Sputini Ristorante

Annabelle Goodman —

116 Avenue Rd            416 962 1110

It is easy to miss this outstanding restaurant. Once you have found it you will want to be a regular. The restaurant is up stairs and above another restaurant. It is large in size but divided into several smaller rooms. I love the room dividers of walls holding the wine collection. My friend and I had been to a film and wanted to dine on fine cuisine following the movie. It was great to walk  to the restaurant.

We were both so impressed with the menu. I noticed some of the amazing dishes as we were guided to our table. I adore looking at the dishes others have selected. The choices and the presentation are so important to me.  How wonderful to be seated against the wine wall. At no time was the noise level excessive.

My friend opted for the Grilled Lamb. ($29.95) The presentation was superb. The lamb was perfectly prepared and so flavorful. The vegetables were more than amazing. I like the crunch factor to maintain the flavor and the food value. Asparagus, broccoli, small potatoes were all enjoyed. Grilled Tuna was the special fish of the evening. ($32.95) Special it was. It was an enormous portion covering the plate. Yes, I devoured it all. The perfectly cooked vegetables were nestled underneath. Tuna is my favorite food and I was ‘in heaven’ with this enormous delectable fish and all the great vegetables. There was enough there for two portions but when I have tuna, my stomach seems to stretch to accommodate each bite. My friend and I agreed that we had made the right choices and devoured it all with great satisfaction. Just for fun we scanned the menu for another time. It isn’t often that I have so many choices I like.

My friend was considering the Cataplana Di Pesce, a seafood medley with shrimps, scallops, baby clams and Alaskan king crab legs. ($29.95) The Gamberi and Capesante offers pan seared shrimp and scallops with shitake, Portobello mushrooms, roasted green onions in a pernod cream sauce sounded most exotic.($27.95). I gave some thought to the Special Pasta of the evening. Linguine with Shrimps is a favorite of mine but the word ‘tuna’ will always win out.

Stone Oven Pizza offers 5 different selections. Quattro Formaggio sounds yummy with tomato sauce, spinach, basil, gorgonzola, bocconcini, asiago and mozzarella. ($16.95) There are so many items I want to try.

One always has the Antipasto before the main course. I chose to list a few after the entrée suggestions because I caution you the portions are so generous. You might want to give some thought to sharing an appetizer. Sardines from Peniche are grilled and drizzled with onion vinaigrette. ($13.50) Crocchetta di Pesce offers salmon and halibut cakes served with a sesame cavolo verde salad. ($14.95) Sautéed P.E.I. Cultivated Mussels are prepared with roasted garlic in a fresh herb tomato broth and a splash of white wine. ($13.95)

We both felt we had discovered ‘wonderland.’ The service was charming and attentive. The presentation of the food was exquisite. Most important we enjoyed the flavors of every bite. This was an experience that must be repeated. We even managed to devour a most fantastic Lemon Tart. ($9.00) It was more than sufficient for two. Exquisite!  We thanked Proprietors Fernando Esteves and Peter Catarino for a delightful gourmet evening. Executive Chef Zakarya Eesif is a wizard in the kitchen.