The theme of Giovane is Italian from day to night. It's a bustling coffee shop serving Stumptown coffee and flaky pastries before evolving into a popular business lunch shop to get a panini and pizza at lunch. In the evening, pull up to the sophisticated Italian wine bar featuring over 60 varieties wine from all regions of Italy.

Giovane was notorious during the Winter Olympics for selling out every day of their signature sugar buns - a sweet sugar coated bun filled to near exploding with rich pastry cream. New this summer, Giovane is also selling on tap cold coffee similar to Timbertrain.

Also new on site is a new gourmet market that sells carefully curated handcrafted products. It is a foodie's paradise, my friends and I don't ever want to leave! Pick up a chef prepared osso bucco, fresh baked bread, and heirloom canned pickled carrots for a lazy dinner or order an Italian picnic spread to bring to Stanley Park.

I love this place. It's a solid choice any time of day and is very reasonably priced - especially for downtown. The food is thoughtfully prepared to what my husband would call my somewhat "exacting" standards. Come anytime and leave happy. You won't be disappointed. I promise.