Bottega della Piadina runs on simplicity, doling out one of Emilia-Romagna’s regional specialties — and little else — to a receptive Toronto audience.

"Where we're from, a piadina is an everyday thing. You don't even think about it. You just go and get a piadina and that's it," says Roberto Fracchioni, executive chef and one of five owners of Bottega della Piadina. In the Romagna side of Emilia-Romagna, he adds, piadinerias are "like Tim Hortons in Hamilton. They're everywhere."

Still, despite their immense popularity abroad, piadinerias are still relatively novel in North America. "In the U.S., they're starting to pop up," he explains, adding that "people are happy to see a piadineria in Toronto."

A name shared by both the type of sandwich and the flatbread it's made from, piadinas are a study in simplicity. With relatively brief ingredient lists, they stand in glaring contrast to the heaving, heavily garnished and sauced behemoths that tend to capture our collective attention.

"You don't need nine ingredients. If you have three or four that are really good, that will carry the flavour," says Fracchioni. "That's what the experience is about, appreciating the simplicity and the quality of all the ingredients. We're asking people to focus on the ingredients."

Built from locally-milled flour, the team's dough makes a flatbread that's pliant with tempting chew.

"Traditionally, the dough is made with pork fat, with lard," explains Fracchioni. In an effort not to ostracize plant-based eaters, however, the team here was eager to go another route — testing recipes until it eventually landed on a dough made with a mix of avocado and olive oils. Seasoned with salt and honey, and gently leavened, it's a faithful imitation of the Italian classic.

On the menu in the minimalist spot, there are cold drinks, essential coffees (espressos and Americanos), plus multiple variations on two basic Items — piadinas and crescioni.

"The difference between the piadina and the crescione, is that for a piadina, the bread is cooked separately, then it's cut and filled like a sandwich," says Fracchioni. "For a crescione, it's filled raw. They get pulled larger, and the filling goes in. They get sealed and cooked with the ingredients inside."

Served warmed, each order contains a tempting procession of soft and crisp bites. Written on a blackboard that the team can update seasonally, the menu includes a mix of traditional Italian combos and experimentations for the North American market.

"We'll see what sticks," says Fracchioni, adding that the team is "really cool with modifying. The whole idea is that we're trying to be as authentic and Italian as possible, and a big part of that is the hospitality."

Peruse the menu, and you're likely to land on something you like, such as La Classica ($18), a piadina that, says Fracchioni, accounts for more than 50 per cent of sales. A salty, creamy and fresh combo of imported prosciutto di Parma, tangy squacquerone cheese and the bitter bite of arugula, the aptly named offering puts some of Italy's finest ingredients on display.

With its colourful medley of grilled vegetables, basil and light balsamic glaze, L'Ortolana ($14) is for both vegetarians and their meat-eating friends.

Warmed over a searing griddle, rather than fried, crescioni are lighter than panzerotti though similarly shaped. Stuffed with sautéed mushrooms and tomato, savoury prosciutto cotto and mozzarella, its components melded together by patience and heat, Il Boschetto ($18) is hearty sustenance best hoisted with two hands.

A flatbread that can be eaten alone, stuffed or stacked with premium toppings, this one also makes a stellar dessert.

Order it wrapped around cocoa-rich hazelnut spread or, for something more notable, plumped with nippy Pecorino Romano cheese, then drizzled with honey and dusted with sugar. Called the Miele e Magia ($15), or honey and magic, it's a shareable treat made for those who crave desserts sharpened by a generous measure of salt.

The first of what the team hopes will be several GTA locations, Bottega della Piadina draws in-the-know diners as well as those looking to try one of Italy's most beloved dishes closer to home.

Bottega della Piadina is located at 60 Richmond Street East.