30 - Wednesday, March 7,

dining_FOOa

1990 - North Shore News

Italian food served in comfortable milieu

CARMELO RISTORANTE

ITALIANO,

DINNER. OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY FOR LUNCH

HOUGH its namesake has long since taken his
spatulas and paintbrushes to distant downtown ad-
dresses, Carmelo continues to entertain a large and

loyal clientele.

The key to that enduring loyalty
resides as much in Canmelo’s sim:
ple internal warmth of Character as
in its simple quality of food.

And some of that Character has
been exported across the water to
the Big City, where Carmelo 's
Samuel Bentroud: recently opened
son of Curmedo at 824 Thudow,
nent to Le Crocadile..

table hopping

It promises to have a more
sophisticated bearing than its
North Shore parent.

But meanwhile back in West
Vancouver:

While | was not as impressed
with Carmelo’s food this time
around as | have been on previous
visits, it remains far better than
most, and its character remains in-
tact.

Head waiter Americo Ennas
doubles as Carmelo host,
spreading casual conversation and
dispensing menu suggestions as he
strolls around the 55-seat Marine
Drive restaurant.

He, like the original Carmelo
(Sortino), who used to emerge
from heated kitchen depths
beneath sweat-covered brow to
chat with his diners, has a natural
sense of customer relations that
makes everybody feel at home and
draws people back for seconds.

Carmelo’s atmosphere is close
and casual. Conversations mix and
mingle in the intimate surroun-
dings. So if yours is less than
stimulating, you can sit back and
enjoy one from another table.

The service we received from
our waitress was very friendly and
accommodating, if somewhat
lacking in such finer points as
refilling empty wine glasses.

years.

an all-inclusive

$ 165 per couple

Fast relief for the
best siressed couple

Special weekend getaway!

Now’s the time for a weekend
getaway to Surf Lodge, the easy-
to-get-to seaside resort that’s
been pampering guests for forty

Located on beautiful Gabriola
Island (a 20-minute ferry ride
from Nanaimo), you'll enjoy two
nights accommodation (with
private bath), one dinner and
two breakfasts in our roman-
tic ocean-view restaurant, for

Since 1950, your first resort

Cunmedo’s wine fist is tar tran
complex: vo dozen white and
red selections and a half dozen
sparkling. Prices range roughty
trom $U7 to $30 per bottle.

We sampled a 1985 Chtants
Classico Reserva Ducale ($24) --
somewhat pricey, but a good dry
ced with ample character for any
Halian feast.

From Carmelo'’s appetuzer list
($3 to $7), we tried an Antipasto di
Mare ($6.95) which was very
good, and a Stracciatella alta
Romano ($3.50), which was a
touch subdued for my tastes.

The Antipasto, a single order
split onto two plates by the kitch-
en as requested, was a refreshing
seafood melange of crabmeat.
white fish and shrimps. The clams
advertised on Carmelo’s menu as
being part of the dish were not in
evidence.

But the oversight mattered not.
The seafood was presented with a
simple Butter Lettuce leaf and
lemon wedge garnish, It came
marinated lightly in oil, lemon
juice and a sprinkling of herbs.
Sliced green olives with pimentoes
and capers added saporous verve
to the dish.

Overall it was a very good start,
providing spirited accompaniment
for the warm, crisp bread provid-
ed.

Stracciatella alla Romano is an
Italian variation on the Chinese
egg-drop soup theme.

At Carmelo it came with whip-
ped eggs swirled ina simple broth
bolstered by Parmesan cheese and
a sprinkling of parsley.

The soup was presented in
grand white bowls that made for
elegant presentation, but the broth

was somewhat bland for my tastes.

Carmelo’s entree selection is
broken into Pasta and Main
Course (meat, fish and chicken)
divisions.

The pastas range between $9
and $11 and include some basic
traditional entries (Spaghetti
Bolognese $8.50) along with some
more adventurous choices (Penne

For reservations & information
oF 1-247- rf

1428 MARINE ORIVE, WEST
VANCOUVER, 922-4719. VISA MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS
ACCEPTED. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. OPEN EVERY NIGHT FOR

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

CHEF Wojciech Kwiatkowski (left) and owner Samuel Bentroudi make
sure Carmelo food is as inviting as the restaurant’s comfortable at-

mosphere.

all Arrabbiata $8.95, a spicy pasta

model).
There are 18 main-course ofter-
ings, all priced between $13 and

SUNDAY + WEDNESDAY - FRIDAY

$15 and all uncomplicated but

appealing Italian seafood, veal,

lamb and chicken creations.
Carmelo also features a nightly

CLASSIFIED BRIDAL
DIRECTORY

Three Sundays full of services
you'll need to make your
wedding pertect!
march 11,18,2 5

ADVERTISERS

Call Linda Goodsell to book
your space

CLASSIFIEDS 986-6222

1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver

specials dist,

Table Hopping sampled anen-

treeestze portion ot the Gamberi at
“Martial ($14.95) trom Carmein’s
appetizer fist,

Itincluded a half dozen prawvas
prepared na sauce Of white vec
mouth, capers and lemon,

The combination was interesting
and aromatic. The prawns were
somewhat soft, but the overall
meal was well-received.

Jind a Costolette d'Agnello at
Pepe ($14.95), one of three Rack
of Lamb variations offered in
Carmelo’s regular menu.

Vegetables with both entrees in-
cluded cottage-fried potatoes, car-
rots that had been steamed then
fried in butter, red, green and
yellow peppers, boiled cauliflower
and broccoli.

It was a reasonably colorful col-
lection.

My lamb was cooked to medi.
um-rare specifications. It came
with a pepper corn and cognac
brown sauce that sounded inter-
esting, but, for me, was too salty.

Overall it was satisfactory,

For dessert, we sampled an
order of Profiteroles ($3.50).

They came doused in chocolate
sauce and topped with whipping
cream and a maraschino cherry.

The dessert arrived in a giant
champagne glass that drew sur-
rounding eyes and tuts of self-
indulgence to our table.

The three Profiteroles were stuf-
fed with a sweet yellow custard,
but the pastry, | found, was tough
and chewy.

| would suggest instead trying
one of Carmelo’s homemade ice
creams. Our waitress gave us a
sample scoop of Mango. It was
excellent.

Carmelo is a good neighborhood
restaurant with a genuine warmth
of character that continues to
deliver reasonably priced Italian
food for all occasions.

Announce
your engagement and
marriage in our
CLASSIFIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS