If you subscribe to the notion that the cream always rises, then this week’s column is redundant.
You will discover for yourself, in short order I suspect, that Orto Artisan Pasta is one of the most unique and compelling new restaurants on the North Shore. You will experience for yourself the special magic of sitting in a vibrant garden from which herbs and vegetables are picked daily to feature in fresh and bright dishes with a focus on pasta. And you will either delight in for the first time, or reacquaint yourself with, the innate gift for hospitality of one of our city’s most accomplished restaurant families, the Rayes.
But in case the adage is not 100 per cent accurate, let me support Orto’s otherwise inevitable success with a few impressions of my own.
Brigitte Raye (front-of-house) and her son Steeve Raye (executive chef) have opened a very special business in the space formerly occupied by Ethical Kitchen. The small, open kitchen is half devoted to artisan bakery Bad Dog Bread (reviewed in these pages a couple of weeks back), the rest to Orto’s smart, fresh-is-paramount menu of seasonal fare with an Italian flare.
You may remember Brigitte from her brief spell as GM at West Vancouver’s Café Ca Va, where she worked alongside her ex-husband Alain Raye, known to most as owner and chef of the long-running, much-lauded La Regalade, which closed at the end of 2015. Neither have anything to do with Café Ca Va now, and based on my recent Orto experience, I feel like the stars were aligned for this change.
Alain is not an official part of this new venture; son Steeve is at the helm of the kitchen and is turning out some truly spectacular, ingredient-focused food that must surely make the culinary patriarch proud. In fact, I was bemused to find Alain helping out on the night of my visit, making fresh pasta for the evening’s service, collecting golden strands of spaghetti from the small machine and portioning it out. You’re in for a treat of an evening when one of the North Shore’s best known chefs is just lending a hand to the bigger picture.
Surrounded by blossoming zucchini, aromatic tomatoes, pattypan squash, grape vines, fresh basil, thyme and all manner of other herbs, the truly unique outdoor seating of Orto may seem like the star of the show. Indeed, the question that I overhead the most from neighbouring diners was “what will they do in the winter?”
I understand the inclination to think this way, but feel compelled to remind those concerned patrons that the food is top notch here and would arguably be every bit as enjoyable if served in a dark attic. I have no doubt the space will adapt to our dreary wet winters by hunkering down with a rustic, hearty menu and more intimate indoor seating scheme.
In the meantime, however, I highly recommend you head down to this welcome new spot to experience that garden for yourself and feel transported to another place, perhaps even another time, in which simplicity of preparation is art in its own right. Permitting fresh-from-the-vine ingredients to speak for themselves in such a poignant way requires a mature and enlightened perspective.
I visited Orto with my mother, in town for a brief hello. We started our meal with light and subtly crispy zucchini fritters with a tangy basil mayo. The golden batter was airy and understated like an excellent tempura, the zucchini inside retaining a faint crunch and bursting with perfectly ripened flavour.
A second appetizer of thinly shaved ribeye steak atop bean puree on a Bad Dog Bread crostini was a surprisingly delicate, complex dish, elevated by a dollop of spicy grainy mustard and herbs.
For mains, I caved to the temptations of a familiar favourite and chose Taglioni Carbonara. Carbonara is one of those indulgent comfort dishes I often can’t resist when I see it on a menu, and even though I felt a pang of guilt ordering a bacon, egg, and cheese-based pasta whilst surrounded by uber fresh veggies, the dish was so well executed, with its exceptional al dente handmade pasta and rich but not-over-the-top sauce with salty cubes of bacon, I had no regrets in the end.
My mother’s Pappardelle Bolognese reinforced the chef’s deft hand and delivered just the right balance of tomato freshness, meaty succulence and herbaceous seasoning. The mountain of fresh parmesan on top didn’t exactly hurt matters either.
Despite the sizeable portions, I felt compelled to try the Lemon Crema for dessert. I’m so glad I did as the light, fresh and silken custard, sort of like panna cotta without the gelatin, was an ideal summertime treat and easily one of the best desserts this non-dessert guy has eaten in ages.
I’m inclined to call Orto the best North Shore meal of 2017 so far. But you don’t need me to tell you this. I’m fairly certain that designation will be reinforced time and time again without my help.
Note: at the time of filing this column, Orto was still awaiting its liquor licence, so be prepared for a dry evening, though tasty non-alcoholic drink options abound.
Our meal of two appetizers, two mains, dessert and espressos was $70 before gratuity. Orto Artisan Pasta is located at 1600 Mackay Rd. in North Vancouver. ortoartisanpasta.com. 604-929-0203.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
