We might not be taking off on dreamy holiday treks in Northern Italy, but the newly-revamped restaurant located in the heart of Vancouver's Coal Harbour area could take us there instead.
Kitchen Table Restaurants has revealed the concept for what was the Giovane cafe on the ground floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim. The Vancouver restaurant group (Ask For Luigi, Pourhouse, DiBeppe) took over the location last summer and operated it for some time as an extension of its 'Pastificio di Luigi' operations, offering fresh and packaged pasta and other light bites and coffee.
Inspired by "the bustling hidden gems found on the quaint backstreets of Venice" what will now be known as Giovane Bacaro will include a wine bar, dining room, and lounge.
A core feature will be the bar, which is set to showcase the flavours, ingredients, and vibes crucial to the fine art of Italian aperitivo - the practice of enjoying a palate-opening snack before dinnertime. To that end, the Giovane Bacaro bar will feature several chilled Italian vermouths via an Enomatic system for guests to order up and drink neat, on the rocks, with a splash of soda or as a Prosecco spritz.
But, si, there will be coffee: The cafe space will offer espresso-based drinks and caffé speciali from a custom-made Victoria Arduino ‘Eagle One’ espresso machine. Practice your Italiano to order bevs like mandorlatte, marocchino, bicerin and affogato.
Giovane Bacaro's menu will feature small bites and larger plates of cicchetti (snacks or side dishes), Italian panini and tramezzini (triangular sandwiches on soft white bread), along with freshly-made bread, salads, and pasta dishes.
For dessert, we're told we can expect some classic and modern dolci. (Will they bring back old Giovane's legendary sugar buns? Probably not, but for the record they're still sorely missed.)
Here's a rundown of the Giovane Bacaro culinary team: Chef de Cuisine Scott Korzack (Ask For Luigi, Autostrada Osteria, L’Abattoir), Sous Chefs Colton Lehrbach (Farina a Legna, Kissa Tanto) and Eduardo (Eddie) Munoz (Autostrada Osteria). Front of house staff includes General Manager Cheyenne Sia (Miku Toronto) and Assistant General Manager and Wine Director Cassandra Mosher (Terroni Toronto).
We'll have to wait a bit longer to embark on that journey to the north of la bella Italia, as the full Giovane Bacaro concept will be opening later this spring. No date has been set for the official launch, but guests can pop by these days to the cafe space which is open, offering to-go service and patio seating.
