The Pizzeria Prima Strada gift card is the perfect holiday gift! And, we have a little something special for you, too. When you purchase $100 worth of gift cards, we'll give you a free Prima Strada hat or t-shirt! Yep, buy one card for $100 or two for $50 or your favorite combination and you choose a PPS shirt or hat as part of the package. You can include the goodie with the gift card for an extra special gift or keep the treat for yourself (we understand, sometimes it's hard to give). 
PPS shirts are American Apparel brand and come in multiple sizes and we've got three different styles of hats for you to choose from. Hurry, this promotion is only available while supplies last.Happy Holidays!
The meal began with a house made Crostino of chicken liver served on toasted bread. The velvety smooth chicken liver was paired with the aromatic white Vermentino by Poggio Morino.
The next course consisted of a hearty vegetable bread soup called Ribollita, which was a perfect companion for the stormy island weather beating at the garage doors. The soup was served with a traditional Tuscan style bread, which is made without using salt. While it is uncertain why the Tuscans did not use salt in their bread, many believe that it is because of a high salt tax. Either way, the end result is a wonderfully crisp crust with a dense, surprisingly sweet interior. This course was paired with a Prima Strada favourite, a classic Chianti by Castiglioni Frescobaldi.
The soup was followed by what was, in my opinion, the best dish of the evening. Pappardelle alla lepre e chanterelle is house made pasta with braised rabbit and chanterelle mushrooms for those of you not fluent in Italian. The tenderness of the rabbit and the meaty quality of our local chanterelles created an unbelievable dish. And not to be overshadowed, the meal was paired with a knockout wine. The Bolgheri DOC from Tenuta Argentiera Donoratico was simply outstanding. After decanting for hours, this wine was one of the smoothest reds I have ever tried.
And finally, the dessert course was a Panforte Senese. Unlike any other cake I have ever had, this can only be described as a pepper cake done Siena style. Full of hazelnuts, candied orange zest and spices, it was both crunchy and chewy with a rich caramel taste. Served with a scoop of gelato, it was the perfect way to end our Tuscan tribute.
The Tuscan dinner was our last Long Table of 2011. But have no fear, the Long Table Dinner series will resume on January 25 & 26, 2012! You don't have to wait until January for another special meal at Bridge Street. We are putting the finishing touches on a very special multi-course Italian New Years Eve menu. Details soon.
The region of the month was Umbria and the food was phenomenal. Also, in cooperation with BC Hydro, we reduced our energy consumption and lit the dining room with only candles!
To kick off the dinner, we started with a Piatto di Salumi. On the plate was house-made bread and butter pickles, oven roasted roma tomatoes, house-made dried fig mostarda, house-made quince paste, spicy cappicollo and lomo from Choux-Choux Charcuterie, with lardo salami and cacciatore from The Whole Beast. A good salumi plate really is a thing of beauty. Paired with this lovely mix of goodies was the wine Est!Est!!Est!!! Di Montefiascone by Falesco. A great wine with a great name!
Next on the menu was what most people considered to be the best dish of the night, the Trota e Funghi. It was an elegant presentation of rainbow trout with chanterelle mushrooms and fingerling potatoes. Served with the trout was a white wine some loyal customers might remember, the Orvieto Classico from Ruffino. 
The third course was a Minestra di Farro, which is a house cured ham and spelt stew complete with braising greens. A nice hearty dish for the cold weather outside. It was paired with a wonderful Merlot by Falesco.
And last, but certainly not least, dolci! The dessert of the evening was a Zuccotto which is a sponge cake dome soaked in liqueur and filled with chocolate and hazelnut ice cream. And yes, it is as delicious as it sounds.
Next month will be our last Long Table Dinner of 2011 as we will not be doing one in December. But have no fear, we saved one of the best regions for last. The November Long Table Dinner Series region will be Tuscany! Known for its great wine and amazing food, it will surely be a great meal. Also, because we want to showcase some of the outstanding wines Tuscany has to offer, November's dinner will cost $60 before tax/tip. To book your place for the Tuscany Long Table please email 
Next on the busy To-Do list is visit a vineyard (talk about tough work!) And while Andrew is all business it appears his wife Vanessa has the right idea.
They all get a hands on lesson on the milling process and watch the bags fill with flour. These are the exact same bags we use in Pizzeria 
And it looks like 
There's more work to be done, the gang is heading out for pizza in 
From Napoli they hopped on a bus headed for their temporary home in Piano di Sorrento. Along the way, Cristen managed to snap a picture of the Italian coastline near the city of Meta. When they arrived, their hosts Anna Maria, Emma, and Maria showed them around and made them a true Italian caffe. 
The next day they explored the markets and the beautiful city of Sorrento. And after a long day of walking they returned to the Villa Jenny to prepare a pork roast with fresh rosemary from the garden, fennel with honey and walnuts, and some rapini (aka broccoli rabe). And what else is there to do while dinner is in the oven than bring the ping pong table into the living room for a couple games?
I'd like to invite you all to join my vicarious trip to Italy as we follow Kathleen, Matt, Geoffrey, Cristen, Vanessa, Ben, Andrew, and the children explore the birthplace of pizza. I will be posting updates about their journey (and pretending that I'm the one holding the camera!) I'm excited, are you?
The party began with a little socializing at Bridge St. The team suited up in some 
Thanks to some Driftwood beers and the guys at 
After having our fill we all hopped on a bus and headed down to Sidney for some five pin 
All in all, the night was wonderful. Bowling with buddies is the best way to spend an evening! To see more photos of the evening please check out our 
Although it is hard to believe that it's the last week of September already, this month's Long Table Dining Series has come and gone. If you are unfamiliar with what the Long Table Series is, I'm going to break it down for you.
On the last Wednesday and Thursday of every month at Bridge Street we host a four course meal accompanied with three wine pairings all focused on a particular region of Italy. The tables seat 24 guests and reservations are a must (to reserve email 
This month's region of choice was Sardegna, one of Italy's Mediterranean islands. To begin the night, diners were treated to an Insalata Pomodoro with heirloom tomato, shaved percorino, red wine vinaigrette, basil, and red onion. I managed to snap a photo of Andrew bringing one over to the table before it was devoured. This course was paired with a Cannonau di Sardegna from Santa Maria la Bombarde.
Next on the menu was Calamari Ripieni, which is squid stuffed with anchovy, breadcrumbs, pecorino, garlic, and parsley served with salsa verde. For this course the wine was Vermetino di Sardegna from Argiolas.
And just like the rest of Italy, Sardinians love their pasta. The calamari was followed by a hand made Malloreddus, which is a saffron pasta with sausage and tomato sauce. The sausage was gorgeous, with a slight hint of orange flavour coming through. The chefs work hard to get the pasta to the table while guests sip on a Montessu from Argicola Punica.
Are you left feeling like you missed out? Have no fear because the Long Table Dining Series happens every month! Next month's region will be Umbria and will be held on October 26th and 27th at Bridge Street. (Insider tip: Oct. 27th will also be our Conservation Candlelight Dinner with BC Hydro. We will be conserving energy by lighting the room by candles!) It is bound to fill up quickly so once you know are committed to attending email 
Of course, many people took the opportunity to dine al fresco. What could be better than listening to Mother Mother and eating a Margherita? 
A couple lucky Facebook and Twitter followers got a free Prima Strada bandana. Check out Bridge Street regular Chris rocking his bandana in the beer garden. Looking good, Chris!
The best part about Rifflandia was that there were so many different venues. Although the usual haunts hosted concerts, this was my first time going to the Phillips Brewery for a concert and it was amazing! I got there just in time to see KO put on an amazing show for the near capacity stage/loading dock set up. 
And for a day that started off pouring rain, Sunday quickly became my favourite. The sea of afternoon partiers grooved to De La Soul as a final farewell to Rifflandia. The worst part is that I'm already looking forward to Rifflandia 5. Only 364 days and counting! See you all there!
