Back in the summer, my husband asked where I wanted to go for my birthday, I really put some thought into it and decided on the Bistro at Chaberton Winery. I was thrilled at the idea and went onto their website to scout out the menu (as I often do before going to a new place). Except I discovered the restaurant wasn’t open that evening. Instead of pulling out my tiny violin, I gave it some more thought, and a quick peruse on Yelp, we climbed in our car and headed for Pasta Vino Trattoria & Bar.
THE GREETING
We were seated in a quiet corner and were promptly greeted by our server. She was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the sensitivities of those (me!) who deal with a gluten allergy. A server’s knowledge of possible food allergens within the menu is my make or break when it comes to tipping. I don’t expect every restaurant to have gluten free or even gluten friendly options, but I do expect that staff have clear and knowledgeable answers to those that ask questions. Our server passed with flying colours!
After taking our drink order, we were served oil and vinegar done table-side for our bread basket. Unfortunately they didn’t serve gluten free bread in the basket but my husband said that the delicious house-made Parmesan crusted bread that only he was able to eat was amazing (insert jealousy here).
The peculiar part about the bread basket was the number of pieces: 3. Was that a normal serving amount for a table? Even if I was able to eat it, how would we have split that evenly? We were perplexed.
ENTER: THE FOOD
Our food arrived and it took everything in me not to start eating immediately. Bloggers must take pictures! Ugh, it’s so cliché yet necessary.
I ordered the pan roasted chicken with gluten free penne in a mushroom sauce and seasonal vegetables. The mushroom sauce stole the show. It was rich and had a depth of flavour that I would never be able to replicate at home. It was creamy and delicious and I enjoyed every single bite. The seasoning on the chicken was good but the cook itself was just ok, it tasted just a touch dry. But after tasting the heavenly mushroom penne it’d be pretty hard for a simple roasted chicken to stand out.
For vino, I paired the dish with the Mark West Pinot Noir from California. It had a medium body, a tad heavier than I was expecting but it was actually a great duo with the silky mushroom sauce. It had a even balance of raspberry and black cherry against the vanilla oak. If I’m being picky, I prefer a slightly more fruit forward pinot but all in all it was very enjoyable.
My husband had Gnocchi, as he does whenever it’s on a menu. His report: ‘it’s good!’
OVERALL…
Pasta Vino Trattoria & Bar provided a thoroughly enjoyable experience! We’d definitely visit again if we find ourselves in the area. It’s a solid option for the South Surrey community but for us, it’s tough to justify a 25 minute drive south when a 25 minute north gets us to a plethora of options in Vancouver.
THE SCORES
Service: Aces
Ambience: Enjoyable
Food: On Point
Wine Pairing: I Got Lucky
Wine Menu: The by-the-glass menu could have been a bit more expansive (especially for an Italian restaurant) but had some good options. Also, the wine menu isn’t available online. Negative points for cork dorks like me.
Parking: Free