Tav’s Gnocchi Pizza Bar – 589 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1B2
Country: Italy
Seating: Indoor dining with backyard terrace with some DineTO Seating
Must-try dish: Gnocchi – Viola E Zafferano

The high: The gnocchi balls were like biting into a fluffy, warm cloud.
The low: The size of the gnocchi dish, which seemed like a small portion for the price (and perhaps our appetite) or may it have been an illussion as it was served in a large container and seemed empty. 

One of Mandrea Bike’s favourite nights out eating for the blog was at Taverniti in Little Italy. Soon after this meal, the owners opened a sister restaurant next door called Tav’s that has a more casual vibe and specialises in pizza and gnocchi, among other things. It’s been on our list to check out since opening day, and the time finally came to get dinner there. 

Since Toronto justifiably remains in pandemic lockdown, takeout was, unfortunately, the only option, despite Mandrea Bike’s continued best efforts to meet the woman behind this entire enterprise – Nonna. This woman in her nineties is a legend who hand rolls world-class gnocchi every day that has made her famous in Toronto. 

As a result, it’s no surprise that the must-try dish of the night is the gnocchi Viola E Zafferano. The fennel sausage gave it a subtle anise flavour that paired well with the rich saffron cream sauce. There were layers to this dish, which made every bite different but exciting at the same time. 

The Sottobosco pizza is also a must-try – Mandrea Bike is a sucker for anything with truffle oil, but go for any of the pizza options because they will all taste amazing on top of the dough. 

A little greenery seemed like a good idea and the Taverniti salad satisfied exactly that with slices of fresh orange and fennel alongside mixed greens, but really they had us at “spicy balsamic.” Although there are no complaints about the Aranchini balls (that come with three), this dish offered less of a wow factor in comparison to the rest, and likely would have been tastier served hot and crispy. 

The entire was devoured and washed down with a bottle of Gamay from Malivoire winery in Niagara. 

When restaurants begin to open again, Mandrea Bike looks forward to having a sit-down dinner at Tav’s, because if it’s anything like Tavernitti, then you feel right at home in the welcoming energy of the place. Hopefully Nonna is there – third time’s a charm!

Keep supporting our incredible local restaurants by getting takeout or delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic so that we can all laugh and eat together when their doors open once again. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)