Budget-Friendly Bites: Chianti Cafe & Restaurant

Chianti Cafe (10501-82 Avenue NW) is a decent place for a pasta fix. Reasonable prices, and decent food. They are also very active in the community, being longstanding supporters of various charitable organizations and art festivals in Edmonton! For instance, the Alberta AdaptAbilities Association Walk4Abilities Kickoff Dinner, that took place last week :)

I've been to the place quite a few times before, and decided to make a compilation post for it from my various visits :)

Chianti is located on Whyte Ave where the old post office used to be! I love historical buildings...

The entrance area. The walls are covered in posters from the Fringe for the past several years.

The bar and booths area. To the left of the bar, is a display of desserts (including tiramisu, of course).  

The hall goes all the way to the back where there's this kind of room. It often gets booked for parties and charity dinners. 

Best time to go? Monday or Tuesdays when all pasta is on special for $9.99, of course! The great thing is that they offer pasta all day long from 11:00am to 11:00pm :D This ad is brought to you courtesy of The Gateway (U of A's newspaper).

Linguine Alla Marinara - baby shrimps and clams with tomato sauce, topped with parsley, freshly grated parmesan, and ground black pepper. I find that their linguine noodles are a little thick, but for the price you pay (on Mondays and Tuesdays), it's not bad. 

Linguine Mare E Monte - scallops, mushrooms, peas, garlic, and cream

Fettuccine Du Chef - homemade spinach noodles with smoked salmon, mushrooms, cream and pesto.

Pasta is always accompanied with fresh rolls. Tasty and fresh, but they are quite floury on the outside > <

Yay, pasta frenzy poster, and a table full of people who probably thought I was weird for taking a picture in that direction. 

For a quick lunch (or dinner in case you won't be consume a full plate of pasta for lunch like me) close to campus, Chianti is a pretty decent option! To be honest, their food isn't wow, but it isn't bad, especially given the price you pay. And when you can't exactly afford Sicilian Pasta Kitchen, Oliveto Trattoria, or Piccolino Bistro, why not?

-M