Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca

Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca Restaurant Review:

Cioppino's multi-tasking chef-owner Giuseppe “Pino” Posteraro (who once cooked for Frank Sinatra) presides over the kitchen where he leads a tight brigade while also overseeing the dining room. Capturing strong, clear flavors in his cooking, Posteraro taps an innate ability to pair French-inspired, Mediterranean dishes with selections from his 1,400-plus-bottle wine cellar. Managers Celestino Posteraro and Massimo Piscopo manage the wine and keep the scene flowing. The chef named the sunny open-kitchen, open-concept dining room in Yaletown as a pun, melding his name onto that of the seafood stew, cioppino. Next door at Enoteca, there's a low-key wine bar with a busy rotisserie. Signature creations such as Tuscan-style dry-aged rib-eye steak with arugula and Parmesan, tender octopus with Tuscan white beans and spelt, and Nova Scotia "alla Genovese” lobster risotto draw diners to the side-by-side restaurants. For dessert, indulge in the classic Sicilian cannoli filled with light ricotta cream and mascarpone sorbet or the organic lemon tart with red berry compote and Italian meringue. Service is professional.