Cafe Brio Owners Named BC Restaurateurs of the Year

Presented November 3 at BCRFA's annual gala awards banquet at Vancouver's Sheraton Wall Centre, the award is the latest addition to the long list of accolades the couple has received for their dedication to offering regional cuisine in an inviting atmosphere.

Born and raised in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, Silvia came to Canada when she was 13. She has worked in the restaurant business with Greg since 1982, when he started Victoria's legendary Herald St. Café. There, as the first to introduce such pricing innovations as a $10 mark-up on all wines, Greg and Silvia established themselves as pioneers in the local restaurant scene. In 1992, the couple began a 3 year contract to redesign and rebuild the Marina Restaurant. In 1995, after the newly minted Marina was up and running, they began scouting locations for Cafe Brio.

Since opening its wrought-iron gates in 1997, Cafe Brio cucina domestica has focused on offering the freshest products from the surrounding region. Within its stuccoed façade and terra cotta walls, Cafe Brio welcomes diners into old-world yet casual surroundings - a warm, inviting space designed by Silvia herself. There, Silvia and Greg remain the consummate hosts. "We think of our restaurant as an extension of our home," says Silvia. "We treat people as though they were our personal guests - with a bit of fun and a little irreverence."

Their style - and their food, of course - work. The restaurant has been awarded top honours by Zagat's, Fodor's, Frommer's, and Where to Eat in Canada. It has won the Critic's Choice and People's Choice awards from the BC Restaurant Association, and the Culinary Arts Award for the annual Phantom Dinner. And critics everywhere continue to heap praise on Cafe Brio and its inspirational owners.

For more information, contact:

Greg Hays / Silvia Marcolini

p 250.383.0009

e cafebrio@pacificcoast.net

www.cafe-brio.com