Name: Bar Notte Contact: 11 Church St., barnotte.ca, @barnotte Neighbourhood:St. Lawrence Owners: Adam Teolis, Michael Angeloni, Yannick Bigourdan (Amano Trattoria) Chefs: Michael Angeloni Accessibility: Not fully accessible
During the pandemic, Adam Teolis and Michael Angeloni amicably split off from their hospitality group to open Amano Trattoria, a big Italian restaurant with an equally sizable menu. The sprawling spot was connected to a much smaller space by a hallway. And up until about three months ago, this smaller space was empty, serving as Amano’s pasta- and bread-making station—basically a blank canvas for two people thinking of starting another project.
From left, executive chef Michael Angeloni, co-owner Adam Teolis and sous-chef Saam “Grapes” Goshtasbpour
“We dreamed of opening a sister restaurant that would complement Amano but have its own identity,” says Teolis. “Something with a smaller menu and smaller plates; something more relaxed, but with a bit of fine-dining sensibility.” The end result is Bar Notte, which shares its DNA (and a 200-label wine list) with Amano but is a bit more vibey and comparatively compact. Head here for creatively constructed after-work drinks and snacks under the watchful eye of a mural of Dean Martin.
The food
Bar Notte’s selection of snacks and small plates is Italian inspired, but with a sort of whimsy that produces saffron-laced “Italian ceviche” and cannoli stuffed with beef tartare. Rome is the menu’s soft regional focus, with suppli (cheese-stuffed rice balls—but don’t call them arancini) and pinsa, Roman-style pizza made with a mix of seven flours. There are a couple of “sangwiches” on house focaccia, spicy whipped ’nduja with house-made burrata and deviled eggs topped with crisp guanciale. It’s playful fare with obvious fine-dining roots.
Risotto dotted with crisp guanciale and pancetta and enriched with plenty of egg yolk is moulded around a piece of young pecorino, then fried. Each golden-brown rice ball is placed on a dollop of egg yolk emulsion and showered with aged pecorino. $6
Devilled eggs spiked with pimento cheese, Calabrian chiles and smoked provolone are topped with a squiggle of crispy pancetta. $7
Cannoli unlike any others, these crisp house-made shells laced with red wine and cocoa powder are stuffed with a classic beef tartare and topped with a creamy egg yolk emulsion. The ends are dipped in a mix of parmesan, crispy onion and chives. $9
At the top we have gorgeous house-made stracciatella—essentially the inside of burrata ($11)—topped with parsley oil. It’s best paired with the fiery ’nduja (middle left), a spicy pork sausage whipped into a spreadable paste ($9). Next to it is the daily salumi, finocchiona, a thinly shaved fennel salami served with punchy green tomatoes for balance ($9). And it’s all enjoyed atop Blackbird Baking Co. bread
A take on a classic—and an Amano recipe from day one—this 36-month-aged prosciutto di parma is layered with cantaloupe, then compressed and pickled with peperoncino vinegar and honey. It’s finished with Calabrian chiles, mint and black pepper. $14
A solid mortadella sandwich on a Blackbird bun with stracciatella, whipped ’nduja, arugula and burnt honey. Served with skewered peperoncini. $15
Here we have the Crazy Calabrese pinsa, a Roman-style pizza. The base is a high-hydration, three-day-fermented dough made with a proprietary mix of seven flours. This one is a white pie topped with fior di batte, smoked provolone, thinly sliced potatoes, sun-dried black olives and soppressata. It’s finished with fresh arugula and house hot honey. $14
Executive chef Michael Angeloni worked at Grand Electric for years, so it’s no wonder he couldn’t resist putting ceviche on the menu (IYKYK). This Italian-inspired version features lemon-marinated sea bream in a saffron-lemon sauce topped with crispy shallots, parsley oil and microgreens. It’s fresh, briny and totally delightful. $17
Meltingly tender octopus marinated in vinegar and hazelnut oil is cooked sous-vide in white wine and aromatics, then topped with celery, fennel and green pepper. It’s finished with deeply charred jalapeno oil and fennel fronds. $15
One of the menu’s larger plates is this transcendently creamy burrata, made for Bar Notte once a week by Woodbridge’s Sul Tavolo. It’s served simply with confit tomatoes and a bevy of fresh herbs. $37
The only dessert on this menu is tiramisu, of which the distinguishing detail is the cream. It’s a classic, shortcut-free pâté à bombe—essentially meringue but with yolks instead of whites—mixed with marsala-spiked pastry cream, whipped mascarpone and a touch of whipped cream for levity. $9
The drinks
Equal parts cocktail spot and wine bar, Bar Notte offers full access to Amano’s extensive wine list with its mix of high-end bottles and accessible (but still high-quality) by-the-glass options. Cocktails are rooted in the flourish and detail-orientation of mixology, but without the gels and dry-ice dramatics. Beers are Italian or Italian-inspired, like Hamilton’s Fairweather Italian pilsner, and imported large-format bottles.
Essentially a mojito Italiano, this is the Gin Basil Frizza, a mix of Beefeater gin, white vermouth, a hint of absinthe and house lemon cordial. Muddled basil subs in for mint. $16
This is the Robusto, a smoky tequila-mezcal tipple mixed with coffee-infused Campari, sweet vermouth, port and absinthe. It’s garnished with ginger chocolate and an Amarena cherry. $17
Here we have the Spaghetti Western, a mix of tequila, mezcal, Amaro Nonino and aromatic Carpano Bianco. Finished with orange bitters and an orange twist. $16
This is the light and herbaceous L’Orto di Mamma, or Mother’s Garden. Gin, Chartreuse, chamomile grappa, mint and basil syrup, and lime lend sprightly vegetal notes. $17
The Violetta Sour—a play on a layered New York sour—floats red wine on a mix of limoncello, vodka and crème de violette. $17
The space
It’s a moody, dimly lit space punctuated with a black-and-white mural of the legendary Dean Martin—sporting peonies and grapes on his collar, no less—and some neon song lyrics. Relative to its sister restaurant, Bar Notte is a compact space but with plenty of cozy booth seating and an open kitchen. An eclectic mix of modern hip hop, soul and jazz (quieter in the early evening and ramping up for the wee hours) makes for a fun, upbeat vibe.
