ciao! reviews
CAFÉ LA SCALA
Neighbourhood. . . . . . . Corydon
Address. . . . . . 725 Corydon Ave
Phone. . . . . . . . . 204-474-2750
Entrées. . . . . . . . . . . . . $8-$26
Recent renovations have transformed
Café La Scala into a hybrid of urban
cool and fine dining. This new
incarnation of one of Corydon
Avenue’s long-time gems melds
sleek nightlife elements with elegant
style, catering to the after dark crowd
without sacrificing quality.
The spot's seasoned owner, Perry
Scaletta, adopts a philosophy of getting to know his customers. Whether
bustling around the open kitchen in
a state of hyper-focus or pulling up
a chair to go over the night's specials
with a group of diners, his energy is
infectious.
Cooking is refined, with revelatory touches popping up subtly
throughout the menu. Meatballs are
as classically Italian as you can get,
but the inspired addition of pear adds
fresh sweetness.
The menu's collection of small
plates has enough complexity of
flavour to hold diners’ undivided
attention while still maintaining a casualness ideal for those who want food
to play a supporting role to cocktails.
Signature dumplings, swimming in a
gingery sweet chile cream sauce, or a
favourite lemon and honey suffused
arugula salad, are still there to satisfy
long-time (and new) fans, reformatted as a stop in a night-long parade
of flavours.
Other shareable plates include a
stick-to-the-ribs mushroom risotto,
made, on one visit, with barley, and
finished with an earthy swirl of
truffle oil. Tender rings of Sicilianstyle calamari, which eschews the
batter-heavy deep fry popular at
pubs for a simple turn on the grill,
luxuriates under a flourish of winelaced tomato sauce, and a dusting of
Parmigiana.
Sleek new elements like colour
changing tables and a backlit bar give
the space a lounge-like atmosphere.
These accents blend with traces of the
restaurant's fine dining past, like the
Tony Tascona masterpieces that have
long graced the walls, and a line up
of traditional entrées. Flavours slant
Italian and preparations are time
honoured, from osso bucco (made
with lamb shank, not veal) to pastas.
A stellar cioppino piles tender seafood
beneath a shimmery red stock, with a
hit of Sambuca to give this classic a
modern edge.
Cafe La Scala is open Mon-Tue
5 pm-12 am, Wed-Sun 5 pm-2 am.
ciao! / oct/nov / two thousand sixteen
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