Sue-Ann loves Italy … and Italians!
She was privately tutored for 3 years in Italian in high school by an old Signora.
She worked for the Pillitteri family for 10 years … “dieci anni”.
Sue-Ann envisioned marrying an Italian so her kids could drive around in Camaros and altering her last name to “Staffacino” or “Staffa” or “Staffachelli”.

Benvenuti!

 Start your visit with a welcoming sip of chilled Fancy Farm Girl Flirty Bubbles!

Station One: Primi – An Italian Double-Double

 Inspired by the late Anthony Bourdain’s favourite breakfast sandwich, your first grilled cheese sandwich sample of the day features double Provolone and double Mortadella (with a little zippy mustard), grilled between slices of fresh sourdough.  

  “Wash this down with something cold and bubbly,” said Bourdain, so we’re pairing it with our refreshing, lightly fruit-forward, can’t-get-enough-of-it Fancy Farm Girl Frosty Fizz.

Station Two: Nonna’s Spuntino di Mezzogiorno – Grandma’s Midday Snack

  Inspired by Jamie Oliver and his Italian travels, we’ve created a juicy, peppery, cheesy treat! It’s a pile of roasted red peppers,  caramelized onions, goat’s milk cheese and mozzarella, wedged into locally made (and Mario Massimo-approved) Genovese-style focaccia, baked by our friend Ernie Porthouse. As a final touch, we drizzle the sandwich sample with balsamic, elevating it higher than the Ligurian Alps!

   A richly flavoured sandwich deserves a complex wine. Choose from the 2011 Robert’s Block Riesling, with its palate-cleansing acidity and layered fruit/floral notes OR the 2018 Louie Pinot Gris, a full-bodied white wine as loaded with flavour as this sandwich.

Station 3:  La tua prossima voglia di Mezzanotte – Your Next Midnight Craving

Inspired by Giada de Laurentis, we’re capping the savoury part of the menu with a mini-chicken Parmesan grilled cheese! Tender chicken tucked inside two slices of white bread with fresh mozzarella and sundried tomato pesto, dusted with parmesan and grilled to crispy perfection. This sandwich sample  will by juicy and savoury enough on its own, but we’re serving it with a marinara sauce for dipping.

 Bold tomato marries the umami of parmesan in this sandwich, calling for a bold red wine. Choose from our delightfully structured and rich 2020 Gritstone Cabernet, or the rustic fruit-bomb that is the 2021 Bank Barn Baco Noir.

Station 4:  La Dolce Vita – The Sweet Life

 Inspired by a random, uncitable episode of You Gotta Eat Here with Canadian-Italian host John Catucci, you’ll end your Grilled Cheese adventure with a sweet treat. It’s a thick layer of lightly sweetened, fluffy whipped mascarpone cheese layered with ripe bananas between two slices of brioche.  Cut like Sue-Ann’s childhood “dip dip toast”, you will be able to “dip dip” this sensational sandwich sample in a dark chocolate Nutella sauce with a hint of espresso, for a true taste of the sweet life.

Decadent desserts deserve decadent wine. We’re pairing this dessert sandwich with our multiple-award-winning 2018 Vidal Icewine.