DALINA SERVES UP AFFORDABLE EATS IN A WELCOMING CHINATOWN SPACE
It’s pre-ordained, almost. Dalina, a café-deli store, is part of a new Bosa rental development at Main and Georgia and the Bosas have that bred-in-bone Italian connection to food. (Bosa Foods, another success story, is run by other members of the extended family.)
“The story behind the Dalina concept comes from the small villages or towns in places like Italy and Spain,” says general manager Toni Hulsch.
“You go into a café or bar, eat and drink and there’s also a grocery section. During the day, you go for breakfast or lunch and in the evening, you go for beer and food. And if you need groceries, it’s there, too. It’s open all day long.”
I’ve been to Dalina with a friend for a coffee and catch-up as well as for a quick dinner. I saw that village convergence when residents from the building bump into each other picking up food or groceries.
Unlike the old Chinatown, Dalina comes clad in Carrara marble with clinically white walls, dozens of copper pots hanging like bats from the ceiling, cool grey tiles (probably Italian), perfectly displayed retail goods including locally made products, and a deli and fresh foods counter.
The village aspect is not of small-town Italy or latter-day Chinatown; it is one of millennials with laptops and beards. I’m happy to see millennials in this habitat, as it speaks of their resilience in this unaffordable city. Hulsch says future Bosa developments will continue the Dalina (named after someone in the family called Lina) concept.
“For every new building, there will be a Dalina. The closest to completion is one on Oak and Broadway,” he says. In other words, the street-level tenant is under their control and branding. (Westbank is doing the same with the beautiful Alberni by Kengo Kuma project, slated for 2021, reserving ground floor space for a sibling to Tokyo’s twoMichelin star Waketokuyama kaiseki restaurant.)
The food at Dalina isn’t its strong suit, not that I was disappointed; let’s say I don’t drool upon thinking of it. What I did like was the bright, welcoming and chic space as well as the budget-minded quick eats. (Pazzo Chow, an Italian charmer not far away, runs on a similar concept, only in a more smaller, lowbrow, personality-driven way.)
More serious affordable eats abound within a block of the place but require more of your time, energy and money — Juke, Bao Bei, Kissa Tanto, Virtuous Pie, Pacific Poke, Sai Woo, Fat Mao, Bestie, and Mamie Taylor’s are part of the changing Chinatown.
At Dalina, the salads I tried (yellow beet and pickled apple and a squash and fennel, $5) were healthy and satisfying. My grilled veggie panini came with grilled peppers, melty cheese, salami, pesto and arugula ($9), and my husband’s pasta with tomato and sausage ($12) was a generous serving for the price. For about $50, we basically had a three-course meal, including a very good brownie and a Sue sour cherry and pistachio chocolate bar, made locally (and worth the indulgence). For breakfast, there are croissants of various kinds, scones, poached eggs, or avocado on toast.
They’re awaiting a liquor licence which will allow for a Prosecco or Negroni to go with a charcuterie platter. All the better on the patio to take in a long drink of this long-awaited summer.
From July 14 to August 6, 45 restaurants and bars embark on the Pride Crawl Fundraise, offering Pride-themed cocktails with proceeds directly benefiting the Dr. Peter Centre. They include Vancouver’s finest, like Blue Water Cafe, Market by Jean- Georges, The Keefer Bar and West. For a complete list, go to drpeter.org.
For every new building, there will be a Dalina. The closest to completion is one on Oak and Broadway.