Review: Autostrada Osteria is everything you want in a neighbourhood restaurant

“I come here about 12 times a year.”

It’s not a phrase you hear often at a restaurant. But as I came to learn, this wasn’t any ordinary neighbourhood restaurant. 

I use the term neighbourhood intentionally. The word implies something different than a place to meet and eat. Is Savio Volpe a neighbourhood restaurant? St. Lawrence? All wonderful restaurants, situated in neighbourhoods, and extremely popular. 

And yet, to my mind, not quite. Neighbourhood restaurants are a singular place in the fabric of a community. A devoted spot to stop by with family and friends, revisiting food you love.

Price matters. It can be cheap or mid-priced, but never expensive. If you live nearby, you go often. If you’re lucky enough, names are exchanged, and you become that mythical “regular.” A neighbourhood evolves, and new spots come and go, but the neighbourhood restaurant persists. It’s a home next to your home. 

Autostrada Osteria, at 4811 Main St., is located deep south on Main, an area beyond where most people are willing to venture to spend an afternoon. Local grocery shops, small coffee shops, surrounded by Riley Park, you’re more likely to see children heading off to soccer practice than flocks of tourists. 

The restaurant is intimate, but not loud, a feat difficult to achieve. You feel welcome as soon as you step in. Chefs work out front, with rows of tables off to the side and a four-seat bar in front of the drink station. 

Hearing is key. Neighbourhood restaurants are for food, yes, but something deeper, a connection, a conversation, catching up with friends, a date night with your spouse within walking distance. Loud music won’t do. It’s discussions that define it.

“I’ve lived nearby for years, this is my neighbourhood.”

A well-read book put aside, enjoying a sparkling glass of white, my bar mate who, up until 20 minutes ago I had never met, and who sparked up a conversation quickly, was keen to share his love for the restaurant, neighbourhood and his life. Laid back and welcoming, this was a man who felt right at home conversing with strangers, sharing his love of the area. 

That feeling carried over to the bar staff. Warm, attentive, and helpful with the menu, these are people who I can only imagine are used to seeing and interacting with regulars, my seatmate included. 

On the server’s recommendation, I ordered the duck liver ($19) and the stuffed pasta of the day ($29), along with a drink called the Teqroni ($14).

The cocktail menu has your standard drinks, with creations focused on playful variations of negronis, my favourite drink. The Teqroni included Olmeca Altos, Campari and Cinzano. Bitingly smooth and bracing, you’d think tequila and Campari were meant for each other. Memorable indeed.

The duck liver was, like the restaurant itself, playfully done, almost ostentatious, with chunks of crostini protruding out of the dark brown liver. If you don’t like liver, you’ll want to stay away. Combined with the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar and the fresh, clean olive oil, you’ll find yourself losing track of how fast it’s eaten.

Where Autostrada clearly shines is their pasta. I make pasta often. I ate it often when I lived in Europe, regularly visiting Italy on weekends. Velvety smooth, bright yellow, with a bite that both has give and softness, you instantly know good pasta from bad.  After numerous failed attempts to recreate it, you develop an appreciation for how simple yet complex it is to make. 

This wasn’t good pasta, this was exceptional pasta. The little yellow agnolotti, like twist-tied candies, were stuffed with ricotta and soppressata, dry-cured pork salami, a combination that you’d never imagine but cannot stop thinking about. A simple chicken stock reduction balanced the saltiness of the filling. The first bite was as good as the last. 

In a city with so many high quality Italian restaurants, there is a tendency for similarity. How do you stand out, what makes one place unique? I asked one of the servers what made Autostrada different. A little surprised at the question, she said it was the fresh ingredients and simplicity of the dishes. 

The food was indeed memorable. For anyone seeking to understand what makes great pasta, Autostrada has to be on your list. I thought the entire menu was playful, with the large image of a man riding a car shaped as a shoe only reinforcing that feeling.

But the food isn’t what would bring me back. It’s not the food that brings my bar mate back so many times a year, sitting there, drinking a glass of wine, reading a book, soaking in the space and talking to visitors like me. It’s not why the family seated nearby brought their baby to a tiny, packed restaurant. 

What I think brings locals back time after time is the shared knowledge that Autostrada is something special for the area. It’s not just a restaurant, but a neighbourhood restaurant. Quite simply, it’s theirs. My bar mate had the time, money and knowledge to visit any Vancouver restaurant. Out of all the Italian restaurants, he chooses Autostrada time and time again. 

That should tell you something.

Noise Level: A tight space but very easy to hear everyone talk.

Recommended: Pasta of the day, any of the special negronis.

What I should’ve ordered: I suspect any of the pastas are good. Burrata and prosciutto was also recommended.

Drinks: Nice wine list, Italian cocktails, non-alcoholic options.

Price: $$$, drinks quite affordable while food was a bit more pricey.

Other details: Vegetarian options, smaller plates for sharing.