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| - I wanted to really like this place, having lived in the heart of Tuscany for many, many years. Indeed the menu draws its inspiration from one of Italy's most respected regional traditions, where fresh, earthy and simple ingredients are the star. The emphasis is on pork (cured in various ways), wild boar, mushrooms, local vegetables, and superb olive oil and spices.
Tutti matti tries to follow in that tradition but IMHO fails to deliver on taste. My funghi starter lacked flavor and texture and looked lost in too large a plate. The maiale main (herbed and spiced pork done in a "porchetta" style) was ok, but again did not express its flavours with the needed intensity: it was fatty and pleasant enough but hardly memorable. My partner's porchetta starter was described as tasty but not raved about, while venison as a main lacked flavor and was nondescript. Wine list is pretty generous, and our Supertuscan was the best part of the meal and still affordable despite restaurant markups. Service was very friendly and so was the atmosphere.
The issue here isn't the theme, decor, or service: the chef(s) need to be less lazy and work way harder if they want to honour and replicate a real Tuscan experience rather than loosely imitating it in name but not substance. Toronto has room for Tuscany, but only if it wants to excel.
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