There has always been something special about weekend brunch. Some spots around town, like Jethro’s Fine Grub or Red Wagon Cafe, are best known for serving greasy-spoon breakfast and lunch items. Other places are better known for their dinner, but they can serve up a mean brunch too. A good example of this is Cafe Medina, an off-shoot of Chambar.
In the case of the Glowbal Group of restaurants in Vancouver, which also runs Coast and Black and Blue, among others, we’ve got Trattoria Italian Kitchen on West Fourth Avenue in Kitsilano.
The brunch menu offers a good balance between “br” and “unch” with a few antipasti choices, some panini, traditional breakfast items, salads, pasta and pizza. Most of the mains range in price from about $12 to $22. Trattoria says the goal here is to provide “fuss-free, home-style Italian” that is “simple and fresh.”
Tiramisu Bread
Brunch at Trattoria started off with some complimentary “tiramisu” bread. The bread itself had a sweetness and consistency like a cupcake or vanilla sponge cake, while the cream added a subtle coffee flavor. It was too sweet as a starter for me, but fans of sweeter baked goods for breakfast might enjoy it.
Sicilian Calamari $12.95
spicy tomato sauce
Served with olives and capers, the Sicilian Calamari wasn’t as crispy and crunchy as I had hoped it would be. And while the squid itself was reasonably tender, the spicy tomato sauce wasn’t spicy enough either.
Crab, Lobster & Prawn Omelette $15.95
rock crab, atlantic lobster, rock prawns, mascarpone, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, trattoria potatoes
We hoped there would be a good-sized chunks of seafood in there. Instead, the seafood element was more like a disintegrated crab cake (which it may have been) but without enough of a “seafood” flavor to it. I did enjoy the sun-dried tomatoes.
Signature Benny $12.95
english muffin, crispy pancetta, poached eggs, hollandaise, trattoria potatoes, greens
Trattoria Breakfast $11.95
2 eggs any style, country style sausage, double smoked bacon, trattoria potatoes, forno bread
My parents had the two breakfasts shown above. I didn’t sample either, but they said they were happy with their meals. My dad was particularly impressed with the country style sausage and double smoked bacon.
Linguine Carbonara $17.95
pancetta, scallions, egg, parmigiano-reggiano
I was the rebel of the table, of course, as I was the only one who ordered more of a “lunch” item for my brunch. Carbonara can be a great comfort food–nothing beats the one I had in Rome–and Trattoria’s take was just okay. The sauce was a little too thick and the pancetta was a little too salty. Portion size was spot on for lunch.
If you happen to be out in Kitsilano and you’re looking for a casual brunch spot on the weekend, Trattoria is one of your options. However, it is certainly not your only option.
Everything about our dining experience was just okay. The food is neither horrible nor spectacular, the service is neither negligent nor notable, and the pricing is neither cheap nor outrageous. It’s all very middle of the road. For my money, I’d rather go somewhere else either for a cheaper brunch or a better brunch. As it stands, Trattoria is neither.
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