The birthday series- birthday lunching at Tutti Matti

Tutti Matti is one of those random spots that you drive by and it doesn't look like too much but what a precious place it is.  My former boss Dawn suggested we go there to enjoy a meal for my birthday and to me - it's in the middle of nowhere - a pop up restaurant on Adelaide just west of Spadina - no restaurants around and it looks quite modest from the outside.  Tutti Matti's definition in Italian is “Everybody’s crazy" which is very different from the subdued elegance of the resto and the menu features Italian-Tuscan cuisine.

It also was a Winterlicious restaurant so we enjoyed ordered from our options where there was a heavy focus on mushrooms in the appetizers and mains.  Dawn who isn't a mushroom lover struggled with her options but ordered the beet salad and arugula  salad with wal-nuts and the gnudi option which were the only featured items without mushrooms.  The owner who heard we were food blogging actually sent out ta mushroom and chickpea soup for us to try as we didn't order it and it's a Tuscan specialty.  It tasted like chicken noodle soup with heartiness with the chickpeas and also a wild woody flavour from the mushrooms.  Dawn put on a brave face as I know when the soup arrived, she was thinking I don't want to be unkind but I hate mushrooms and she was a great sport and lapped up the soup minus the mushroom.
Her salad was fresh and nutty and she was quite satisfied and gnudi which is 'naked ravioli' came as green green pillows stuffed with spinach, ricotta and sage which Dawn enjoyed.  She looked a little intimidated at the colour but once she put those savory and flavourful gnudi in her mouth, she fell in love.  I ordered the beef carpaccio which is a favourite dish of mine but the carpaccio was a bit on the icy side and felt like it was just thawed out from the freezer.  As my main, I ordered the mushroom tart as it's an item that's not on Tutti Matti's everyday menu and I could come back any day to sample their pastas.  The tart was quite nice with layers of different juicy mushrooms and flaky tart.

For my dessert - I had their ricotta tart with red wine poached pears which was quite light and subtle and Dawn had the mixed berry crumble which can never go down wrong.  I found this place quite charming and would be happy to come back and sample their extensive menu of pastas.
*** stars
 Tutti Matti- 364 Adelaide St. W. (at Charlotte St.)
416-587-8839

Hours:

Mon. to Sat.: 10:00am - 10:00pm