Last May I had the pleasure of taking out my assistant for her birthday to a quaint little bistro called ‘A Tavola’.

A Tavola means ‘to the Table’.  This Tavola has many little tables nestled in a small plaza on Garden Street, at the corner of Meadow Glen Drive in Whitby.  At the time, A Tavola was a very recent addition to Whitby and we welcomed it with open arms.

We were greeted by Dylan, a charming young man, whom took pride in his position and of the  restaurant itself.  Dylan was knowledgeable and very attentive to our needs.  Chef Vito also made a point to say hi and welcomed us.

I was excited as there was a buzz about this place and I was looking forward to my meal.  You don’t see this type of food fair just anywhere.  They pride themselves on choice and quality as all ingredients are fresh from the local farms or produce stores that come to their Tavola.

For our little appetizer treat, we chose what I refer to as ‘heavenly balls’, but they are really rice balls (also referred to as Arancini in Italian), but little delightful rice balls were stuffed with smoked ham, chorizo, manchego cheese, peas & saffron tomato sauce.  Although originating from Italy, these little gems had a lovely Spanish influence which did not disappoint.

The menu had an abundance of main choices and all very mouth watering.  Usually you like to try two different entrees so you can share and experience two great meals, if you are lucky enough.

What did jump out actually and caught both our attention was the  ‘Veal Salto in Boca’ (also known as Saltimboca) which actually means in Italian ‘jump in your mouth’.   Well Jump In your Mouth it did just  that, my mouth had ‘Food Sommersaults’!  Was  it was fate that this dish really did speak to the both of us?

Beneath the beautiful veal strip loin wrapped with crispy prosciutto and sage (in white wine sauce),  were delicate oyster mushrooms atop a potato flan (like mashed but denser and more intense flavor).  This was absolutely the best I’ve ever had and each layer was a delicious bite.  It was worth forsaking a second entrée choice.   My guest was also overjoyed with her dish but she had big plans for the grand finale – the dessert!

As soon as the word ‘chocolate’ was mentioned, it was decided that her choice for dessert was indeed a chocolate indulgence.  She was served a warm flourless chocolate torte with a creamy house made vanilla gelato then drizzled with chocolate ganache. Incredibly rich, it’s the perfect dessert to satisfy any chocolate addiction.

I was pampered with the most amazing pana cotta (which I really wasn’t that big a fan of before), but after savouring each delicate bite of this creamy dessert topped with fresh fruit, I was now converting to a new ‘go to’ dessert.

The images below convey how beautiful our food was and it speaks volumes to your taste buds.

Dear Tavola, (and Chef Vito) it’s been too long, I am coming to the Table this evening and I can’t wait.

Nicole Mooney (food nerd/blogger)

www.whatscookingindurham.ca