Chef Wouter Schipper

Last night, my husband and I attended Dine Out Vancouver’s Ravioli & Wine event at Kitsilano’s Rocky Mountain Flatbread Pizza. Dutch transplant Chef Wouter “Wout” Schipper led us to the back kitchen where he demonstrated the do’s and don’ts of a proper dough, knowing when it’s ready to pull through the press, and tips for fillings.

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Dine Out-8 Rocky Mountain Flatbread Dine Out-2 Rocky Mountain Flatbread Dine Out-3 Rocky Mountain Flatbread Dine Out-4

Chef Wouter trained in Germany and has worked at restaurants in India, New Zealand, and Switzerland, before heading to Vancouver a little over three years ago.

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Mission Hill Wines were poured throughout the evening, starting off with a glass of fragrant Pinot Grigio as we watched Chef Schipper prepare and work the dough. Ravioli making is an in-depth process, and one that takes some practice and patience.

Once the demo part of the evening was over, our group of 18 diners headed back into the restaurant’s side room, close to the artisan pizza oven. We were greeted there with a glass of Mission Hill Sauvignon Blanc, a citrusy compliment to an assortment of salads and bowls of belly-warming banana squash soup served with wedges of warm organic flatbread.

Pouring Mission Hill's 2011 Reserve Pinot Noir
[Pouring Mission Hill’s 2011 Reserve Pinot Noir]

The main course was a choice between maple bacon, pea, and ricotta ravioli, or beet and goat cheese. We much enjoyed the slightly smoky bacon taste with the soft ricotta and snappy peas, when combined with a glass of Mission Hill’s 2011 Pinot Noir. The pinot has a full mouth of black cherry fruit while the spiciness worked perfectly with the bacon.

Maple bacon, pea & ricotta ravioli
[Maple bacon, pea & ricotta ravioli]

The pasta was cooked al dente with a thin streak or two of balsamic vinegar reduction to finish the dish.

Beet and goat cheese ravioli
[Beet and goat cheese ravioli]

Topping off a fine evening of conversation and delicious food was a choice between a warm double chocolate brownie, wine-poached BC pear with ice cream, or a slice of cheesecake.

Warm chocolate brownie dessert Wine poached BC pear and vanilla ice cream

We shared our pear and brownie desserts, enjoying bites of warm fruit against the beautiful vanilla ice cream and not-too-rich but potent brownie. I’ve had this brownie dessert here before and it was as good as I remembered it from previous occasions.

Ravioli mix for guests to try at home

As an added touch, mason jars filled with ravioli dry mix using Anita’s organic flour were handed out to each guest, plus several recipes for further motivation to try it at home.

Although this event was only held for only one night during the festival, both Rocky Mountain Flatbread locations are offering an $18 three-course Dine Out Vancouver menu through February 3. Gluten-free options are also available and the first two courses are paired with BC VQA wines. And yes, both locations are offering the warm double chocolate brownie dessert.

Rocky Mountain Flatbread is committed to supporting local farmers and suppliers, donating 1% of yearly sales to carbon offsets as well as helping students to grow their own food, create seasonal snacks, and run their own pocket markets.

2013’s Dine Out menu has 82 different combinations, all off the restaurant’s current menu, to give diners an experience that they’d find on a regular visit. Catering to gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets, this is a fun, family-friendly spot to enjoy a flatbread pizza with everything from classic cheese and tomato to apple chicken. Their pesto shrimp pizza is Oceanwise-sanctioned.

Visit Rocky Mountain Flatbread at 1876 West 1st Street or at 4186 Main Street. A third location exists in Canmore, Alberta at 838 10th Street.

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