where jess ate

Upon entering Spuntini, located in Yorkville just above Sotto Sotto, we found ourselves completely ignored for a good five minutes before getting the attention of the host. Yes, it was a busy night but many employees, including the host himself walked by us multiple times without acknowledging us. I hoped this wasn’t a sign of how the rest of the evening was going to unfold…

Thankfully, the service improved after being seated. Anyway, Spuntini has a very cozy, intimate and romantic atmosphere. The prices of their Italian-inspired menu are surprisingly reasonable given its Yorkville location.

We started off with the Burrata – with crostini, double smoked bacon, olived rapini, caramelized shallots ($14.50). It was a nice way to start off the meal but it’s really hard to go wrong with an appetizer like this.

To share, we also ordered the Affetato Misto – prosciutto, grilled chorizo, carpaccio di manzo, sliced tomatoes with bocconcini cheese & grilled seasonal mixed vegetables ($25.95). None of the components were particularly noteworthy except the delicious grilled chorizo.

For my main, I went with the Ravioli di Soraia – square ravioli pasta stuffed with lobster and crab in a sage, butter, white wine sauce ($18.95). The ravioli was cooked to a perfect al dente and the filling was absolutely delicious, as was the butter white wine sauce which complemented the pasta wonderfully. It was easily the best dish of the evening.

Mike ordered the Tagliatelle del Monte – tagliatelle al ovo tossed with an Autralian lamb tenderloin ragout ($16.95). Unfortunately, I don’t have the same nice things to say about this pasta dish. While the portion was certainly generous, I found the sauce and meat underseasoned. Too bland!

My friend Jo went with the Rigatoni Portobello – rigatoni tossed with red onion, sun dried tomatoes in a Portobello mushroom pesto cream sauce ($15.95). Similar to the tagliatelle that Mike ordered, it arrived in an enormous bowl. We all agreed that the sauce had a nice earthy flavour but our overall conclusion was that the sauce was way too creamy.

My other friend Chris went all out and ordered the Surf and Turf.  I didn’t try any of the “surf” but Chris didn’t have any complaints about the lobster tail. I had a bit of the steak and found it a little tough and chewy. Not a fan.

While I enjoyed the ravioli, the rest of our food was mediocre at best. The menu is quite extensive so perhaps we ordered wrong…with so many great reviews, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. However, given that there are so many great Italian options in the city, I’d pass on Spuntini.

At a glance:
• Cozy and intimate atmosphere
• Located in Yorkville, in the space above Sotto Sotto
• Prices are reasonable for the area ; large portions
• Enjoyed the ravioli but nothing else was memorable

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 2.5 stars
• Service: 2 stars
• Atmosphere: 4 stars