Quattro on Fourth

I'm getting lazy. Nowadays, I find myself more inclined to blog only if the food somewhere is horrendously bad or amazingly good. Consider this the latter. Upon our return from E-town, Hubbs took me to dinner at Quattro on Fourth. I'm not sure where he heard about the place from (I think it was Vancouver magazine) but he really wanted good Italian, so we made a reso and off we went.

Secluded behind shrubbery, the corner location of Quattro on 4th makes it very cozy and intimate. We were one of only 5-6 tables there (late Sun. night) and so the service was attentive, though I found the dishes did take a bit of waiting.

Hubbs & I both did appies and pasta; he had the crab & sablefish cakes to start, followed by the famous Spaghetti Quattro. I had the grilled radicchio bocconcini followed by their house-made gnocchi with bbq duck confit. Both of our appies were delicious, though I think I liked mine a bit more than Hubbs' given that I found his cakes a bit salty for my tastes; my radicchio was well-grilled and the cheese inside was just a bit gooey, making it a great texture contrast to the slightly crisped lettuce.

I also loved my gnocchi (a seasonal dish); it was tender, and a perfect flavouring complement to the duck and the bacon and the peas. It also wasn't too heavy, but was seasoned and spiced in such a way that upon reheating leftovers, I had my colleagues drooling ;) Hubbs can't stop thinking about his spaghetti, which is made with minced chicken breast, black beans, and a garlicky tomato coating. I hesitate to say sauce because it wasn't saucy so much as it was a flavoured olive oil, though it did have chunks of tomato in it. Hubbs loved it. I believe it's the best spaghetti he has ever had (that's what he says, anyway).

So far, this has been our favourite Van Italian eatery. It was romantic, upscale (but not ridiculous - think about $20 for pasta entrees), and the food was tasty. Service was professional and friendly without the server pretending to be our friend (I hate when they do that). Quattro on 4th is a great "special occasion" or romantic date restaurant, and we'll definitely be back soon. :)

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5