Italian For Beginners

A trip to the old country was out of our budgets….

So we opted for Italian at Railtown’s latest spot. The people behind Pourhouse and Pizzeria Farina chose a quiet corner beneath a sleepy row of trees for Ask for Luigi, a casual eatery serving rustic, no-nonsense Italian–with a twist. While the suppli al telefono (fried risotto balls) ($9), homemade pasta and gathered white curtains are straight out of Nonna’s kitchen, the minimalist wood decor, fried cauliflower with aioli ($10) and gluten-free pasta option keep the place cool enough for its tech startup clientele. An afternoon in the sun-drenched room sharing plates family-style and washing it all down with $6 tumblers of vino left us feeling as if we’d driven out to the campagna for lunch with the locals.

And we didn’t even miss Mario. —Lise Boullard

305 Alexander St., Vancouver, 604-428-2544, www.askforluigi.com