Well, this is exciting. Lucais Syme and Adam Pegg, the two owner/chefs of one of my favourite restaurants on the planet, La Quercia, have in recent weeks been quietly going about turning the old Hôt Cuisine space at 2083 Alma (off 4th) into a 16 seat, 900sqft delicatessen called “La Ghianda”. The name, translated from the Italian, means “The Acorn”.

Open from 7:30am to 7:30pm, La Ghianda will serve up to five house-made sandwiches on ciabatta buns (including an application of La Quercia’s famed vitello tonnato), a daily soup, salads, and one or two simple pastas in addition to a selection of cured meats and cheeses. In the morning, they’ll focus on breakfasts of coffee, strudels and croissants. There will retail food items as well, like pasta sauces, dry pastas and high end olive oils and balsamics. Aside from the few communal tables on the floor, a high counter will allow for munching in the window.

Opening day is slated for the beginning of December, if not the end of this month. Stoked.