| From the moment I made reservations at Antolini’s restaurant, I already felt like part of an Italian family. The gentleman on the phone said he would be our server that evening and looked forward to seeing us. Would we prefer a booth or a table by the window perhaps? The experience was off to a pleasurable start.
Having cooked and served their homemade Italian cuisine to Torontonians for 27 years at their location on Yonge Street, Emidio Antolini and his sons Gianni, Marco and Roberto are no strangers to owning and operating a restaurant on a busy urban street. Filling a prime location on the 17th Avenue main drag previously filled by the Arden Diner and Big T’s BBQ, Emidio says their success has come and will continue to come from keeping the business in the family. With Emidio and Gianni in the kitchen and Marco and Roberto running the front, their track record in Toronto speaks for itself.
Emidio says the move to Calgary was inspired by his sons’ desire to check out the West. They’ve spruced up the casual space with Italian-inspired paintings, column statues and black linens on the 12 tables to offset the shades of mauve on the walls. Family photos and print reviews from Toronto hang on the wall by the front door. The front windows open onto 17th Avenue with a small three-table patio in front. The overall effect is simple and elegant.
Being a small restaurant owner and having just eaten her way through Europe, including Italy, a girlfriend of mine was the perfect dinner companion for the small family-owned spot. Our friendly server immediately brought out a plate of complimentary bruschetta for us to nibble on while we looked over the menu. It was a simple menu, focusing on fresh pasta and meat dishes. Predominant flavourings included tomato sauce and lemon. You don’t have to decide between pages of pasta combinations – what they do, they do well.
From the soup and salad starters, we chose to share the insalata capricciosa ($5.95), fresh romaine greens topped with tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet yellow pepper and Antolini’s homemade salad dressing. A light and tart vinaigrette, it’s been a family recipe for 27 years and if you really love it you can take it home for $4.95 a bottle. A basket of bread was brought out, another complimentary offering that kept us nibbling.
For the main course, I settled on the pollo alla Francesca ($16.95). The lightly breaded chicken came in a thick, creamy brandy sauce. I chose the pasta selection for my side and it really stole the show. Mouth-watering, this fresh pasta (none of their pasta is dried) came in the shape of a crepe and was filled with sautéed spinach and crumbled ricotta baked under the broiler in a tomato sauce.
My companion ordered the special ($15.95), fresh cannelloni pasta filled with ground chicken and veal covered in rosé sauce. The pasta was so delicious we finished our meals in record time. My girlfriend gave the food her stamp of approval and said she rarely got fresh pasta while in Italy, most restaurants serving dry.
To cap off the evening we shared – you guessed it – homemade dessert. The huge portion of tiramisu ($5.95) had ladyfingers (more like a bread than a cookie) smothered in a thick, fresh whipped cream blend sprinkled with cocoa. We had gorged on pasta and didn’t manage to finish our dessert.
Toronto was lucky enough to enjoy Antolini’s homemade cooking and friendly service for 27 years. Now it’s Calgary’s turn.
Antolini’s is located at 1112 17 Avenue S.W.; phone, 229-9424. |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.