Scaddabush brings together fresh cooking with the benefits
of being a chain: their ample dining rooms makes securing a reservation easy
and with their huge Nonna’s table can accommodate large groups. Yet, the
restaurant relies on their chefs to make most ingredients in-house and employees
are considered artisans, encouraged to add their personal mark (as shown by the
symbol on the platter above).
Indeed, nothing will be fresher than the house-made
mozzarella. Only served between 5pm – 11pm, each dish is hand-stretched to
order using cheese secured from a local Mississauga dairy. If you’re interested
in watching your dish being made, you can ask to be brought over to the
mozzarella bar where the chef submerges the cheese in extremely hot water so that
it’s pliable, stretches it just enough for elasticity, and forms it into a
delicious sphere.
The naked ($12.98) is for the purist, simply adorned with a
splash of olive oil and San Marzano tomato jam and sea salt on the side. Unlike
burrata it’s not overly soft; instead, the cheese has a springy bite. With a
sprinkle of salt, it worked well to enhance the rich creamy flavour of the
mozzarella.
If you prefer the cheese melted, the bomba burrata ($15.93) takes the mozzarella and adds cream to make
it softer. Served in a hot cast iron pan, the cheese remains gooey in the spicy
roasted tomato ragu that’s studded with plenty of double-smoked bacon, basil
and chili flakes.
I found the bacon’s strong flavour took away from the milder
cheese. But, the sauce is fantastic and you’ll definitely want to sop it up
with the focaccia crostini. I love the spiciness of the ragu and even added it
to some of the other dishes that evening.
Italians make amazing polenta – especially when it’s deep
fried. Even though the sauce was delicious, it should be served on the side as
it renders half of the crispy tots ($8.97) soggy. However, if you eat them
quickly, the polenta with dollops of mascarpone, drizzles of parmesan aioli and
shaved Grana Padano is delicious. Try some of the sauce on the naked
mozzarella, they go well.
Scaddabush may be serving the ultimate hangover pizza: the
smoked bacon and egg ($15.96), a thin well toasted crust smothered with toppings
including mushrooms, caramelized onions, mozzarella and huge chunks of not
overly salty double smoked bacon. It arrives with a fried egg that you’re encouraged
to smear onto the pizza while still hot. Just be mindful of the spice - this is
a spicy pizza with the chili oil and ample chopped bird’s eye chilies.
A dish that Chef Steve Silvestro perfected is the Sunday
sauce (a marinara amped with pancetta and spices) and the braised meatballs –
dishes he would cook with his Nonna. All that practice is now showcased in the
restaurant’s ½ lb meatballs made with ground angus chuck, ricotta, parsley,
garlic, black pepper and porcini.
They’re available by itself as an appetizer ($12.98 in
classic style of $13.58 stuffed with cheese) or as a family-style sharing plate
with spaghetti ($17.97 for the classic of $32.35 stuffed). Despite being such a
huge hunk of beef, the meatballs are surprisingly light and moist thanks to the
ricotta. The house-made spaghetti is thick and chewy, almost like a thinner bigoli, and goes well with the Sunday
sauce. I’d only make one change: the dish could have had less garlic chips
given they’re so strong.
Trust me, their desserts should be shared. Half a dozen
sweet airy zeppole ($6.50) arrive in
the order, piping hot and dusted with citrus sugar. The warmed chocolate
hazelnut sauce is great for pouring into the spongy fried dough after the first
bite. If you’re a fan of beignets
you’ll love these!
The tiramisu ($8.25) is rich with the mascarpone cream. Just
swivel the jar around as you share to ensure everyone gets a taste of the
espresso and marsala soaked lady fingers. I would have liked more of the
cookies to help balance the sweet thick cream.
Scaddabush is inspired by Italian passion and generosity.
So, they believe in giving back and patrons help by purchasing their charity
bread (ranging from $4.25 - $5.25 depending of flavour). Each restaurant
selects a local charity to donate the proceeds of the bread to - for the
Scarborough location it’s the Bluffs Food Bank, an organization that helps
provide 350 families with groceries weekly.
I like the fact that each restaurant’s anniversary is
celebrated by giving donating the charity bread proceeds. Since the first
restaurant launched in 2013, Scaddabush has donated $60,000 to Sick Kids and
Mississauga Food Bank collectively. This fall, Starlight Children’s Foundation
will receive their cheque when the Richmond Hill location turns one. What a
great initiative and the perfect way for me to consume more carbs, guilt free.
Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 572 Progress Avenue
Address: 572 Progress Avenue
Website: http://www.scaddabush.com/
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
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