March 16, 2011

The BiBo Italian Restaurant x Grand Opening Party x Kitsilano

The BiBo Italian Restaurant grand opening party on West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano on March 15, 2011.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

I was more than a little famished when I arrived on the scene.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

I gobbled up some appetizers readily including some exotic (to me) veggies of pickled and cold prepared variety.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

They were quite edible.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The cheeses and sliced meats with bread were very good as well as the assorted Italian items.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

I enjoyed the diversity and attention to detail in the food quality.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The joint was buzzing with the sweet smells of Italiano. Everything was so "Italian". The owners Lorenzo Bottazzi and Andrea Bini  were vibrant with their pin-striped suits, thick accents, coiffed hair, and zeal for food.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

I also adored the fact that they played the Italian cinematic masterpiece on two massive televisions in the background.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

From olive oil, olives, wine, cheese, pizza, pasta, everything was authentic Italian to the nth degree.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The attention to detail was so great. It felt like a slice of Italy right on West 4th Avenue in rainy Vancouver.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The pizza was super authentic with thin bread and cooked in a visible wood oven fire.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

I was told that the owners especially recruited their pizza chef from Naples going through the whole immigration process and that he had only been in the country a few short months, speaking not a lick of English.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The pastas were incredible. I was impressed with their diversity from veggies, to mushroom, to cheese and pesto and so on.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

They did very little talking or selling. The food, atmosphere, and service spoke for itself.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The space was cleared out with plenty of room to mingle and lounge. I liked the setup a lot. Nice and open. The service was also stellar.  The staff were very friendly, knowledgeable, fast, attentive, and sharp.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

My only complaint would probably be that there was too much food and I filled up on appies. Seriously, the entrées were never ending.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

Oh my goodness. I love, love dessert and these desserts were stellar. The solid creme was intriguing, but the tiramisu was delicious with its sauciness and espresso flavour.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The chocolate and flaun were also scrumptious. However, the chocolate pizza was insanely amazing with its rich, melty Nutella goodness.

The BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

Everything was superb and authentic. I chatted with maestro gelatiere James Coleridge from Bella Gelateria and he marvelled at the owners' expertise and commitment to authenticity.

The BiBo Restaurant | KitsilanoThe BiBo Restaurant | Kitsilano

The event was well hosted and organized and the food was ample and superb. I left so very full.

The BiBo on Urbanspoon

8 reactions:

Rick Chung said...

Hi Miss M,

I don't consider myself a food or restaurant reviewer at all. Frankly, besides liking food, I'm just not qualified. I simply relayed their opening night which I thought was great. And in all fairness to The BiBo, they invited to come back and do a proper review of their restaurant. I haven't done so because I'm not entirely comfortable with doing food reviews under circumstances where I'm expected to review, because of the aforementioned reasons.

I can only report on my own experiences from that night. I'm well aware that they had a lot of incentive to be extra cordial that night, but I'm going to punish them for it. I expect my readers to take those factors in when reading. Just like you can only talk about what you experienced, I can only speak to mine. I trust the owners will take your comments to heart.

Thanks for the comment.

Rick Chung said...

Amazeballs! The gnocchi and desserts.... Mmmmm....

Rick Chung said...

I love pasta! All the dishes look so tasty! Can't wait to try!

Rick Chung said...

Beautiful stuff there. I love the atmosphere you captured in those images. Now I've got to head down and try it all!

Rick Chung said...

Warning: your posts incite hunger.

Rick Chung said...

On behalf of the owners of The Bibo – Lorenzo and Andrea – we are sorry to hear that you’ve had a negative experience at the restaurant. Lorenzo – the gentleman who joined your discussion with the waiter – is extremely passionate about his restaurant and food and wanted to quickly resolve your concerns about the pizza. We apologize if you felt his manner was not appropriate to the situation.

Please note that the owners take feedback very seriously. They’re aware that the Neapolitan style of pizza they offer may not be familiar to all Vancouverites but hope the flavours and blends will appeal to the majority of their guests. Lorenzo and Andrea extend their apologies to you and invite you to join them again at your convenience for a glass of wine while you taste-test the latest incarnation of their beloved pizza.

Blogger Relations & Care
Natasha N Davies

Rick Chung said...

Do you think reviewing a restaurant on its opening premier night is a fair evaluation? I think if professional restaurant reviewers based their opinions on a night where they received free food, booze and extra service, their opinions wouldn’t be valid. I suggest try going there on a regular night.

The owner's aggressive behavior has been noted in several reviews and maybe he should take note and take a communications workshop. Bibo has notoriously bad service, ungracious hosts and inedible food. The manager/ owner is incompetent and incapable of properly managing a restaurant and placating patrons whose needs aren’t being met on a basic service level. In a city full of amazing Italian food and equally wonderful hosts, Bibo doesn’t make the cut.

Rick Chung said...

I was at Bibo on Tuesday March 22nd for dinner. We had red wine by the glass and decided to share Gnocchi with meat rage and a Boccone Pizza. The Gnocchi was cooked well, but the sauce was average in regards to the flavor. The Pizza was tasty but was almost floating in oil. We had asked for extra Parmesan cheese, and once we emptied the cheese from the side dish, we filled it with the oil that we drained off the pizza plate (there was that much). I have not been to Italy, and also admit I have never had a pizza experience like this.

I mentioned to the server (Julie) that the pizza was good, but far too oily. She did not acknowledge the complaint or do anything about it. When it came time to pay the bill, another male server came to settle the bill. He asked how the meal was and I told him about the oily pizza. Behind the server, this man in pedestrian clothing (jeans and jacket) interrupted the conversation and wanted to explain to me why the pizza was so wet and oily. Having no idea who this guy was that so rudely interrupted our conversation, I told him I was not interested in what he had to say. I thought he was from the table behind us.

The guy that interrupted my conversation then dimmed the lights – so despite the lack of professional attire, I realized he worked there. I wondered how on earth this guy could have interrupted my conversation without identifying who he was, or introducing himself. I asked out waiter who he was _ and she said he was the owner.

I asked to speak with him. He approached the table and I told him how rude he was to speak over his employee and to interrupt our conversation without introducing himself or revealing his position. He did not really seem to care one way or the other, and seemed more satisfied by telling me that we have free speech and are entitled to our own opinions.

I am not sure what happened to the pin striped suits that we saw at the opening, but I think they went out with the style and class.

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