'Think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.' ~ William Butler Yeats
It's been a while... The evolutionary cycle, always moving forward, has cast its replenishment. Life has a way of turning things around when we least expect it... and sometimes that's a good thing. Proof is the latest coming together of similar souls in pursuit of a moment among a cortege of moments. Everything about this latest soirée felt new ... location, food, the feel of the neighborhood. I have been doing this for a long time, and this evening brought a nuance of emboldened sensation. Once again, the evening was a fabulous chef-d'oeuvre.
Custom dictates that I welcome newcomers, so without further ado let us welcome 'The Weatherman', who immediately exuded a feeling of familiarity... like he'd been part of our shindigs for some time. It astounded me when he RSVPed in the affirmative. Let us hope he continues to make the trek and grace us with his presence... an added stimuli, cerebrally speaking.
Once I got familiar with my surroundings I came across Angelo Leone, one of the proprietors and an all-around bon vivant. Angelo and I go back to high school and beyond. Back in the 1980s' we were both players in the same game. Sometimes I won, and sometimes he'd come out on top. But the important thing was that we played like it was ‘1984. I want to take this moment to thank him, along with Massimo Lecas and Jonathan Richardson for a superb soirée.
Fiorellino is bright, cheery and rather removed from the action, located right behind St. Patrick's Basilica on de la Gauchetière St. By day, this strip of the Quartier International may be hopping, but at night, it's practically deserted — save for Fiorellino, which already, judging by the crowds, is raking 'em in.
When entering the first thing you notice is the café as well as a counter displaying Italian goodies ranging from biscotti to tiramisu. Following the beautiful blue-and-white tiled floor, you come to the hostess station and announce your arrival. Take a right past the high tables and you enter the main dining room, where there's a bar, a communal table facing a meat slicer, and a wall of imported groceries (pastas, oils etc.), all for sale. Venture a little farther and you're facing a Neapolitan pizza oven, and, just past that, the kitchen. The dining room, framed in white tiles, concrete walls and plywood paneling, counts about 80 seats, and on this night most every one was taken. We had a wall of banquette of tables for our dinner party.
Gorgeous setting aside, what counts most is the food, especially as the young-and-fun Italian genre is all the rage in our city. Five years ago, you could count the number of good pizza places in Montreal on one hand. Now, there are many, and you can add Fiorellino to that list. I read that the owners don't want the restaurant categorized as a pizza place, but when the pizza's this good, why not? But don't come here only for pizza, you’ll be missing out.
Our night began as always with the wine selections... The red was 'Nero D'Avola Baglio d'oro' (from their private collection) along with the white 'Ancilla' (also private from their private collection). As well as a sampling of pizza ... 'Margherita' – think pouffy, crisp, blistered and slightly charred crust, spread with a spunky tomato sauce and topped with the likes of soppressata, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and fior di latte, or goat's cheese. I inhaled my slices revelling in the superb mix of textures and flavours, then adding a few dribbles of spicy oil to give it that extra kick.
Then commencement of the plethora of culinary delights began to descend upon our table. 'Insalata di Funghi Crudi' morsels of shaved King Oyster mushrooms sprinkled with Parmigiano and Gremolata that was sinfully deliciousness condensed in a spoonful. 'Zucca Arrostita' roasted squashes a la Starciatella topped with Sunflower seeds, Hazelnuts and slices of Prosciutto. Decadent. 'Burrata' - Brussel sprouts with bread and Prosciutto crumble. Assorted charcuteries, including Focaccia, olives, Parmesan slices and Giardineira, that reminded me of Mama Borsellino.
Our second course was a Pasta dish - Aglio e Olio (oil&garlic) with Pork ragu. My grandmother would have been proud. The chef knows his pastas. And for the fnale ... Branzino fish served with market vegetables and a Beef Cheek accompanied by a creamy polenta. The whole table gasped!
I revelled in dining at Fiorellino immensely. There is so much deliciousness going on inside these walls. And even if the setting is quite casual, I can imagine this restaurant is as well suited to a family dinner as a date night destination. That's the beauty of the new casual restaurants: great food at reasonable prices and exceptional wines.
'Life's euphoria is made up of little moments; you steal away from the mundane.' ~ © Frank Borsellino™
This was such a moment in the evolution of life's journey.
© Your Cruise Director™
Food is my compass
writer/blogger/bon vivant
* Fiorellino Bar Ristorante
www.fiorellino.ca
* Observed November 9, 2018
