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| - Bar Salumi is the unassuming sister bar-come-restaurant to The Local Kitchen in Parkdale. It might be a little too unassuming for its own good, as many people seemed to question its whereabouts when I mentioned its name...but maybe Bar Salumi doesn't like the spotlight. Indeed, its sign is almost an afterthought, with the store's original signage for an antique shop, dominating the storefront.
My friend and I had been meaning to go ever since she discovered they served Burrata pizza. She really has a thing for that cheese, and I can't say I blame her. It's delicious. We went awhile back, excited at the prospect of this new twist on a Margharita pie, only to find out the chef was on vacation and they were only serving up the liquid portion of their menu. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with this, and in some cases I would actually prefer it, but that night we were hungry and consequently, deflated. My friend entered the chefs ETA in her phone, and we vowed to return.
Two weeks later, the alarm sounded, reminding us that the chef was back to work (and also that she had golden potatoes ready to harvest in Smurf Village). We went the very next day.
As it was on our previous visit, Bar Salumi was quiet and dark, illuminated by flickering chandeliers (leftovers from the former antique shop maybe?) and tea light candles housed within mason jars. Hanging legs of prosciutto fight for space with ceiling fans, and a boar's head watches diners from high above on the back wall. I know it might not sound like it (what with the strong presence of dangling cured meat and taxidermy) but it has a real romantic vibe happening.
There is no kitchen at Bar Salumi, so our personable apron-clad server was also our chef. The menu is a small one, focused on pizza and apps, so diners can watch as everything is prepared behind the bar. It did get a bit hot, what with the pizza oven operating from within the same room, but think how cozy that would be on a winter's night.
The menu is presented on the wall in cafeteria style (or bowling alley) fashion, with those little plastic letters that slide in and out, and I half expected to see nachos and cheese listed somewhere. More menus were brought to us on mini clipboards, and because the food menu was unnecessary as we had fully rehearsed our order, we paused awhile over the drink list. They offer a thoughtful selection of reds and whites as well as some interesting cocktails. We went with two glasses of Malbec ($12 each) to go with our starter of olives & nodini with ricotta salata ($4). So far so good, except that I couldn't help but think the nodini crackers weren't the most functional choice for the cheese...more like basketball hoops for the olives.
Our pizza ($14), although not wood-fired, did come served on a cross-section of a tree trunk. With the creamy white Burrata blending with the red of the San Marzano tomatoes, punctuated by basil it was like an homage to the Italian flag. I wish I could say that the Burrata we were so looking forward to, made it the penultimate Margharita experience, but it was like any other made with Bufala. The two are from the same family after all, so I'm not sure what we were thinking. Cheese does things to people. That being said however, we weren't disappointed, as the sauce was tangy, the crust was crispy, and it was big enough for both of us to eat and still take home leftovers.
I wouldn't rank the pizza with the likes of pie giants, Terroni or Libretto, but Bar Salumi is rife with ambience where the aforementioned aren't. The promise of Buratta may have lured me in the first time, but it's the character that will bring me back.
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