Company

It’s a family affair at West Vancouver’s newest authentic Italian restaurant. Mangia E Bevi Ristorante (translation: Eat and Drink) opened its doors on …April 10, 2007.

Italian restaurant aficionados will recognize the talents of General Manager, Antonio Sauro, and Executive Chef, Rob Parrott, recently of Gusto di Quattro in North Vancouver. Rob, Antonio, and brother-in-law, Doug Grisdale have teamed up to open Mangia E Bevi Ristorante in anticipation it will become a gathering place for those looking for superb Italian fare, old-world service and a casual comfortable ambience, all while being treated as one of the family.

The restaurant was inspired by family matriarch Daphne Grisdale, whose generous spirit kept her family close by hosting many large family gatherings to celebrate all occasions. Antonio, who is married to Doug’s sister Deborah, felt the same sense of family connection that he grew up with in his native Italy. He wanted to share the celebration of families enjoying each other’s company through food and drink and thus the concept of Mangia E Bevi Ristorante was born. Good food and good company.

Antonio Sauro
General Manager
Antonio has the Italian way of life in his passion towards his profession. Immediately you will feel his warmth and robust energy as he welcomes you into his extended family.

He spent his childhood in the closely knit village of Terranova, Abbruzzo in central Italy, where the community celebrated weddings and momentous occasions with huge feasts of freshly prepared meals all cooked in their homes and shared with the 200-300 people in the village. This shaped the way Antonio feels about food – it must be good and it must be shared with large groups of people having fun.

Antonio is trained formally in European style service through the prestigious Hotel & Restaurant school, Scuola Alberghiera. This training involved internships in Munich and London. He spent four years in London training at the Sheraton, Knightsbridge and Hilton, Park Lane. After returning to Italy he felt he wanted to see more of the world so he signed on to the original Love Boat – Sky Princess, and met the love of his life, Deborah Grisdale from West Vancouver. They were married in 1992 and settled on the North Shore. Antonio managed the Cloud 9 restaurant for four years and then left to manage Heron’s Restaurant at the Waterfront Hotel. In 2001 he left to work for the Corsi family and help run their chain of Quattro Restaurants. He was the General Manger at Gusto di Quattro in North Vancouver for six years where he met chef Rob Parrott.

Antonio is fulfilling a life-long dream to work with his family in his first love, the celebration of food and drink in an atmosphere of family, friends and new acquaintances.

Rob Parrott
Executive Chef
Rob’s North Shore roots go way back, having graduated from Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver. He started his career as an accountant but became bored and looked for a new challenge. He found fulfillment in the restaurant industry, working for many years with the famed Corsi family in their chain of restaurants. He excelled in the kitchen, learning the essence of old world cooking and the importance of fresh flavourful ingredients.

Rob’s gift for menu innovation is evident in Mangia E Bevi Ristorante’s offerings. He has taken traditional Italian fare and added his own touch with West Coast infusion yet still maintains the intricacies of Italian flavours.

In keeping with the family tradition at Mangia E Bevi, Rob’s wife Gillian works alongside the staff as they greet and welcome guests to the restaurant. Rob and Gillian have two children and live in North Vancouver.

Doug Grisdale
Manager
Doug grew up in a house only blocks away from Mangia E Bevi. His father still lives in the same house and can be found wandering over to check on the restaurant on a regular basis.

Doug’s inspiration for food and the restaurant business came from Franco Verdicchio of the notable Peppi’s restaurant. He was a cook at Peppi’s and then managed Pastel’s Restaurant at the Bentall Centre in Vancouver. He moved to Washington for 21 years where he managed a chain of retail stores that grew from four stores to 35 stores. Keeping his fingers in the service industry he also owned and managed an Espresso Cart on the busy streets of downtown Seattle.

Doug has a great sense of family and yearned to come back to the North Shore. When the opportunity of owning a neighbourhood restaurant with Antonio became available, he jumped at it.

When not working at Mangia E Bevi, Doug can be found at the park, volunteering for his son’s baseball team.