Variety meats are in. Once-novel specialties like tongue, sweetbreads, tripe sausage and even beef heart abound on Toronto menus. But it’s fair to say that Prego Della Piazza’s Stephen Ricci has out- offaled the rest of the city’s chefs with his singular approach to kidneys. From summer through late fall, about 10 select heads of the restaurant’s custom-raised cattle are given what can only be called the champagne treatment: for three weeks before slaughter, they’re each fed a bucket of prosecco tranquillo a day. The kidneys, served over rustic chickpeas and a heady prosecco jus, are refined and delicious, their natural pungency offset by a subtle sweetness that hints at the happy hours. Tipsy rib steaks, T-bones and burgers are also available, but the kidneys are Toronto’s new offal ne plus ultra.
Prego Della Piazza, 150 Bloor St. W., 416-920-9900.