Introducing: Destingo, a new trattoria on Queen West with a sprawling front patio
Name: Destingo
Neighbourhood: Queen West
Contact info: 739 Queen St. W., destingo.ca, 647-748-3113, @destingoTO
Owner: Monika Vacca, who used to co-own Italian restaurant Vaticano in Yorkville
Chef: Arshad Uwais, former chef at Vaticano
The Food: Basic Italian pizzas, pastas and antipasti, plus a few offbeat items, like a shrimp burger with seafood aioli. For brunch, Western staples get Italian makeovers, like pancakes drizzled with limoncello and a frittata topped with mozzarella and basil.
The Drinks: A 199-long wine list with an emphasis on Italian and Californian bottles.
The Place: A casual space with bare concrete walls, wrought-iron fixtures and a long copper bar. The patio overlooking Queen West is prime for people-watching.
The Numbers: • 199 bottles on the wine list • 6 healthy items for brunch: rolled oats, granola, Greek yoghurt, grapefruit, egg whites and fruit • 3 not-so-healthy items: buckwheat, ricotta and barbecue pork pancakes
