Il Fornello Winterdelicious Prix Fixe Menu for Daily Bread Food Bank

The first Il Fornello opened in Toronto about the time I moved here permanently. I remember how novel the brick oven concept (for which it is named) seemed at the time. At various stages of my life here I have been in the habit of dropping into one or another of their outlets. (There was a time when the buffet at the Bloor location was a staple working-lunch option; in a different era I lived in the same block as the Church Street location, which has since closed.)

So it was nice to be reminded the other night how much I like the various permutations of Il Fornello in its different neighbourhoods when I was invited to sample the "Winterdelicious" prix fixe menu at the Queen's Quay location with David Ort of Food With Legs, Stacey Fowler and Mark Rodas of Tasting Toronto, Il Fornello entrepreneur Ian Sorbie and publicist Tatiana Read of Knot PR.

Winterdelicious is Il Fornello's own version of Winterlicious, and it offers diners a three-course Italian comfort-food prix fixe menu for $25. Added bonus: 75 cents from every meal goes to Daily Bread Food Bank, and in honour of the idea that a small donation from many pockets can add up to a lot, the restaurant is including "stone soup" (pictured, top) on the menu. The idea of stone soup comes from a lovely folk tale about a "magic" stone that turns a pot of water into delicious soup.

"I thought it was such a perfect story for Daily Bread, because it's about everybody contributing a little bit and making a big difference," said Sorbie, who has dreams of bringing more restaurants into an annual Stone Soup event.

Chef Steven Silvestro came out to chat with us occasionally about his menu, which is simple and consoling – just right for winter. There's a choice of four appetizers and four mains. Here's the rundown:

Appetizers

• Stone Soup with pasta, beans and vegetables: A minestrone-style soup, substantial, filled with beans and chewy pasta, but very gentle and subtle; not bursting with seasonings.
• Grilled Calamari with roasted red pepper coulis and basil sauce: I have been having nostalgic thoughts about my dainty, very slightly spicy little squid presented so sweetly on its bed of greens. It was cooked just right: hot, but not hard or rubbery.
• Crostini topped with celery root purée with grana padano and truffle oil: Rich and indulgent, nutty, oily and redolent of truffle and garlic.
• Pizzette with potato, fontina and crispy shallots: The dough was wholesome, floury and biscuity, and the shallot garnish had the quality of tiny crunchy onion rings.

Mains

• Veal Stew with gnocchi (pictured, above): This was one of my favourites; the meat was rich in the way of beef short ribs – very hearty – and the carrots and parsnips were homey and flavourful.
• Papardelle with vegetable ragu finished with grana padano: Smoky and rich with a lovely fresh pasta. Real comfort food, and my second favourite of the mains.
• Chicken Parmigiana with linguini pomodoro: the pasta was beautifully cooked, and the taste was pleasantly basily.
• Gourmet Pizza with mushroom velouté, pancetta, eggplant and mozzarella: Another noble crust and a rich, wintry combination of toppings.

I am of course a dessert girl, and I love soft, cool, creamy textures, so I was very pleased with my martini glass of Chocolate Zabaglione with toasted panettone, the latter of which had a delicate lemon-vanilla scent.

Quite honestly, there was not one of the choices that I didn't enjoy, and I've been contemplating a return trip to skate on the Natrel pond at Harbourfont, then pop in to warm up with some soup or the crostini with the stew. Winterdelicious will be running at all the Il Fornello locations except the one on King street until February 12. The restaurant will also be tweeting giveaways and other promotions via their new Twitter acount (@ILFORNELLO) throughout Winterdelicious

Photos by Jennifer Pearson