by Andrew Morrison | I recently took a look inside the construction site of Next Door, the new Italian small plates eatery that is literally next door to its big brother, the award-winning Nicli Antica Pizzeria on East Cordova St. in Gastown. As you can see from the shots below, it’s quite different from its unsuccessful predecessor, Vicino Pastaria & Deli. For starters, the seating capacity has beautifully mushroomed from 16 to 50, which basically transforms the entire space, and it’ll be an evenings-only operation, Wednesday to Saturday.

The concept of shareable “cicchetti”-style small plates will likely fly better. Expect “stuzzichino” snacks like a “Not So Scotch Egg” (Italian sausage wrapped around fresh mozzarella stuffed with a runny egg yolk, served with a spicy egg white aioli), and small plates like Saltspring Island mussels with spicy Italian sausage in a tomato and white wine broth and house-made ricotta gnocchi with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. For drinks, expect classic Italian cocktails and 10 Italian wines by the glass. From the PR:

“Next Door is making the wait for Neapolitan pizza at Nicli that much more enjoyable. We want Next Door to become part of the Nicli experience -you can start with a drink and an appy at Next Door, then go next door to Nicli for pizza. We see Next Door as a place where you can come by for a pre-dinner drink and snack before doing a Gastown hop, or, if you are looking for a night out, order a few more plates and make an evening of it here,” says Nicli and Next Door General Manager Anthony Sterne. “Vancouverites have really taken to share-plate dining and it’s a concept that is very Italian. In Italy, they eat dinner much later than in North America. Evenings generally start by meeting friends for an aperitivo and light snacks followed by a full dinner later and ends with more wine and conversation with more friends. It’s a very social way of life. By opening Next Door, we are hoping to replicate that ‘dolce vita’ feeling.”

They were looking to open as soon as next Thursday, June 26th, but that might prove a little too ambitious. Either way, it looks and sounds like a worthwhile place to check out as soon as it’s unlocked. Stay tuned…

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