The evening was sunny and warm for our casual Italian dinner in Vancouver's La Quercia on West Fourth Avenue. La Quercia is a smaller and intimate restaurant offering fine traditional as well as innovative Italian cuisine prepared by Chefs Adam Pegg and Lucais Syme. Our dinner was to show a multitude of courses paired with selected Italian wines.
We started our evening with tastes of salumi and a Prosecco Extra Dry, from Beato Bartolomeo da Breganze, which we enjoyed in the open small courtyard and at the kitchen while chatting with the Chefs. Our first courses were Vitello Tonnato followed by Carne Salada House Cured Beef Carpaccio and a Parmigiano Sformato with Balsamico paired with a 2006 Braměto del Cervo, Chardonnay, from Castello della Sala in Umbria, and a 2000 Formulae, a 100% Sangiovese Toscana wine from Barone Ricasoli.
These were followed by Chef's Risotto with Zucchini and Saffron, then a trio of Agnolotti di Guido, Garganelli all'Amatriciana and House Made Gnocchi with Bolognese paired with a 2006 Nipozzano Riserva, Chianti Rufina from Marchesi di Frescobaldi. Next up was a delicious Roasted Sablefish paired again with the 2006 Bramito del Cervo followed by a Red Wine Braised Beef Cheek paired with another wine from Marchesi di Frescobaldi, this time a 2007 Tenuta di Castiglioni, Toscana, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
For dessert, and paired with a delicious Passito di Pantelleria from Pellegrino, our Chefs created a delightfully refreshing Carpaccio of Fresh Peach and Pineapple with a Raspberry Mousse—a perfect ending for a splendid Italian dinner! Our thanks to member Nick Wright for his insightful accolade, to Cellar Master Jim Esplen for his informative remarks on the wines of the evening, to Photographer and Historian Milena Robertson and, of course, to the service staff under the direction of Tony Peneff and to Chefs Adam Pegg and Lucais Syme for a magnificent dinner!
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