This May the list of the top 100 restaurants was unveiled with 18 Vancouver locations making the cut. There are some elite chefs operating in this city, with 5 restaurants in the top 25. I will be looking into each of them to help you decide if you are going to open your wallet for an incredible dining experience. Quick PSA, I am doing this from the cheap seats. I don’t have the funds to tour around and eat at every top-ranked spot in town. I can research, research, and research to help me decide if I will go to a restaurant, and I hope this helps you.
If freshness and seasonality are the core tenets of Italian cuisine, Oca Pastificio in Vancouver’s Little Italy, is an orthodox house of worship. The menu changes nightly to reflect local produce and the whims of chef/co-owner Greg Dilabio. More at link in bio.
📷 Leila Kwok pic.twitter.com/l4DpImev3H— Canada's 100 Best (@canadasbest100) July 2, 2021
Coming in at number 23 is Osca Pastificio, located at 1260 Commercial Drive. This special little spot is aptly nestled into the core of Little Italy, where fresh pasta grows on trees. Pasta is the heart of chef Greg Dilabio and general manager Antoine Dumont’s success. Greg is passionately committed to using local and seasonal ingredients to bring his dishes to life. With nine years of experience in high-end restaurants La Quercia and L’Ufficio, the pasta is worth the wait. I say that as reviews note grabbing a table is not the easiest task. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5-10 pm with no reservations, anticipate waiting in line to try these hand-crafted pasta dishes. That said, the pasta is made right before your eyes with Greg himself almost always being a part of the line.
This is all part of the Oca Pastificio mystique. Even their Instagram page is more cryptic than anything, with the only posts being images of their food with an update regarding a restaurant closure or special circumstance. Perhaps the intrigue elevates the food into that rarified air, but there is no way to get fresher pasta in Vancouver. If you have been to Italy before and are missing that kind of care and attention to the ingredients and construction of a dish, this is the spot for you. Greg and Antoine are constantly re-creating their menu based on what is available. If you live around Commercial, see if you can catch it on a quieter night (if possible). If you have a special occasion, just go and wait it out. I know I will be soon!