Tontoni Trattoria•Jardim Paulista

Italian•$$$

It was in Italy, more precisely in Milan, that chef Gustavo Rozzino found the inspiration for his new TonToni, an authentic Trattoria. After all, his paternal grandfather, an Italian immigrant, was an excellent cook who insisted on summoning his eldest grandson to help with family lunches. With an intimate and cool atmosphere, the proposal is to be as faithful as possible to the cuisine of the European country. Forget, for example, the softer pasta: here, the expression "al dente" takes on its real meaning. Among the pastas, all made in-house, the gnocchi, the kind that melts in your mouth, appears in Sugo, Bolognese and Truffle versions. There are also other highlights such as the octopus Carpaccio, served in thin slices with chopped tomatoes, celery and capers, in a citrusy Sicilian lemon sauce; and Capelinni al mascarpone with prawns. But classics get small creative interventions that have already become a trademark of the chef, like the Risoto Paulista, with beans and sausage; the Milanese Coteleta, which is prepared with pork and accompanies a green salad; while its Oricchiette à Marinara has shrimp and octopus grilled in a tomato sauce with artisanal pancetta and n’duja (spiced pepperoni sausage made in-house). To close, TiramiGiu appears in a disassembled version, with chocolate cake, coffee ice cream and mascarpone cream.