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| - This is about as authentic as Italian food gets in Toronto. Olive oil made in the family's farm in Italy is for sale on a shelf. You can see grandma and grandpa in the back working over huge pots making one, two and three day's supply of the major fixin's; the rest is done while you wait (which is why it's not fair to complain about slow service).
Most regions of Italy are represented by at least one dish. What defines its authenticity to me is the absence of what Tony Weis calls "meatification," a trend I have a bit of a rant about in my book, The No-Nonsense Guide to World Food. The Mediterranean diet is about featuring fruit, veggies, olive oil and fish; red meat is marginal, not central, as in North America.
This restaurant is not vegetarian (though there are several vegetarian choices), but it is low-meat. I think that takes real integrity to uphold that tradition, and that's one reason why I come here for authentic Italian food that's also quite affordable.
Very family-friendly, as you would expect Italian places to be, and Vito can be quite cheeky in a charming kind of way.--wayne r
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