Breaking: The Team Behind Maxine’s Brings New Italian Restaurant to East Van

To say we at Vanmag are fans of Maxine’s, Homer St. Cafe and Tableau Bar Bistro is a bit of an understatement—we’re more than a little obsessed with Maxine’s fried chicken (and it won our Reader’s Choice Award for Best West End), Homer St. snagged our 2024 Restaurant Awards Editors’ Pick for Best Private Room and Tableau is staple of French cuisine in the city.

So we were thrilled to hear that the powerhouse team behind the Vancouver dining staples, Wentworth Hospitality Group, is poised to launch a new Italian restaurant in East Van. The restaurant, called Folietta, will be part of a new development called The Grant on (you guessed it) Grant Street, right by the dining hub that is Commercial Drive.

What we know so far is that Executive Chef Executive Chef Bobby Milheron (previously of Boulevard) and Chef de Cuisine Imitaaz Patel (previously of Livia and Boulevard) are pursing an elevated-yet-approachable take on Italian cuisine. “Whether it’s small plates to start or family-style dishes designed for sharing, Folietta is about celebrating the joy of communal dining,” says Patel.

You can expect a menu that includes a shareable 32oz Bistecca Fiorentina, large bone-in veal chop parmesan, and hand-stuffed pastas. Plus details like a thoughtful children’s menu are already in the works with dishes like rigatoni alfredo and linguini with meatballs. 

Wentworth’s beverage director J-S Dupuis is heading the bar program and leaning into classic Italian cocktails with a modern twist. There’ll be negronis on tap (!!), amaro shave ice and Italian wine and spirits galore.

We’re not certain when exactly in early 2025 Folietta is set to open, but we do know that once it does it will be open daily from 3:30PM to late with brunch service on the weekend.

Folietta

2419 Grant St.