Chef behind popular Toronto sandwich shop launching one-of-a-kind new venture
The chef behind one of Toronto's most-buzzed-about sandwich shops is breaking out on her own, embarking on an unexpected new path.
With a name like Kaitlyn Lasagna, it's only sensible that the chef, who most recently made a splash as a founding member of the team (which, if you'll recall, includes Grammy-nominee Charlotte Day Wilson) at Tutto Panino, would have an inclination toward Italian food.
Her family also has, you may have gleaned, Italian heritage, and it was while her sister was connecting with that heritage, living in Rome, that the idea to start making suppli, Rome's answer to arancini, often stuffed with cheese, meat and tomato sauce.
"At the time, I didn't think much of it, but the idea slowly turned into an obsession," Lasagna tells blogTO.
Working in the restaurant industry for the past 19 years, the dream of opening her suppli pop-up naturally took a backseat to other sure things, until she came back to work at Dundas West's Pasta Forever after a brief hiatus.
"Pasta Forever owner Jess [Maiorano] is someone I've worked with in the past, and when I was looking to pick up some shifts again, she welcomed me back with open arms," Lasagna says. When she eventually floated the idea for her suppli business to Maiorano, she was all in.
Thus, the wheels of Buon Riso, Lasagna's soon-to-open suppli pop-up, began turning.
Launching out of Pasta Forever this June, Lasagna's goal is to use suppli as a framework to showcase seasonal, local ingredients, simultaneously putting a spotlight on Roman cuisine.
"The possibilities with supplì are endless, but for the first drop, I want to stay rooted in classic Italian flavours and technique while beginning to explore the incredible Ontario produce coming into season," she tells blogTO. Expect spring pea and mint, sweet Ontario corn, and all other manner of produce as it comes into season.
She isn't doing it all alone, though. As it happens, each suppli at Buon Riso comes from multiple layers of the Lasagna family.
"This project is truly a family affair," she tells blogTO. Her sister, Emma, who suggested the project in the first place, is lending a hand with kitchen operations, marketing and admin, while her brother-in-law, Justin Boruta, is heading up social media and branding.
"And don't be surprised if you see my mom rolling supplì alongside us as well — this project is deeply rooted in family, and that spirit is at the heart of everything we’re building," she adds.
Buon Riso's first drop is slated to run from June 14 to July 19, with pre-orders opening online the week before. A limited number of suppli will also be available for walk-in customers at Pasta Forever daily.
If everything goes well, Lasagna says, there's potential for the first drop to be extended even longer. In any event, it's shaping up to be a suppli summer indeed.
Fareen Karim
