Lucais Syme opens Cinara restaurant

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      Cinara (350 West Pender Street), chef Lucais Syme’s 40-seater European-style restaurant, opens tonight (March 28) for dinner. Syme is also the executive chef and owner of Yaletown’s La Pentola della Quercia. Here, he is co-owner with his wife, Gillian Book.

      “I love cooking so much, and at La Pentola, there’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, room service, catering, all sorts of stuff that I’m organizing way more than I’m physically cooking every dish,” Syme told the Georgia Straight in a previous interview. “I just want to be able to touch the food a little more on a small scale. I still love the idea of working with La Pentola and making it as good as it can be, but the hands-on thing I miss. The future of being able to do both will be great.”

      The menu at Cinara includes a variety of small plates ($2 to $12), appetizers, and mains ($13 to $27). Similar to dishes at La Pentola, the offerings at Cinara are perfect for sharing. Highlights include a salad of bitter lettuce and chicken livers; stuffed and grilled squid tossed with paccheri and olives; as well as braised rabbit legs served over black-eyed beans.

      An intriguing cocktail menu and sharply curated wine list provide excellent pairings—and a reason to grab a seat at the bar (with an unobstructed view of the restaurant’s open kitchen). A seat at several of Cinara’s round wooden tables, which are ideal for intimate family-style dining, can be fun for people watching. The restaurant’s bright corner location sits under the historic Victorian Hotel.

      Syme has confirmed that Cinara will eventually open for breakfast as well. Bucking current restaurant trends, Cinara accepts reservations.

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