I Love Food Blog Meets Pino

I Love Food Blog...Owner and Chef of Cioppino's/Enoteca: Pino Posteraro.

Chef of the Year 2008 (Vancouver Magazine)

Fried Zucchini Blossom and Juicy Plum Cherry Tomatoes topped off with Caviar.

Fish and Asparagus.

Wagyu Beef Steak.

Spaghettini “alle vongole” served in a white wine garlic sauce.

Variety of Gelato with Phyllo Pastry.

Not Pictured Above: Tuna Tartare, which came as the first dish.

Please note that a lot of the dishes pictured above are not on the regular menu as we actually ordered off menu. Also, the pics are not of the best quality due to the relatively low lighting.

Background: Pino Posteraro is the owner and chef of Cioppino's/Enoteca. He was named the Chef of the Year 2008 by Vancouver Magazine. His restaurant also won the Silver award for Restaurant of the Year (Vancouver Magazine).

I must say that it was quite exciting as we didn't know what to expect for each course. It started off with Chef Pino asking if we had any allergies of any sort, of which we told him that one of our members was allergic to dairy. With that, he went back to the kitchen to plan our meal out.

The first dish was a Tuna Tartare which unfortunately I do not have a picture of. This was the first time I ever tried a Tuna Tartare...I normally do not eat raw fish. The dish was really refreshing and was a great start.

The next dish consisted of Fried Zucchini Blossom and Juicy Plum Cherry Tomatoes topped off with Caviar. This was a great dish as it really got my tastebuds going... the Fried Zucchini Blossom was sweet and crispy...the Tomato was juicy...and the Caviar was salty.

The next dish was a Fish and Asparagus. Now because we didn't order directly from the menu, I'm not 100% positive on the exact type of fish...I believe it was a Halibut (I may be wrong). Nonetheless, the fish tasted great and the asparagus went really well with it.

Next up was the Wagyu Beef Steak. This was the highlight dish for me. Wagyu is best known for their intense marbling. The steak was full of flavor and was super juicy and incredibly tender.

We were hoping that we would be served some pasta, so we requested for some pasta. Next came the Spaghettini “alle vongole” served in a white wine garlic sauce. Unlike most of the other dishes, this is on the regular menu. A classic italian dish that delivered!

For dessert, we were served a variety of Gelato with Phyllo Pastry. The presentation for this dessert was great. As we were celebrating a couple of birthdays, it came with some candles. A perfect dessert to end a great dinner meal.

Overall, all of us enjoyed our meals. We were very impressed with the level of service provided. Each time we were served a dish, we would be given an introduction to each dish served. Pino personally thanked and greeted each of us farewell before we left.

For great Italian fine dining in Vancouver, Cioppino's is the place to go to. Afterall, the chef of the year does work there.

Some of Pino's Accomplishments:
2008 Chef of the Year (Vancouver Magazine)
Gold Winner in the 2007 BC Gold Medal Plates
Best Formal Italian for 6 Years in a Row (Vancouver Magazine)
Best European in the 2008 Urban Diner Restaurant Awards (Gold)
Winner of Best Italian Cookbook in Canada at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Winner of Best Mediterranean Cookbook in Canada at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

http://www.cioppinosyaletown.com/

Cioppino's
1133 Hamilton St, Vancouver
Tel: 604-688-7466