VANCOUVER — Banda Volpi, known for neighbourhood spots Savio Volpe, La Tana and Pepino’s, has unveiled its next chapter — Elio Volpe, a cozy spot in Cambie Village in Vancouver, inspired by sunny southern Italy — arriving this winter.
The 4,200-sq.-ft. space, a former mechanic’s shop, will feature 115 seats, an expansive open-air dining room and bar with wrap-around seating. The space is currently being designed by award-winning Ste Marie Studio.
Banda Volpi’s Operations director Jason Cisneros is staffing Elio Volpe’s front-of-house team, while culinary director Phil Scarfone is assembling the back-of-house team and a fresh new menu of bold and briny flavours, including squid-ink linguine al granchio e vongole with Dungeness crab and jalapeño; grilled giant prawns with salsa verde; and risotto al limone with sea urchin. The menu features local produce, fresh pasta, Volpi EVOO and Roman-style pizza.
“Where Savio Volpe is wise and suave, Elio Volpe is young, carefree and curious,” says Paul Grunberg, who opened Savio Volpe with longtime business partner Craig Stanghetta in 2015. “It’s been almost eight years since opening our first osteria and the journey is as exciting as ever. Just like with Savio, this new spot is a little off the beaten path but part of the fabric of an existing neighbourhood and exemplifies the best of Italian hospitality with a distinctly sunny disposition.”
“Each of our restaurants has a distinct personality and sense of place, and with Elio Volpe, we’re taking cues from Italy’s storied south, with its famed coasts and islands, rich history, and relaxed lifestyle,” says Stanghetta, who is also founder of Ste Marie Studio. “Where Savio is rustic and regional, Elio celebrates the best ingredients from the Pacific Northwest as inspired by il mezzogiorno, the ancient seafaring term for the wind from the south, now colloquially used to describe that part of the country.”
