Inside the small, Patti Rosati–designed room on Queen Street West (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
Maialino Enoteca Italiana, the latest in a seemingly unending stream of new Italian restaurants, sits on the last strip of Queen east of Roncesvalles. The restaurant, which opened quietly just before Christmas, aims to set itself apart with its modern take on traditional Sicilian cuisine (indeed, there’s a little icon on the menus indicating Sicilian dishes). Promising no buffalo mozzarella, owner Mike Rutigliano notes that increasingly, the food from Italy’s south is making its mark on the food world—which, in the Toronto context, means giving the pizza-loving northerners a run for their money.
Housed in a former art gallery next door to Keriwa Café, Maialino’s space was designed by Patti Rosati, with touches like an antique pasta machine perched behind the bar, tables made from 150-year-old reclaimed wood and booths upholstered in a striped Paul Smith print (not in the original budget, but deemed irresistible). The semi-open kitchen is visible at the back of the room, with cured and curing meats prominently on display. Much of the prep is done out in the open, with a sous-vide immersion circulator and some induction burners behind the bar. The focal point, however, is the accent wall: covered in Italian words and phrases, it was painted by hand and pays homage to Queen Street’s graffiti.
The menu offers up plenty of antipasti, salumi and formaggi options to share before diving into the mains. Panelle—Sicilian bread dotted with sesame seeds—can be filled with either chickpea fritters or sautéed veal spleen and Caciocavallo cheese ($5). Mains include the homemade fettuccine, which is served with a wild boar ragoût, grated pecorino and a healthy portion of fresh Italian truffle ($19). The slow-roasted short ribs are bathed in a Nero d’Avola wine sauce and come with roasted shallots and potatoes ($20). And the braised rabbit—or coniglio in agrodolce—is served in a sweet reduction of Sicilian vinegar with a medley of green olives, celery and capers ($20). Meals can be polished off with some traditional dolci: lavender-infused panna cotta and handmade cannoli ($6). Judging by the crowds we saw when we visited, it seems like Maialino is already building a following.
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- Inside the small, Patti Rosali–designed room on Queen Street West
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- The accent wall was hand-painted with Italian words and phrases
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- The back half of the room, with bar seating along one side and tables on the other
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- The portion of the tiny kitchen visible from the dining room
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- Tonno al sesamo: seared sashimi-grade tuna encrusted with sesame seeds and served with pickled red onions and frisée salad ($20)
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- A selection of various salumi and an arancino
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- Fettucine ginghiale e tartufo: homemade pasta, wild boar ragoût, grated pecorino umbro and shaved fresh truffle ($19)
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- Mezzelune alla zucca: homemade pasta special filled with pumpkin and served in a mascarpone sauce ($16)
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- Costole di manzo al Nero d’Avolo: slow-roasted short ribs in a Nero d’Avola reduction with roasted shallots and potatoes ($20)
Maialino Enoteca Italiana, 1688 Queen St. W., 416-551-5251, maialinoto.com
Sounds wonderful. I hope there’s a good selection of Sicilian wines – which are absolutely fantastic. Would love to see the truly authentic pasta a l’aglio on the menu….along with the delicious cassate (ricotta stuffed pastries). And how about a little Dominic Mancuso and some Sicilian Jazz Project music? Lovely!
January 18, 2012 at 3:39 pm | by SandraThere right now. Food is good. Still some work to do. Pastas are better than mains.
January 21, 2012 at 11:36 pm | by ericWho is the head chef?
January 22, 2012 at 10:21 pm | by Vaneeta“which, in the Toronto context, means giving the pizza-loving northerners a run for their money.”
Pizza is from Naples, in southern Italy, so this statement makes no sense.
January 24, 2012 at 1:06 pm | by BT