Chef Calvin Vogstad has taken over 1869 Powell Street (formerly home to Straight & Marrow) to open Angela Pastificio, an Italian restaurant with a focus on handmade pasta.

Angela Pastificio’s address falls between Andrea Gail to the west and Niwa, Nero Tondo, and El Compa to the east, making it part of an interesting and diverse block of recently opened restaurants.

This may mark Vogstad’s first solo venture, but he’s no rookie. Vogstad spent six years under Adam Pegg at La Quercia, a restaurant respected for its Northern Italian cooking and dedication to traditional pasta making – which is another way of saying that he’s coming into this project with a solid foundation.

On a snowy afternoon last week, I stopped by to take a look around. Though the space was deep in the throes of being dismantled in preparation for a refresh, Vogstad took some time to walk me through the space and explain his vision…

We began with his background in the kitchen. When I asked Vogstad about his history in the restaurant industry, he told me how much he enjoys the work. “I’m so lucky I found restaurants. I love it. I like working late. I like working long hours,” he said.

“Do you like being in the weeds?” I asked. “Totally,” he admits. “But I also like setting myself up to succeed by being prepared when the pressure is on.” There’s something about his demeanour that makes me not doubt this at all – important, because the kitchen is so tight that more than two people would be a crowd. But the La Quercia kitchen isn’t exactly sprawling, either, so working in close confines is familiar to both Vogstad and Nolan Bayliss, his co-chef at Angela. The space is so small, in fact, that restroom access at cuts straight through the kitchen — an odd layout for Vancouver, but one that Vogstad is used to, as La Quercia also had this set up. I’ve always secretly loved this scenario because it allows for a very brief eye on the kitchen action and, if you’re lucky, a smile or nod of recognition from the chef. On the floor, seating will also be concise, with just 20 seats: four at the bar, a four-top in the window, and a handful of deuces, tucked into the 960-square-foot space. Angela could have more seats, but Vogstad doesn’t want them. He’s keeping seating as minimal as possible for a reason.

The ultimate goal is to channel the warmth of real-deal Italian cooking: sauces bubbling low and slow, bread torn and shared, wine flowing. Honest food meant to be eaten with good people, and without pretence. At the centre of it all will be a pasta tasting menu — multi-course, all hand rolled, nothing extruded.

“Once a restaurant reaches a certain size, handmade pasta has to come off the menu. There just isn’t enough time to spare when you’ve got 70 seats and 140 turns a night to justify keeping someone on deck solely for the intricate styles of pasta I want to make,” Vogstad says. “It doesn’t compute from a labour perspective.”

“But shout out to Adam [Pegg] — not only did he teach us…” (here, Vogstad is referring to himself and Bayliss, who also spent six years at La Quercia) “…how to make this style of pasta, but he also created the space for it. I love this kind of work, and I think I can design a system that makes it viable.”

Translation: there’s a method to this madness, and he’s building a space where that method can thrive.

Specific menu details are still in the works, but given Vogstad and Bayliss’s pedigree, there’s no doubt it’ll all come together seamlessly. On the wine side, a yet-to-be-publically-named sommelier will be joining the team to curate a solid, quality-over-quantity list of primarily Italian vintages, from both the Northern and Southern regions. Vogstad hinted at the possibility of including a few BC bottles as well, but only “if they truly make sense with the food.” He’s not chasing a fine dining feel; the goal is a casual, rustic, and connected space, and the wine list will follow suit: approachable, satisfying, and built for a good time.

As the menu and wine list take shape, the restaurant itself is being built with just as much care, both in its physical design and the quieter influences that define its character.

Though Vogstad is the face of the project, Angela’s aesthetic evolution has been just as much shaped by his life partner, Paola Zorrilla Steenbock, whose behind-the-scenes work has been integral to bringing it to life. Vogstad points out that this influence is fitting, as there’s a quiet femininity woven into the restaurant’s vision, a reflection of the incredible women who have shaped his life and career. That vision and femininity will be evident in the branding, which is in the always capable hands of Glasfurd & Walker.

Renovations have just begun, but with no structural changes planned, the turnaround time could be [knock on wood] mercifully short. They’re aiming for a spring opening. (Chairs are expected to arrive in April.)

As we talk, the remnants of Straight & Marrow are being stripped away, including the old 12-seat bar top that’s been in place since the space’s Bistro Wagon Rouge days. I glance down at it, now lying at my feet and waiting to be hauled out. I’ve had many a glass of wine at that bar, and seeing it go feels like the end of something. But as much as I’ll miss it, I’ve got no doubt that with Angela Pastificio, Vogstad is about to bring something seriously special in its place, and I can’t wait to see it take shape.

NOTE: Angela Pastifico’s Instagram (here) account is currently empty,
…but if you follow along, you’ll be among the first to see their branding when it lands soon.

Angela Pastificio

Neighbourhood: Railtown Japantown

1869 Powell St.