When you speak to Chef Pino Posteraro of famed restaurant Cioppino’s in Vancouver, Canada, it’s unclear as to whether you’re talking to a chef or an artist. Everything that Posteraro does in the kitchen is a blend of his traditional Italian roots and the inner workings of a creative mind that is never at rest.
“My cuisine is personalized and is deeply rooted in tradition but focused on evolution and the future. I use a lot of modern techniques that reflect my culture and roots but are tailored to 2020. I want people to have a unique experience,” said Posteraro.
Linguine with lobster
For those not in the know (you should be), Chef Pino is like a celebrity in hiding. He’s been honored by his home country as a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy (Italian Knighthood) for his contributions to Italian culture internationally. He has competed on the hit show “Iron Chef.” And his restaurant was once a stomping ground for the late great Anthony Bourdain. Chef Pino also boasts the highly coveted three-fork’s rating from Italian food and wine magazine Gambero Rosso, which is tantamount to an Italian version of the Michelin Guide. So, yes, you should know Chef Pino.
Posteraro grew up in Lago, Italy and got the taste for cooking in the same way most Italian chefs do, through his mother. But to the surprise of many, the chef originally was enrolled in medical school before following his true passion in the kitchen. After cooking in Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star joints around the world, Chef Pino settled in Vancouver where he opened Cioppino’s (a portmanteau of ‘Ciao’ and ‘Pino’), where he’s able to express his artistically traditional food in different ways every single day.
Gnocchi al pomodoro
“Each day I have certain ingredients that are different. So besides having a regular menu I have a creative menu that I do for guests who ask me to cook in a way where I can just create. And none of that will be on the menu. It’s an expression of the inner self, an expression of art.”
Using a bit of off-time because of the Covid-19 shutdown, the chef/artist completed a multi-million-dollar renovation and is once again operating at full capacity (proof that the world isn’t ending after all – at least not in Vancouver). The restaurant itself has a rustic appeal, though with white linens and a well-tailored waitstaff that conjures small town trattoria and fine-dining eatery equally. Traveling through Pino’s menu has the same dichotomy as you’ll find pappardelle al guanciale di vitello e porcini with four-hour braised veal cheeks or risotto ai funghi with a medley of mushrooms next to a deconstructed Caprese that can only be found on a specially tailored menu that Pino might’ve thought to make that night. What sets Cioppino’s apart, is that Posteraro treats every meal like a blank canvas. His paints are the seasonal ingredients he brings in from the local markets and his inspiration is deep in the recesses of his mind.
Spaghetti ai funghi
“I am Italian 100%, but I didn’t want to build just another Italian restaurant. I wanted to make sure that tradition didn’t get in the way of my creativity. It’s a personalized cuisine that represents an evolution, gastronomically and culturally from a person who has traveled and worked around the world and now has roots on the west coast of Canada,” said Posteraro.
Ultimately, Chef Pino credits his three-fork rating and international accolades to not opening a dozen other restaurants around the world. As he puts it, “I believe in the old way of being a chef and that is to be in the restaurant. I admire chefs with multiple restaurants, but I’m not that kind of person.” As a result, any visitor to Cioppino’s can all but guarantee that the artist will be in the kitchen, creating something original that will look as good as it tastes and gives you an experience no other diner had before you.