At Toscano, the food wears Prada. It then sits on the serving plate like a model in a Harper’s Bazaar photo shoot. Clearly, the chefs here have an eye for colour, silhouette and size. At the recently-opened Italian restaurant-lounge-pizzeria, the tables are garbed in white, while a golden glow from candles lights up the space. The emerald-green wooden panels interspersed with glass panes give the place a Central Perk-like (remember Friends ?) vibe.
Toscano is an import from Bengaluru. While the menu is the same, the only thing missing is alcohol, which normally adds a kick to their splendidly concocted drinks. We start with the virgin Toscano sling. It’s like a panacea to the Chennai heat. With notes of hibiscus, lemon, and green tea, it instantly soothes the parched soul. Now, imagine the cocktail version of this. The team at the restaurant assures us that it will soon be available too. We reach out for the salmon bruschetta next — the fish is silky and light, and the crusty base adds a welcome crunch to the ensemble. There is pretty embellishment too in the form of a petite wedge of lime and a miniature flower garnish made of caper. The pesto chicken bruschetta on the other hand falls short on appearance, but makes up in taste with its creamy texture and delightfully fresh pesto flavour.
Though I want to order mozzarella fritters, my dinner companion suddenly decides he wants soup — a simple vegetable barley soup. This good old home-style soup, with finely-diced carrots, peas and zucchini, may not be the best tasting entrée on the menu, but it definitely does give one their required dose of vegetables for the day. To avert future bad decisions (read healthy) I wrestle for the menu and keep it tucked under my elbow after ordering a pizza.
Just like winter wonderland covered in snow, our formaggi pizza arrives coated in pristine white cheese. I half expect to see Santa trudging by. There is brie, mozzarella, emmental, ricotta, blue cheese and smoked scamorza; six different varieties of cheese that give the pizza a sharp taste. The occasional bites of walnuts and olives help break the overpowering flavour. This is a great choice for fans of cheese. For the other half of the pizza, we opt for the hickory bbq chicken that is a welcome break from the monotonous taste of the former. This one is packed with a bunch of flavours: first juicy chunks of pineapple floor the taste buds, then comes the smoky, spicy, and mildly sweet taste from the hickory sauce. And when all the flavours come together, it makes you want to eat faster so you can reach out for that next slice.
To round off the meal, we nominate the fruits of the season. Alphonso mango lychee panna cotta it is. A beautiful red tuile, fragrant white lychees, and green chunks of kiwi add contrast to the otherwise yellow dessert. It looks and tastes nothing like the conventional wobbly version we are otherwise used to. What stands out taste-wise though, is the smooth mango gelato that’s part of this magnum opus of a dessert. On the plus side, my Instagram has something pretty to post.
