Of Arugula and Men

I thought that it might be appropriate to start this week's blog off with a little restaurant "review and comment". Patronizing (in two of the three meanings of the word) restaurants is a favourite hobby of mine, and in the course of such activity, you might imagine that I form some rather "strong" opinions.

During a recent stay in London, Ontario, Jenn, my mother and I had the pleasure to eat at Bertoldi's Trattoria in beautiful downtown London. On entering the restaurant, I was at first taken back by the size of the interior. I generally find that large restaurants make for a less intimate dining experience, but I would be pleasantly surprised here. The layout of the restaurants succeeded in separating the dining area such that, at least in the area where we were seated (in a booth between the bar area and the open kitchen), a small group of diners can have a causal conversation, without resorting to yelling, grotesque hand gestures and other actions unfitting as classy an individual as myself and my readership.

I was immediately impressed with the service that was prompt and friendly. On an initial perusement of the menu, I was impressed and a little apprehensive of the vast menu. I usually side with the mantra that a smaller menu, with everything cooked to perfection, is the key to a great restaurant. Besides the usual trattoria selections such as pizza and pasta, I was also intrigued by some uncommon, yet classic Italian dishes such as Pollo al Mattone (Chicken Under a Brick, a grilled whole chicken literally cooked under a brick) and a selection of handmade pastas.

We started off with a classic bruschetta. Their variation consisted of toasts of baguette with roasted garlic topped with tomatoes and goat cheese. They were delicious and very wall balanced. Too often does one find annoyingly dull baguette over laden with flavourless toppings. As an additional appetizer, I ordered the soup du jour - roasted tomato soup with corn and prosciutto. An excellent soup where the sweetness of the savoury roasted tomatoes was accentuated well by the sweetness of the corn and smokiness of the prosciutto. While the corn provided a nice textual contrast to the tomato base, I though that the chunks of cooked prosciutto, while flavourfull, had an slightly unpleasant chewy texture, due to them being sightly overcooked. My mother and Jenn both had salads which were fresh and delicious (although I can't remembers details - I will take notes next time).

For the main course, my mother had a "meatball pizza". What came was a personal sized pizza with cheese and tomato sauce topped with fresh basil and little meatballs. An interesting choice which did not disappoint. The pizza crust was crisp and flavourful, and the sauce and cheese were not overwhelming. The fresh basil and meatballs topped the pizza very nicely for a very refreshing take on a meat pizza. Jenn had the spaghetti bolognese. The meat sauce was what one would expect from the classic Italian meat sauce - tomatoey meaty goodness with a hint of wine. Jenn opted for the in-house made whole-wheat pasta, which, although she enjoyed, I found bland and grainy, which is to be expected from whole-wheat pasta.

For my main course selection, I thought I would be adventurous and I chose the spaghetti with arugula pesto. Being familiar and friendly with this mustardy green's pleasant peppery bite and slightly bitter taste, I thought I would be in for a treat. The menu assured me that by replacing the traditional basil in the pesto, the pasta would accentuate the taste that I knew, and loved. Unfortunately, the dish did not deliver. The pesto did nothing to capture the flavour of the arugula and only succeeded in making my pasta taste of fresh grass clippings with a powerfully bitter aftertaste. I could only eat a few bites (which, for those of you that know me well, was very difficult...I was hungry!). However, when the waiter returned to ask how we enjoyed our meal, a quick explanation of my disappointment brought the restaurant manager with apologies and a removal of the dish from my bill. The only worrying thing was a comment by the manager that I was not the first to comment negatively about the pasta. This confused me, as I would think that most people ordering an arugula pesto would be familiar with the flavours and know what to expect. The fact the many people had issue with the dish suggests to me that there might be something off.

All in all, the dining experience was very pleasant. The atmosphere was inviting, and service was excellent, and the food was obviously expertly prepared and, for the most part, delicious. The total cost of our dinner (minus my entrée and drinks (we didn’t have any), but with tip) was around $70. I would return to Bertoldi’s for a casual Italian meal.

Again, I’ve seemed to ramble on a little to long on what was supposed to be an introductory segment. I promise to continue soon my pasta epic, now composed of two additional editions: the nail-biting, white knuckle thriller “Night of Pasta” and the critically acclaimed drama “A Few Good Sauces”.