• Recyclable/Re-usable take-out bag that probably wastes more than it saves due to the size of it.

• I also tried their junk food platter (the dessert) which I will post about tomorrow.