CAFFÈ LA TANA
CAFFÈ LA TANA
OLD WORLD GROCER, CAFFÈ, AND LUNCHEON CHANNELS 1930s ITALY
In North America, it's not often you find a daytime caffè, known for its coffee and pastries, that is also lauded for its handmade pasta. To be fair, Caffè La Tana is the sister establishment of adjoining Pepino's restaurant, an Italian American-themed pasta house with equal emphasis on handcrafted dishes. But the lunchtime pasta menu at the 1,100-square-foot La Tana certainly sets itself apart. The eatery has already gained international media coverage since opening in the fall of 2018—and is much adored for its modish Instagram account which notifies enthusiasts of their daily pasta options.
Meat agnolotti (pork, beef, veal) with black pepper, roasting jus, and parmigiano-reggiano.
When you enter the negozio di alimentari and caffè (a cross between a coffee shop and a general store), the most notable aspect of the room is how similar in both look and feel it bears to boutique grocers of Old World Italy. Designed by part-owner Craig Stanghetta and his team at Ste Marie, the small caffè sells high-end Italian imports such as Maldon Salt, Lurisia brand La Nostra beverages, Nocciolata chocolate-hazelnut spread, Fabbri brand wild amarena (cherries in syrup), and even wooden gnocchi boards and presses to style your own handmade pasta. If you're not feeling that ambitious, you can acquire ready-to-cook pasta to take home. It comes either dried, pre-packed, and direct from Italy—or house-made and frozen (my preference).
La Tana is a treasure for those who live in the neighbourhood; with a house olive oil, which comes in refillable bottles, and a house pesto, the grocer is a one-stop-shop for traditional, home-cooked meals you can pop into before or after work—They're open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Just don't tell the kids about the Italian candies available in bulk. For those out-of-office days or lazy weekends, La Tana is also a sublime lunch hub or place to meet a friend for a cappuccino. Cozy, muted green, mid-century seating lines the back corner; similarly-coloured wall paint harmonizes the emerald-green marble bar counter (imported from Italy); stone statues and brass antiques add a weathered look to emphasize the 1930s quality of the room.
La Tana places recipe placards around the room for customers to learn how to make their own at home.
After watching how the pasta is made at the rolling counter, you can contemplate the daily variants in the pasta fresca case. Options usually include at least one of each: egg noodles, seasonal produce- or meat-stuffed, and distinctly shaped. While the menu lists their daily preparations, you're also able to mix and match your noodle choice with their house sauces. Pesto, marinara, brown-butter and crispy sage, bolognese, or—my favourite—roasting jus, are selections that I saw on recent visits.
La Tana brings in unique pasta boards hand-carved by Savio Volpe’s Sous Chef, Daniel Ewart.
Of course, pasta isn't the only option for lunch-goers. La Tana and Pepino's sister restaurant, Osteria Savio Volpe has a consistently rich, and delicious shaved kale, pecorino, and pangrattato salad (leaving a nice crunch to each bite.) At La Tana, you can order this salad in a smaller portion and at a price easier on the wallet. Herbivores can go for a zucchini panini, seasonal vegetarian Italian quiche, kale-bean stew, or a hard-boiled egg with pepe nero mix (salt, pepper, and fennel.)
Bombolini, cannolo, limoncello cake, bread from fife bakery
The team wanted to focus on Italian pastries—some of which, General Manager Shahnee Zaver tells me, take an inordinate amount of work to get just right; their sfogliatella is perfectly crispy and silky, coming in flavours such as chocolate, ricotta and orange, or plain. La Tana’s pastry chef, Emiddio Isernia of Antise Vancouver, takes pride in the intricate and complex nature of the Naples-originated treat. Included on the dessert list are the delicious bombolini: Italian doughnut-like pastries that come in either plain or hazelnut. Perhaps most exciting of all the desserts is their adorable affogato. I had my first of the ilk in Genoa many years ago and couldn't believe I hadn't ever thought to put ice cream into my coffee. Fast forward to a Friday in February and Caffè La Tana dazzled me again by adding a Fabbri amarena on top of theirs.
I've written before about my love for low-intervention, biodynamic wines; specifically, how in Vancouver, local wineries and enthusiastic vino reps came together to figure out how to showcase these wines to the individuals who also value how their food is grown. The brilliant solution that followed was a trend of opening after closing hours on select nights with a few rare bottles available to taste or purchase. La Tana was one of the first to see value in this trend, and, along with Savio Volpe, produced Vini Volpe, where they serve cicchetti—savory snacks—with glasses of wine. That way, drinkers could do tastings and pairings alongside these unique, more cloudy, but ultimately less-processed wines. Playlists curated by local DJs and more amusing themes—like this upcoming weekend’s "Anti San Valentino" event (both on Friday, the 14th and Saturday, the 15th)—all add more notes of distinction to an already enticing room.
Stanghetta had been dreaming up an Old World Italian caffè and grocer for some time before La Tana came to fruition; his family frequently visited small towns all over the European country and he wanted to recreate from his childhood memories these vibrant, wholesome, community-driven nooks. The result was just right: the service is professional but friendly, engaged, and proud of what they offer. GM Zaver is graceful and elegant, yet passionate about where she works and the team she leads. The sous chefs are talented, focused, and dedicated to the art of pastry-making. The result is a casual, calming, satiating visit—and a desire to eat more real pasta.
Words & photos by Tracy Giesz-Ramsay
