Lina's Italian Market was once the best Italian market in the city with some of the best lunches, charcuterie, cheese, Italian food staples, and Italian household goods in the city. Unfortunately, Lina is no longer the owner and after a few changes in management, it has fallen from glory. That crown now goes to the Italian Centre on Fairmount Drive SE. Lina's does not have the space, being about 20 percent or less of the area of the Italian Centre, to carry the selection diversity. Gone are the Italian accoutrements (no more household goods to help you make real Italian food), olive oils, which can be an incredibly complex choice, are no longer arranged by regions nor cultivars, there is less than a quarter of what Lina had for produce selection, and it is not even Italian owned anymore. The Italian Centre also has close the best Neapolitan style pizza in town and for half the price of Una, Posto, or Azzurri. Whether it is pasta, olive oils, real traditional balsamic vinegar, truffles, charcuterie, produce, cheese, meat, etc., no Italian store in Calgary has the selection that the Italian Centre has. Lina's cannot come close. However, to be fair, Lina's still has amazing lunches and a spacious dining area.
The Italian Centre is equaled, but not exceeded, by stores in Toronto, which has over 500,000 Italians living in the city, or possibly Montreal with just under 300,000 Italians in the city. Even New York, with almost 2 million Italians, you will not find anything much better, for that you have to go to Rome or Milano, but not elsewhere because large markets only exist in those cities.
A genuine treasure!
Address[]
2202 Centre St NE Online map
Phone: (403) 277-9166
Hours of Operation:
Mon - Fri: 9 am to 7 pm Sat - Sun: 9 am to 5 pm