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Editorial Review

Reviewed in the June/July '07 issue of Ciao! magazine

On the busy corner of Grosvenor Avenue and Stafford Street, where River Heights meets Crescentwood, is a charming restaurant that frequently flies under the radar to those outside of the area. Neighbourhood denizens in the loop are loyal fans of Spuntino Cafe; tables in the intimate, classically decorated restaurant are snapped-up lightning fast. The quaint space provides a quiet atmosphere for those escaping the bustle of many contemporary spots. It’s no wonder so many home-for-the-summer snowbirds fill the place or stop by for take out.

Although “spuntino” means snack in Italian, a more rewarding experience is offered here. This is a cozy, unexpected place to take a date—where you may actually get to hear the conversation. Expect cool yet knowledgeable service, a good wine list and delicious, upscale Italian cuisine. Resist the temptation to devour the fresh-from-the-oven, golf ball-sized buns you receive at the beginning of the meal; you’ll need them to mop up the rich sauces of dishes to come. To start, caramelized fennel and bocconcini antipasto is a great dish for sharing. Tender quarters of sweet maple-glazed fennel, with a hint of a licorice spiciness, are topped with a salad of tomatoes and lettuce. The mild bocconcini is good for sweeping up the sauce.

As a second course, a number of pastas are offered in half portions and these small plates offer the just the right size to sample without filling up. Farfalle foresta is a luscious dish of layered flavours. Pasta butterflies swim in a zesty, rosé sun-dried tomato pesto. Earthy wild mushrooms, tangy capers and peppery arugula play in a slightly creamy sauce with that cooked-all-day flavour we long for in comfort foods. Tortellini alfredo doesn’t stray too far from the original. Meat-filled pasta is cloaked in a delicate, garlic-spiked cream and accented with bright asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes. The dish is as simple as it is smooth and converts even the most strict of carbo-phobes. For such a small restaurant, the list of entrée items is plentiful. Zuppa di pesce is more of a stew than a soup. The thick tomato-based broth is loaded with paper-thin slices of garlic, succulent scallops, pieces of salmon, and it arrives with the satisfying rattle of mussels and clams in the shell. Classic vitello marsala offers fork-tender veal cutlets bathed in marsala and topped with hearty portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers and not-so-traditional shrimp.

Despite having eaten four courses—including the light salad that accompanies entrees—these reasonably-sized dishes leave you feeling satisfied, not stuffed. That means dessert may be in the cards. The sweet menu varies, but if it’s available, try the espresso crème brûlée. Paired with a pretty, pale-green cup of Italian coffee, it is just the right finish to a classic meal.

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