Moustache Cafe, 1265 Marine
Dr. , North Vancouver. 987-
8461. Visa and MasterCard
accepted. Open from 9 a.m.
everyday. Take the kids or call a
babysitter? Call a babysitter.
Menu for tonight:
*Glass of Chianti Rufina
Riserva Nipozzano ($4)
eCarpaccio ($5.95)
eCozze Scottacito ($5.95)
¢Stracciatella ($3.50)
“*Gamberoni Al Vino Bianco
($12.95)
Sicilian Cheese Cake
($4.50)
N THE moustache
scale, we shall file
this one under han-
dlebar, as in aristocratic ele-
gance.
Or perhaps walrus, as in full,
robust and hearty.
All of the foregoing hirsute
adjectives could be applied to
the Moustache Cafe, a surprising-
‘ly sophisticated new Italian
“restaurant that has.taken up resi-
dency. on the banks of Marine,
Drive in the last single-family.”
_ ‘house fronting on the Narth *
. Mancouver City four-lane'com-
mercial thoroughfare, :
it is'a house with A Past, as
-your neighborhood gossip might
“whisper... 0 7 a
According to Table Hopping’
“researchers, itthas served as
=. -everything from an outlet for
-' “dealers of rugs, South American
' - bric-a-brac to being a base camp
; fora group of North Shore

Timoth y Renshaw

TABLE HOPPING

Rastafarians,

Most recently it housed the
Great Canadian Canaclian
Sandwich Pie Co., a purveyor of
hearty grilled sandwiches and
beer.

So it is also a house with a
highly developed sense of sur-
vival,

But it has always seemeci
more a Marine Drive anomaly
than a viable business venue —
not really an office, rot really a
place to live. -

The secret to making it work
‘as a hybrid house of business
was to make the house a home,
as it once was.

And Moustache owner Javan
Khazali has done just that.

As with any home worthy of
the name, guests are free to enter
from front or rear.

They will be welcomed at
both entrances by Moustache. -
staff, and ushered into an inti-
mate Italian dining room com-
plete.with roaring fireplace and
white tablecloths. ;

‘There is also a service bar at

NEWS photo Mike Wakelield

“MOUSTACHE FOR TWO ... Java Khazali (owner) and head chef

-Vince. Gallo‘in their new Moustache Cafe Italian restaurant on

. Marine Drive'in North Vancouver.

STRETCH VALENTINE’S DAY
WTO A WHOLE WEEKEND!

— VALENTINES DAY(S MONDAY, BUT START
| CARLY ENTOY BRANCH ON SATURDAY OR SUN-
-OAY, HOW ABOUT DINNER FRIDAY OR SATUR-

DAY MIGHT? OUR POANIST (8 PLAYING. CALL

FOR RESERVATIONS
TODAY, «

> 2427 MARINEDR.
—W. VAN. 926-8838

ae tse Git ning teh ert

which guests might sit and enjoy

a glass of delightfully arid Chianti

ora full-bodied! Rubesco — the
Moustache abicling, by the
enlightened philosophy that any
of its wines are available by the
glass — and a backroom parlor
for parties of up to 10.

Parking is available in the
rear.

The Moustache is small —

about 30 seats in the main dining

room — but its limited size adds
lo its appeal.

Most important, its kitchen,
which is no bigger than the
kitchen in any small house, pro-
duces an'impressive variety of
excellent and authentic Italian
food.

The cafe’s dinner single-sheet
menu includes about 20 varieties
of pasta ($8 to $10) and about 10
main meat dishes ($13 to $14,
for a half dozen varieties of
Scaloppine and a# quartet of such
‘seafood-based dishes as Rombo
Al Basilico - halibut with basil
and white wine - and Salmone Al
Dragoncello - salmon with tar-
ragon and white wine). .

For those who prefer a table
lacien with smaller dishes, the
Moustache’s soup, palad and

- appetizer selection includes a
dozen items, all of which come
highly secommended.

Our Carpaccio was topped

» with capers, virgin olive oi! and
thick shavings of fresh Parmesan
cheese — superb with freshly
baked Moustache foccacia bread
and a side of Balsamic vinegar...

The Cozze Scottadito (mussels

.in a spicy tomato sauce) were

: also excellent. They were fresh
and sweet; the tomato sauce,
mildly spicy, was suffused with

* flavors of oregano, basil, pepper.

and cilantro.
Gamberoni al Vino Bianco

‘featured eight thick prawns in an.

‘elegant. while wine, garlic and
tlemon’sauce.*

‘The entree'plate came with
-roast potatoes, vegetable antipas-
to, green beans, broccoli and
carrots.

We closed with a marvelously
light Sicilian Cheese Cake. It was
made with ricatta cheese, poppy
seeds and Sambuca atop a gra-
ham wafer crust.

Khazali, a graduate of the,

’ Umberto Menghi school of

926-4913
Open

Regular Hours
Tuesday - Saturday

Lunch &
Dinnner

Open
Valentine's
Day
¥ for
Lunch &
Dinner

¥

1373 Marine Drive ~ !
West Vancouver

Wednesday, February 2, 1994 - North Slore News - 23

graceful Halian gastronomy,

nows the passion needed! (o pre-
pare and present really good
Italian foad,

His choice of head chef Vince
Gallo is right on the culinary
money. Gallo, a veteran of some
fine Italian kitchens in Montreal,
should help establish Moustache
as another first-class North Shore
Nalian restaurant,

The Moustache opened in
November 1993. Its has kept a
low pratile during its formative
few months, but word of mouth
is alreacly raising that profile.

For the Moustache features
that rarity in the restaurant trade:
terrific food in a place where one
feels immediately at home.

PASTA

(some restrictions)
Sun-Thur after 59m
offer ends 13th Feb, '94

157 Chadwick N. Van
Beside the | 987-461 |

Seabus Terminal

Twilight Dinners from 8g

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fow. JA 1 FREE DINNER
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FOR THE PRICE OF -

Offer Good Sun.-Thurs. Not valid with other coupons. Expires February 22/1994 | >.

y— "
« LIFESTYLES
. BAR & CAFE

Park & Tilford (next to cinemas) 983-9083. °

Sees

!
i
t unit 130; 333

Brooksbank Ave, N.Van

ionic

FINE ITALIAN DINING |

... chosen as the best Italian. Restaurant

on the North Shore for 1993.
Timothy Renshaw
North Shore News

" roeior
gf OFF LUNCH or DINNER seh
% * Max, -6 people = Food only. : h

* Applies Mon.-Fri. for lunch . 1 .
ORE ° MONDAY-SUNDAY | | ”

COUPON yous” ’

EXP. FEB. 13/94 Sun.-Thurs. 5-10 pn

Fri.-Sat. 5-11 pm
922-6282 .

1747 Marine Dr., W. Vancouver

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