I had been wanting to try Edna + Vita for a long time, and finally made it here for Summerlicious…read more
The restaurant is located beneath an office building in Toronto's Financial District, so lunchtime was lively and filled with conversations from nearby office workers. My first impression honestly made me wonder if it was really worth all the praise. By the end of the meal, I had my answer.
Arugula Caprese Insalata
A creative take on a classic Caprese salad. Arugula replaces basil, while a rich Parmesan cream stands in for fresh mozzarella, giving the dish a deeper, more savory profile without losing the freshness of the tomatoes. The balsamic balances the arugula's slight bitterness beautifully, and the juicy tomatoes cut through the richness of the cream. Fried capers add a pleasant burst of Mediterranean saltiness at the end. Simple ingredients, thoughtfully combined.
Chicken Scarpariello
This was easily the highlight of the meal. The chicken skin was beautifully seasoned and roasted until fragrant. Instead of being overly juicy, the meat was incredibly tender, with a faint blush of pink at the center. The Italian sausage had a firm, satisfying bite and a rich meaty flavor. I rarely describe roasted potatoes as "melt-in-your-mouth," but these truly were. The sauce, made with white wine, onions, peppers, and tomatoes, was so flavorful that I ended up using bread to wipe the plate clean--and still wished there had been more bread.
Italian Love Cake
A layered dessert of chocolate cake, ricotta cheesecake, and chocolate mousse. Each layer offered a different texture: the mousse was smooth without feeling heavy, the cake slightly dry, and the ricotta layer pleasantly crumbly. The texture was more memorable than the flavor, but it was surprisingly light to finish despite being a chocolate dessert.
Tiramisu
Although it's priced at $19.50, the portion is generous--about one and a half times the size of a typical tiramisu. The mascarpone was silky, rich, and pleasantly creamy with a touch of sweetness. The ladyfingers were well soaked with espresso and carried a subtle hint of liqueur. It tasted like a textbook tiramisu: everything was executed correctly, even if it wasn't particularly surprising.
Many years from now, I may no longer remember the wildfire that day--but I'll probably still remember this chicken.