PR – The Chef. The Fisherman. The History.

For 25 years, Delilah’s Restaurant & Bar in Vancouver’s West End charmed local diners and visitors alike with opulent décor, a price fixe menu and a famous martini list. This August, the iconic space will be reborn with a brand new focus on fresh, casual food, courtesy of chef Daryle Ryo Nagata and third-generation fisherman Paul Puratich.

The partners share a serious passion for good food. “Our friendship revolves around food,” said Nagata. “We both love taking the best of local, seasonal ingredients and turning them into tasty, mouth-watering meals that aren’t overdone, just full of flavour.”

Both Nagata and Puratich back up that passion with impressive credentials and know-how. The Alberta-born, Swiss-trained chef has cooked around the world, and was well ahead of the curve in developing and supporting Canada’s regional bounty. It was Nagata who, more than 20 years ago, inspired the creation of the first organic herb garden in a city centre hotel in Canada. These days, you’re likely to find him tending to his newly created herb garden located at the front entrance of Café Delilah.

Puratich was all but born at sea. His family has been fishing for more than 100 years, and from the age of six he spent summers aboard his grandfather’s and then his father’s commercial fishing vessels along the West Coast. In his decades at sea, Puratich became an advocate for wild B.C. seafood, mentored other fishermen, and developed his love of cooking.

Together, Nagata and Puratich bring their love of seasonal, simple food to Vancouver’s West End. Café Delilah will serve dinner nightly and weekend brunch, all with a focus on approachable regional cuisine. Look for super fresh seafood, creative vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, tasty tapas and Spring Creek Ranch beef, plus beachside classics like burgers, fish and chips, and an Oyster Bar. Expect some unique offerings at Café Delilah, including traditional afternoon tea as well as classic Taiwanese tea snacks; and find a few clever nods to the room’s long history, including plush baroque chairs and the ceiling fresco of chubby cherubs.

Café Delilah will have a soft opening in early August. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.