With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/325830
july 2014 BCBusiness 175 A n e w e r a o f g l a m o u r a t Va n c o u v e r 's m o s t s t o r i e d h o t e l ...coming Fall 2014. jEREMy SEGAl; IlluSTRATION: MARk ATOMOS PIlON As the Yaletown offshoot of Kitsi- lano's La Quercia, La Pentola continues the original location's northern Italian theme in more upscale surroundings. It was recently given gold ranking in the Vancouver International Wine Festival's Wine List Awards. Turning two years old in September, the restaurant has brought much-needed culinary stability to the Opus Hotel after years of a more drinks-forward space. With its light, airy atmo- sphere, well-spaced tables and discreet service, business can be discussed both in comfort and confidence. Chef Lucais Syme's simple yet sophisticated plates offer the flexibility of an efficient, light bite or a more languorous lunch in true Italian style. Imported Italian necessities such as Par- migiano and prosciutto form the backbone of a menu featuring house-made pastas and fresh, local produce. Order à la carte or à la fami- glia (lapentola.ca). • The scent of freshly ground beans emanating from the cof- fee counter inside lukes General Store in Vancouver's Chinatown Space lab competes with potent smells from other prod- ucts—such as $13 ginger mint toothpaste—lining the adjacent brick wall. The curious drug- store/coffee shop was launched by Calgary-based entrepreneur Gareth lukes, who took a piece of his family's eclectic pharmacy (lukes Drug Mart) and brought it to the West Coast. The shop peddles personal care products, but the coffee bar—serving Portland-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters beans—is the centrepiece of the space. "What we wanted to do is duplicate the experience you would get of going to one of [Stumptown's] cafés," says lukes, adding that he's trying to cultivate an approachable vibe, not wanting to alienate anybody with pretentious coffee culture. The pop-up shop will remain in Chinatown indefinitely, but lukes says he's considering something longer-term. "We'd like to do something perma- nent—we're kind of contem- plating what that necessarily would be," he says. "I may want to do a pharmacy out here, but I'm still on the fence about that." (lukesgeneralstore.ca) . —Kristen Hilderman Serving gourmet coffee with your deluxe deodorant La Pentola della Quercia Lukes General Store BesT TABLe On a nice summer day, the corner section where the windows open wide is a prime spot for lunch. If you're a group of five to seven, be sure to ask for the round table tucked away at the back of the room. MusT-TRY ORDeR In a hurry? Order the 45-minute signature lunch: soup or salad, pasta, then trout or hanger steak for $30. Time to linger? Take the five-course, family- style lunch: two antipasti, two pastas and a main course ($40). DRinK uP From a 90 per cent Italian wine list, start with Italy's answer to Champagne: Bellavista Franciacorta, one of the best European sparkling wines you can buy. A house-made limoncello will round things off nicely. insiDeR TiP For a larger working lunch, la Pentola offers a semi-private boardroom-style space that can seat between 10 and 20, with a menu created in consultation with the client's needs. This upscale eatery inside the Opus Hotel offers classic fare inspired by Italy's rustic north by Fiona Morrow NORTHERN EXPOSURE from the wine to the menu staples, la Pentola offers a taste of the italian north. p o w e r l u n c h p o p - u p f o o d + d r i n k p168-177-OOO_july.indd 175 2014-05-29 10:44 AM