DINE FINE - ITALIAN KITCHEN - DOWNTOWN VANCOVER

 I try not to compare restaurants. Each restaurant should possess its own style and character as I am sure no chef would like to be compared to another based solely on nothing more than my own personal preference and taste bud mood swings. 

PART II - ITALIAN KITCHEN VS. NOOK

That said, because I found many similarities in the types of dishes Nook and Italian Kitchen (of Glowbal Group) had to offer, I decided to do two posts, as best as I can, to describe similar things of the two restaurants. I hope my comments offer you some help.

AMBIANCE | I mentioned in Nook's posting that I thought Italian Kitchen's decor was too "cookie cutter". Well, for me, it feels like another Milestones, or another modern, savvy black and white restaurants with a cool chandelier inviting you in. Italian Kitchen makes you feel like you are in the city, while Nook creates a "little shop in Italy" feel. Both are very different, incomparable. However, despite Nook only having two waitresses, and despite their heavy workload, Italian Kitchen's service is absolutely terrible. The waitress who was serving me consistently made me wait. Wait for my water, wait for a side of tabasco that I needed to ask several times. I can give her the benefit of the doubt it was busy there for a sunday lunch. But when I asked her for the credit card machine. She gave me an impatient look, and came back 10 minutes later, still with an impatient look on her face. Worst of all, she did not say thank you, nor smile. Merely typed in the bill, handed the machine over to me, ripped the receipt off and left. Rather highly suggestive of me to not come again. 

We ordered - Party of 2 

Pizza - Prosciutto de Parma - arugula, tomato sauce, buratta

Truffled Spaghetti Wagyu Meatballs - truffle cream, herbed ricotta

Red Wine (I can'r remember what we ordered)
Mimosa

FOOD | PROSCIUTTO PIZZA - The pizza was mediocre compared to Nooks. Italian Kitchen's pizza was cold (probably due to the waiting...) and the pizza was far too wet at the bottom. The flavour was decent, but I could not get past how soggy the pizza was. Given that Italian Kitchen does not have the authentic stone oven Nook has, I thought the quality of the pizza was rather poor. I prefer Nook over Italian Kitchen.

SPAGHETTI - This was the bomb. This was amazing. I have a love for ricotta cheese. At home, I add heaps of it into my spaghetti. Together with herbs and cream and a luxurious wagyu meatball, this spaghetti was delightful. I had Nook's pasta sometime around last year, and it wasn't anything memorable, hence I always stick to pizzas at Nook. But Italian Kitchen's spaghetti is delicious. However, I have to critque that Italian Kitchen's spaghetti may be delicious, but it does no taste like authentic Italian. It tastes very universal, and well, Glowbal group is a chained restaurant. I prefer Italian Kitchen over Nook.

Hence as I round up the scores.....

I prefer Nook's Antipasto and Pizza.

I prefer Italian Kitchen's Pasta.

But because of Italian Kitchen's busy and unfavorable service, I probably will choose Nook.

1037 Alberni Street
(604)-687-2858