Cibo Celebration (reposted from March 2013)
Some people like the "tried and true". Me? I prefer to take a
chance. You never know what hidden gems you'll uncover. Perfectly
located in the unrecognizable old Roger's Video building on 17th Ave, Cibo (pronounced "cheebo" for you truly Italian foodies) is one of these gems.
Their tag line is "Made To Share", and their menu offers packaged pricing for the scodellina, making it easier and more affordable to rest drive many of these scrumptious appetizers. Group sized piatti options are available and both pizza and pasta dishes can easily be divided up among the table. This concept is not unique - we've been sharing dishes at Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants for decades. What is novel is that food is ordered all at once and it arrives as it is cooked, with what appears to be an order following the order it's written in the menu. This gives you time to savour each dish before another arrives (and also clears away unwanted plates to keep the table relatively clear).
Many of the menu items may be for those few with an adventurous palate but most people will be able to find a dish or two to enjoy. The vegetarian dishes are few but if needed, there are options. Not being much of a fan of pork or prusciutto, I noticed this was on a number of menu items. The beer offerings are adequate, though we found that not enough variety was available. The wine menu appeared lengthy and my red was fantastic.
Our meal began with two scodellina, the 'ricotta' and the 'bruschetta'. A slight variation on the traditional, the bruschetta was light and crisp with crushed artichoke. As for the ricotta, it was heaven! The simple taste of ricotta was paired beautifully with sweet pomegranate and earthy walnuts. It was a piece of dessert before the meal!
Next came our two scallops, lightly drizzled with a sweet, yet savoury sauce. These two large, fresh scallops with pancetta and horseradish were worth the $4.50 each!
My newfound love of Italian gnocchi has been a tickle at the back of my mind since June; I have even taken possession of a potato ricer to see if I can replicate its goodness one day soon. I avoid this dish at chain North American restaurants because I just don't want the disappointment, nor do I buy gnocchi from a grocery store. So when it's offered on an authentic Italian menu, I do take the plunge and see if I can find a local new love.
When our gnocchi arrived, it both looked and, at first, tasted underwhelming. However, Bryan suddenly made his "oh my God" noise and excitedly pointed out that the gnocchi must be tried with a little bit of the spinach and basil on the fork, at the same time. What a transformation! The flavour was outstanding and this dish quickly became a close second favourite after the ricotta for the evening.
We finished off with a pizza. Bryan's big man-fingers and his haste to get to the bathroom resulted in me ordering the wrong one but we were not disappointed with the prosciutto pizza (though, as noted, I don't like this meat). The flavours that abounded by the caramelized onion, fig, and grana padano more than made up for the mistake I had made.
What I liked about Cibo was the new, modern twist on food sharing, making this an ideal spot for a group to gather. Unpretentious, with friendly, helpful staff, this restaurant is a great addition to trendy 17th Avenue. With an interesting variety of dishes, I am sure to return one day soon.
Their tag line is "Made To Share", and their menu offers packaged pricing for the scodellina, making it easier and more affordable to rest drive many of these scrumptious appetizers. Group sized piatti options are available and both pizza and pasta dishes can easily be divided up among the table. This concept is not unique - we've been sharing dishes at Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants for decades. What is novel is that food is ordered all at once and it arrives as it is cooked, with what appears to be an order following the order it's written in the menu. This gives you time to savour each dish before another arrives (and also clears away unwanted plates to keep the table relatively clear).
Many of the menu items may be for those few with an adventurous palate but most people will be able to find a dish or two to enjoy. The vegetarian dishes are few but if needed, there are options. Not being much of a fan of pork or prusciutto, I noticed this was on a number of menu items. The beer offerings are adequate, though we found that not enough variety was available. The wine menu appeared lengthy and my red was fantastic.
Our meal began with two scodellina, the 'ricotta' and the 'bruschetta'. A slight variation on the traditional, the bruschetta was light and crisp with crushed artichoke. As for the ricotta, it was heaven! The simple taste of ricotta was paired beautifully with sweet pomegranate and earthy walnuts. It was a piece of dessert before the meal!
Next came our two scallops, lightly drizzled with a sweet, yet savoury sauce. These two large, fresh scallops with pancetta and horseradish were worth the $4.50 each!
My newfound love of Italian gnocchi has been a tickle at the back of my mind since June; I have even taken possession of a potato ricer to see if I can replicate its goodness one day soon. I avoid this dish at chain North American restaurants because I just don't want the disappointment, nor do I buy gnocchi from a grocery store. So when it's offered on an authentic Italian menu, I do take the plunge and see if I can find a local new love.
When our gnocchi arrived, it both looked and, at first, tasted underwhelming. However, Bryan suddenly made his "oh my God" noise and excitedly pointed out that the gnocchi must be tried with a little bit of the spinach and basil on the fork, at the same time. What a transformation! The flavour was outstanding and this dish quickly became a close second favourite after the ricotta for the evening.
We finished off with a pizza. Bryan's big man-fingers and his haste to get to the bathroom resulted in me ordering the wrong one but we were not disappointed with the prosciutto pizza (though, as noted, I don't like this meat). The flavours that abounded by the caramelized onion, fig, and grana padano more than made up for the mistake I had made.
What I liked about Cibo was the new, modern twist on food sharing, making this an ideal spot for a group to gather. Unpretentious, with friendly, helpful staff, this restaurant is a great addition to trendy 17th Avenue. With an interesting variety of dishes, I am sure to return one day soon.
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