FEAST | Italiano x Spade Coffee x Commercial Drive

Commercial Drive—(December 13, 2017) The still new and very heavily Italian flavoured  Spade Coffee & Spirits eatery concept from Prado Cafe owner Sammy Piccolo—with the original Prado just down the street serving 49th Parallel Coffee—opened up to some healthy buzz just a short while ago.



The forty-seat cafe takes over the old Waves Coffee location and models itself after Italian-style coffee bars.

Prosecco margarita (with lime, tequila, Aperol, and Prosecco)

By day, it operates as a typical coffee hot spot with pour overs and espresso service alongside snacks and sandwiches. By night, it transitions into fully fledged Italian restaurant from chef/GM Kathleen Pearce.

squid ink gnocchi (with black garlic, cream, and lemon)

On a tasting of their multi-course menu, I found it impressively remarkable what Pearce was able to do culinary-wise with such a small, intimate kitchen already full of such delicious tastes and dishes.

melanzane parmigiana (with eggplant, red sauce, provolone, parmesan, and herbs)

All the items tried from their dinner service had a classic yet inventive appeal to everything. The nachos Italiano (a nice twist on the bar snack) were a delightfully crunchy snack while the pastas were exquisitely put together, seasoned, and cooked.

octopus conserva (with artichoke soubise, potatoes, dill, and picked vegetables)

The little touches of ingredients, sauces, and garnishes complemented every dish just ever so tastefully.

pappardelle (with lamb shoulder ragu)

There was a certain classico Italiano feel to the cuisine and eatery on the whole while feeling perfectly at home in its contemporary Grandview–Woodland location.



Spade means "sword" in Italian and there's a general regal but approachable quality throughout the cafe/restaurant hybrid with an already appealing variety of Italian tastes. Furthermore, I heard their family-style weekend brunch service is already a pleasing offering.


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