By Marcus Kaulback
Theyre accurately referred to as chef/owners, because with each of their endeavours both Lucais Syme and Adam Pegg are equal parts kitchen and business expert; their latest stab sees them continue the trend. La Pentola della Quercia officially opened its doors in Yaletowns OPUS Hotel on Sept. 8, its name (essentially The Saucepan from La Quercia) a nod to their award-winning flagship restaurant in Kitsilano.
The approach inherent to La Pentola is to bring more of what has worked so well in the past: high-quality natural ingredients, locally sourced and prepared with care and expertise. Part of ensuring such continuity is keeping their suppliers the same, something which Syme and Pegg never thought twice about; they still source from Cioffis, Bosa, and The Olive Oil Merchant out of Kelowna, among others. And, as with La Quercia and La Ghianda, the duos Alma Street deli, the focus remains sternly on northern Italian cuisine. Syme confesses, though, that at La Pentola that focus might even be stronger, as a more rigid structure can only help to accommodate the needs of an 85-seat restaurant.
When Cento Notti, OPUS acclaimed pop-up restaurant, closed its doors on Aug. 12 this year, the Yaletown hotel already had in mind the boys from La Quercia. OPUS General Manager Nicholas Gandossi said that by transitioning to a more permanent and established offering, OPUS was simply taking the next step in the evolution of its food and beverage program. With Syme and Pegg also looking to expand their already exceptional brand, it only made sense that the two entities should come together. Seems a pretty good match too, this pairing of OPUS TripAdvisors 2012 Trendiest Hotel in Canada and La Quercia itself named Best Restaurant of 2011 by Vancouver Magazine.
With a month of service under its belt, La Pentola is ready for Taste of Yaletown, Oct. 17-27. Though breakfast and lunch services could afford to be busier, evenings and weekends have been hot for Yaletowns newest Italian joint, and the bumps that invariably come with openings have been thoroughly smoothed out. Its a further nod to the pedigree of the chef duo that they have been able to craft such a promising restaurant while maintaining their others. "It's been a phenomenal amount of work," admits Syme, "but with the right people, the right direction, and the right structure, we'll be successful and continue to provide high-quality food in all our locations."
