The Italian Kitchen: Coming Home Again
Our stories
of finding the best pasta or the best seafood often involve the discovery of
little known, local haunts, while travelling in exotic places. My own quest for
the best gnocchi began in Argentina, in the heavily Italian enclave of Rosario.
Argentina’s second largest city, Rosario is host to a large Argentine-Italian
community, who are proud of their heritage and whose aging heritage mansions are
still the product of craftsmen who came from Italy to build them. One day, I
found myself stooping to get through a half-height door, and walking down
stairs into the basement of a beautiful, old-world building on Rosario’s fashionable
Cordoba Street. Down a long hallway, the familiar sounds of dishes and people
talking seemed to indicate that I had found what I was looking for. In this
obscure place, with no sign by the street and lit only by a
basement courtyard, the society of the city would gather here for Sunday lunch when
the Argentine economy was still vibrant.
Sitting
down at a table opposite the courtyard, I began with a Waldorf salad and then
decided to try an Italian classic in the Argentine style: gnocchi, con salsa
mixta. It was a surreal experience in a unique location which, until
recently, was my gnocchi story. However, despite travelling and living abroad for
many years, the story of how I found the best gnocchi in the world actually
begins in Vancouver.
My search
for the best places to eat in Vancouver led me one day to the door of the
Italian Kitchen, on Burrard Street. The ambiance was elegant and classical, and the
menu surprised with modern takes on Italian classics - even boasting homemade
pasta. It was the gnocchi fungi which caught my attention as an uncommon find, here in Vancouver. I expected good gnocchi. What arrived at my table was
something I have not encountered anywhere in the world, so far. Soft and
pillow-like, it seemed like culinary alchemy had created a new form of the
gnocchi. Paired with sautéed mushrooms in a harmony of gentle textures, I sat
amazed at what I had found: Perhaps the best gnocchi in the world.
For those
who prefer the woody, earthy and nutty taste of truffles, I recommend the
truffle spaghetti and meat balls. No ordinary spaghetti and meat balls, these
beautiful, large globes of exquisitely seasoned minced meat are crafted with
enough nuance of flavour and texture to satisfy even a gourmand. Truffles and a
delicate sauce take the place of a spaghetti sauce on the pasta, and herbed ricotta
balances the spices of the meat balls, marrying them to the pasta harmoniously.
For dessert
one could try the homemade tiramisus, which could take a prize for being the
best in Vancouver, but I would recommend the humble zeppole. At first glance
these powdered, white orbs appear to be some sort of homemade doughnut, until
they are broken open to reveal a core of molten chocolate. Accentuated with a
semi-sweet crème anglaise, which tames the chocolate and creates a medley of
earthy, rich flavours, the Zeppole are a must. And, for a Saturday brunch there is no question that homemade asiago scones and exquisite hollandaise sauce tell the story of quality, care and
creativity which pours out of this kitchen, and make the smoked salmon Eggs
Benedict a morning favorite.
We go out
into the world to make our journey and explore. It is often a quest for
something meaningful, something precious which we hope to find. But our
longings are often shaped by the home we left, and what we
seek is often truly to return to a home, now sentimental and dream-like, which
we attempt to build or find again. It is this seeking which we perhaps sublimate into the adventure of finding the best restaurants, sometimes even
finding a place that reminds us of home. This is why I find myself returning
again and again to the Italian Kitchen, here in my home city, to enjoy the best
of what the world has to offer.
The Italian Kitchen
860 Burrard Street
Phone: (604) 687-2858
The Italian Kitchen
860 Burrard Street
Phone: (604) 687-2858