When In Rome

It's easy to miss 241 Strada on Spadina. First, you don't expect an Italian restaurant just inside the edge of Chinatown. Second, formerly a warehouse, there was only a narrow door and no windows from the outside. But inside, the owners took full advantage of the huge space: thick wooden pillars rising to the extremely high ceilings, communal tables at the front, smaller ones at the back, and a bar area that ran the length of the room allowing you to sit by the bartender, across from the pizza oven, or closer to the kitchen.

For brunch, Strada offers breakfast pizza, which seems to be regular pizza with an egg on top. But on Saturday, I opted for one of the standard pies. First came the squash fritti appetizers ($8). The presentation seemed a bit hazardous as each deep-fried squash was skewered on a nail. This was taking rustic a little overboard. Although there was nice crunchiness, overall it was a little too greasy and the squash flavour was muted. The pureed salsa verde added a welcome tang.

The Zia Rita ($15) was a thicker-crust pizza covered with nduja sausage, roasted onion, and rapini. Both the sausage and the onions were richly flavoured but the blanched rapini was too long and watery. I would prefer them chopped and saute to bring out the dark, slightly bitter undertones. The dough was a bit over-salted. Strada won't win any pizza crowns in Toronto. But if you're in the mood for some dolce vita (or evening liveliness) in Chinatown, then I'd dropped by for a visit.