Listed in Restaurants
Stelvio, a restaurant specializing in northern Italian cuisine from the Lombardia region of Italy, has taken over the space formerly occupied by the BQM Diner on Queen West. From the outside, it may not be very obvious that this is an eatery (it should be more clear when the front patio is set up), much less that it's likely the only place in the city where one can try dishes from Valtellina, a valley in Lombardia known for its skiing, hot spring spas, cheeses and wines.
Named after a mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, this 30ish-seat restaurant has a super stylish, minimalist design, with a black, white and wood motif throughout. Playful "wanted" posters for alpine animals inspired by tattoo art hang on the walls and "fanzines" explaining the gastronomic highlights of Valtellina can be found on the tables.
Andrea Copreni, one of Stelvio's co-owners, likes to describe the place as "punk chic." He and his group of partners, who also own a luxury hotel in the Alps back home in Italy, visited Toronto and liked it so much they decided to open their first restaurant here to introduce the city to a version of Italian food it may not have experienced before.
This is mountain fare, not food from the Mediterranean Sea. There is no pizza or red sauce. Instead, there is an emphasis on cheese made in the Alps, gluten-free pasta made with organic buckwheat flour, and polenta. Panini and salads are available for lunch, but the interesting items to sample are the ones native to this specific area of Italy.A must-try is the Pizzoccheri di Teglio ($20.95), which is a house-made, hand-cut organic buckwheat pasta mixed with Valtellina Casera DOP cheese, savoy cabbage, potatoes, butter, fresh sage and garlic served in a cast-iron pan. This is winter comfort food at its finest; the melted Casera cheese is crazy delicious and I want to eat a whole wheel of it.
Fidelin del Moro con Zucchine Profumate alla Menta ($18.95) is a dish more appropriate for spring. It's a Valtellinese spaghetti made with gluten-free organic buckwheat flour accompanied by zucchini and mint, giving it a lighter, fresher feel than the pizzoccheri.
Most of the items on the menu are traditional dishes from Valtellina, but the Polenta Burger con Salsiccia e Casera ($15.95) is a nod to the burger history of this strip. Stelvio's version of a burger and fries includes an Italian pork sausage patty, tomato and lettuce topped with more of that tasty Casera cheese sandwiched between a polenta "bun." With crispy polenta "sticks" for fries, the burger patty is a little too salty for my taste, but the whole thing is a cool idea in theory.
Another cool item that actually is typical of Valtellina is the Zigeuner ($23.95), grilled beef wrapped around a layer of pancetta and rosemary on a ginormous wooden skewer. It's meant to be eaten on the skewer, like a huge meat-version of corn on the cob, but if you want, you can be more civilized and use cutlery...it's just not as fun.
Of course, some Italian wines are available by the bottle ($39-$50) as well as a few by the glass ($11), with more from the Valtellina area on the way. There's also grappe ($10/oz.) or espresso ($2.95) for post-meal drinks.
Copreni, who currently lives in Milan, says he and his partners really like the melting pot culture of Toronto (although he amusingly notes that we've got "no fashion, only hipster" here). Stelvio should make for a nice addition to the mix.
Photos by Morris Lum