1020 Main Street

Tel: 604-484-6018

Located on a yet-to-be-gentrified stretch of inner-city real estate, Campagnolo could have been a real gamble had it not quickly established itself as one of the city's best Italian restaurants. The front dining room, cork floored and concrete walled, is capped by an installation of intersecting pieces of plywood and backed by a 25-seat wine room. Chef Alvin Pillay spent six months in Italy researching regions that reflected the ingredients available on farms around Vancouver, finally settling on the pork- and poultry-heavy traditions of Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont. His menu begins with homemade salumi, then moves on to excellent pastas such as fresh tagliarini with pork ragù and tesa-spiked carnaroli risotto. The true stars, though, are deceptively simple thin-crusted pizzas like the salsiccia rucola and the bianca grana padano.
Tip: Co-owner Tom Doughty has a grappa fetish—take full advantage (entrées, $10–$14).