Lasagna alla Bolognese at Caffe Torino in the Foothills (Credit: Jackie Tran) Those led to believe that Northern Italian cuisine is exclusively synonymous with white wine sauce will be convincingly disabused of the misconception after sampling Caffe Torino’s exquisite Lasagna Alla Bolognese. One particular customer favorite is the Melanzane Alla Parmigiana - an eggplant parmesan with penne pomodoro, covered in a simple but savory sauce of olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and basil. Bruschetta Caprese at Caffe Torino in the Foothills (Credit: Jackie Tran) Pleasurable dishes that go beyond seafoodĬaffe Torino also offers an array of pasta, meat, and meatless dishes sure to please guests whose preferences exclude or extend beyond seafood. Without pause, our waiter also delivered an alluring tray of Gamberi E Pancetta - juicy shrimp wrapped with lean Italian bacon on a bed of arugula, bathed in a balsamic reduction, and dusted with Parmesan shavings. The dish was soon followed by a plate of Bruschetta Caprese - toasted ciabatta brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and garlic, smothered with chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, and sliced Tuscany-grown Nostraline olives. Cuore di Carciofi Fritti at Caffe Torino in the Foothills (Credit: Jackie Tran) Mouth-watering menu options each day, when all drinks are discounted and the restaurant’s appetizers are $3 less than menu price). Served on an extended salad platter, the crispy, fried artichokes are served on a bed of fresh tomatoes and mixed greens, topped with shaved parmesan and a tasty parsley aioli sauce.Ī most generous antipasti, these lightly battered artichokes are perfect finger food for Torino’s happy hour (3 - 6 p.m. On a recent early evening, waiters first brought to our table Torino’s version of the popular Italian appetizer, Carciofi Fritti, often called “Roman-style fried artichokes.” Gamberi e Pancetta at Caffe Torino in the Foothills (Credit: Jackie Tran) Dining as the Italians do “The fish we serve is caught each morning in Guaymas and delivered express to us that same afternoon,” said Shouse. Since opening its Foothills site in 2013, the restaurant has earned a widespread reputation throughout metropolitan Tucson for its savory pasta and seafood dishes.
CAFFE DI NOTTE PLUS
The restaurant’s capacious lunch and dinner menus list an impressively extensive offering of appetizers, salads, pasta, and both seafood and meat entrées, plus vegetarian, and vegan options - all presented in bounteous portions.īut if there is a singular Torino specialty, it is likely seafood. Shouse is quick to emphasize, “Our passion is to serve incomparably delicious food.”ĭelicious and plentiful.
Together with Torino’s general manager, Ollie Shouse, co-executive chef, David Royle, and Angel Ciambor, chef at the Foothills site, she keeps a keen, continuous eye on food preparation. Daniela, who remains responsible for overall uniform quality control at both locations, also creates inventive new recipes to assure that the Torino dishes remain fresh and vibrant. The menus at the Oro Valley and Foothills Torino restaurants are identical. Afternoon interior at Caffe Torino in the Foothills (Credit: Jackie Tran) A passion to serve incomparably delicious food In the late 1980s, Borella immigrated with her parents, Edy and Italo, and, in 2000, she and her mother opened a small cafe specializing in coffee and sandwiches.Įncouraged by the popularity of the tiny panini luncheon stand, and making good use of a reservoir of family recipes from the old country, the family opened Caffe Torino, honoring the northern Italian city of Turin. These striking, enlarged images reflect the restaurant’s deep Italian roots. Surrounding small tables, ringed by comfortable booths on the room’s perimeter, are walls decorated with enormous, black-and-white photographs of the family of Daniela Borella, owner and executive chef, taken years ago in her native Italy. A spin-off from Caffe Torino in Oro Valley, which has been drawing crowds of devotees for two decades, the Foothills venue feels surprisingly intimate given that it can seat up to 80 guests.
0 kommentar(er)
