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La Ghianda
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Sandwiches Italian, Sandwiches [Edit]
2083 Alma StVancouver, BC V6R 4N6
Neighbourhood: Point Grey
(604) 566-9559
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 11 am - 6 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
13 reviews for La Ghianda
Review Highlights
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"They offer cheese,pasta sauce, olive oil, bread and meats..." In 3 reviews -
"Sister shop to La Quercia around the corner." In 3 reviews -
"A very simple "cafe", with great food." In 6 reviews
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13 reviews in English
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Review from Ed K.
Vancouver, BC
11/23/2011
I'm torn about writing a review for this one. It is pretty much my favourite place to eat and at super reasonable prices.
This place deserves Five Stars for all the right reasons.
Let try and keep this one a local secret. -
Review from Justin L.
8/7/2011
By the time I decided to drop by La Ghianda for a quick Friday lunch, it was already about 2:30 p.m. And the place was packed! Mind you, it doesn't take many people to fill the few tables and chairs here. I managed to find a seat outside, but it's not the most pleasant outdoor seating, with Alma and a bus stop right there.
The food is simple and satisfying. Even with the small chalkboard menu, I had trouble deciding because everything sounded good. The girl behind the counter wasn't helpful in narrowing down my choices either, because she loved everything on the menu. All lunch dishes about $10-12. Very casual, cafe-style system: order at counter, they bring you your food.
I went with the OROCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE RAGU, served with a delicious piece of rustic bread. It gave me a few moments of bliss -- yes, despite the bus stop crowd, speeding cars, and passersby surrounding me. Each piece of pasta was like a tiny bowl lifting up the tasty sauce to my mouth. I hope the pasta felt like it had fulfilled its purpose in life -- because I was one happy man.Listed in: Good Sandwich
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Review from Herman E.
10/20/2011
Sister shop to La Quercia around the corner.
A very simple "cafe", with great food. What's not to like? More seats maybe, but I cannot complain about the food or the staff. -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 3/23/2011 8 photos
* Oh my - now with lamb! *
Ok, I've truly been enjoying this little cafe and the high quality Italian food they produce. But they have now gone over the top. They have combined my love for good Italian with my passion for lamb. Oh my!
On my most recent visit my eyes widened as I saw the chalk board with the magic four letters: L-A-M-B. Woo hoo!
They apparently get the whole animal and butcher it themselves too!!!! Wow!
The roast lamb sandwich came on their classic housemade bread which has a beautifully crunchy crust and a chewy centre (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). The lamb was roasted perfectly in large tender chunks and then combined with a complex sauce. From what I could tell some of the ingredients in the sauce were dijon, a hint of mayo, olives, and anchovies. It all came together beautifully. I also tasted a hint of rosemary to accent the sauce. Close-up photo of the wonderfully tender lamb: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
In my ever celebratory lamb find state I just had to also try their cannoli, which I've seen on the chalk board many times but never ventured to try. They do not pre-prepare these. After you order them they quickly do fresh piping of the filling. The tubes were nice and light - sometimes cannoli can be too heavy, but these were delicious. Because they fill them to order the shells also perfectly retained their crispness. The ricotta filling nicely contrasted the crunch of the shell. There were slivers of orange peel in the filling as well to add a citrus overtone. Very nicely executed. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
This has to be my favourite cafe in Vancouver by far now that they have added lamb to the menu sometimes!Listed in: Which wich is which?, Vancouver European Food, Mary had a little lamb, and I…, Vancouver Dumplings
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/24/2011
* Great sandwiches too! *
I continue to love this spot. In addition to excellent pasta dishes (be… Read more »
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Review from Danielle R.
Whistler, BC
2/22/2011
An Italian Cafe with very friendly customer service and an amazing assortment of food.
They offer cheese,pasta sauce, olive oil, bread and meats to buy, along with their daily menu to go.
The Soups are amazing and the price isn't bad at $6.
The paninis were less impressive because they are not filled with too many veggies. Mainly a meat and one ingredient sort of sandwich- for the hefty price of $10.
The pasta looks amazing- haven't tried it yet. Along with many other items on the menu.
I love the feel of this place when it isn't too busy, but when it gets busy you almost feel guilty for staying too long because there is maximum 15 seats and it has already turned into a popular place.
Put this on your Vancouver places to try, even if you only have time to take something to go. -
Review from Daniel L.
11/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I stopped in for some famous pasta sauce to go for my next lazy meal at home and guess what its lunch time and theres a special I need to test try Scrambled eggs with brisket hash, super yellow creamy eggs & potato beef hash yum yum.. OH NO as I do a u-turn on my way out cant forget to buy their Famous Fresh baked Ciabatta Bread Loaf Oh and and and a fluffy tasty veg mini quiche lorraine for the road...
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Review from Cathy S.
3/1/2011
As someone who eats a limited variety of meat I can still usually find a vegetarian option at almost any place I go. I had to leave without ordering any food the first time I went to La Ghianda because all of their paninis, pastas and quiche contained mammals. They did have one soup and a couple of salads that were vegetarian but they did not appeal to me.
I was glad I went back and tried again because their food is really delicious. Their panini (ciabatta) bread is perfection - a nice crispy outside and chewy inside. I've got their number now to call ahead and see what they are offering up that day so I won't waste a trip. -
Review from Suiki S.
Vancouver, BC
3/31/2011 4 photos
Food - 4 stars
Ambiance - 3 stars
Décor - 3 stars
Service - N/A
Value - 3 1/2 stars
La Quercia is my favourite Italian restaurant in Vancouver - their Alla Famiglia 9 course menu is heavenly. When I discover they opened La Ghianda kitty corner to their restaurant - I was more than excited to try it out. La Ghianda, located on Alma on the corner of West 4th offers affordable Italian deli meals for dine in or take out. Their menu changes daily offering soups, salads, quiches, pastas, paninis, mains and desserts. There are about 10 daily meal options to choose from - it is a simple and focused menu. The décor is Italian rustic and the ambiance is casual with limited seating; therefore, it is not ideal for dine in of large groups. La Ghianda also offers cheese and La Quercia's menu items such as pasta sauce, braised meats and pre-packed meals for sale.
I arrived at La Ghianda for lunch at 12:30 pm on a Thursday and there is a lineup out the door - Crazy. On the menu today, we had
Lentil Pancetta Soup $6 - Very creamy, rich and flavourful. Loved the pancetta.
Scaloppine al Limone $10 - This main course features thinly sliced veal with side vegetables - the meat is very moist and tender.
Vitella Tonnato Panini $10 - Veal Panini with creamy tuna pasta and capers. The bread is very good - ever so soft and slightly chewy with a toasty crust. The only negative is that there is very little meat and too much bread.
Apple Strudel $4 - This is a MUST TRY - Simply delicious loaded with apples.
Overall, I enjoyed the food at La Ghianda but due to the small dining room and very limited seating; I would recommend arriving early or take out. -
Review from James L.
Vancouver, BC
3/28/2011
Rustic Italian cafe with good value selection of items. A bonus that all their prices include tax!
Spaghetti bottarga was very al dente, tasty and simple. I really should have ordered the pork scallopine with lemon and capers - great value for $10. The proscuitto cotto panini was not bad, but I was hoping for a hot sandwich - I'll make sure to ask next time.
Seating is limited and communal, so don't be fussed if you need to share a table! -
Review from Randy K.
Vancouver, BC
6/8/2011
Great addition to the Kits dining scene! If you want a leisurely, relaxing lunch... go elsewhere. The style here is more crowded, boisterous, manic-Italian. There often isn't enough seating to accommodate the crowd, so you (hopefully) feel obligated to vacate your communal seating soon after you finish eating. Just don't stick around too long - I may be waiting for your seat.
So why come here? The food is excellent and a great value. I've eaten at LaG about 20 times - loved every single thing I've had here. Menu structure is wondefully simple: 10 bucks gets you a choice of 3 pastas, 3 panini, or 3 meat+veg. There's also a couple of soups and several sides. The options change often, and the staff is always willing to make suggestions.
They do a great job with espressos/cappuccinos. Don't miss the strudel.
So if you can handle sharing a table with strangers, bumping elbows, and feeling a bit rushed, the food more than compensates. And if you can't handle that, get your stuff to-go!
They also offer a nice selection of prepared foods to go (pasta sauces, cooked meat and veg, excellent fresh bread, etc). -
Review from Lee N.
Vancouver, BC
5/15/2011
Great place for a bite in the afternoon. they have a wide selection of specials and sandwiches. Try one of the juice blends.
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Review from QandD Q.
12/31/2010
Very nice little Italian place.
Gnocchi with tomato sauce -- very good, light gnocchi.
Sunchoke soup -- very good
We also tried various baked goods and sandwiches , all very good.
They get their cured meats from Oyama - a big plus.
Return visit a month later: They only get better. Tried two soups , Penne, roasted eggplants -- all vert good. -
Review from Matthew T.
Vancouver, BC
3/9/2011
You know the old idiom, "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree"? Well, apparently the same is true about the Acorn. La Quercia's little sister, La Ghianda (Acorn in Italian) is a phenomenal deli style, sit-in or take-out restaurant that lives up to the reputation of one of Vancouver's finest Italian kitchens. The food here is exceptional, the service; warm & friendly, all at surprisingly reasonable prices. Several daily pasta, salad & soup options are available and those of the pastas I've tried are second only to their somewhat more sophisticated predecessors found across 4th Ave at La Quercia. But if you only try one thing perhaps it makes sense to go for one of their incredible sandwiches, the key ingredient of these being the fresh made, in-house bread which is better than any I've tried in the city and is available by the loaf as well for only $4. The sandwiches are rich and massive and filled with fresh, flavorful ingredients that will make your head spin. I'm not sure you will find a sandwich like this anywhere else in Vancouver. Even after enjoying a light Penne with Tomato sauce, I could not resist several bites of a diabolically tempting meatball panini that totally blew me away. I very much look forward to trying their brunch, and conveniently, if La Quercia is too full to fit you in, I noticed this awesome little place offers a dinner hour between 5 & 6 pm. Be warned, La Ghianda closes Mondays.
