Fraserhood Opens Arms to Osteria Savio Volpe
New neighbourhood joint welcomes friends, families and strangers alike
Fraserhood’s newest neighbourhood joint has thrown open its doors to Vancouverites who are hungry for conviviality and una bella mangiata.
Osteria Savio Volpe, whose namesake is a wise old fox, is a 75-seat eatery situated in the heart of the up-and-coming Fraserhood district. The first joint venture from a trio of the city’s top culinary pros, Savio Volpe is firmly rooted in the Italian tradition of freshness and regionality, using groceries gathered in nearby lakes, oceans, farms and fields to create simple and rustic fare.
Styled after the classic osteria – an informal eatery serving wine and local specialties – the menu at Savio Volpe features plenty of handmade pastas, including raviolo stuffed with house-made ricotta and egg yolk in a sage brown butter sauce and tortiglioni with short rib braciola and Sunday sugo. The chef’s heavy use of the wood fire grill and spit turn out suckling pig porchetta with crackling and salsa verde and succulent steaks, grilled over coals and grape vine clippings. Dining “alla famiglia” is encouraged at Savio Volpe – sharing olives and salumi, passing platters of rosemary roast potatoes and cannellini beans, and enjoying good conversation over a cup of old world coffee and a selection of homemade artisinal cookies, pastries and gelato.
And because no table should go without wine, Savio Volpe offers up an all-Italian wine list that is both accessible and fun, exploring less predictable regions and varietals from time to time. Guests will find no-fuss cocktails here – simply a spritz and a classic Negroni – along with a seasonal selection of local craft beer and non-alcoholic house made Italian sodas.
The dining space is simple and somewhat contemporary: classic, light-hearted and reminiscent of a traditional taverna with wicker, wood and natural stone figuring quite prominently.
A sense of play and sprezzatura is represented in the use of irreverent fabrics and Italian modernist-inspired lighting. In lieu of a more conventional bar, a centre console reminiscent of a kitchen island pays homage to the nerve centre of any great dinner party at home. More than anything, Savio Volpe is warm and inviting – a place any passerby would want to walk into out of the rain.
The resumes of partners Paul Grunberg, Craig Stanghetta and Mark Perrier speak for themselves. Grunberg is a partner and co-owner at the award-winning L’Abattoir, and his CV includes managing some of Vancouver’s most well respected eateries, including Chambar, Market by Jean-Georges and Bao Bei. Stanghetta is a principal at design studio Ste Marie and one of the city’s most sought-after restaurant designers. He is responsible for the look and feel of a number of acclaimed rooms, including Homer Street Café, Ask for Luigi, Meat and Bread and Bao Bei. Chef Mark Perrier worked as head chef at CinCin Ristorante + Bar, sous chef at Cibo Trattoria and chef de partie poissonnier at Le Gavroche in London, after apprenticing under distinguished local chef David Hawksworth at West.
Osteria Savio Volpe is located at 615 Kingsway, and will be open for dinner, drinks and dessert daily beginning at 5 p.m. For more information, follow Savio Volpe on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit Saviovolpe.com.
