La Piazza Dario ama i funghi! We love mushrooms!

While we love absolutely every item on our menu, there is a special place in our hearts reserved for our dishes that include mushrooms. We are of the opinion that a good meal that incorporates gourmet or wild mushrooms can become a great one. Versatile and subtle, mushrooms have the ability to be the vessel of flavour, while also adding texture to the main event.

At La Piazza Dario we have four wonderful mushroom dishes that we heartily recommend you try. If you love mushrooms, you certainly won't regret tasting these delizioso menu items! All four meals are available on our dinner menu. See below for details and pricing.

La Piazza Dario Mushroom Dishes

• Our first recommendation is the tagliatelle delizie del bosco pasta; broad noodles are served with sautéed gourmet mushrooms and herbs, and finished in truffle oil. | $18
• Next up, we have our risotto ai funghi misti, a pearl rice dish that is sautéed with wild mushrooms, garlic and fine herbs, all served with parmesan cheese. | $18
• For those more inclined to choose a tomato based pasta, we have our penne ciociara. This mouthwatering penne pasta is served with pancetta, peas and mushrooms, all of which is sautéed in a garlic and tomato sauce. | $18
• If you're not in the mood for pasta, may we suggest Chef Claudio's vitello al portobello; veal medallions are cooked to perfection and sautéed with a portobello mushroom sauce. | $24

Not a fan of mushrooms? Peruse the rest of our menu!

Gluten free, pasta lovers rejoice! Dine on gluten free quinoa pasta at La Piazza Dario.

Following a strictly gluten free diet can mean giving up some of your favourite dishes, especially if you are a fan of Italian food. For all of you pasta lovers out there endeavouring to go gluten free, we can image that abstaining from your favourite pasta dishes may be very difficult indeed. However, if you are committed to a gluten free diet and miss indulging in plates of pasta, we have some great news for you!

We are thrilled to announce that our menu now offers a gluten free pasta option. Available on both our lunch and dinner menus, La Piazza Dario's gluten free pasta is made from quinoa and is accompanied by a grape tomato and basil sauce. It is the perfect gluten free alternative to traditional pasta, and it is absolutely delizioso!

Join us for lunch or dinner this week and reunite your palette with pasta! Call ahead at 604-430-2195 or go to OpenTable to make your reservation.

(Image via Pixabay)

If you don't speak Italian, even a menu can be an adventure!

Luckily at La Piazza Dario, we've included some handy descriptions of Chef Claudio's greatest creations. If you're planning a trip to Italy, a visit to La Piazza Dario is a great way to start practicing your Italian! We may have English descriptions, but those Italian names will be a perfect way to test your pronunciation and critical ordering skills! We certainly wouldn't want you to miss out on delicious cuisine here or abroad because of a little thing like language barrier!

However, we know you're going to need a little more than the name of a dish. Here are a few keywords on an Italian menu that will help you understand exactly what you are ordering and the different sections of the menu!

Antipasti: These are your appetizers. It literally translate to "before the meal" and is a great way to get your meal started as you chat with friends and family.

Primi: Meaning "first dishes," the primi on the menu are often pastas, risottos and soup. The possibilities and flavours are endless! Of course, every region will have it's own variations.

Secondi: This is where you will find your main meat, fish and vegetable dishes. It's also usually the most expensive section of the menu, but definitely just as delicious! If you see an S.Q. next to any of the menu items, they will be charged according to weight so be sure to talk to your server.

Contorni: If you're feeling in the mood for a side dish like salad or potatoes in addition to your primi and/or secondi, make sure you explore this section of the menu!

Dolci: Dessert! Need we really say more?

Digestivi: Need help digesting your Italian feast? Italians enjoy a little help from strong liqueurs.

Caffé: Coffe is also a nice touch to end a delicious and filling meal. If you have space, definitely look here.

Bevande: No Italian menu is complete without its wine list and drink menu! Definitely peruse this section to make your meal Italian perfection!

Wine and dine like the Italians do with the below interactive infographic!

Knowing which Italian wines to pair with your Italian meal can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you don't speak the language. At La Piazza Dario our knowledgable staff is always more than happy to help you select the perfect wine pairing for your Italian meal. We invite you to join us tonight for a delicious meal of incredible, authentic Italian food made by head chef, Claudio Ranallo, and indulge in a perfectly paired Italian wine.

In the mean time, why not become more familiar with how to wine and dine like an Italian with the below interactive infographic, Italian Wine Paring 101! Simply click on the image to enlarge, select your food of choice, and scroll down to see which wines pair best with your chosen meal.

We look forward to seeing you! Peruse our wine menu and meal menus.

 
Click image to open interactive version (via Charming Sardinia).

(Image via Pixabay) 

Explore the Renaissance and the flavours of Italy at La Piazza Dario!

In a previous post, we've shared our admiration for the delights of the Italian Renaissance. As an homage to this cultural past, we've decorated our entrance walkway with sculptures inspired by the Renaissance.

But of course, there is much more to the Renaissance than sculpture and much more to La Piazza Dario than our entrance.

Come and join us at our table and explore the flavours of Italy. We've got something for every discerning palate: succulent seafood, juicy and tender carne (meat), perfectly al dente pastas, and decadent desserts!

So we invite you to enjoy a delicious Italian meal and explore the wonders of the Italian Renaissance with this comedic, yet educational video overview!

Learn this ins & outs of eating like an Italian.

Although the below infographic focuses on how to eat like an Italian when visiting Italy, these helpful tips can be applied right here in Vancouver. Join us for lunch or dinner and eat like the Italians do!

Discover when to eat and what courses you should be ordering, as well as what coffee drink you should never order after dinner. Read La Piazza Dario's full menu and get an idea of what you'll want to order the next time you visit.

We look forward to seeing you. Godere!

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Lift your mood & your energy with the appropriately named Italian dessert!

As we have explained in a past post, tiramisù is Italian for "pick me up." Appropriately named, this popular Italian coffee-flavoured dessert is a pick me up in more ways than one. Dipped in coffee and layered with a combination of lady fingers, separated egg yolks and whites, tiramisù is also often flavoured with cocoa. It's bound to lift both your energy and your mood! 

Although you may have enjoyed tiramisù in the past, you have yet to experience a little piece of Italian heaven until you try Chef Claudio Ranallo's recipe. Garnished with small cannoli, gooseberries and berries, we think the picture above speaks for itself!

Book a reservation today online or by calling 604.430.2195.

Today's Italian word is the word for wine!

Maybe vino is an obvious word for most, but we just had to include it in our Monday Italiano series this week! Why? Well we want to share our wonderful wine collection with you; for what is an Italian meal without its wine pairing?!

Wine is just as much a part of Italian culture as the geographic boot shape of the country. All across Italy you will find wine regions and vineyards with unique flavours and grapes! But in spite of the vast Italian wine selection, we like to expand our horizons as well and include only the best wines on our menu, both local and global!

Here are a few snapshots of our collection but you really must come for a visit to be able to truly explore and view our collection that make up our six page wine menu!

See you at La Piazza Dario Ristorante Italiano!

Learn to speak Italian in Italy through Il Centro's exchange program!

There's no better way to learn a language than to fully immerse yourself! You can get yourself started by attending local classes or even trying out language software, but there really is nothing like visiting the country. You would be completely surrounded by it: the signs, the people, the music, the sights and the food...

We at La Piazza Dario can help you get started with Italian food. Come and visit us for an Italian meal, explore the menu and learn the Italian for authentic dishes such as lumache alla pavarotti, spaghetti alla vongole, zabaglione, and grapa di proseco!

And then hop on over to Il Centro (conveniently located across the plaza) and explore your options to study abroad!

See you soon! 

(Image via Pixabay)

Come enjoy one of Chef Ranallo's tastiest culinary creations: La Piazza Dario's rack of lamb!

Rack of lamb, or costolettine d’agnello in Italian, always delivers a rich and satisfying meal. However, if you have yet to taste Chef Claudio Ranallo's Italian version of this dish at La Piazza Dario, there's no time like the present! Roasted to perfection and served with garlic and rosemary, this is a rack of lamb that you won't soon forget.

Not in the mood for red meat? Have a look through our menu and see what else Chef Ranallo has cooking.

Book your reservation with us online or give us a call at 604.430.2195 and we'll be happy to accommodate you! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Che cosa è Lumache alla Pavarotti si chiede? What is Lumache alla Pavarotti you ask? Escargot! 
 

Now doesn't that make your mouth water?! Escargot is not only for the French. Chef Claudio makes a delicious appetizer of escargot with a light and savoury tomato sauce. This is the perfect way to whet your appetite and keep your taste buds watering for more!

So come down to La Piazza Dario's and try some of this delicious antipasto, Lumache alla Pavarotti (Snails alla Pavarotti)! See you soon!