Earlier this summer, a Portuguese bakery at the western edge of the Junction Triangle was quietly replaced by Mattachioni, an Italian bodega. The sign out front still reads Lieira Bakery, but a red “M” in the corner of the window signifies the change. Terroni alum David Mattachioni sells salads, sandwiches (porchetta, prosciutto, salmon, caprese) made on house-made bread and sweets including brioche with Nutella, tiramisu and gelato. Almost all of the ingredients that go into the menu items—bread, veggies, milk, butter—are also for sale.“Lieira sold groceries to the neighbourhood, and I’d like to continue doing that,” says Mattachioni. The bodega is licensed, too, and boasts what could be Toronto’s shortest wine list: two Norman Hardie offerings, one red, one white. And what would be the point of an ex-Terroni chef opening a place without putting some of his pizza-making knowledge to good use? Mattachioni is installing a wood-burning oven and will soon start firing out pies.
1617 Dupont St., 416-519-1010, mattachioni.com, @mattachioni
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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.