Enduring Locals’ Favourites
Standing the Test of Time
By Nikki Bayley / Images by Joern Rohde
PASTA LUPINO
It’s always exciting when one generation takes over from another, and that’s exactly what’s happening at Pasta Lupino as founders Kendra Mazzei and Kevin Holland hand over the reins to their daughter, Gabby. Located on Main Street, this restaurant has been one of Whistler’s most delicious locals’ secrets for almost 25 years, where you’ll find the best hand-made pastas and sauces in Whistler, along with a menu of Italian favourites for dine-in, take-out or from their deli, with delicious food to take-home and cook or reheat for yourself. “We are so excited that Gabby has decided to take on the manager role,” shares Mazzei. “We feel so fortunate that she’s taken an interest in the family business and has stepped up into the role.”
Growing up in the restaurant, Gabby remembers, “I’d come in from ski school and get my favourite spinach pasta with the rosé sauce. I remember it being such a happy place to be.”
Mazzei says with a laugh, “We used to pre-order, so as soon as she walked in the door, the servers delivered it to her table. This set the expectation for her, and she used to always comment on how long food would take at other restaurants. I said, ‘At our family restaurant, you are Princess Gabby; at other restaurants, you are not!’”
The next generation of Whistler pasta royalty has parent-approved plans for expanding the fresh sauces and pastas into production for grocery stores and restaurants in Whistler (“it’s long overdue!” says Mazzei), but as far as the restaurant goes, Gabby wants to follow in her parents’ footsteps. “My dad always focused on quality, comfort, and fast service. That’s not going to change.”
604-905-0400 | pastalupino.com
ROLAND'S PUB
“In Whistler, you have to be locals-focused because locals are what drive this town, and without their support, you won’t survive.” Karen Roland took over what’s now Roland’s Pub in 2008 after working at the pub for seven years, then serving eight years as its bookkeeper. “I knew the good, the bad and the ugly,” she says with a laugh. “I knew what to do — and more importantly, what not to do!”
After five years running the neighbourhood pub with a restaurant and cold beer and wine store on the side, Roland knew she wanted to make one significant change: get acclaimed chef RD Stewart in to create a new winning concept and run the pub kitchen, too. “This used to be my watering hole,” Stewart says. “It didn’t take me long to say yes, and it’s been pretty super ever since.”
The yin of pub comfort foods (their chicken wings have rightly been voted best in Whistler) and the yang of casual fine dining in the Red Door Bistro (think French-inspired classics like his West Coast bouillabaisse) work harmoniously together, keeping locals and visitors happy.
What drew people to the pub when it first opened in the 1980s still does today. “It’s a great place to watch any kind of sports,” enthuses Roland. “The beer is likely the cheapest that you’ll find in the valley, and it’s really good pub food.”
Quality and value are most important here; the team expertly roasts the beef and turkey in-house, make most of their sauces and salad dressing from scratch, and even hand-cuts the potatoes for their crisp fries. Stewart smiles and says, “We’re proud of that reputation of being that locals’ place for everyone.”
604-932-5940 | rolandswhistler.com
ALPINE CAFÉ
Creating any relationship that flourishes and grows for 21 years is something to celebrate. For Alpine Café owners Kevin Wood and Martini Bart, creating an award-winning business relationship that’s weathered the storms of the past two decades is toast-worthy.
In a community often geared toward tourists, visiting the Alpine Café feels like a real taste of the locals’ Whistler. We’re talking in the café’s newly renovated space after their recent Whistler Excellence Awards win for the prestigious Service Excellence - Small Business. An all-day community hub that offers everything from the perfect grab-and-go breakfast to lunch specials and dinner favourites with locally brewed beer or wine, the café started life in the space previously occupied by McKeever’s General Store and Dirty Harry’s Laundromat. The old sign is mounted above the bar, and while you can’t do your laundry here anymore, you can still pick up grocery essentials.
“With the arrival of a multi-national supermarket and gas station in the neighbourhood in 2016, the need for a market in this space was made redundant. We needed to pivot the business after the Rainbow Estates development went in. Our vision was to create a larger version of the café where the community could gather for food and drink, meet for a quick chat or to celebrate together. We felt this was missing north of the Village,” Wood says.
Bart gestures around the new spacious bar area that plays host to weekly live music nights and other community events and is often rented for private functions and parties. “We always wanted this to be a place to come after skiing or riding. We always had big dreams for this place. Of everything we’ve achieved together, I’m most proud that we’re still in partnership,” Bart says. “We’ve never had any issues. We fix things over a glass of beer.”
604-905-4663 | alpinecafe.ca