I have written about squid in these pages before.
They are creatures about which I am terribly conflicted. Their awesomeness is undeniable.
Squid are formidable hunters, for example. Tentacles thrusting in mesmerizing unison, they propel themselves through the depths of the cold, dark sea, silently stalking fish, crab and shrimp, capturing them in a lethal, suction-aided embrace and consuming them alive with their grinder-like tongues.
Humboldt squid, a large species found off our own local waters, apparently hunt co-operatively to the benefit of the entire shoal, suggesting a degree of pragmatic intelligence. Humans have a long-standing fascination with squid, creating lore and legend around them, from the mythic Kraken of icy Scandinavian waters to the absurdly long-tentacled monsters of campy, drive-in B-movies.
For our immediate purposes, it is also key to mention that squid are very tasty. And herein lies my conflict: I respect squid and marvel at their fearsome symmetry, but I also love to eat them and consider them to be one of the ocean’s greatest culinary gifts. Perhaps that is why I feel so frustrated when I encounter an insipid dish of calamari, rubbery and heavily breaded, deep fried until dark brown and oily. Such an abomination shows inadequate respect for its subject.
Happily, there are some local examples of exceptionally prepared squid. Among them, arguably vying for the coveted title of Best Squid in Show, is the overwhelmingly delicious Sicilian Calamari offered by Trattoria Italian Kitchen at Park Royal, the newest restaurant to open in the Glowbal Group’s formidable lineup of higher-end restaurants.
I first fell in love with this dish at the original Italian Kitchen on Alberni Street. It is a beautiful preparation of thin, approximately two-inch ribbons of squid that have been lightly battered and fried until golden, served atop a chunky tomato, caper and olive sauce with a subtle chili heat. It is a stupendous dish that is always generously portioned and makes an ideal appetizer for the whole table. I was thrilled to learn that the new Trattoria Italian Kitchen, recently opened in the Park Royal South expansion, features this treasured dish.
I visited Trattoria one recent sunny Sunday with my wife DJ and our two children, The Boy and Blondie. Despite a queue that snaked outside the doorway (Trattoria does not take reservations), we only had to wait 15 minutes for a table situated on the restaurant’s glorious rooftop patio, a wonderful al fresco dining destination in its own right, featuring stone walls and ivy, bright umbrellas, heaters and even blankets for the easily chilled.
While I lost myself momentarily in the combination of Sicilian Calamari and a glass of crisp, fruit-forward Vermentino wine, DJ enjoyed an appetizer of burrata with leeks. Burrata, for the uninitiated, means “buttered” in Italian and refers to a specific style of fresh mozzarella finished with cream, giving the cheese a soft, spongey quality and deep richness.
Trattoria offers a sub-menu of various burrata dishes, which feature prosciutto, melon, tomato, and radicchio. DJ’s appetizer was an indulgent creation of burrata with grainy mustard, breadcrumbs and tender, pale green leeks served atop herb crostini.
As parents, DJ and I were delighted to encounter a children’s menu replete with thoughtful options designed to appeal to kids while still preserving the integrity of the restaurant’s concept. Far too often a restaurant’s children’s menu is a rote assemblage of pedestrian fast food fare, completely divorced from the main menu, cynically pre-supposing that kids won’t even try fresh and creative cooking.
The Boy completely cleaned his plate of penne pasta in Parmesan-laden pomodoro sauce while Blondie reached the threshold of her four-year-old appetite halfway through a very tasty dish of spaghetti Bolognese; these meals were $6 and $7 respectively.
Inspired by the familiar calamari flavour, I chose another perennial favourite as a main: truffled spaghetti with Trattoria’s signature meatballs.
This dish is the only spaghetti preparation I will routinely order in a restaurant as it positively transcends all reasonable expectations one might have of spaghetti, revealing decadent, deep and complex flavours. A portion of al dente spaghetti is coated in thick, heady truffle cream sauce and topped with a dollop of soft, sweet and salty fresh ricotta cheese with herbs.
Nestled next to the pasta are three giant, truffle-scented meatballs in pomodoro tomato sauce. The combination of fresh, tart tomato, creamy cheese, earthy truffle and hearty meatballs is inspired and is, with good reason, a house signature dish.
DJ requested a custom creation of homemade gnocchi in spicy pomodoro sauce with fresh arugula, which was lovely in its simplicity and was substantial enough to provide a full second meal.
Our bill for two appetizers, two adult mains, two kids’ mains, and two glasses of wine, was $106 before gratuity. Trattoria Italian Kitchen is located at Park Royal South in West Vancouver.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
