Acqua Calda at Cook Street!

Hot water, fire in the oven! Cook Street doors open at 430p today. Thanks for Paul & crew for getting us back in action!

Cook Street Closed August 13 & 14

Broken water heater has closed Cook Street for dinner tonight & Sunday.

Come Monday, we'll have a new water heater. We'll be open @ 430p.

Apologies ....we know you're as sad as we are.

August Long Table

We're staying with the warm southern climes & focusing on Sicily for the next Long Table Dinner at Bridge Street.

The cuisine of Sicily while largely influenced by Italy also has Spanish, Greek & Arab flavours. Olives, citrus & grapes are the base for many traditional dishes & our meal! Of course as the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, the ocean will contribute to the table too!

The menu? Orange, fennel, red onion & walnut salad, seared fresh sardines, octopus, mussels, clams & prawns tossed w/ Sicilian pesto & pasta, dessert of cannoli w/ ricotta, citrus & berry filling.

The wines? Primula Catarraro Sicilia IGT - the most widely planted grape in Sicily, Cubia IGT 2007 Sicilian - said to hold the rays of the sun and Branciforti Nero d'Avola IGT - considered the most important red grape of Sicily.

Seating is limited to 24 for each evening. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. & cost per person is $50 plus hst & grat ($63.50).

For more info or to book your seat at the table, call Andrew at 250.590.4388 or email andrew@primastrada.com

This Week's Bridge Street Specials

You've got the whole week to stop by for the specials at Bridge Street (Tuesday-Saturday 11 am to 9 pm). And they really are special.

Lunch
pizze = bresaola, red onion, pecorino, fior di latte & fresh arugula
zuppa = heirloom tomato gazpacho
pasta = linguini w/clams, soffrito, herbs & white wine

Dinner
pizze = housemade sausage, pesto, tomato & fior di latte
zuppa = heirloom tomato gazpacho
primi = mussles & clams w/soffrito, chilis, herbs & white wine
dolci = fresh berries w/prosecco zabaglione

New vino on the feature board from Lake Breeze ... mussles & clams w/ Seven Poplars Sauv Blanc or Pinot Blanc, pizze and gazpacho w/Meritage (Cab Franc, Merlot, Cab Sauv). Pair award winning wines w/ award winning pizza!

Back to the Future at the Drive-In

Drive-In movies - pillows and blankets tossed into the car, treats and a really big screen. A memory that can be a reality!

Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 4 for the Drive-In at Mayfair. Back to the Future is playing! We suggest you pick up "treats" from PPS Bridge Street before heading to the Drive-In (just a 5 minute drive).

Tickets can be picked up from the consierge desk @ Mayfair this Saturday. Parking begins at 6 on Thursday.

For more information, visit: http://www.mayfairshoppingcentre.com/

On the Road ...

Mark your calendar for pizza al fresco.

Wednesday, July 20 - Oak Bay Night Market
In the heart of the village on Oak Bay Avenue - pick up vegetables from local farms, grab a pie from your favorite pizzeria, listen to a bit of music. Market runs from 4-8 pm every third Wednesday through September. Rain or shine.

Sunday, July 24 Tour of Farms at Sea Cider
Where does my food come from? Who grows it? What's it like to be a farmer? Visit Saanich farms and find the answers to these questions. Join us at Sea Cider - tour the orchard & cider house, eat pizza and sip cider.

Sunday, September 18 - Feast of Fields at Marley Farm
Taste the very best of BC from chefs, vintners, brewers, fishers, ranchers and food artisans from across the province - some think of it as a 40 course meal paired with wine & beer! Feast of Fields is a gastronomic journey towards a sustainable, local food system. For more information & tickets, visit http://www.feastoffields.com/

Thursday - Sunday, September 22-25 - Rifflandia Festival
A music festival & more: 4 days, 10 stages & 110 artists. It is inspired. Visit http://2011rifflandia.com for lineups, tickets and more.

Long Table Dinner: Campania

Haven't made it to a Long Table Dinner? There is room at the table.

Join us on July 27 & 28 at Bridge Street when we focus on the region of Campania. Naples is the capital, Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast make it well known. The region is famous for its pizza, pasta, wine and the ingredients that make the dishes: San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufula, lemons, fish and grapes to name a few.

Sticking with tradition, we'll be serving Insalata Caprese, Pizze, Pesce and finish the meal with Lemoncello zabaglione. The wine? Falanghina - said to be worth more than gold in Roman times and Aglianco - often compared to Barolo & Barbaresco and grown in Campania for more than 3000 years!

Seating is limited to 24 each evening and dinner begins at 7 p.m. Cost is $63.50 ($50 per person plus hst & grat) and includes wine with the meal.

For more information or to make your reservation, call Andrew @ 250-590-4388 or andrew@primastrada.com.

Salute!