Angela Pastificio softly opens at 1869 Powell Street this week, marking the solo debut of Chef Calvin Vogstad. Vogstad, alongside co-chef Nolan Bayliss, is bringing authentic Northern Italian cooking to a growing neighbourhood restaurant hub that already includes Andrea Gail, Niwa, Nero Tondo, and El Compa.

The intimate, dinner-only space blends warmth with modern aesthetics, but not in a studied way. Large, round pendant lights illuminate the room beneath a burnt terracotta ceiling; while eclectic artwork hangs on the wall above the banquet seating and single row of tables. Opposite this, a simple, minimally stocked bar with a mirrored backdrop runs the restaurant’s length, offering diners perched there a discreet but full view of the activity behind them. Toward the back of the room, and under a line of copper pots, the pasta-making station is the natural focal point. It’s anchored by a pasta machine and a wall-mounted board of neatly arranged tools. Just beyond that, the open kitchen adds an engaging, and immersive layer to the whole layout.

Overall, the space feels easy: polished around the edges, but not in a way that makes you overly conscious of your surroundings. It’s comfortable, inviting you to effortlessly drop into your meal.

The food moves in lockstep with the room (or perhaps it’s the other way around) by being neither over-the-top nor fussy, just quietly nice. The concise menu offers a mix of salads, salumi, four fresh pastas made to order, and a risotto. That’s not to suggest that the techniques involved are overly simple; the only thing that’s uncomplicated is what arrives in front of you. Your salad and bowl of tagliatelle with ragù appear exactly as they sound. Everything is straightforward, but impeccably done. For those seeking a full experience, at $89 the seven-course pasta tasting menu is compelling, although à la carte options are equally enticing. Antipasti choices like gnocchi fritto, anchovy toast, and prosciutto di Parma sit alongside fresh salads and primi dishes such as gnocchi alla bolognese and a generously portioned risotto for the table ($75). However, handmade pasta — rolled, filled, and cut to order — remains the undisputed star; a brave undertaking for what I anticipate will quickly become a busy spot.

On my visit, we began our meal with cocktails, choosing Angela’s Paper Plane (Canadian whisky, Aperol, Amaro Lucano, lemon juice; $16) and the Walbanger (coffee-infused whisky, dark simple syrup, chocolate bitters; $19). These set the tone perfectly, leading smoothly into the scallop crudo with pistachios and chili flakes in olive oil ($21), followed by a balanced, crisp salad of endive, fennel and apple, dressed in honey Dijon ($19).

Our primi selections focused on pasta: cavatelli with broccoli ragù and pangrattato ($29), and a robust pappardelle with fennel sausage ragù ($34). Both dishes hit their marks precisely. Our only regret was not saving room for the visually striking beet casonsei with poppy seed butter ($33), tantalizingly prepared in full view. And though at one point I spotted some legit-looking cannoli floating past our table, by the end we were too full for dessert and opted for amaro over ice instead.

Remarkable, even though this was Angela’s first service, everything felt familiar. Reflecting on this sensation later, I noted echoes the original blueprint of Oca, another pasta-centric restaurant which opened on Commercial Drive in 2019. At the time, Scout published a story that contained the following passage:

“Located in the original, 900 sqft Absinthe Bistro address at 1260 Commercial Drive, Oca Pastificio will be a straightforward, dinner-only affair of some 22 seats. These will be in full view of a pasta rolling station and a chalkboard menu that changes daily. Expect a mix of salads and salumi to start with the main events being four daily pastas – all made fresh to order – plus a risotto. The drinks card will see an Italian beer or two, some classic Italian cocktails and a short wine list.”

These similarities aren’t incidental. Vogstad and Greg Dilabio, Oca’s original chef – and Bayliss, for that matter – all trained under Adam Pegg at La Quercia, a kitchen celebrated for its authentic, unhurried Italian cooking. Angela naturally follows this same playbook — not as an intentional replication of a proven formula, but rather as a genuine reflection of Pegg’s lasting influence.

It’s an approach I appreciate because it works: it honours the ingredients, respects the culture, and delivers exactly what you want from a perfect meal among friends. Rather than being unique to La Quercia, Oca, or Angela, it’s a philosophy that succeeds by preserving ingredient integrity and avoiding unnecessary clutter in the dining experience. When I ask Vogstad about this connection, he acknowledges it without hesitation. “I’m really happy you noticed that,” he says. “None of what I’m doing would be possible without Adam. In the six years I worked for him, he taught me more than I ever thought possible. And Greg [Dilabio] showed me how to take what Adam had taught us out into the world—when he left to open Oca, he proved Vancouver had an appetite for this style of cooking. He showed me it could be done. It’s all connected back to La Quercia and, ultimately, to Italy.”

Angela Pastificio officially opens on Wednesday, May 7th, running Wednesday to Saturday from 5–10 pm. Reservations are currently available exclusively through TOCK. However, we anticipate that snagging a table won’t be easy for long, as the restaurant settles into its rhythm during this soft-opening phase. For pasta obsessives and anyone who cares about great dining, this spot is essential.

Angela Pastificio

Neighbourhood: Railtown Japantown

1869 Powell St.