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DETAILS

Neighbourhood: Railtown Japantown
305 Alexander St.
604-428-2544

Hours

BRUNCH
SATURDAY – SUNDAY
9.30AM – 2.30PM

LUNCH
TUESDAY – FRIDAY
11.30AM – 2.30PM

DINNER
TUESDAY – THURSDAY
5.30PM – 10.30PM

FRIDAY, SATURDAY
5.30PM – 11.00PM

SUNDAY
5.30PM – 9.30PM

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER FLETT

Gallery

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ABOUT ASK FOR LUIGI

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Ask for Luigi is a casual and intimate Italian-inspired restaurant, specializing in fresh hand made pasta.* The service is family-style: all dishes are meant for sharing and food arrives to the middle of the table, as it is ready. The antipasti usually arrive first, with pasta dishes close behind. We also have amazing house made gluten free options available daily. All menu items are available for dine-in or take-out.

We have four beverage selections available on tap – one beer, one white wine, one red wine and one prosecco. We rotate the specific product as we find things that we are excited to share. We also have filtered still and sparkling water on tap. Proceeds from each bottle purchased go to our favorite local non-profit or charity organization – we choose a different cause every month.

Our dishes are best enjoyed with wine. Our modest white-forward wine list consists of fourteen whites and six reds. We really enjoy white wine and we hope that you will allow us to share our love of it with you! All of our wines are available by the glass and a new bottle will be opened based on a two-glass commitment. As soon as a new bottle is opened, you will hear a bell. That means it’s time to check the board to see what is now open and pouring. As time passes, we look to slowly build our reserve list – for those that want to sample something a little more rare.

A friend of ours from Treviso, Italy, once asked us what it is that Canadians customarily drink before they eat a meal. When we told him that it isn’t necessarily a custom to have a specific “aperitivo” in Canada, he assumed we didn’t understand the question and proceeded to rephrase and ask again… six more times!

So, to observe the “ritual” of Italian eating, we bring you, “The Spritz” – Easily the most popular aperitivo in Italy (well, at least in the Venice/Treviso area it is). We’re pretty sure we had about 15 per day while in Venice! Further to the spritz, we always have three amari and three types of vermouth available on rotation to help get the appetite going before your meal begins or as a digestivo at the end.

Of course the Italian eating ritual is never complete without a nice coffee at the end of the meal to finish off the experience. With our two-group Synesso and a rotation of our favourite beans each week, we strive to give our in-house baristas all the tools they need to execute an espresso drink on par with the local coffee houses. Don’t forget to ask our service staff about the “rimorchio” or “trailer” when you get to the bottom of your espresso… it’s the perfect finish!

If you would like a nice Grappa for sipping to end the evening, we always have three of our favorites on rotation as well. This usually consists of one fairly approachable Grappa, one a little more obscure, and an aged offering to choose from. Ask Matthew for some recommendations.

Finally – What’s in a name? “Ask for Luigi” is the idea that we are always more inclined to have a better experience when we go where we know somebody, or when a friend sends us to see someone they know. We hope to create an atmosphere where each guest feels like they were sent over by a mutual friend.

So go to the little Italian joint at the corner of Alexander and Gore and ask for Luigi. Tell them Paulie sent you. They’ll take good care-a-ya!

*Gluten-free is always an option.