Corso 32 - Divine Italian (Number 30 of Edmonton 30 in 30)

The hallmark of a top restaurant is when their appeal moves outside of their home market and into the collective consciousness of the global food community. For many years now a collection of top Edmonton restaurants always seemed to include a small Italian shop on Jasper Avenue; a small shop that served upscale and progressive Italian cuisine; a small shop that, lovingly, became notoriously difficult to procure a reservation; a small shop by the name of Corso 32. You can imagine my shock when a chef in Winnipeg, upon realizing I came from Edmonton, demanded if I had ever eaten at Corso and who, after finding out I had, raved for seemingly an hour about the incredible food here. International gravitas indeed.

On the corner of 103rd and Jasper Avenue, Corso 32 is an easy gem to miss. Located on the bottom floor of a two story building, there is nary any signage that welcomes one to the restaurant. Instead the large red painted letters on the outside window serve as the only advertisement of the restaurant. A different story unwinds, however, when you step inside and are greeted by the handsome oak wooden tables, dim and romantic lighting and the welcoming staff that beckon you towards your table. The menu is simple, small but forceful. As you read, the richness and weight of each dish can be felt with each description weaving a tapestry of excitement in your taste buds. The chefs take a combination of exotic luxurious ingredients and local farm raised produce with Italian techniques to create a decadent menu that is both extravagant and functional.

Our table had a collective gasp when we dove into the Egg Yolk Gnudo and saw the gorgeous yellow yolk seemingly out of the pasta. The gnudo had a surprisingly delicate flavour with creaminess of the egg yolk working well with the saltiness of the ricotta. The base of baby swiss chard elevated the dish by adding freshness, colour and a slight bitterness that rounded out this excellent appetizer.

The initial bite of the Speck had a surprisingly sharp flavour from freshly shaved horseradish and while strong, it helped to elevate the smoky fatty aroma of the cured pork. Balance is further achieved by the sweet and crisp pink lady apple slices. While the first nibble was sharp, we became tolerant of the horseradish in each subsequent bite and quickly appreciated the balance of flavours here.

Our favourite pasta was the Cavetelli with pork and funnel sausage finished with salty Pecorino cheese. Each loving bite of tender pasta had the perfect mixture of aromatic tomato-ey sauce, fatty sausage and salty cheese. My favourite component though was the addition of Broccoli Rabe as they provided a delightful crunch of bitterness that contrasted the other flavours well.

Special of the day was an Agnolotti Cacio Pepe. A simple filled pasta with beef and vegetables, it is finished with salt, pepper and a black truffle pecorino moliterno. The aroma of the truffle was paramount and while it was a strong aromatic presence it did not overpower the flavour of the dish. Actually it was the interplay between salty cheese and grainy black pepper that stood out in this dish.

One of our dining companions went with the Cornish Game Hen "Al Mattone". The hen was extroadinarily tender with a crisp sweet and slightly bitter exterior encapsulating tender sweet flesh on the inside. The key here was the sauce, a brown butter and sage jus that worked well with the squash and apple panzanella to compliment the intentionally muted flavours of the chicken.

Our only disappointment of the day was the  Garganelli. The al dente pasta was tossed in a traditional Ragu and finished with fresh Parmigiano ... and that's it. Well I appreciated the depth of the tomato flavour in the ragu and the sharpness of the cheese, this overall felt muted and underscored by the rest of our dishes.

This divine Vanilla Panna Cotta features the silky smooth custard on a bed of pistachios and grappa, a grape based liquor. The combination of smooth egg-y custard works well with the fruity liquor but it is the interplay of textures between the panna cotta and crisp pistachios that elevate this dish to greatness. Delicious!

Similarly the Gelato Affogato was divine. Finished with a herbal Amaro liquor, each bite had a nice mixture of smooth cool cream with sharp bitter liquor and coffee flavour. A small dish but packing tons of flavour.

This Chocolate Torta is featured in Avenue Magazine as the best dessert of 2015. The cake has a dense and rich chocolate aroma and flavour that is counteracted by the salty, crispy and bitter hazelnuts. The hazelnuts, slightly toasted, are a genius addition as it provides an excellent balance to the luxurious velvety chocolate.

Definitely saving the best for last, Corso 32 is deserving of every accolade it has been afforded to date. Stylized and progressive, this is Italian cuisine at its best and Edmontononians should be proud to have such an luxurious and impressive restaurant in their backdoor. Corso 32 takes the best of Italian techniques and transforms humble local ingredients into works of art; and it is truly this process that makes this restaurant one of the best I have ever dined at in the world.

And so I finish up my thirty Edmonton blog posts in thirty days. I would be remiss if I did not comment also on my wonderful friends and family that have dined and supported me through this process and who have shaped and transformed who I am. I am exceedingly impressed by the variety and quality of Edmonton's food scene and cannot wait to return to see what new restaurants and flavours have arisen.