Origi From previous page Absent from the Feb. 23 event were Barolo’s Caparotta brothers — Piero, the restaurant’s founder and fead host, and Ezio, the enthusiastic chef and flambe specialist. Both have departed the West Vancouver restaurant for international assign- meats: Piero co the Grand Cayman Islands for a stint in a restaurant there; Ezio back to Italy to replenish Italian culinary blood. In charge now is Luigi Marchese, original Barolo * + Seniors receive 15% off chef rejoins head waiter and long-time Caparutta compatriot. Back in the kitchen, meanwhile, is original Barolo chef Giuseppe Lima, who has returned after serving kitchen stints in such locales as the Pemberton Hote: in Pemberton and I Nido in Vancouver. Judging by Barolo’s Sicilian celebration 2000, the personality of the Marine Drive 80-seater has undergone subtle internal changes. Less show, perhaps, but more warmth. Also missing from this regular | dine-iimeni items. “ tiding alcohol): Vegetarian Lunch Buffet Now Open! all you can eat $5.95 Last & ndian present this ad and receive 90% off your dinner bill over $15 valid until April 15/00 or Sas A rican wy Cuisine RISTORAWTE PULHO 1209 KOUSOASE AVE. NORTH GAA GIS-3008 3 Tamago , Special Scallop Cone * Chicken Karaage e California Maki * B.C. Roll ® Tekka Maki * Salmon Maki © Kappa Maki © Futo Mecki § Salmon © Tuna © Imitation Crab + Sunomono * Coma ye * Cyoza * Spicy Tana Cone # Salmon Sashimi * Tana Sashimi ® Chicken Teriyaki 95 per person * Salmon Teriyaki * Jka Karaage ‘ AAgedashi Tofs * Tonkatsu * Vegetable Tempura * Oyster Motoyaki *Vakisoba # Mise Soup jan celebration was the high volume and highly entertaining Acilio “the Singing Sicilian” Give, a member of the sponta neous-operatic-outburst school of dining rooin ser- vice. In place of the Singing Sicilian: Franco “the Sicilian Squeezebox Artise” DeViasio. A merry strolling Italian accordion troubadour is he, but without Attilio’s impressive pipes. Still, Sicilian pipes abounded at the event. Accompanied by Franco, Marchese and fellow waiters burst into song at the drop of an entree. Musical talent from cus- tomers also abounded at assorted Barolo tables: at one a lovely female soprano, at another a local whistling enthusiast who went note for nore with Franco in a Sicilian song medley — Deliverance ltalian-style. Meanwhile on the Barolo grill: Lima, who prefers sim- ply to be known as Giuseppe, whipped out a simple four-course Sicilian affair between excursions into the dining room to add his voice to assorted Sicilian choruses and to meet and greet his clientele. Meal highlights included the Arancini di Riso — steamed saffron rice pressed into a bow! shape stuffed with ground veal, mozzarel- Ja cheese and prosciutto and then baked. Top with fresh parmesan and wash down with a crisp Regaleali Bianco or a Frascati La Musa. Also on the antipasto plate: Peperoni Ripieni Alla Trapanese, a red pepper stuffed with pecorino cheese, moilica fresca (fresh bread crumbs}, black olives and anchovies. Mollica fresca was a recurring element in the feast and a recurring ele- ment of Sicilian cuisine as practised in Marchese’s hometown of Salemi, where they take the art of bread- making and ornate bread decor seriously. It adds substance to dish- es, for sure. Perhaps too much when included in mul- tiple courses. Chef Giuseppe’s Spaghettini di San Giuseppe provided another interesting Sicilian variation on a familiar pasta the:ne. It combined fine spaghetti strands tossed with sugar, cin- namon, parsley and olive oil — a sweet twist on a tradi- tionally savoury theme. NEWS photo Juile tverton ACCORDIONIST Franco DeViasio squeezes out ancther Italian tune at West- Vancouver's Baroic Ristorante italiano. In the main event were two fish dishes, the better of which was the Involtini di Pesce Spada — swordfish stuffed with mollica fresea, Italian parsley, onions, capers and parmigiana. Not as good was the Calamari Imbortiti. The large calamari tube was like- wise stuffed and baked. Its stuffing included a finely chopped mixture of baby shrimps, onions, Italian parsley, capers, mollica fresca and cheese. The calamari was a touch rubbery; its stufting overly spiced and a touch bitter. Calamari does far better in smaller portions without other seafvod competition. We finished with glasses of marsala and plates of the traditional Sicilian dessert Mpignulata, which might be introducing a unique new mobile service... 9 GP Be BE ZQlwea” MOBILE KNIFE SHARPENING Factory quality knife sharpening. Done right at your door. For only $3.50 per knife or scissors Knifex will visit your location. ® Red Snapper * Beef Teriyaki FOR HOME & fOR CONSHERCAL 31 0-90 THE Tauck SERVICE & SALES WEAREST YOU 8am-8pm/7days a week Our Mobile Units carry €) Wusthof Trident, © Grand Maitre Swiss Kitchen & Commercial Knives, Genuine Swiss Army Knives end the full line of Lh Cooks Tools... as hard to pronounce as it is to eat. It consisted of gnocchi- hike balls of bread sauteed then finished in honey and buteerscotch -- a hard candy-like affair reminiscent of Poppycock. It came with sliced straw- berries and a dollop of whipped cream. For those who missed the Sicilian celebration, Barulo’s regular menu as presented by Giuseppe features much of what you would expecr to find in a quality [ralian restaurant and much of what Barolo fans have come to expect from its kitchen. A dozen salad.and tapas selections ($5 to $14) rang- ing from house antipasto plates to a Caesar salad made with asiago cheese. Minestrone of course. A good page of pasta (89 to $16) featuring such titles as Penne Champagne, Rigatoni Salsicee and Spaghetu Aglio ¢ Olio. Also on the same page are Crespelle Fiorentina (an Italian baked crepe stuffed with seafood} and Risotto Pescatore (a classic Italian rice dish with assorted seafood). Main dishes ($16 to $23) include a mix of red meat, chicken and seafood — rack of lamb, veal, grilled chicken breast, tiger prawns and scallops with lemon grass, ginger, cilantro, mint and coconut milk. Its original owner is cur- rently out of the Barolo lineup, but spicy and mis- chievous Sicilian blood con- See Corsi following page | rrr yrs Tels 922-2491 RESTAURANT { Rake Marine Drive, West Vancouver i ft deck bert enetad cu bas,