Casa Mia Neighbourhood Cucina & Mercato is a brand new Italian spot in West Vancouver. It is from the same team who brought Sciué to Vancouver back in 2005. Casa Mia is the evolution of the original downtown concept of Sciué. Casa Mia will be open for breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner – it’s the perfect spot for any time in the day. It has a cozy and inviting vibe and I can definitely see it becoming a neighbourhood favourite. Check out my full review of Casa Mia below!
Casa Mia – Antipasti
To start we had a variety of antipasti:
- Vitello Tonnato
- Anchovy in Saor Toast
- Burrata
The Anchovy in Saor Toast ($15.00) features whipped lemon butter, raisins, pine nuts, house bread, pickled onions, parsley, tarragon, radish. This dish was my favourite of the night. It was so unique and something I have never tried before. The anchovies had a great texture and a slightly pickled taste that went so well with the sweet raisins and pickled onions. I could eat several of these and be very happy.
The Vitello Tonnato ($16.00) features shaved veal, tuna aioli, capers and house bread. I would never think to combine veal with tuna and this combination works. The creaminess of the aioli goes really well with the thin and soft slices of veal. Put that combo on their crusty and soft house made bread and you’ve got a winning combo.
The Burrata ($22.00) features house baked bread, red grape agro-dolce, olive oil. The burrata was fantastic as expected. Light, creamy and fresh. It went great with the house made bread.
Casa Mia – Primi and Pizze
For our mains we shared:
- Spaghetti alla Busara
- Bolognese
- Margherita Pizza
- Salami Pizza
The Bolognese ($26.00) features rigatoni, classic ragù, Parmigiano Reggiano, and olive oil. Rigatoni is one of my favourite pasta shapes and the ridges were great for holding onto the delicious ragù.
The Spaghetti alla Busara ($26.00) features wild shrimp, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, tomato sauce and butter. The sauce itself was tasty and I really like the snap of the wild shrimp and the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes. However, the pasta fell short for me because the spaghetti was very starchy and gummy.
The Margherita Pizze ($19.00) features tomato sauce, fior di latte, fresh basil, olive oil. It’s a classic and this one delivers. All the ingredients were fresh, simple and delicious. The crust on these pizzas are more on the crispier side – like a thin crust pizza. The Salami Pizze ($23.00) features tomato sauce, fennel salami, olives, oregano, mozzarella, and Grana Padano. This was a very cheesy pizza! If you’re a fan of the cheese pull this is the pizza for you.
Casa Mia – Dolci
For dessert we had all 3 desserts available:
- Tiramisù
- Affogato
- Panna Cotta
The Tiramisù ($11.00) features Italian mascarpone, lady finger cookies, espresso and cocoa. This was a great classic rendition. Thick and creamy mascarpone that wasn’t too sweet that was a great balance for the espresso soaked lady fingers. The Affogato ($9.00) features espresso, amarena cherry gelato, and an amaretti crumble. The Affogato is prepared tableside and it’s a fun little show. I didn’t try this as I was getting quite full, but my table really enjoyed it. The Panna Cotta ($9.00) featres a rich chocolate custard, caramelized white chocolate, and raspberry conserva. This was by far my favourite dessert of the night. I’m not usually a fan of panna cotta but this one was so rich and delicious and creamy. I kept going back for more!
Casa Mia Cucina and Mercato
Address: 2215 Marine Dr., West Vancouver
Telephone: 604-281-3313
Website: https://www.casamiacucina.ca/
