The doors closed permanently in mid-October at the Italian Tomato in Vancouver's West End neighbourhood, but it wasn't long before the new restaurant taking its place was open for business.
Bonta Italian Ristorante has been up and running at 1047 Davie Street since Oct. 18.
"Bonta’s owner has been specializing in multi-regional cuisine for more than 20 years," describes the restaurant's website.
"With a minor change...the new owners are proud to announce that we are serving our lovely community in the location of the previous successful and well-known restaurant, with the same team, menu, and pleasant flavour of Italian food," said the restaurant on its social media on Oct. 18.
The Italian Tomato, for its part, enjoyed a three-year run at the address, having opened the second location as a sibling to its longstanding and popular original Richmond location, which is still in business.
Bonta's menu is largely focused on pasta dishes in a mix-and-match format. Bonta offers 16 kinds of pasta, including filled, whole wheat, or gluten-free options, and a whopping 37 sauce options, from something as simple as a pomodoro (tomato) to the hearty Marco Polo (diced chicken breast, baby shrimp, spicy Italian sausage, mushrooms in a spicy tomato sauce with touch of cream).
Additionally, Bonta has mains like lasagna, lamb shank, or a choose-your-own-adventure "Italian Feast" featuring three selections of your choosing.
Other dishes include more "western" options like chicken wings or truffle fries, along with meatballs, arancini, soups and salads, nearly 20 kinds of pizza plus the option to build your own. Bonta also serves dessert, cocktails, and has a happy hour menu.
Bonta is open for dine-in for lunch and dinner service Tuesday through Sunday, and offers delivery through multiple third-party apps.
