Porzia Italian Restaurant Launches New Spring Menu

Hello spring and hello Porzia! Last Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to attend Porzia Italian Restaurant‘s spring menu launch at 1314 Queen Street West. It was a great affair featuring sounds by OLEN ONLY. The new Spring food and cocktail menu are composed of creations by Executive Chef, Basilio Pesce (previously from Bymark, Biff’s and Canoe). Basilio grew up in Southern Italy and is inspired by the home-style recipes from his childhood memories. He makes his own pastas, salumi, breads and butchers his own meat. Basilio has also named his restaurant after his mother.

Walking into Porzia you will first notice an L-shaped bar, which gives it a warm country chic appeal; you will know what I mean once you get there.

My tasting menu included:

formaggi e salumi

salumi

formaggi

salumi

crostinis with three delectable toppings including bone marrow & snails, cotechino & rapini, and ricotta & bomba

bone marrow & snails crostini

cotechino & rapini crostini

seafood including olive oil halibut with fiddlehead aioli, side stripe prawn, and grilled octopus with semolina, apple & peanut

olive oil halibut with fiddlehead aioli

side stripe prawn

grilled octopus with semolina, apple & peanut

and two delicious pastas including stinging nettle tortellini with smoked mackerel and chicken liver agnolotti

chicken liver agnolotti

To finish off, ricotta cheesecake with rhubarb and yoghurt panna cotta with oatmeal and berries were served.

ricotta cheesecake with rhubarb

yoghurt panna cotta with oatmeal and berries

Drinks included:
Leisure Sweet made with Tromba Blanco tequila, lime, myrtle and chamomile-Lives up to its name, it is definitely a beverage for a nice lazy spring afternoon on the patio.

Leisure Sweet made with Tromba Blanco tequila

Yellow Brick Road featuring Dillon’s White Rye, dandelion & burdock, and a dash of vinegar-Slightly on the exotic side.

Yellow Brick Road

Ales from Junction Brewery, wines featured Rocca delle Macie and Rosewood Estates.
For me the halibut, prawns and grilled octopus were outstanding. Unbelievably savoury seafood! Not to mention the ricotta cheesecake with rhubarb, the spring menu is definitely worth checking out, so if you haven’t been to Porzia’s yet, now is the time.