It’s been quite while since I wandered into Little Italy at the extremity of St Laurent Blvd boasting some of the best cafes, gourmet food stores and restaurants in the city. It’s also arguably the birthplace of pizza in Montreal, the landmark eatery, Napolitano Pizzeria on Dante St where they started making those delicious Italian pies in 1948!
This area has changed quite substantially since my last visit. It now boasts a myriad of lively terrasses attached to a slew of restaurants opened by an enlightened new wave of Italian cooks offering both traditional and fusion cuisines replete with refreshing modern twists to this iconic cuisine.
I have fond memories of Milano’s when it first opened as the much praised food emporium of all things Italian. When it opened it occupied only two store front locations. Now it has expanded exponentially and occupies almost an entire block encompassing eight large store fronts.
The night we visited the area the aromas enveloping the street and the restaurants packed with mostly young diners were downright addictive.
One of the newcomers, located right in the heart of Little Italy, is Tartufo d’Oro opened with two brothers in charge of the kitchen. Specializing in modern Italian cuisine it is obviously a family affair father running the front of house and brothers Brian and Kevin in the kitchen with the cuisine of Southern Italy in their blood coupled with an unwavering philosophy of creating an exacting and unique dining experience eschewing traditions Italian cuisine.
In their own words…”we’ve set out to introduce new, creative dishes and add ambitious flavours to a cuisine that is often outdated and cliche.”
By all accounts they have succeeded!
The menu at Tarufo d’Oro definitely stays away from all the traditional ‘homey’ Italian fare we have come to expect.
There are just seven or eight appetizers and an equal number of very interesting main dishes, all offering creative approaches, and all of them priced very reasonably.
The ambiance at Tartufo d’Oro is casual and dominated by the colors of red, black and white with a great assortment of relaxing jazz tracks supplying the background music.
The service was undeniably friendly, knowledgeable and proficient from beginning to end.
To start our meal we both shared a plate of Polpo Affumicato or Smoked Octopus with Diced Tomatoes and Croutons. This was unfortunately the only disappointment of the evening. The octopus was tender enough and the advertised smoky flavor was there, but in the process of either cooking or storage it had become a tad dry and the accompanying diced tomatoes and croutons did little to enhance the dish. The dressing and the pickled red onion were hardly evident on the plate.
This was however the only negative note of the entire evening.
My main course of Gnocchi with Eggplant Meatballs was composed of wonderful little pillows of potato pasta cooked perfectly and briefly baked with a tomato sauce, which by the way was probably the best tomato sauce I have tasted in quite some time. The eggplant meatballs were a playful and creative turn from the traditional. I could have liked my plate clean!
My companion’s Cornovaglia Alla Siciliana or Cornish Hen with Celery Root Puree, Mascarpone and Herb Infused Polenta served with glazed baby carrots was perfectly cooked with crispy skin outside and moist and tender inside. The accompanying mascarpone herb polenta cake was a delicious companion to this dish.
We accompanied our meal with a wonderful, smooth and full bodied Valpolicella.
For desserts we chose what I was told was the ‘house specialty’, the homemade Gelato d’Oro an addictively smooth Nutella ice cream layered with crisp Amaretti cookies. My companion chose the Pannetone Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce that proved equally sinful and delicious. A minor quibble, I think both desserts could have been enhanced with the addition of fresh berries readily available in the market nearby. Their tartness would have served as a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of both desserts.
It was refreshing to dine in an Italian restaurant that was not afraid to stray from the traditional and offer a young and creative approach to this countries’ wonderful ingredients.
I wish Tartufo d’Oro all my best and hope others will discover the obvious talents of its young cooks. It’s a tough world out there in the often unforgiving world of Montreal restaurants where only the best and truly committed survive.
Tartufo d’Oro deserves to be among those much lauded survivors.
I will be back.
6961 St Laurent Blvd
Telephone: 514 419-2205
Hours: Monday closed. Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 11pm
