A gorgeous Italian restaurant in the heart of Edmonton run by childhood buddies with deep roots in the city’s hospitality industry.
A fresh breeze flows in through the open, restaurant-wide glass and steel patio doors as the sound of Frank Sinatra’s “My Kind of Town” floats through the sunshine-filled air. People are being seated beneath large umbrellas on the raised patio and at thick Italian-marble-topped tables in the dining room.
It’s just before lunch hour when Joe Viana, co-owner of Bianco, takes a seat to talk about Bianco’s decor and atmosphere, the extensive wine and amari list, and about the business partnership with his childhood friend, Dave Manna.
The pair have known each other for a long time. Viana and Manna were about 12 years old when they met in grade six and have been friends since. They have worked in the hospitality industry in Edmonton for 25 years and are the powerhouses behind several successful restaurants including Rosso and Sicilain Pasta Kitchen on Jasper Avenue.
Bianco opened in 2019 and is located on Rice Howard Way in the heart of downtown Edmonton. They serve lunch and dinner and will soon re-open for cappuccino and fresh baked goods for morning coffee lovers and downtown office workers.
A gorgeous Italian restaurant in the heart of Edmonton run by childhood buddies with deep roots in the city’s hospitality industry.
The decor at Bianco is a combination of industrial and hardware, classic Italian, with shots of delicate features and artistic lighting. Viana pointed up to an antique chandelier hanging near the coffee bar. The gigantic beaded chandelier came from a burned down hotel in Victoria and had to be taken apart with each piece cleaned of soot before being put back together and then rewired. Viana showed off the repurposed antique movie theatre poster frames that now hold modern art, old barn wood turned into thick wooden table tops, and even small brass coat hangers and antique wine stands and vases. “I’d like to take credit for all this stuff but no, it’s all Dave,” he laughs and says his business partner is a treasure hunter of sorts.
Mixed in with the old is the sharp-edged marble counters, table tops and walls. That marble was brought to Edmonton for the restaurant from a quarry in Italy. Bianco was nominated for a city of Edmonton design award last year. It is no surprise, Bianco is a beautiful restaurant. The menu consists of classic Italian dishes with a modern twist and more than 30 varieties of prosecco and sparkling wines. The amari selection is just as vast with 30 different kinds to choose from. “Most places only serve one or two different options,” admitted Viana.
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