We cobbled together a group of 7 friends who didn't want to cook on a Sunday evening and all headed for dinner at Via Mercanti.
The first thing I noticed: the staff are actually Italian....and extremely friendly...and enthusiastic. The service was an enjoyable topic of conversation throughout the evening.
The food was simple and tasty. My wife and I started with Mozzarelline Fritte (5 breaded and fried mozzarella balls). They are as delicious as they sound. Each ball is about the size of a walnut - not bad for $4. We also tried one bite of calamari, which was average
Tip: for those of you who love breaded, deep-fried calamari, this ain't it. It's the real stuff with garlic and oil)
The table also shared the signature Bocconcini di Pizza - these are much bigger than the mozzarella balls and well worth the $1.50 each.
For a main I had the Ciambella Ripiena pizza (so much fun to say!). It has hot sopressata folded into the crust - like a fancy stuffed crust. Mmmmm
Everyone ordered pizza and seemed very satisfied with their choices (Capricciosa, Traditrice, Quattro Stagione)
Tip: You can add ingredients to any pizza (my wife added *ugh* anchovies to the Traditrice)
Finally, we collectively ordered creme brulee, nutella crostada, and 4 flavours of gelato for dessert. The creme brulee was thicker than I've typically had (more custardy) and tasted great. The gelato was creamy and flavourful. I didn't try to nutella crostada, but the reception was "meh"
Overall a comfortable, relaxed Italian joint with solid food and incredible service.
Jon recommends.