A hidden gem in the historic, charming part of downtown – Gastown. The restaurant was quite large and spacious. Most tables were full with active servers swooshing by.
The complimentary sliced bread were not warm. I am not sure if this is the custom of Italian restaurants, but I was hoping to be warm. They served it with olive oil and balsmic vinegar to dip into.
For our appetizer to share, we had the Calamari $9.95. I was expecting a small portion, but we were both surprised with the huge amount – perhaps the largest one I’ve ever seen. Great price, love the ample green herbs mixed in, very fresh and crisp! The Chef’s tartar sauce went really well. The diced tomatoes were refreshing. 5/5
I ordered the Linguine Vongol $15.95 with clams, white, brodo and butter. There were generous number of clams. The pasta was al dente, something I can’t quite get used to…lol. I remember the first time I went to Italy, I was outraged that a decent restaurant was serving half cooked pasta…ha ha. The flavour was good. 4/5
Sheepie ordered the Veal Saltimbocca $22.95 with prosciuttio, sage and red wined demi sauce. Sheepie wasn’t too happy with the dish. He said the veal was salty and rubbery.
Service was satisfactory. The atmosphere bright, open and lively. Would return again.
1. The pasta you had is called “Linguine Vongole.”
2. It’s “al dente,” not “al dante,” Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) has nothing to do with it. The phrase literally means “to the tooth,” so that the texture contrasts well with whatever else is in your pasta. It’s the proper way to serve pasta, not mushy crap like Chef Boyardee.
3. If you order anything with proscuitto, it’s bound to be salty.
Thanks Remington for the correction and information! Looks like I need to educated myself more on Italian cuisine.
Some lovely #Italian #dinner at Al Porto Ristorante in charming #Gastown… http://t.co/HYP0ZtThIS