Restaurant Review: Giulietta
GIULIETTA
972 College Street ~ giu.ca Instagram: @giulietta972 ~ Twitter: @giulietta_972 Co-Diner: Tim Golem
Giulietta has been high on my to-do list because I hear about it everywhere. Not only am I an avid fan of Top Chef Canada, where in season one Executive Chef Rob Rossi was the runner-up (he was my favourite on the show and should've won!) but the hype is real about this place in general. enRoute magazine chose them as #5 on Canada's Best New Restaurants 2018 list. Toronto Life has them on two lists; #33 on The City’s 100 Best Restaurants 2018 and #3 on The Best New Restaurants 2019. And of course, the biggest of them all, they've landed at #9 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2019. It has all certainly been more than enough to catch my attention. Giulietta (pronounced Julietta) is an Italian restaurant set on making classic dishes fresh and new again. And I was lucky enough to pay them a visit on a Saturday evening for my anniversary, no less. The outside of this Little Italy-adjacent restaurant is fairly unassuming, however the inside is very sharp. A reservation is almost always a must. A lot of care and attention has gone into the stylish design of the space, creating a polished atmosphere. Muted tones are accented with copper metallics, with just a little bit of exposed brick for good measure. I was impressed by the stunning glass walk-in pantry placed right in the middle of the room. This truly added a market-quality feeling to the space and certainly invoked a certain Italian vibe. I also noted the various bar carts around the room, stocked full with gleaming bottles and glasses. The room feels quite adult and a little like an escape to Europe. Seated at our cozy table for two, I eyed up the bustling activity in the open kitchen. Chef Rob Rossi himself did not appear to be present on this evening. Next, a thorough examination of the cutlery was in order. This might be one of the best little features to discover at Giulietta - many of the mismatched vintage flatwear are engraved with all sorts of adorable little sayings. I had a fork which read "me too" and an appropriately-printed spoon that said "spoon me." I absolutely loved this whimsical touch. Our friendly hostess and server wished us a happy anniversary repeatedly, which was incredibly sweet. I appreciated that there was no pretension to be found whatsoever, but on the other hand, I found the service almost slightly too casual. I liked that our server was quite laid-back but I found her delivery of information somewhat unpolished for a restaurant of this caliber. We were offered complimentary sparkling or still water to drink. I was ready for a cocktail and easily selected the Giulietta Spritz ($15.00) with the assumption that any signature drink has gotta be good.
Quaglia berto aperitivo, prosecco & soda.
Made with a classic Italian aperitif, I loved the light, fresh bitterness. The essence was reminiscent of chinotto to me - one of my favourite flavours to accompany Italian food. The olive garnish was the perfect touch and the fact that I was provided with a small gold-rimmed dish for the pit was even better. Saluti! The copper-embossed menu is one page long with well-laid out sections. It reads as an Italian meal should be consumed; with Primi, Secondi, and Contorni columns. Our server was helpful in suggesting some of the restaurant's top plates and my husband and I did our best to make well-rounded selections, attempting to taste as much variety as possible. Starting with the Spuntini (snacks) section, the Olive all' Ascolana ($9.00) seemed like an obvious choice.
Fried Castelvetrano olives wrapped with sausage​.
This little dish was unexpected. I've never tried a sausage-wrapped olive before and I was here for it. Dusted with Pecorino, these savoury-briny bites were fried to perfection and incredibly unique. From the same section, we also chose the Burrata Pugliese ($27.00). It was easy to be enticed by the grilled octopus, but I had a good feeling about this one.
Italian Burrata, rhubarb marmellata, gnocco fritto, black pepper & basil.
I mean, gnocco fritto is always a major selling point in my book. Doesn't everyone love fried pillows of happiness? Burrata is a fresh Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The result is an ultra-soft, practically spreadable cheese that tastes like heaven when seasoned with a bit of olive oil and salt. The gnocco fritto served as a vessel for the Burrata and a bit of rhubarb jam on top added a delightful tart sweetness. This is the perfect example of a plate that is so simple, and yet so perfect. I think that this dish was our favourite of the entire meal. Moving to the Primi (first) section, it was time to get things going for real. All four pasta dishes on offer sounded amazing, but the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe ($23.00) had to be the one. My husband and I adored this dish on our trip to Rome a few years ago and have a definite soft spot for it.
Traditional long Roman pasta, kampot black pepper & Pecorino.
An extremely simple pasta, it basically just involves cheese and pepper. When it's done well, it will haunt your dreams. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, maybe even a little too much so for my taste. The pepper packed a spicy punch and the abundant Pecorino added a savoury saltiness. While this was incredibly delicious, the problem is that nothing can top the version that I had at Roscioli in Rome. Next, we moved on to the Secondi (second) section, where all of the meat and seafood dishes are kept. While the branzino sounded epic, I was dazzled by the Fogo Island Cioppino ($33.00).
Newfoundland cod & queen crab, mussels, tomato & fennel brodetto.
I tend to think of cioppino as an Italian bouillabaisse. While the cod and crab were from Newfoundland, our server explained that the mussels were from British Columbia - truly a coast to coast plate. I get my greatest enjoyment with a dish like this simply by dunking the crusty bread into the delicious tomatoey broth, sopping up every last drop. The seafood was decently nice, but not mind-blowing. Everything tasted very fresh but seemed to be lacking much else in terms of flavour. The mussels were plump but the crab was fairly sparse. A nice summertime dish but could've been better. We also visited the Contorni (side dishes) section and selected the Insalata di Patate ($13.00).
Yukon potatoes, green beans, crispy prosciutto & soft egg.
This was a lovely side dish. Served cold, it was a great way to inject a little bit more freshness into the meal. I loved the minty base, bursting with verdant flavour. The potatoes were tender, the egg was wonderful and I especially loved the addition of a super-salty anchovy filet on top. I found that the prosciutto got a little bit lost. Giulietta does pizza as well, and I'm sure that they are very good. Especially the one called La Giulietta, which I would love to try someday. I really appreciated that their menu specifies which extra virgin olive oil they're using, as if it's a bottle of wine. Ooh, the 2018 harvest from Fossacesia. Very good. We couldn't leave without looking at the Dolce (sweet) menu and easily chose the Torta della Nonna ($12.00) which sounded like something pretty special.
Wildflower honey, pine nuts & mascarpone crema.
This dessert was indeed special. I don't believe that I've seen pine nuts in a sweet dish like this before but it worked surprisingly well. The crust was buttery and delicious, while the mascarpone crema was absolutely to die for. I read a description of this dessert that said "it's like a butter tart that studied abroad in Italy and returned looking stylish." I couldn't agree more!
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Giulietta very much. While it seemed that there were a few slight misses, the dishes that I loved were extraordinary. The appetizer round was especially notable and delicious. Certainly worth a try!