It is not uncommon for restaurants — and by this, the actual physical buildings — to change hands. What was once a Pizza Hut or forgotten diner may become a Chinese takeout joint, hip coffee shop or faux dive bar. The natural order of things dictates that where one restaurant closes, another is quite likely to open.
But some restaurant spaces seem too iconic to undergo a complete transformation. Take the grand building in Bridgeland that once housed the local Italian legend La Dolce Vita. Yes, the beloved Golden Bell Vietnamese happily claimed a space on the ground floor shortly after the original La Dolce Vita closed, but it would feel off if the striking red brick and white stucco building, complete with ornate murals and Juliet-style balconies, was not at least partially occupied by an Italian restaurant.
The upstairs portion of La Dolce Vita remained empty after the affiliated LDV Pizza Bar shut down for good three years ago, but a group of new business owners recently resurrected the space as another Italian restaurant. Aurora Italiana may be a new and independent entity, but it is carrying the La Dolce Vita legacy forward.
New Owners, Deep Respect for Tradition
Aurora is owned and operated by Rhythm Chopra and her business partner, John Dick, who share a love for Italian food. They had been dreaming of opening an Italian restaurant for years and realized the La Dolce Vita building, right in the heart of what was once widely known as Calgary's Little Italy, was the perfect fit.
As it happens, Franco Cosentino, La Dolce Vita's owner and chef, still owns the building. Chopra and Dick have a deep respect for Cosentino and his role as a pioneer in Calgary's restaurant industry, and wanted to include him in their new restaurant. Cosentino acts as a mentor and a sort of spiritual guide even as Aurora takes a more modern approach to Italian cuisine.
“This was his baby,” Chopra says. “Our job is to help keep that alive.”
“They are very good people,” Cosentino says. “They’re professionals, and they listen. They have big hearts.”
Updated Ambiance with Nostalgic Touches
The look of Aurora is an update on the old LDV Pizza Bar, with slightly more colourful accents and a more open dining space, but special details like the painting on the interior walls, vintage espresso machines, and other heirlooms have been preserved. The two-room dining space and private dining room may be spruced up, but the restaurant's soul remains.
While Cosentino's blessing is appreciated, Aurora is not a nostalgia project. Chopra loosely describes the food as “elevated Italian,” but emphasizes that the menu is intentionally kept small to maintain a clear focus. Like any traditional Italian restaurant, the menu is wisely split into antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolce sections, leaving guests to create meals that meet their preferences and budgets.
Menu Highlights
The appetizers consist of crowd-pleasing Italian classics, with bites like whipped ricotta, prosciutto, and truffle honey on focaccia ($18) and lightly breaded and fried, yet incredibly tender calamari served with a bright puttanesca sauce ($18). The house-made pastas are a highlight here, with rustic pappardelle smothered in a luscious slow-cooked beef and red wine ragu ($32) and crispy pan-seared gnocchi dressed in gorgonzola cream ($28). While some Italian restaurant goers tend to economically skip the secondi course, it is worth splurging on the fall-apart, slow-braised lamb shank bathed in red wine jus and served over risotto ($46) or equally luxurious braised beef cheek with Parmesan polenta ($42).
