August 15th, 2020: Il Caminetto

Location: 4242 Village Stroll, Whistler, BC

Hours: 5pm - 10pm

Price: $$$$

To start: fresh made-in-house sourdough and foccacia, served with EVOO. They bring it around instead of leaving it at the table, but you can ask for as many as you want. Both are delectably soft with a crusty exterior, exactly what you want with these kind of breads.

Primi: Rabbit + spinach conchiglie $34.50

I ordered half portion instead of the full one because I wanted a main course. This was just an appetizer for me. This conchiglie is served with slow cooked Quebec rabbit sugo, peas, a delicate mint and herb gremolata, and topped with a bit of pecorino. The pasta was perfectly al dente. The sauce was creamy, but not heavy, while the mint added a beautiful fresh touch. The pecorino married all the flavours together with its saltiness. It was so good I made sure I scooped up all the sauce at the end. Rabbit tasted a bit like ground chicken or turkey. 9/10

Secondi: Grilled milk-fed veal chop $59.50

I usually like my steaks medium rare, but the server informed me veal chops are best served medium due to the higher fat content. It was served with a deep fried lemon ricotta stuffed squash blossom, which was honestly the best thing on the plate, alongside summer squash, wilted green chard and topped with a salsa verde. I am a huge summer squash lover. The meat was incredibly tender, and the fat to meat ratio was actually perfect. Nothing was overly chewy. I also appreciate the use of extra-virgin olive oil in the cooking because I could taste the pepperiness (if that's a word). 10/10