Vancouver’s Italian Keystone Brings Fresh Offerings from ‘The Nest’
Vancouver, BC – Vancouver’s hidden Italian gem Il Nido Restaurant Bar, is delighted to announce the launch of its 2009 spring menu. Bursting with fresh seasonal inspiration, new delights from “the nest” entices dinners on a taste voyage from Vancouver to Venice and back again. Presenting a handcrafted selection of appetizers, salads, pastas, mains, and tempting desserts, lunch and dinner menus are sure to satisfy the Italian in all.
Rather than focusing on one particular style of cooking or region of the country, owner Franco Il Nido has gathered the best flavours and concepts from around Italy and created his own version of inventive Italian dining. Traditional recipes are tailored to excite modern taste buds, with local and organic ingredients forming the base for all courses offered.
“I want everybody to enjoy the lightness and freshness of the Italian flavour,” says Franco. True to form, dishes such as the radicchio salad with red lettuce, goat cheese and pear with salsa fresca, and the Il Nido oyster soup with seafood fume, julienne of seasonal vegetables, onions and butter cream, will leave palette satisfied and the waistline intact.
More substantial choices include the “salsicce” sausage and savory bread pudding and salmone Il Nido. But forget the cedar planks so often found in the average West Coast kitchen – Il Nido’s version of the Vancouver favourite is dry marinated, baked, crusted with spices and served with grapefruit fennel reduction sauce, topped with fresh tomatoes and herbs coulis. Top off the course with a made-in-house sinful dessert, and suddenly English Bay feels like the Trevi Fountain.
An extensive wine menu features the best grapes from Italian vineyards and beyond – the best of France, Australia, Argentina and more. A bottle enjoyed on the sunny and secluded patio will leave you bathing under the Tuscan sun instead of escaping the afternoon office grind.
Il Nido is open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner seatings. For reservations and special group celebrations call 604-685-6436.
About Il Nido
Il Nido is Vancouver’s hidden Italian restaurant gem. Nestled between Robson and Thurlow streets in the midst of the downtown shopping and style district, Il Nido has wined and dined locals and tourists alike for over 20 years. BC’s finest ingredients are used to create dishes that are bursting with flavour, yet light and lean on the palette. Featuring local and organic ingredients, this “Nest In The City” is a destination for those who enjoy wonderful food and good conversation. Groups of up to 70 are welcome and custom menus are easily designed. As Il Nido continues as one of Vancouver’s finest restaurants, evolving with imagination and inventiveness, its motto remains: Everyone Leaves Happy. For more information, visit www.cafeilnido.net.
