Novo Pizzeria - Tommasi wine and antipasto night

Last week, I attended An Evening of Wine and Antipasti at Novo Pizzeria. It was the second in their Wine Club Series Dinner, where a winery is selected as a partner and dishes are created to complement each tasting.  
Our first course was a Grilled Octopus Salad with some celery leaves, baby potatoes and slivers of red onions.  A very light dressing of lemon and olive oil finished the dish. The octopus had a very meat texture and the potatoes were fork tender. The celery gave the dish a nice crunch but the grilled octopus really stole the show. This was paired with the 2011 Tommasi Vermentino, our only white of the evening. The wine had a nice nuttiness and a slightly oilier finish than a BC Pinot Grigio.
Next up was Chef Carmine's home made Burrata, served with a bit of caramelized onions, and a crispy smoked pancetta atop a bed of avocado. The pearls of basil oil were more jelly like than caviar in texture, but the presentation was vibrant and colourful. For this, our wine was the 2008 Tommasi Rompicollo, a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend results in a chianti like wine with a rounder and softer edge.
And for our final appetizer, we had the Antipasto, which as a mix of cheeses including Ricotta and a Smoked Provolone, some meats including Prosciutto, Salami and Pepperoni. Grilled peppers and bread pulled the whole thing together. This was a great mix of flavours and textures and was one of the highlights of the night for me. This was paired with the 2009 Tommasi Arele Appassimento which is fairly new to BC. The texture is a bit rougher yielding something similar to a baby Amarone.   Off to the entrees we go and the first is their Sicilian Meatballs, made with a blend of veal, pork and beef. The currants and pinenuts give the meatballs a sweet and nutty flavour, quite original. Topped with a bit of reggiano and sitting on a bed of marinara sauce, these bites were tender and juicy.
For our final savouring dish, we had the Parmesan and Basil Gnocchi. These were a little too soft in texture in texture for me, but the flavours of the cashew pesto sauce really comes out. I'm not a huge gnocchi fan since I don't really enjoy the mushy texture but that's more of a personal preference than anything else.

And for dessert, we had the Chocolate Salami. Made to look like salami, this dark chocolate log was peppered with bits of orange and hazelnuts and at first glance, it did look just like salami. The chocolate was rich and creamy and the citrus notes from the orange really shines through. As a sucker for hazelnuts this dish was a winner for me too.

Take Note:

• Mondays Movie Night: $49 for two tix and a 3-course meal (1 appy, 1 entree and 1 dessert) per couple
• Pizzas cook in a bout a minute in the 900 degree woodburning oven
• If you like Burrata, order the Burrata pizza and you will get the best of what they do here.