Sicily is a rich, fertile, volcanic and beautiful land. It is the legitimate heir of ancient Greece, but also boasts the influence of peoples like the Arabs and the Vikings; south and north. I'm here to talk about cooking and Ardo restaurant, but you cannot appreciate the cuisine of this excellent little restaurant without presenting it, even if superficially, in the context of the intense cultural melting pot that Sicily reflects.
At Ardo you will find true Italian food in its Sicilian inclination. The Ardo dishes, from appetizers to desserts, bring out the raw ingredients of the Sicilian territory (Ardo also imports flour, pasta, and special oils from Sicily, which you can buy) without forgetting tradition. It’s a wonderful menu, capable of delivering surprises, respectful of the past great for the palate and your health.
And remember that each dish of Sicilian cuisine is a piece of history. Over the centuries, the island has been conquered by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Austro-Bourbon, Piedmont. It does not end here. Because the domination policies were complemented by other influences are less aggressive and more purely cultural. Then there was - and still is - the Tunisian influence due to the close relationship between live across the Strait of Sicily and which finds its highest expression in the couscous. Indeed, Ardo has one of the more interesting couscous dishes in the city.
Sicily was the granary of Italy and the first great laboratory for the development of pasta, which was tested in new recipes and shapes. Yes, before Marco Polo went to China. At Ardo, you will find the best interpretation of Sicilian cuisine in Toronto, or perhaps in Canada. Sicily, however, is one of Italy’s most beautiful and cultured regions. Archimedes, the third century scientist, was Sicilian. One of Italy’s Nobel winning physicists, Antonino Zichichi is Sicilian, Some of the best writers of the twentieth century were Sicilian: Leonardo Sciascia and Luigi Pirandello to name a couple. Some of the best actors, directors, statesmen of moral rectitude and human touch (the judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, for example) are Sicilian. The food of this island is part of that rich heritage, befitting its natural beauty and the three thousand-year history.
Of course, Sicily is not around the corner from Bloor Street. Yet, if you go to King Street at the point where it intersects Sherbourne, not too far from downtown, where you can easily find parking, you will reach Ardo. The staff is genuinely friendly, rather than unctuous. Roberto, the owner is a classic Sicilian gentleman. His cuisine reflects his taste and his heritage. Ask for some bread and the excellent Sicilian olive oil and you'll understand immediately the goodness' of what you are about to experience. And if you like wine, you can finally try the excellent Sicilian wines: red, suggest the Nero d'Avola; White? Vermentino. Try a real Marsala and finish with a lovely digestive like Montenegro; there’s enough variety for all tastes: I stress you should try the Sicilian wines.
To better appreciate the delicious dishes, you must understand Sicilian cuisine and its roots. It comes from the fact that Sicily is in the center of the Mediterranean, where an extraordinary climate allows farmers to grow the tastiest vegetables, grapes, olives, oranges in the world. They produce the most aromatic olive oils and precious wines thanks to grapes and herbs have the most intense fragrances. And it is also a place where people are still in touch with the genuine flavors from the sea and the land. Roberto has not betrayed Sicilian food, by combining and adapting it in the way that is typical in Italian cooking outside – and even in - Italy. In Sicily, the memory of the old recipes is still alive. New generations have not lost that knowledge.
In Sicily there might be roughly 10-12 McDonald's restaurants to give you a quick mental picture of the strength of local traditions. In Milan, there are 23 alone.
Sicily is the Mediterranean, thus it’s a cradle of food that combines health, tradition and taste. At Ardo, you will find just that. I tried a bit of everything: calamari, arancini, traditional pasta, octopus, marinated anchovies, cod croquettes and my beloved eggplants. If there is a typical Sicilian vegetable you must try, by the way, it’s the eggplant. The only 'problem' - in the selection; not the quality '- are the desserts. I have a sweet tooth and Sicily boasts among the best desserts in the world. Ardo does have excellent cannoli and gelato (an invention of Sicily), but there are so many more Sicilian delights. Perhaps, I might make an offer Roberto can’t refuse, persuading him to bring out an Iris or a Cassata on the menu soon.
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