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Editorial Review

Reviewed in the Feb/March '06 issue of Ciao!

For more than a decade, the modern-classic Italian fare of Tre Visi has been lauded by critics and attended by a loyal customer base. Nestled on a quiet bend in the Exchange District, this tiny bistro is almost always bustling, evenings before the theatre and always during the business lunch hour.

The menu boldly states the restaurant’s mandate: to serve dishes that have stood the test of time, emphasizing the traditional while refusing to submit to trends. You won’t find herbed foam sauce here. What you will find is consistent, upscale Italian comfort food that pleases the senses, all at surprisingly low prices.

Walls adorned with bright, mosaic-inspired artwork line the restaurant’s perimeter. Modern pendant light fixtures dangle above tables that sit in every possible nook and cranny, giving what seems like an open space a number of secluded retreats.

All meals begin with generous portions of oven-fresh, spongy focaccia topped with sweet sundried tomatoes and herbs. It disappears quickly. People come from miles around to sample the brightest star on the menu—available at lunch and dinner—the housemade gnocchi. Available in either light cream- blushed pesto or vibrant tomato sauce, these fluffy pasta cushions melt in your mouth. A lunch portion with salad and foccacia is under $10.

The dinner menu is divided into the traditional antipasti, pasta and secondi courses. Deep-fried calamari with marinara sauce delivers tender rings that could very well be the best in the city--perfectly cooked with a feather-light crust. Fresh, steamed mussels scream of the ocean and are bathed in a light garlicky-tomato sauce. A classic carpaccio of fork-tender, paper-thin beef is accessorized with olive oil, thick shavings of parmigiano reggiano and bursts of tangy capers. Pasta choices are plentiful and alluring. The farfalle Tre Visi is a piquant blend of tomato, bites of crumbled hot Italian sausage and velvety, sweet red peppers. Rigatoni quattro gusti is the sophisticated version of every child’s favourite comfort food--macaroni and cheese. Tubes of pasta ooze with four cheeses and a rich, creamy meat sauce.

Saltimbocca alla romana-the traditional veal scaloppini dish stars tender veal dressed with earthy sage and salty proscuitto, topped with a white wine sauce. Salmone alla giacomo features a healthy portion of salmon that is poached with asparagus and red peppers. The result is mildly-flavoured thought slightly overcooked.

The service is friendly and professional once you have been acknowledged. This very busy restaurant has only two servers doing it all; so details like water refills can get overlooked. Desserts vary weekly, and are worth saving room for. Of special note is a triple-chocolate layered mousse, richly flavoured, but light in texture; surrounded by streams of raspberry coulis.

Tre Visi is open Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm, Mon-Thu 5 pm-10 pm, Fri-Sat 5 pm-11 pm. Reservations are recommended.

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