Introducing: Bugigattolo, a teeny Italian kitchen in Liberty Village
Name: Bugigattolo
Neighbourhood: Liberty Village
Contact: 54 Fraser Ave., 416-583-3895, bugigattolokitchen.com
Chefs: Quin Josey (Bar Buca)
The food
The menu is anchored by all-day Italian breakfast (frittatas, and eggs served with cured meats like prosciutto and mortadella), but for lunch and dinner, Josey sends out salads, hearty soups, panini, pasta and Roman-style pizzas from his small kitchen.
This salumi board features spicy soppressata, imported Italian prosciutto, locally made cappicola, as well as crotonese (an aged sheep’s milk cheese), cambozola, Parmigiano-Reggiano, cured eggplant and onion jam. $15.95.
For this salad, kale massaged with lemon is tossed with crotonese cheese, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. $9.
For his spin on the classic BLT, Josey swaps out bacon for crispy prosciutto, throws in some provolone, then stacks it between ciabatta. $9. Add an egg for an extra $1.25.
Butternut squash soup subtly flavoured with curry. $7.
Lasagna Bolognese made with a veal-pork ragu and béchamel. $15.
Cannoli. $2.50 each.
Chef Quin Josey.
The drinks
A list of wine and prosecco, and classic cocktails made with Italian ingredients, like the Aperol Spritz.
The space
The wee brick box of a building (“bugigattolo” is Italian for “closet”) will double its 18-seat capacity when the front and back patios are winterized.
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
