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Editorial Review

Reviewed in the Dec/Jan '07 issue of Ciao!

Cafe Dario arrives in a city that is sorely lacking authentic Latin cuisine, providing a much-needed kick from south of the border. In an incongruous little two-room house, in the farthest corner of the West End, effervescent Chef/owner Dario Gutierrez cooks the only Nuevo Latino food in town. One of the hottest culinary trends in the US has finally arrived in Canada courtesy of this Colombian-born chef with some serious culinary chops. His background includes stints in top kitchens like Victor’s and Dubrovnik.

The concept is North American entrées prepared with South American herbs and spices, served alongside updated versions of traditional Latin American dishes. Chef Dario routinely travels back to his homeland to keep tabs on cooking trends and popular ingredients to add to the mix. The restaurant quietly opened in October 2006, its no-frills interior contrasting dramatically with the highly sophisticated, yet astonishingly affordable, table d’hote evening menu. Five courses—both appetizer and entrée available in 5-7 mouthwatering options—cost a mere $30. The menu changes daily, reflecting Chef Dario’s earnestness and creativity, while keeping the dining experience fresh and exciting.

What’s notable about dining with a set menu is the underlying anticipation that builds with each course. And the kitchen never fails to deliver, gaining momentum with each plate. The flavours of each course ascend in harmony.

Recent starters included escargot diablo, pepper-crusted calamari and sesame seed dumplings. The former gets its name from the devilish Serrano peppers that add a punch of heat to the delicate meat, served au gratin in a small crock. Calamari, grilled to a precise firmness, is accompanied with a cool cilantro and jalapeno sour cream to soothe the speckled coating. Sesame seed dumplings—akin to sticky rice balls, the popular Asian treat—are a textural delight. The crisp seed coating covers the glutinous rice ball, and a bite into the dumpling releases the sweet and nutty black sesame paste. Dotted with vibrant pink guava pulp, this appetizer could equally act as a dessert.

Chef Dario’s nuevo version of flautas features mini rolls stuffed with a shrimp and crab mixture and served with a fruity molasses.

The soup on one visit was a fiery cream of jalapeno, while another’s was cream of smoked salmon. Two different salads revolved around tomatoes, one mixed with crisp baby artichokes and other paired with rings of exotic hearts of palm, a south-of-the-equator delicacy. The latter, coated in a house-made feta vinaigrette, will leave you begging for more.

The entrées are artistically presented with colourful sides and sauces, and a towering slice of fried plantain. A tender rack of lamb is coated with a piquant chile rub, while a side of robust, Kahlua-flavoured chili helps balance the meat. You’ll swoon over the chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese and sun-dried strawberries. Its candy-like flavour is complemented with roasted vegetables and a mound of smoky paprika mashed potatoes.

Chimichurri sauce—a traditional Argentinian melange of olive oil, vinegar, herbs and spices—is Chef Dario’s specialty (you’ll smell the garlicky salsa as soon as you walk in the door). Reinventing the sauce with spicy capers, he routinely offers chimichurri with alternating cuts of beef. One night’s filet mignon was stunning, with the signature sauce pulling the meat’s juices to the surface.

The evening finishes with a small-but-satisfying serving of the chef’s choice dessert. A sliver of crème caramel is elegantly presented in a martini glass. Another night’s orange creamsicle torte is the perfect finish with fragrant bits of candied zest hidden in the creamy layers.

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