Restaurant Review: Bar Bricco

BAR BRICCO

10347 Jasper Avenue | barbricco.com Instagram: @barbricco

Co-Diner: The Husband

If you live in Edmonton (and you don't live under a rock) you are undoubtedly aware of the Chef Daniel Costa monopoly on fine Italian cuisine by now. Six restaurants strong, this restaurant group features a different vibe and experience at each one, from the more casual to the truly elevated. The consistent aspect between each of them is that you will be hard pressed to find a finer Italian meal in the city. Bar Bricco (the second in the family) opened in 2014 and has since completely absorbed the next-door space that used to belong to Corso 32 (now making it the most senior in the group). The identity of this restaurant is purely "Italian wine bar;" offering small plates, handmade pastas, and an exclusively Italian wine list. Perhaps the most rambunctious of the six, the quality and care toward the food does not suffer just because the atmosphere is louder and younger. (The younger crowd likes nice things too, as they should.) Ranking at #51 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2016, #80 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2017, and #45 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2018, the accolades don't stop there. Avenue Magazine also named them Best Late Night Restaurant 2019, Best Restaurant for Sharing 2019, and Best Late-Night Restaurant 2020. I visited on a Tuesday evening, excited to add to my Corso 32 Group collection. Located in a sleek row Downtown, Bar Bricco can be found next door to its fairly new sister Rita. The exterior isn't flashy - nothing more than a black awning with the restaurant's name printed in white cursive lettering. Inside the space is moody, capturing a decidedly subterranean vibe. Black hexagonal tiles interlock around the bar and white marble table tops contrast against the midnight hues. The space was buzzing with many occupied tables filled with a hip clientele, laughing and enjoying each other's company. It can get pretty loud but that's the intended atmosphere at Bar Bricco. The idea of mixing and mingling is the entire point. Seated at a table for two, our server was upbeat and friendly, matching the feeling of the room.

Blasphemy as it may be, I'm not much of a wine drinker so the curated list of Italian wines got overlooked in favour of the cocktail menu. I love a Sbagliato ($20.00) and was happy to find it listed - stunning!

Prosecco, Campari, Cocchi vermouth.

Similar to a negroni, the difference is that instead of gin the beverage is made with a sparkling wine (like prosecco) instead. This version was adult and delicious but a bit more fun and trendy compared to a regular negroni because you get the effervescence from the prosecco. A perfect palate cleanser, the bittersweet citrus notes help to cut through the rich food dishes like a dream. The menu at Bar Bricco is inspired by the diverse regional cuisines of Italy. Instead of pigeon holing into one specific province, you'll find plates that feature the best that the country has to offer while keeping the dishes simple and playful. A tasting menu is offered where the restaurant can select the plates for your group (never a bad idea!) but on my visit I had already made up my mind about what I was excited to try. Starting with the Lardo & Anchovy Crostino ($11.00).

These are served individually so each person will need to order their own. Each piece of toasted bread was adorned with a singular anchovy and then draped in sheets of lardo, a type of salume made by curing strips of fatback. The decadent and salty flavour was right up my alley however I could have used even more anchovy! I know that anchovies can be an overwhelming flavour and it makes sense not to be heavy-handed but I could have eaten at least a second fish. A really nice bite to whet the appetite! One of the piatti that I had heard the most about was easily the Soft Scrambled Eggs ‘Cacio e Pepe’ ($23.00) and I couldn't wait to try it for myself!

Black truffle, crostini.

Every egg should taste exactly like this!! Velvet folds of creamy, indulgent scrambled eggs are seasoned with black pepper and pecorino (just like cacio e pepe pasta) and the addition of truffle brings a luxurious element. Scooping these eggs onto slices of chewy crostini felt like the best breakfast ever, although perfectly acceptable for any time of day. I am ruined for eggs because I need them to be like this forever. I had also heard that the Leeks ($23.00) were magical.

Whipped ricotta, ‘salumi bomba’ & mint.

Leeks are having a total moment right now and I see them on more and more menus. A good preparation leaves them tender and ready to absorb whatever ingredients they're paired with. This dish was executed perfectly in the sense that it was beautiful to look at and provided an unexpected heat that woke up my taste buds! The spicy salumi bomba was served on top like a meat sauce while the creamy whipped ricotta waited underneath to cool everything down. The leeks were cut into cylinders, allowing the bold flavours to seep down between the sheaths. An inspired dish! Moving on to pasta, because lets face it, that's what everyone wants when they visit any of Chef Costa's restaurants. Handmade in-house, each of the pasta dishes have been perfected over the years and Bar Bricco has two dishes that get a lot of attention. The first is the Egg Yolk Raviolo ($27.00).

With truffle butter & parmigiano.

"Raviolo" is the singular form of the word "ravioli" because indeed you will only receive one giant raviolo! You can choose from a burnt butter and sage preparation or a truffle butter one. I'm sure that both are incredible but I selected the latter. Much like the anchovies, some people might not enjoy too much truffle... But I am not those people. One big pillow of raviolo was served sitting in an absolute bath of buttery truffle sauce and dusted in ample amounts of parmigiano. Cutting into the raviolo reveals the liquid egg yolk within which then combines with the butter to complete the sauce. It's one part theatre, one part magic, and the rest is nothing but rich hedonism. The second pasta dish that was a must is the Fonduta Agnolotti ($29.00).

Sage butter & parmigiano.

This is the offering that you've probably seen in pictures and it's the most fun that I've ever had with a plate of pasta! Each handmade agnolotti is stuffed with ultra-creamy ricotta and you are meant to pick up a pinking-edged pocket with your hands. Then you proceed to dunk it into the sage butter until it's positively dripping. Finally, you then roll the agnolotti into the heaping mountain of parmigiano snow. Not only does this turn the dish into an entire activity, but each bite is a rich, melty mélange in your mouth. A totally unique experience that isn't found anywhere else! Finally, I had to taste some dolci and the Panna Cotta ($16.00) caught my eye.

Biscoff crumb, orange, crema.

Unlike any panna cotta that I've ever had before, this version featured a light whipped crema that changed the feeling of this classic dessert. The more thickened cream was toward the bottom of the bowl so the expected consistency was still present - but different. Everyone loves a Biscoff and the broken bits of cookie added a satisfying crunch into an otherwise soft treat. Very enjoyable! The Corso 32 Group does such a great job of covering their bases and creating an Italian experience for whatever type of mood that you might be in. Bar Bricco serves as the spot for your darker fantasies, vibrant and noisy, perfect for the late night hours. However, there is no compromise on the food and you will see the same attention to detail and premium ingredients used across all restaurants under their name. The next time that you've got a sexy downtown rendezvous to attend to, Bar Bricco is your place. Grazie!