Bar Italia Cafe and Gelateria (closed)

Title: Bar Italia Cafe and Gelateria (closed)
Description: Chef Andrew Milne-Allan started his Italian culinary career in the 1970s when he worked for a restaurant called the Parrot on Queen Street. At this restaurant they had a rotating Mediterranean menu that often featured Italian food as it was quite famous. On a trip to southern Italy with friends Chef Andrew deeply connected to Italian food and found a love for it. Chef Andrew opened Giancarlo in 1983 with partners Giancarlo Carnavale and Eugene Baroni. Giancarlo was originally an old Italian sports bar that they had converted into a restaurant. The dishes Chef Andrew makes reflect southern regions such as Sicily, yet Giancarlo did not focus specifically on regional dishes on their menu. Zucca’s opening in 1996 highlighted different regions each month, even having regional wines. Chef Andrew strongly believes that the best way to attract customers is to simply make food people will enjoy and come back for. Many of the ingredients used by at the beginning of his Canadian culinary career were purchased at farmers markets. One of the best-selling items Chef Andrew makes are whole grilled fish, which are quite rare to find in Toronto restaurants.
Date: EST. 1987