What’s on the menu at Casa La Palma, La Palma’s new second-floor lounge

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | January 2, 2019

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | 01/02/2019

Name: Casa La Palma
Contact: 849 Dundas St. W., 2nd floor, 416-368-4567, lapalma.ca, @lapalmato
Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Owners: AlterEgo (Constantine, Scarlet Door at the Anndore House, La Palma) composed of Craig Harding and Alexandra Hutchison (Campagnolo) with Jack and Domenic Scarangella and Steve Christian (Mercatto)
Chefs: Culinary director Craig Harding and executive chef Julian D’Ippolito (La Palma, Campagnolo)

The food

Snacks and small plates, including antipasti like cheese and salumi, seafood and sweets. The seasonally changing menu draws flavour from Italian and Mediterranean cuisines, and might feature a platter of lomo Iberico next to whole-roasted celeriac, beef tartare with truffle sauce and pepitas, or togarashi-dusted celery slices topped with mint and pecorino.

Shaved Tête de Moine is served with Rosewood Estates Winery’s honeycomb. $10.

Green Pea Falafel, served on a sweet pea-watercress purée with pickled red onions, and seasoned with ras el hanout. $8.

Slices of celery are dusted with togarashi and topped with fresh mint and shavings of pecorino. $10.

The classic shrimp cocktail pairs OceanWise crustaceans with house-made cocktail sauce. $14.

Wobbly vanilla panna cotta is finished with late-harvest vinegar and crushed peanuts. $6.

The drinks

Sommelier Alexis Kronwald-deBruyn’s changing wine list features some interesting by-the-glass options, as well as a wide range of bottles from smaller producers, including some low-intervention and sustainable stuff, plus plenty of sparkling. Bartender Josh Boismier (The Cloak Room) is responsible for the Casa La Palma’s signature cocktails.

A few of the by-the-glass options include vintage cava with sherry characteristics, and a white Burgundy.

The Smokeshow mixes mescal with caffeinated Campari made with La Palma’s espresso blend, Vermouth di Torino and mole bitters. $15.

Up The Stairs is made with bourbon, a chamomile-tea tincture, Calvados and pear. $17.

The daiquiri-inspired Ko-Daiq Moment is made with Agricole rum, banana, cachaça, Benedictine, lime leaf syrup, coconut cream and absinthe. $17.

The Second Breakfast is inspired by the New York sour and made with gin, Aperol, Benedictine, house cordial, earl grey tea, lime and Lambrusco. $17.

Bartender Josh Boismier, serving up the Second Breakfast.

The space

Inspired by Palm Springs’ sunken living rooms with central fireplaces, Hutchison (Studio Marlowe) created a space that can accommodate 60 people between its private dining area, bar and lounge. Slated for spring 2019: a rooftop patio with its own private dining room (that doubles as a DJ booth).