What’s on the menu at Lucia, a new Italian restaurant from the owners of Parkdale’s Local Kitchen

What’s on the menu at Lucia, a new Italian restaurant from the owners of Parkdale’s Local Kitchen

Name: Lucia
Contact: 1595 Dupont St., 416-901-4533, luciatoronto.com, @eatwithlucia
Neighbourhood: Junction Triangle
Previously: Angolino
Owners: Fabio Bondi and Michael Sangregorio (Local Kitchen and Wine Bar)
Chef: Fabio Bondi
Accessibility: Small ramp at entrance; washrooms in basement

The food

Michael Sangregorio and Fabio Bondi have joined forces again to open this Junction Triangle trattoria. The Sicilian-inspired menu includes a selection of antipasti (house-made burrata, cured sardines, dandelion salad), a half-dozen house-made pastas and some meatier dishes (Fogo Island turbot, a dry-aged flat-iron steak). Many of the meals incorporate produce from the pair’s two-acre garden in King County. There’s also a three-course $25 lunch menu.

Lucia’s house-made burrata is served on a bed of pesto, and finished with a scoop of preserved fruit purée and a touch of lemon zest. $20.

 

The Pane Panelle features a thick slice of grilled sourdough spread with eggplant purée then topped with traditional Sicilian chickpea fritters. It’s served with a radicchio salad. $18.

 

The fazzoletti pasta (which means “handkerchief”, due to its folded square shape) is generously stuffed with mortadella sausage, then coated in a pistachio and black pepper pesto. $19.

 

Spaghetti alla chitarra is served in a rich red sauce with braised rabbit. It’s finished with rosemary and thin wisps of parmesan. $20.

 

Cassata is a Sicilian dessert made from whipped fresh cream, meringue, pistachios and pine nuts. Lucia’s version is served with a drizzle of seasonal plum coulis. $10.

 

Some fresh veggies from the farm.

 

The drinks

What’s an Italian meal without a great glass of vino? The extensive wine menu, hand-selected by Sangregorio, features both local and European wines, with a strong selection of Italian bottles and a short list dedicated to chilled reds. On tap, there are a couple of Italian staples (Peroni, negroni) in addition to Beau’s Good Time IPA.

The space

Lucia’s cozy space seats 30 guests inside and, come next summer, an additional 40 on the patio. Bright and fresh, decorated with hanging plants and a colourful accent wall, the room reflects the elegantly simple Italian fare.