In the meantime you can read what Vancouver Foodster had to say (click here to read Vancouver Foodster’s review).

Authentic Italian Pizza from the Bibo Italian Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Located in the trendy Yaletown shopping and restaurant district (which is accessible via the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line train station), Capones features live jazz music 7 days a week combined with their upscale and sumptuous food reminiscent of the great pizza, pasta, and other meat and seafood specialties found in New York’s fine jazz eateries.

Capones recently underwent a major renovation and features a brand new bar area. I haven’t seen it yet and am looking forward to checking it out soon!

I visited Capones a few months ago. For an appetizer, we ordered the baked brie cheese which was topped with fresh sweet blueberries (pictured below). For the main course we tried their pastas, the Carbonera fettucini and the seafood fettucini (also pictured below). As usual the food was very delicious and the portions were just the right size – not too big to be uncomfortable but still enough to be heartily satisfying.

Prices are reasonable considering the restaurant’s location and the quality of the food. A meal tends to be around $20 to $40 per person depending on whether you order appetizers or drinks.

The music that night was provided by Phyllis Adelyne, an accomplished jazz singer with a warm personality and a classic sound drawing back to greats like Ella Fitzgerald.

I can’t wait to see what great performers and tempting dishes Capones has in their lineup next. Highly recommended.

Baked Brie Cheese from Capones Restaurant and Live Jazz Club in Vancouver BC Canada.

Carbonara fettuccini pasta from Capone's restaurant and Live Jazz Club in Vancouver BC Canada.

Frutti di mare (seafood) fettuccini from Capones restaurant and live jazz band club in Yaletown, downtown Vancouver BC Canada.

Phyllis Adelyne singing jazz at Capones Restaurant and Live Jazz Club in Vancouver BC Canada.

Formerly a pizza place called Lombardo’s (which still has a location on Commercial Drive near 1st ave), Pacifico continues Lombardo’s practice of serving pizzas with inventive and complementary ingredients. We tried the “Salmone” ($25 for large, pictured below), made with smoked salmon, capers, and red onion. A delightfully chewy crust was brushed with extra virgin olive oil, and topped with lots of cheese.

We also tried their desserts. The Mud Pie ($6.00, pictured below) was fairly run-of-the-mill (still frozen solid) but the restaurant’s house specialty Tiramisu ($7.00, also pictured below) was heavenly.

Some higher-end restaurants have picked up a trend of serving “deconstructed” Tiramisu – a mix of mascarpone cheese, custard, coffee, and some liquor in a cocktail glass, with maybe a few biscuits hidden at the bottom. This mode of presentation may be satisfying in a different way from a slice of cake on a plate – consuming the cocktail glass version is sans fuss and trendy too.

Irashai Grill, an Asian fusion restaurant in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, serves their Tiramisu in a sleek porcelain tray, dusted with a dangerously thick layer of powdered chocolate. Both Irashai’s and Pacifico’s realizations of Tiramisu are worthy of a sweet discovery!

Large smoked salmon pizza ($25) from Pacifico Pizzeria Restorante, a great pizza restaurant in downtown Vancouver BC Canada.

Mud Pie dessert ($6.00) from Pacifico Pizzeria Ristorante in downtown Vancouver BC Canada.

Tiramisu dessert ($7.00) from Pacifico Pizza Restaurant in downtown Vancouver BC Canada.

sumiln, a reviewer on DineHere.ca (click here to read review) writes:

Service was attentive and the 3 pizzas we ordered were really nice. Thin crusted and tasty we all agreed, very like (my own) homemade. Wine reasonably priced; however, they were out our first two choices. Not too worry, very close to the office so will likely quickly become one of our lunch repertoires.

We started off with the Tomato and Boccicini salad (the “Caprese” salad, $11, pictured below) which was nicely presented and tasty. I then ordered a scrumptious pasta dish with salmon that had some fancy Italian name (also pictured below, $12.00). My friend had a mug of Guiness beer ($6.00) and the mixed seafood spaghettini ($14, not pictured). A good time was had by all!

Caprese salad (Tomato and boccocini) $11 from Anducci's pub in downtown Vancouver.

Italian pasta with salmon from Anducci's Pub restaurant in downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Pictured below is the Smoked Turkey Panino ($8.49) which was really tasty, as well as a Tall Caffe Americano ($2.45). I don’t usually drink coffee, but I’m sure glad that I made the exception and tried the coffee at Caffe Artigiano!

Check out their web site for a list of their other locations in Vancouver and Calgary.

Smoked Turkey Panino ($8.49) and Tall Caffe Americano ($2.45) from Caffe Artigiano in Burnaby.

Thanks to Norma for the yummy photos of the pizza below.

Please click here to view the restaurant’s menu.

Yummy pizza from Sarpino's pizza restaurant in Vancouver

Closeup of Pizza from Sarpino's pizza restaurant in Vancouver

Cheese Pizza from Sarpino's Pizza Delivery and Take Out in Vancouver

Earl’s offers a good selection of pizzas, soups, burgers, sandwiches, pastas and wok dishes, as well as signature entrees such as steaks, seafood, and chicken. The prices are quite reasonable, with most dishes in the $10 to $20 range. I especially like their pizza. Pictured below is the Californian Pizza (around $12.50), which is made with shrimp, pesto, sundried tomatoes, and feta. The Margharita pizza ($10.50, also pictured below) is a simple but tasty pizza made with fresh basil, rich tomato sauce, mozzarella and white cheddar. We also enjoyed the Calamari (deep fried squid, pictured below, $10) which was served with sweet red onions and a special tzatziki sauce made in house.

The Earl’s location at Fir and Broadway is quite large, easily accommodating large groups, and has a bright solarium that is great for dining on sunny days. There is limited free parking available (provided you register your license plate with the host/hostess) and the restaurant is also on the Broadway bus route.

(above) Californian Shrimp Pizza ($12.50) at Earl’s Restaurant in Vancouver

(above) Calamari appetizer ($10) at Earl’s restaurant on Broadway at Fir

(above) Margharita pizza at Earls in Vancouver ($10.50)

More photos and info: view Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

Pasta with breaded chicken breast and cheese ($14)

I tried the Linguini Vongole, which was made with fresh clams, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan (pictured below, $14.95), and this dish was frankly one of the best clam linguinis I have ever tasted. Sometimes the juice from the clams can make the pasta soggy, but at the Sandbar, my pasta had the perfect texture and the clams tasted great with the combination of garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. 

We also tried one of the signature appetizers, the Wok Squid ($8.50, also pictured below) which was a level above the usual calamari you’ll find at most restaurants around town. We were given chopsticks for this dish, and the squid was pan fried in a light batter with chilies, garlic, cilantro, and ginger. Very tasty!!

Linguini Vongole (with fresh clams, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan) $14.95

Wok Squid appetizer at the Sandbar restaurant (with chilies, garlic, cilantro, and ginger for $8.50)

(for interested camera buffs, I shot the first photo above using candlelight, with my Canon Digital Rebel XT, a Canon F1.4 50mm lens, at ISO 1600, 1/25 sec. and F1.8. I shot the second photo at ISO 1600, 1/30 sec. and F2.2. I had to take quite a few shots because the candle was flickering a lot, casting a different light every second. It so happened that I got a couple shots that I liked. We were sitting in the lounge at Sandbar and there were a number of TV’s surrounding us that were tuned to the sports channels, and these were also casting a variable light on the food. In this situation, with such unpredictable light, the trick is to just take lots of shots and then by chance you’ll get one you like. (I took 18 shots of the pasta and 7 shots of the squid.) I also calibrated the camera’s manual white balance setting by taking a picture of a white piece of printer paper, held up near the candle on the table. For another photo that I did in candlelight, please check out Stephos Greek Restaurant on Davie).

Curry Prawns ($11.95)

I ordered the lunch special, a truly marvelous chorizo sausage wrap (pictured below) that was served with my choice of soup, salad, or fries for $7.95 (I picked the salad). The wrap was really good, much better than I expected, and I loved the combination of colorful ingredients that accompanied the sausage.

The restaurant is currently featuring a special menu for the Dine Out Vancouver event that runs until February 3, 2008 (view event website at Tourism Vancouver). Their Dine Out Vancouver menu is a complete three course meal that includes a soup or salad to start, a steak, chicken breast, or pasta as the main event, and fresh berries or chocolate cake for dessert, all for $25.00 (before tax, tip and drinks).

Chorizo sausage wrap served with salad for $7.95 (lunch special) 

This time I enjoyed the Mexican Corvina Sea Bass (pictured below, $18.99) which their menu describes as, “lightly fried, seasoned with red chile salts and fresh lime. Southwest rice, tiger prawns, fresh spinach, bell peppers, cilantro-lime broth”. The dish was nicely presented and very tasty!

Mexican Corvina Sea Bass

Half Caesar Salad ($4.00)

Penne pasta with chicken and mushrooms (around $12)

“Amarcord - a pleasant memory of good food, service and an Italian slice of life… The kitchen does gnocchi like nobody’s business – not too dense, just pillowy right… The tournedos of beef in a red wine sauce revealed its excellent quality when it came under the knife.”

And she wasn’t kidding about the gnocchi. I ordered the Gnocchi alla Reggiana which is soft gnocchi pasta served with Italian sausage, fresh tomato and basil sauce (pictured below, $12.95 at lunch), and this was a real treat – the sauce had just the right amount of garlic and tomato and left me wanting more. I also really enjoyed the Insalata alla Caprese, a salad made with Tomato, Bocconcini, and capers with fresh basil (also pictured below, $8.95 at lunch). Dinner prices are slightly more than lunch, around $16.95 for a pasta.

Gnocchi with Italian sausage served in a sauce made with fresh tomato, basil, and garlic.

Tomato and Bocconcini salad with fresh basil. Delicious and refreshing!

Their location in West Vancouver (at Park Royal Village, 855 Main Street, West Vancouver, BC, phone, 604-922-1707) also features live jazz by the Geoff Peters Trio on selected Tuesday nights. Please call the restaurant to confirm about the live music.

Prices for dinner entrees are in the $15-$25 range. I really enjoyed the Steelhead Salmon Entree (pictured below) as well as my favorite snacking items, the Westcoast pockets (also pictured below). The Chicken Jambalaya rice bowl (also pictured below) was tasty as well.

Cactus Club’s Steelhead salmon Entree – grilled to perfection!

Westcoast pockets – like sushi, but bigger and better.

Chicken Jambalaya rice bowl. A colorful melange of ingredients combine for a yummy taste experience.