I can’t believe it took me over one year to have a proper meal at Osteria dei Ganzi, a restaurant on Jarvis Street, near the National Ballet School. The last time I went there was for its media launch in June of 2013, where we had the chance to taste several of their offerings, including the arancini and pizza. However, it can be difficult to properly write about a restaurant when you’re there for a party and the food is served cocktail style – for me, anyway.
Insalta Verde
It’s weird that it took us that long to go – the restaurant is less than half an hour by foot from our home, so it’s not a bad walk at all in the summer. I guess it’s all timing. Anyway, we made our reservation online and when they called to confirm, they asked us whether we wanted outside seating or inside. Since it was a gorgeous day, we opted for out. When we arrived, we were seated promptly, and offered menus. Complimentary bread was offered (one doesn’t see this as often anymore) along with oil and vinegar in stacked bottles. To start, I ordered the insalata verde, while my husband had a Caesar salad. Ganzi’s insalata verde has a slight twist to it. While most restaurants just offer greens and perhaps raddichio tossed in EVOO and balsamic vinegar, this version also has asparagus, giving it a bit more texture and a bit of sweetness. This is a nice change from the “same old.”
La Festa di Parma
For our mains, I ordered the La Festa di Parma, a pizza with tomato sauce, fior di latte, prosciutto di parma and arugula while my husband had Spaghetti Polpette E Pomodoro (spaghetti with meatballs and tomatoes). However, once the food arrived, bees began to swarm our table – there was one or two around during the first course, but they weren’t really bothering us too much. It was at that time we asked to be moved inside where we enjoyed the the rest of our dinner. I had a bit of my husband’s pasta and meatballs, which I found delicious. The meat was very juicy and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. If there’s anything I dislike (besides bees), it’s got to be over-cooked pasta! The pizza gets praises from me as well. Thin crust and served on a wooden board, the crust was perfect – not too crunchy and definitely not chewy. The cheese over-melted and prosciutto not too salty. In fact, I can’t really say anything bad about either mains. However, definitely stay away from outdoor seating if you’re offered a table towards the back. You’ll probably be swarmed by bees!
We didn’t have dessert this time around, but will be sure to order it the next time we go! We’re definitely going to make it back to the restaurant soon!
Osteria de Ganzi (504 Jarvis Street) is open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner from 5 pm to close and open for brunch every Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. Reservations can be made online or by calling 647-348-6520.
