Italy: A Gnocchi Extravaganza

Tav’s Gnocchi Pizza Bar – 589 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1B2
Country: Italy
Seating: Intimate indoor seating and a large beautiful back patio.
Must-try dish: Gnocchi Rosina
Dinner guests: Dani P, Millionaire Max, Pornstar Sam, T.BO, The 4th
The high: Aside from the incredible back patio in the warmer months, the food at Tav’s Gnocchi and Pizza Bar is good quality at a fair price as it’s still very much a family-run institution.
The low: The truffle in many of the gnocchi dishes was minimal, and didn’t add much in the way that you would typically expect truffle to enhance a dish.

The first annual gnocchi tasting kicked off in a delicious fashion with eight dishes on trial to determine what the must-try is at Toronto’s iconic gnocchi restaurant Tav’s Gnocchi Pizza bar in the heart of Little Italy.

Each of the seven diners picked one gnocchi dish on the menu, and one last dish was included at the end for good measure. Unique flavours and ingredients differentiated one from another, and in the end the most likely to win fell short, while the underdogs were most exciting on the palate.

These are the gnocchi contestants (in no particular order):

Gnocchi Rosina: This was the favourite of the night, Spice heaters beware – there is a little kick to this one because of the nduja (a spicy pork sausage) and the spicy soppressata. The meat is cooked in a rose sauce with a classic potato gnocchi. For anyone that enjoys a kick in their food, this is the way to go for you at Tav’s!

Gnocchi Sorrentina: If lasagna could come in the form of gnocchi, this would be it. This is the perfect gnocchi for those who want a classic tomato sauce with flare. The pasta is topped with zesty red sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, then baked in a wood burning oven until it comes bubbling hot to the table.

Gnocchi Sottobosco: This mushroom-based gnocchi came highly recommended by our server. It’s one of the creamier sauces, but in this case, it was well-balanced instead of being too rich. It’s the way-to-go for any mushroom lover, but don’t be disappointed in the lack of black truffle shavings atop the pasta.

Gnocchi Gorgonzola and Figs:This was another crowd-pleaser, even for those who aren’t fans of blue cheese. The gorgonzola dressed gnocchi possessed a velvet texture, with complimenting tastes bouncing between sweet and savoury. Figs are a game changer with blue cheese.

Gnocchi Anatra: This duck ragu is more of a cold season dish in its flavour profile – mushrooms, tomatoes, sage, and thyme. It’s heartier than the rest of the pastas on the evening’s roster. Although tasty, the sauce itself doesn’t feel like it fits with gnocchi.

Gnocchi Di Mare: A seafood gnocchi was a first for the entire group, and therefore, a must. The mussels and shrimp are tossed in a white wine garlic and olive oil sauce, making it a lighter option as far as gnocchis go. It fell short, and the group’s recommendation was to order a seafood linguini if in the mood for tastes from the ocean instead of getting a gnocchi.

Gnocchi Viola E Zafferano: This gnocchi is purple in colour because of the potatoes used and tossed in a sauce made of fennel sausage and saffron. Although advertised that the sausage is hot, it’s a milder dish in flavour, and one of the only ones highlighting saffron. You can never really go wrong with saffron!

Gnocchi Verdi: This dish was our eleventh-hour addition because how can you go wrong with a scamorza cheese sauce that boasts smokey notes topped with truffle and gnocchi made from spinach? Exactly. It was every bit as amazing as it sounds, and helped the group feel a little less bad for the lack of greens over dinner.

It goes without saying that our bellies were full with gnocchi until morning. Prior to the tasting, and while deciding on what to order, appetizers were ordered for the tables alongside some wine to wash it all down. The Arancini balls were perfect to share, the Carpaccio melted in our mouths, and two salads helped to cleanse our palates in preparation for the big tasting.

As mentioned above, a gnocchi tasting is an annual event for Eat the World TO and friends. If you’re interested in joining next year, or want more insight on the gnocchis sampled this year, please get in touch!

One final word needs to be added here. Tavernitti alongside the other restaurants in its group came on the radar because of the delicious food, but also because there was talk that a woman made the best gnocchi in the city there for generations. Unfortunately, she recently passed away so we just want to send our condolences to the family.