Just Opened
Osteria Ciceri e Tria
The latest culinary adventure from the Terroni masterminds is a fixed-price osteria where diners lean back and let the house take care of (almost) everything By Jared Bland
Osteria Ciceri e Tria in the former Terroni space
on Victoria St.
Image credit: Ben Rahn / A-Frame
Ciceri e tria is a classic Apulian dish comprising deep-fried pasta, fresh pasta and chickpeas in broth—a plate, in other words, that’s made up of distinct components, all familiar, yet surprising when combined. Terroni’s latest venture isn’t just named for the dish, which it serves each day. The dining experience is at once familiar and flashy; owner Cosimo Mammoliti has taken inspiration from the “traditional osteria experience—a place where you come, sit, have a glass of wine, and let the house feed you.”
Any Terroni lover will recognize the room, of course. Its of-the-moment make-over of wooden-beam panelling, communal table and enormous chalkboards can’t completely disguise the space that once housed the smallest of Terroni’s pizza temples. The crowd is recognizable, too: it’s as though the gang of condo dwellers and after-hours Bay Streeters was here, sipping Peroni, during the entire renovation.
What will be less familiar is the dining experience itself, which is defined by three different fixed-price options that replicate a traditional, low-key osteria dinner: antipasto and primo ($23), antipasto and secondo ($28), and antipasto, primo and secondo ($35). One begins with a selection of five antipasti. Like the whole menu, these change weekly but largely consist of seasonal, bite-sized morsels of fish, meat and vegetables. Diners are allowed a bit of input when it comes to the primi, choosing from an ever-changing list of five or six handmade pastas. There are fewer secondi options—one meat and one fish—some of which might be recognizable to those who know Terroni’s non-pizza menu. There is also a heavy emphasis on the wine list, which, like the food, reflects the regional flavour of Apulia.
What sets Ciceri e Tria apart from its bigger brothers is the concept, which servers are calling a work-in-progress. Mammoliti himself acknowledges that the idea hasn’t been a total success. “People who come in and let us do it—who go through the total experience—are loving it. But some people are not getting it at all,” he admits. “They come in and aren’t even giving us a chance.” We hope more people do, because though the huge new courthouse Terroni is just around the corner, there’s always been something welcoming about the cozy room on Victoria Street.
Osteria Ciceri e Tria, 106 Victoria St. (at Queen St. E.), 416-955-0258.
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In theory Osteria Ciceri e Tria should be great - intimate, italian, a menu that changes often and a focus on fresh flavours. Unfortunately the experience failed to live up to any expectation. The antipasti were uninspired and lacked flavour - they seemed mass produced to just get on the tables fast. The main, while not bad, lacked flavour. It was well done, but boring. When the table asked for anything for the dishes to be more for personal preference (i.e. salt, pepper, cheese, chilis - things that if the dishes were done right you wouldn't even think about) the wait staff was not allowed to accommodate. They even sent the manager to explain that they would not bring it - but would rather throw the whole dish out and bring something else. It was wasteful and arrogant. I would never recommend this restaurant.
May 14, 2010 | by svI have to disagree with both the Toronto Life review and the comments above. Osteria has excellent food, nice atmosphere and good service.
I took my mother to the Osteria for her birthday last month. We sat down and were treated to a lovely waitress who happened to be from the same region in Italy (Molise) as my family. She was extremely helpful and genuine.
Moreover the food I had ordered was excellent. The chick pea paste was very authentic, the olives were tasty and the bread was fresh - the olive oil had a bitter hint at the end - very unique. The was a simple, but familiar dish - penne with beef shank. I have never had a dish that tasted as authentic as my nonna's standard recipe.
If you're not willing to accept rustic, authentic southern Italian food then this place simply isn't for you. The cuisine is what it is: based off simple recipes from a poorer region with lots of character. If you're looking for authentic southern Italian cuisine then you've made an excellent choice!
August 24, 2010 | by jeff87Most people outside of Italy are used to Italian-American food, a bastardized version of the forgotten original delicacy. Their palate and taste buds are not normally educated to understand certain flavors or eating traditions.
September 24, 2010 | by torontoreThe food at Ciceria e Tria is good and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to spend a fun -and a little loud- evening in one of the most authentic osteria in downtown Toronto.
In advance of a cultural evening with friends, I was scoping out the Queen and Victoria area for somewhere attractive and convenient to eat before the show. I had never heard of Osteria Ciceri e Tria, but it was hopping at lunchtime that day, had an atmosphere that felt just right, and a delicious-looking, uncomplicated menu at the right price. One glance told me that the choices on any given day would be perfect. It's not for picky eaters or those who always have to ask for adjustments and substitutions, no matter where they go for dinner or what is on the menu.
The food was excellent and the service friendly and highly efficient. As a pre-theatre restaurant, it's just the ticket.
April 28, 2011 | by foodiegirl