Imagine having the gumption to open a restaurant during a pandemic! I can’t, but that’s exactly what Anita Mancuso and husband Alan Thomson did back in the summer of 2021 when they opened Zitto Zitto Taverna. The couple aren’t new to Toronto’s Little Italy as they have also owned neighboring Sotto Voce Wine & Pasta Bar for the past twenty years. They describe Zitto Zitto as Sotto Voce’s slightly more refined big sister. With such a storied sibling it’s only a matter of time until this spot becomes one of the most popular College Street restaurants.
Anita Mancuso and Alan Thomson, owners of Zitto Zitto Taverna.
Zitto Zitto has survived a very tumultuous time in the restaurant industry, and now nine months later they’re launching their new ZZT Bar and Summer Menu. Chef Alessandro Militello is the man in charge of the kitchen and he has created a mouth watering lineup of Sicilian inspired dishes. His summer menu runs until the end of August.
Chef Alessandro Militello
The Cocktails at ZZT Bar
From the outside you’d never expect that the restaurant houses four separate dining areas. The first is the new ZZT Bar which features exposed brick walls, gold accents, comfortable seating and an exquisite marble bar. Chef Militello has designed a menu of small plates that beautifully complements the carefully curated cocktail list.
There are a number of tempting cocktails on the list at ZZT Bar but we went with the Zitto Sour and the Coraggio Verde. I cannot pass up a cocktail with an egg white and the bourbon based Zitto Sour was unlike any sour that I’ve seen before with its beautiful layers. The Corragio Verde was another winner in my books. The jalapeno-and-cucumber-infused tequila was both spicy and refreshing at the same time. It’s exactly what I would want on a hot summer day while people-watching on the Zitto Zitto patio. I didn’t get to try it, but the Espresso Martini was also getting rave reviews the night we were there.
Dining Areas
Venture past the bar and you enter the thirty-seater middle room, arguably one of the coziest rooms I’ve seen in any Toronto restaurant. It’s dimly lit, and in the middle of the room is an eye-catching light fixture right above a large, round oak table. One entire wall is taken up by a wine fridge that houses an impressive collection. The great thing about the spaces in Zitto Zitto is that they can be closed off for privacy so any one of them is perfect for private gatherings.
Dark and cozy dining room
While the middle room is warm and cozy, the main dining room is my favourite. Bright, with light streaming in from the surrounding windows and beautifully decorated with mirrors and eccentric art pieces. The highlight of this room, besides the food, is the wall of photos. These aren’t random photos, but actual photos of family and friends. If you look closely you’ll find one of Anita’s parents dancing in the College and Clinton intersection right outside. Look some more and you’ll find another with Anita and Alan taken on their wedding day. In terms of design, the wall of photos was a stroke of genius. It makes you feel like you’re in Anita’s home rather than in her restaurant.
The photo wall at Zitto Zitto
The 2022 Summer Menu
Chef Militello’s summer menu, which runs till the end of August, is quite balanced with a number of seafood and meat dishes.
Appetizers
I could eat the starters alone at Zitto Zitto and be quite happy. We started off with three choices. First up was the Carpaccio di Crevo, a thinly sliced black peppercorn-encrusted venison tenderloin with a wild berry reduction. Next was the Crostone Piccante, a rustic country grilled bread that’s topped with Calabrese nduja, burrata, and roasted peppers, and finally the Tartare di Tonno Rosso, which was ahi tuna tartare on top of avocado and drizzled with sesame oil and ravanillo aioli.
All three were delicious. The fruit worked rather nicely with the black peppercorn to balance the flavours in the venison carpaccio. Combine avocado and fresh ahi tuna and you have a winner on your hands with the tuna tartare, but my favorite of the bunch was the Crostone Piccante. In every bite I got all the different textures and flavours that made up this dish. The soft creamy burrata counters the crisp bread and also tempered the heat in the nduja a bit.
Mains
As mentioned before, the summer menu is centered around seafood, and a few of those dishes are done on the grill. My wife decided to go for one of the lighter options so she ordered the Fettuccine alla Lido. A beautiful piece of seared sword fish with fried eggplant, roasted cherry tomatoes, and mint in garlic and EVOO. I love duck, so I couldn’t resist the Anatra ai Frutti di Bosco, a pan-seared Muscovy duck breast with wild berry sauce. We were sitting with Yashy Murphy, someone I’ve known for years, who got the Risotto Profumi di Mare. Perfectly seared British Columbia scallops resting on a delightful Prosecco rose and lime risotto.
I know my doctor would want me to go for the healthier option but that duck was irresistible. It was perfectly cooked and the berry sauce elevated it even further.
Desserts
I don’t have a big sweet tooth so I tend to avoid the dessert menu, but these desserts were right up my alley. Both the Raspberry Panna cotta with Madagascar Vanilla, and the Sicilian Pistachio Tiramisu were nice and light and not too sweet. It’s tough to say which one I liked more so I’m not going to; I’ll have one of each!
Zitto Zitto Taverna is full of surprises. From the spacious, well-curated interior, to the delicious cocktail list and excellently paired authentic Italian dishes, it’s everything that I want in a restaurant. Combine all of that with Anita, who goes out of her way to welcome her guests and make them feel like family, and you have a spot that promises to live up to its big sister. I am certainly looking forward to how the menu will change with the seasons, and will definitely be returning for a taste-test!
Disclaimer: My guest and I were invited by Zitto ZItto to try some of their items from their 2022 Summer Menu. All food and cocktails were covered by the restaurant.
