After our original plans fell through, (having experienced a club the night before, I now deem a revisit for their grand opening not worth our time), so my girlfriend and I decided to change our plans.
Despite my protests, she very kindly and thoughtfully planned out an evening of restaurant crawling in celebration of my belated birthday. Her plan was three restaurants, three dishes at each restaurant; and at least two cocktails person, per stop.
The first destination was to Tutto Restaurant and Bar in Yaletown, a classic Italian restaurant that I have actually been to, thanks to her introducing it to me last year. Ironically, this is actually where I took her for her birthday, the year before.
As our first stop, she cleverly planned our visit to coincide with their happy hour. So we took advantage of that discounted pricing, sticking to that menu for both our drinks and dishes.
We began the night with a couple of classic cocktails. I had the Bellini with Prosecco and peach purée. Sweet and effervescent bubbles to jumpstart a long night of festivities and fun.
My host was eyeing the espresso martini, but given that its price more closely resembled regular, non happy hour pricing, she decided to go for a Negroni at $9 a glass instead. This was the same price as my Bellini. Nothing special, both delivered on expectations, so nothing to report here.
Our follow up drink choice was two glasses of their Lambrusco, sparkling red wine. $11 a glass during happy hour and complementary to our share plates below.
Paltrinieri, Solco, Emilia-romagna. I am more partial to red wine, and when you add a little bubbles to the mix, it makes it easier going down, as it tickles the tongue and throat. This particular bottle was fairly neutral, acting as a great cleanse in-between bolder bites.
For food, we shared the following starting off with Grilled Calamari calamari. Spicy puttanesca sauce, pea shoots, and chopped olive. I expected it deep-fried, so was a little surprised by the presentation before us. However, there were no regrets, given how sumptuous each delicate slice of squid was. Perfectly prepared, they were like chewing on clouds, well seasoned in the pool of marinara satin. A wonderful introduction to the quality of ingredients used at Tutto, for those unfamiliar.
We followed that with a cream sauce pasta Firm tubes smothered in plenty of lumpy, cream and sprinkled with bits of chicken. A hearty serving and an ideal starchy base for all the drinking that would follow. Penne Arrabiata with san marzano tomato and calabrian chilli.
We also had one of their pizzas with the intention to pack leftovers. My friend is a fan of their Diavola Pizzs with spicy soppressata, fior di latte, and jalapeño. A salty and spicy pie best enjoyed with a drizzle of their home made chilli oil. The chewy and bubbly crust was the highlight for me, offering a more simple bite to contrast all of the salt and chillies. We found this a delicious drinking snack.
And as a surprise to me, my friend arranged a birthday dessert. A slice of their homemade tiramisu cake was brought to our table with a candle and a happy birthday message in chocolate. I was tremendously touched by the gesture, considering that this was the only birthday cake I got; even though I celebrated and my actual birthday was a month before. I would blow out my candles and make my wish, knowing that it would come true.
As for the cake itself, it was full of whipped fluffy cream, espresso coated sponge, and a side of cookie crumb for crunch. I am actually not a fan of tiramisu for its soggy texture, so the crumb was a wonderful addition and one I that had me going back for additional bites as a result.
When it came time to pay for the bill. We were told that one of the restaurant’s regular customers overheard that we were celebrating and took it upon himself to cover a round of our drinks. His name was Ken and he did not want any fanfare or acknowledgment, telling the staff to only reveal his suprise after he had finished his meal and left. We were so touched by this gesture, you don’t see something this classy, this day and age. Especially with this generation’s need to advertise and showcase all good deeds done. This was one that would have gone unnoticed.
I wanted to thank Ken, so I asked the staff for a piece of paper and a pen so that I to you could leave a heartfelt message for him. I showed my appreciation and hoping that I could pass on such kindness and generosity to someone else deserving the future. And with that doubly sweet ending, our first meal was done and we were moving on.
Tutto Restaurant & Bar
901 Homer St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2W6, Canada
+1 604-633-8868
tuttorestaurant.ca
