Pinos "Authentic Italian Cuisine" — Restaurant in Trail

So I read a previous review where the diner complained the food was too heavy and rich. That is Sicilian food. One does not go to a sushi restaurant and then complain that there was raw fish. Or sit in a hot tub and whine that the temperature is too hot. Or try golfing and placate the fact the ball is too small. Pinos advertises as authentic Sicilian food and that is what Pinos delivers... and to perfection.

But let me tell you first about Pino, the man. A 69 year old, hippie looking, casually dressed, Italian man, Pino sat with us for a time after dinner and waxed poetic about anything that came to his mind. And I am being understated when I say that no subject is tabu... nothing... nada. But therein lies the genius and enjoyment in spending an evening with Pino. It was so much fun. And then there is our server, Teresa. The antithesis to Pino, Teresa was composed yet casual, professional yet pleasant, busy yet beautiful. Between Teresa and Pino, service was impeccable.

As for decor and the image the physical premises presents, admittedly it is low key. But on a hot summer day, the patio is the preferred place to dine. It is not fine dining per se; imagine going to a friends for a backyard BBQ with water misters and wicker chairs and a parking lot for the view. But what it lacks in eye candy it more than makes up for in the food.

As previously stated, this is authentic Sicilian food which is punctuated by thicker and heavier sauces. I had the Gigi, tortellini with a creamy, tomato sauce with ham, mushroom, oregano, cheese, cream, and whatever makes Pino's recipe click. It was tasty, delectable, and aromatic. And the accompanying garlic bread was slathered in butter with loads of garlic... no skimping out here. Finally, the serving size is very large. One does not leave this diner hungry; it is an effort to finish all that is served. Yet I did because the food was so good.

Lastly, as for price point this is an affordable, moderately priced restaurant. But when serving sizes are taken into account, the deal here is palpable and obvious.

On our three day tour of the Kootenays, Pinos easily takes top dining spot. I will be...

We showed up to an empty place with Pavarotti resounding at disco-club volume. We told ourselves: let's give it a try anyway, it's Tuesday and most of the restaurants in town are closed. The claim "authentic Italian cuisine" made us think it's probably the opposite of authentic, we told ourselves: it's really difficult to screw it making Italian food, and decided to order a Caprese salad thinking it was such a basic and easy dish to make. Wrong.

Kabobs of (not so good) mozza, green cherry tomatoes and old basil leaves. We told ourselves: that's ok, ravioli gorgonzola are next and we'll surely enjoy pasta with cheese. Wrong

A pool of gorgonzola sauce with more parsley you eat in a lifetime came to the table, we needed to literally look for the ravioli in that strange soup of (whatever you say) gorgonzola sauce. Flavor wasn't really bad but it was greasy as hell. We told ourselves: well we have a ham and mushroom pizza coming, any Italian restaurant in the world makes their pizzas from scratch, I guess Mr. Pino a.k.a. the authentic Italian chef it's been making decent pizzas for many years now. Wrong.

A base of frozen cheese pizza with some extra toppings came to table. Like a babel tower of greasy bread with some decoration on top. The dough was moisty in the interior, under the 3kg of the cheapest cheese in store. Really heavy in the stomach. We didn't finish it. Then we told ourselves: this has been one of the worst culinary experiences in a long time. The good thing is we laughed every time a new dish came to table, it was kind of a fun time anyway.

Mr Pino came to table and gave Ana a red rose, which made us smile, but he couldn't change the continuous disappointment we felt since we crossed the door of the restaurant.

Don't eat here,...

Simple delicious Italian food in an unpretentious freindly atmosphere. I had to go to Trail for a medical procedure this past Thirsday. I remebered that my partner and I had briefly stopped in at Pinos the last time he was in Trail hospital, over the Thanksgiving holiday. We had missed out the big family dinner and the owner had been so freindly to us I was determined to get back their and eat again. I decided to treat my driver and I to an early dinner, since they didn't open until 4:30 pm. When we got seated after being greeted by our smiling wait staff, the owner came by and handed us each a beautiful red rose. He had been handing them out to all the ladies in the restaurant. Then he came to our table and proceeded to ask where we were from and jokingly he admonished our men for not coming along to spoil us, implying that he would have to in their stead. He made excellent recommendations for our meals and the wine to accompany the meal. We were then left to enjoy our meal. The food he recommended was delicious, the background Italian music and the guests eating at the the other tables made you feel like you were at a family dinner rather than at a restaurant in the middle of Trail. It was a great experience to have in the middle of the day. I would recommend anyone to go to...