Welcome to the Track & Food podcast. Host Jamie Mah is a writer, bartender and sommelier in beautiful Vancouver, BC. With co-host Mickey McLeod, they take regular deep dives into everything food and culture in the city and around the globe.

In this episode we chat with two prominent hospitality veterans, Paul Grunberg and Romano Castillo. You probably first met them at Gastown’s L’Abattoir, where they helped to distinguish the restaurant as one of Vancouver’s best. A few years back, Paul and his partners ventured out on their own to open a trio of new restaurants. First up was Osteria Savio Volpe, an upscale Italian joint with one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city. Next came Pepino’s Spaghetti House and its next-door alimentari, Caffe La Tana. All three have emerged as classic representations of old school family dining, their top-notch operations overseen by Kaitlin Legge. Romano Castillo has been with Paul since his L’Abattoir days, working his way up from expo (then) to management (now).

Because of their longstanding working relationship, we wanted to talk to them about how they’ve dealt with the pandemic, shifting to delivery and takeout and how they plan to reopen their dining rooms. We also talked about the state of the restaurant community as a whole, sharing thoughts on wholesale liquor pricing, patio expansions, past experiences and much much more. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did.