When Photographers and Chefs Collide

The Pitch

What happens when Montreal's top food photographer joins forces with a seasoned Italian chef?  From this marriage was born La Spada, a chic, hip Italian eatery known as much for its artistic image as its crowd-pleasing food.

While the name of chef Steve Marcone is new to me, I first met award-winning photographer Scott Usheroff – a.k.a. Craving Curator – a decade ago when we both worked – for the same company – in the technology sector.  Open for close to a year now, the buzz is still going at this Saint-Henti hotspot; my wife had to reserve two weeks ago to nab our table of four on this Friday night.

tagged:  BETTER RESERVE

The Mood

One can tell something special is taking place before setting foot in this Notre Dame Street eatery.  I immediately noticed the curtains drawn completely down in the corner locale, normally a sign of a closed establishment or a flex of confidence.

Of course, here it's the latter; the dining room – which is not small – was packed and we witnessed the hostess at the door turn away groups of hopefuls with no reservations.  Inside, the decor mixes tradition with playfulness.  Exposed white brick walls are crisscrossed with black columns and beams; with white linens, navy blue banquettes, dangling chandeliers and marble statuettes completing the interior.

The mood may come off as stuffy and serious based on this depiction, but it is nothing like that.  Covering the walls is a mixture of street art, family photos and Italian pop art which, when taken in concert with the crowd and staff's young age, add a touch of fun and levity.  Tables barely remained vacant and were quickly filled by trendy, well-dressed couples and groups of friends.

The Food

The duo behind La Spada decided to focus on Roman cuisine for their venture.  With its pushing of simple preparations using seasonal ingredients, it fits well with the relaxed ambiance.  A handful of sections – sfizi, insalata, primi, secondi and contorni – each feature 3-5 options.  Prices are mid-to-high but portions are very generous; this may be my first time not finishing a pasta dish.

A short cocktail list is followed by one of the longest wine lists I can recall of late.  Curated by sommeli่re Lio Grenier, it spans a wide range of prices and lists primarily-European bottles with an emphasis on Italy.  For our order, we stuck to our go-to's, which were great and very enjoyable.

A homemade focaccia was uber soft on the inside and went great with the extra bomba, although I was surprised it was served at below room temperature.  Veal meatballs were a fluffy perfection while fried calamari and shrimp were a tad rubbery and encased in a batter with less-than-ideal crispiness.  The latter were topped with fried veggie shavings and served with two sauces for extra fun factor.

Next up, two pasta dishes – pappardelle in braised duck ragu and campanelle alla vodka – were well cooked, full of saucy flavour and made great lunches the next day.  For the finale, a few desserts were on offer, but the waitress had me at "homemade Ferrero Rocher".  This was a golf-ball-size rendition of the store-bought chocolate with a crunchy shell revealing a velvety interior which was rich but not too sweet.

tagged:  LOOSEN YOUR BELT

The Service

Service at La Spada sticks to the place's overall formal-yet-laidback vibe.  Waiters sport tucked white shirts, black vests and ties but are young and folksy.  The restaurant is amply staffed with a main waitress in addition to multiple helpers coming to see us at various points in time.

Touches of "old world" are felt through tableside gestures such as finishing your plate and topping your pasta with parmesan, without forgetting an eye-catching jumbo pepper mill!

Upon serving our main dishes, our waitress informed us that a pasta order will be a little late because chef D. (Dzugias) was not satisfied with how it turned out at first.  This restaurant may not take itself too seriously but clearly there is no kidding around when it comes to the kitchen.

The Verdict

From the casual, delicious, ingredient-forward cuisine to the chic/youthful vibe, all the elements are in place at La Spada to create a buzzing osteria romana.  Gone are the days of the stuffy, old-school ristorantes and the Italian supper clubs from they heyday of Saint-Laurent Boulevard.

Well-to-do diners today want accessible but well-made food in a hip setting that lets them both lay back and have fun but also dress up and people watch if they wanted to.  With La Spada, the duo of Usheroff and Marcone gave Montrealers exactly what they were looking for.

tagged:  SOLID

Price per person:  $55.33