Trattoria Unveils New Menus Featuring Authentic, Seasonal Italian Fare Made From Scratch, Adds Executive Chef Jonathan Chovancek, Chef de Cuisine Josh Gonneau to Team
Cibo Trattoria and UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar General Manager Mark Taylor has convened a fresh new tandem in the cucina in Executive Chef Jonathan Chovancek and Chef de Cuisine Josh Gonneau, who have combined their culinary talents to launch new menus at the downtown Vancouver hotspots.
Chovancek counts more than two decades of experience in a number of notable restaurants including The Aerie Resort, Sooke Harbour House and Zambri’s on Vancouver Island and Vancouver’s Culinary Capers before helming the kitchen at Café Medina as Executive Chef and most recently dedicating his time as an in-demand culinary instructor and consultant. He is also the co-owner of the boutique bitters company known as Bittered Sling with his wife and award-winning mixologist/sommelier Lauren Mote, who was a fixture at UVA as the Bar and Beverage Director for the better part of three years.
A virtuoso of preparation, presentation and an avowed champion of the global Slow Food movement founded by Italian writer Carlo Petrini, Chovancek further fuelled an appetite for preparing Italian fare that he first developed at Zambri’s while on a sojourn to Italy to attend international gastronomy exhibition Salone del Gusto in 2004. Two years later he returned to the region, leading a Canadian culinary team to the Winter Games in Turin, where he garnered rave reviews from a discriminating international clientele and proved his mettle as a chef of Olympic proportions.
Chovancek now shares time on the line with Ontario native Gonneau, who commandeered back-of-house teams at The Oakville Club, the Weston Golf and Country Club and Toronto’s Boulevard Club before opening his own farm-to-table-centred restaurant Land and Fire Local Kitchen in his hometown of Caledon in 2015 and relocating to the West Coast last year.
“I’m thrilled to be able to bolster our back-of-house team at both Cibo and UVA by adding not one but two classically trained, standout chefs in Jonathan and Josh,” says Taylor. “We look forward to introducing guests to our new menus and showing them a true trattoria experience in the heart of the city.”
Taylor, a seasoned sommelier who joined award-winning Bar Manager Sabrine Dhaliwal and the front-of-house family at both establishments last October, previously helmed award-winning local restaurants Cru and Siena as owner and sommelier for more than 12 years. He has also put his stamp on Cibo’s wine list, which features an extensive selection of notable Italian varietals as well as a number of unique vintages hailing from both New and Old World regions across the globe.
For more information about Cibo Trattoria, go to www.cibotrattoria.com, become a fan of /CiboTrattoriaUvaWineCocktailBar on Facebook and follow @cibotrattoria on Twitter and @cibotrattoria on Instagram. Cibo Trattoria also offers private dining spaces available to be booked for evening and weekend events. For more information, inquiries and pricing for private functions, call (604) 602-9570 or email gm@nullcibotrattoria.ca.
ABOUT CIBO TRATTORIA | Paying homage to the experience of an authentic Italian trattoria — where simple, rustic food, casual service and good wine goes hand-in-hand — Cibo Trattoria presents an unforgettable dining experience and memorable outing in the heart of downtown Vancouver whether for daily breakfast, lunch or dinner service or weekend brunch. Located in the city’s vibrant theatre and cultural district, Cibo’s cozy and inviting dining room is the perfect spot for any occasion or social gathering — a warm and intimate enclave where guests can relax and enjoy a wide-ranging list of Old- and New-World wines and sample hearty, Italian-inspired dishes and daily specials made from scratch and prepared in a traditional manner that showcases understated elegance on each plate.
900 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 0A8 | (604) 602-9570 | www.cibotrattoria.com
Hours: Mon – Fri: Breakfast 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Dinner 5 – 10:30 p.m. | Weekends: Brunch 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Dinner 5 – 10:30 p.m.
ABOUT UVA WINE & COCKTAIL BAR | Located within the chic Moda Hotel in the heart of downtown Vancouver, UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar has build a long-standing reputation as one of the preeminent wine and cocktail bars not only in the city but across the country. Winner of the prestigious gold medal for Best Wine Bar in the Georgia Straight’s annual Golden Plates Awards from 2010 through ’16, UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar offers and elegant gathering spot for wine and spirit connoisseurs seeking a sanctuary that tempts both eye and palate alike. Pairing Cibo Trattoria’s Italian-inspired cuisine, choice charcuterie and artisanal cheese with an eclectic menu of enticing cocktails, refined wines and import and local craft beers, UVA is a relaxed-yet-cosmopolitan interpretation of an authentic Italian enoteca.
900 Seymour Street, Vancouver BC V6B 0A8 | (604) 632-9560 | www.uvavancouver.com
Hours: Mon – Sun 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
