Tuesday, June 5, 2012

La Ghianda - Vancouver, BC

Where are you taking me Monkey??  We've driven a million miles out of our way to this small cafe that he insists on showing.  What's the big deal with this place?  And why did we drive almost 30 min out of our way to come here?
La Ghianda is an offshoot of the famous La Quercia - an Italian deli that specializes in traditional Italian foods for take-out or dine-in.  They offer meats, olive oils (some really expensive ones!), terrines (a rabbit one in the fridge), some desserts and breads.  They have a small menu - three items for Primi, three items for Secondi and three Panini options.  Their bakery features fresh cannolis, a lemon tart and what I think is a berry crumble of some sort.  It's a small staff prepping in the back kitchen and basically self serve - you order, eat and put your own dishes away.  The dining space is small but there aren't many people so we sit down and wait for our food orders...


Quiche of the day with a side of beets - $7.00
I don't know why I chose this dish and I kind of regretted it when I sat down and saw the next table had some beautiful pasta on their plates.  Oh well...  It's a onion with three herb quiche so it can't be bad but it's just a quiche so it can't be great either, right?  I take a bite of the quiche and it's actually really really good.  Unlike other quiches I've had before, the egg is cooked perfectly - still moist and soft and the onions and herbs make a really good combination.  I end up quite happy with my decision to the quiche.  The beets are lightly marinated in what I think is a vinaigrette but I could be wrong.  Either way, I love beets, these beets are wonderful and I quickly finish them off.  The portion size is also not bad for the price.


Porchetta, crackling and salsa verde - $10
Monkey and I love pork so it was only natural that he ordered this sandwich to try.  The bread is good but perhaps with too much flour on the outside - it kind of dried it out.  Monkey says it's different - other porchetta sandwiches have this warm and crunchy pork inside.  This sandwich has a cold filling - the pork is cold, the salsa verde is cold but the crackling skin is warm.  At first this sandwich is kind of boring but then I hit some salsa verde and I understand - it brings it all together.  I love crackling.  It should be in all sandwiches.  Even vegetarian ones.


I can see why Monkey loves this place and I understand why he had to take me here.  It is what they claim - authentic Italian deli foods and it should be enjoyed by as many people as possible.  If I'm ever in the neighbourhood, I would definitely return for a meal, even for a simple thing like marinated beets and a quiche and I would recommend you come for a stop as well.  Bon appetite!


Pros:
  • Free parking in the lot behind the building
  • Quality food and ingredients
  • Small deli section with various marinated meats (osso bucco!), cheeses and oils
  • Take-away available
Cons:
  • A bit on the pricier side
  • Small menu
  • Dinner is only served from 5 to 6 pm
  • Limited hours

La Ghianda on Urbanspoon

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