Restaurants
Diverso By Ferraro
Diverso by Ferraro, located in the Annex just steps from the Dupont station, is a family-owned restaurant that specializes in Italian coffee and cuisine and hopes to replicate the success of the owner's 17-year-old Eglinton Avenue restaurant, Ferraro 502.
Unlike in their original location, they don't have a wood-burning pizza oven here, instead using a gas oven. They also have deep-fryers, allow them the flexibility to offer pub fare in addition to homestyle Italian favourites.
We started by dividing the Cream of Mushroom Soup ($5.00). The large bowl of soup had pureed mushrooms and subtle hints of rosemary and while it was thick and creamy it was a tad on the salty side.
Generous servings seem to be the norm at Diverso by Ferraro. The Calamari Fritti appetizer ($10.00) was heaping with lightly battered, deep-fried squid. The calamari had just the right amount of crunch without being too hard and would go very well with white wine or wheat beer.
Tiger Shrimp Rissotto with grilled Zucchini and Caramelized Onions ($24.00) was a seasonal special and one of the more expensive items on the menu, which is made up of items that ranges between $6 (for wraps and sandwiches) to $12 (for pasta and pizza mains).
The four pieces of large grilled Tiger shrimp where seasoned with garlic, lemon and parsley and were simply delicious. The risotto had a delicate balance of herbs and vegetables and nicely complemented the shrimp's flavour. Heavy on buttery goodness, it was quite rich and too much for us to handle in just one sitting, so we took the rest home to enjoy later.
We had a tough time choosing from the 20-something varieties of pizza but eventually decided on The Pizza Saporita ($12) - tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies, black olives, capers, parmigiano, fresh herbs and spices on a thin crust. This was tasty without being greasy and was loaded with fresh toppings.
After the savoury stuff, we were so ready for dessert and coffee. The Tiramisu ($7.50) is made fresh by the owners' mother from an old family recipe. The large and feathery block of Tiramisu comes loaded with the exquisite goodness of coffee and cocoa and a substantial splash of liquor - and it was amazing. They also offer a variety of Cheesecakes ($5.50) and Apple Pie with Ice Cream ($6.50) which are equally appealing.
We ended our meal with strong espressos ($2.25) and lemon-flavored "S" cookies and a promise to return to try their other dishes. Diverso by Ferraro seems destined for success. Great service, a variety of good food, and the flexibility to be all of café, family restaurant, and patio may just be their winning combination.
The coffee-bar section, which opens at 8:00 am Monday to Friday, serves a variety of grab-and-go baked goods to go with espressos and lattes. There is also a 28-seat patio being readied for when the weather warms up, sure to draw in nearby families and students alike.
The interior has low ceilings with exposed wooden beams, windows are whimsically painted on the walls and various wine bottles are on display.
Diverso's wine list is made up of a decent selection of regional Italian wine as well as a sampling of Ontario, Napa and Australian wines starting at $30.00 a bottle with the option of ordering by single glass and half-liter quantities.
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Pizza's look nice though!
The food quality was lower and flavours were typical but as far as value goes this is a good place to have in the neighbourhood.