Italian
Da Gianni E Maria Trattoria
Exposed brick and a semi-open
kitchen lend a casual, rustic air to the space. A lengthy bar
separated from the dining area may divert some traffic from
College Street, but still one wonders, Is St. Clair West ready
for an upmarket (read: pricey) trattoria? While pondering the
extensive menu (two pages of pastas, two of mains) rooted in
northern Italian traditions, the hungry succumb to a lovely
dish of olive oil and marinated red peppers. One night’s
recommended special, antipasto del cacciatore (hunter’s
antipasto) proffers boar sausage both sharp and gamy, intensely
flavoured smoked duck, tender prosciutto and a mozzarella-like
goat milk cheese ($18.95). Fanned out across the plate, delicate
but over-chilled tuna carpaccio ($17.95) is nicely complemented
by a no-nonsense lemon juice–olive oil vinaigrette. Mains
offer ethereal highs punctuated by the occasional devastating
low. The exquisite sauce on venison chops ($31.95) employs vincotto
(an aged sweet vinegar) to make it viscous, bold and rich with
flavour, but the venison is overcooked. Baked sea bass ($28.95)
is better: wrapped in foil, the fish is coated in coarse, seasoned
bread crumbs that provoke pleasant confusion in the mouth. Extra,
but by no means extraneous, roasted cipollini onions, spiked
with cider vinegar, earn their $8.95 price tag. Desserts range
from traditional tartufo ($5.95) to elaborate zabaglione alla
piemontese ($8.45), a dish of layered sponge cake and rich creamy
custard. As expected, the expansive wine list favours Italian
selections. Service is shaky but earnest. Closed Monday.
Address:
794–796 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-652-3982. |
Da Gianni & Maria Trattoria
