By Dylan Dias
Purity, perfection, design, and wonder. Time, technique, precision, and purpose. Modern dining is one thing – passion and artistry is another. Hugging the water’s edge and crowning the top of the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, walking into Don Alfonso 1890 is a bit like stepping into a dream. Consistently honoured as one of the most prolific Italian restaurants in the country, Don Alfonso is contemporary and enchanting – black marble, warm woods, plush creams, and glass walls accented in polished gold, floral motifs, and red roses. Elegant, quilted seating and curved lines echo the structure of the rounded, sun-soaked space – a witness to its magnificent, twinkling vista – from city, to water, to sky. Maybe not quite Sorrento, but quite beautiful, nonetheless.
With a dining room and lounge that orbit around Philippe Pasqua’s Crane, Don Alfonso, like its food, centres art. The stunning bronze and white patina sculpture of a giant skull has followed the restaurant since its inception. As well as Max Jamali, one of our local favourites, who adorned Don Alfonso’s entryway in his signature 24k gold, crystal butterflies. It wasn’t too unusual then, to find a large painting of Pollock creating a Pollock leading into the kitchen – a meta but necessary nod to the nature of plating in such a place as this. Where does the artist end and the art begin? After meeting chef Davide Ciavattella, with those crystal butterflies now entering my heart, perhaps it’s all the same.
My kitchen is a melting pot of people. My team is the most important part of my life. This is my house; this is my family
Starting a new life in Toronto just under two years ago, with his family by his side, executive chef Davide found his way here for the specific purpose of leading Don Alfonso’s renowned Canadian outpost. Originally from Pescara in Abruzzo, chef Davide eventually made his way west to Capri – a small, costal island on the Tyrrhenian Sea where he spent most of his adult years. Handpicked by chef Ernesto himself – the son of the Iaccarino family and the owners of the original 2 Michelin star Don Alfonso in Sorrento – chef Davide boasts a decorated pedigree of work in some of the finest kitchens in the world. Cooking at the highest level and taking him from Capri to Dubai, Madrid, Switzerland, Türkiye, and eventually, here.
“My kitchen is a melting pot of people. My team is the most important part of my life. This is my house; this is my family.”
Chef Davide approaches his kitchen like he would a garden – with nurturing, intention, care, and detail. It’s not just about the purity of the ingredients he sources, though that is paramount. It’s also about the reason for the food existing itself – where it comes from and what it personifies about the regions, inspirations, and creators behind it. It’s less about where you are and more about how you share the story. Something chef Davide knows and honours well – carrying the spirit of coastal Italian landscapes, the Mediterranean, and his time in Capri to our home in Toronto.
“Olive oil is the most important part of our kitchen. [it is] the soul, the heart.”
Through pristine, foraged produce and local proteins – organic, sustainable, and privately grown whenever possible – chef Davide has crafted a stunning menu of finesse and clarity alongside the very best of Italian provisions. Earthen, raw, and honest – dishes that are meant to memorialize their origins, not disguise them, in expressions that honour the beginning point of all food – that is, nature. Of the land, of the sea, and of the sky; filtered through the heart and hands of a chef that thinks about food as if it were a gift from the earth. Which, at least in his presence, is abundantly true. It’s not surprising then, to experience chef Davide’s tasting menu at Don Alfonso, and not only be enamoured by its beauty, but connected as well, to a depth and richness that far surpasses flavour alone.
“It’s important to us to make sure that the world will be safe. Of course [as chefs] we don’t save lives, but we do make life better for people.”
Settling down into a quiet corner of the restaurant overlooking the evening skyline, we began our tasting of Don Alfonso’s signature menu – nine courses, artfully prepared and presented, by chef Davide and his brilliant team.
Olive oil is the most important part of our kitchen. [it is] the soul, the heart.
After savouring some warm, freshly baked breads, including a pillowy focaccia and rosemary-scented olive oil produced by the restaurant itself, we were served a collection of colourful, delicate canapés. Four unique, little gems of texture and richness balanced on a dish resembling white tree bark. Fermented leek and ricotta, creamy and sumptuous, held between crisp, black sesame wafers. Meant to mirror chef Davide’s memories of coming home as a boy in Pescara and sopping up leek soup with fresh bread as a light meal, it was delightful and heartwarming. Following this – a midnight-toned, squid ink bignè with crème fraîche, topped with a spoonful of lobster panzanella. Then, a glistening tuna tartare nestled inside a thin Parmesan shell. And finally – a plump, crimson orb of tomato gel masquerading as what it once was, filled with bufala mozzarella and finished with fresh basil – a caprese in a single, decadent bite that bursts with the resonant flavours of Italy.
Our next course presented itself as a summer walk on the Tyrrhenian Sea in two parts. First – L’anguilla – an eel gelato, as an elegant quenelle, crowned in obsidian pearls of sturgeon caviar alongside the vivid colours of a rose tagliatelle, pulverized egg yolk resembling dandelions, and verdant wild herbs. Second – La Ricciola – a cured smoked amberjack centred by a vibrant forest floor of petals and leafy greens, finished with an orange emulsion, chive yoghurt, crisped ginger, and a bright tomato water encased in a faux-olive, chartreuse shell. Both dishes reflected the fresh, cerulean flavours of the warm sea – salinity, softness, and the demure repose of whole ingredients that act as they are without the need or desire to be anything else. Sophisticated, assured, and gorgeous.
To follow – L’anatra – seared Muscovy duck from Québec with a ratafià blackberry and anise demi-glaze, roasted carrots, and parsley powder. A sweet, dark liqueur typically created with local, seasonal fruits – and often connected to the agricultural heritage of Abruzzo – the ratafià imparts a decadent, lush fruitiness to the shiny, velvet sauce work of the dish. Candied, savoury, and indulgent in chocolate and amber tones – a feeling of autumn and land.
We were then treated to I Ravioli – plump parcels of beautifully-made pasta filled with a slow-cooked Genovese of Ontario pheasant. King oyster mushrooms and a generous finish of Grana Padano foam, microgreens, and shredded black truffle left us with a lingering, satiating warmth. Buttery, earthy, and sublime.
Our next dish was an absolute favourite of the evening – Il Tonno – a P.E.I. otoro, the purest cut of belly from a bluefin tuna, marbled and melt-in-your-mouth with red cherry tomato sauce, Nocellara olive pureè from Sicily, smoke eggplant pesto, and dried capers. Deep coffee and garnet tones, silky, glistening, and luxuriant – a small but imposing dish of unyielding depth and flavour – the wealth of the ocean and the garden at its best. An unforgettable tasting.
Finally, to round out our evening of immaculate savoury courses – Il Bisonte – organic bison tenderloin from Manitoba, lovingly coddled by wilted Swiss chard, bufala mozzarella, and encased in a bracelet of crisped bread crust that is similar to a Wellington, though not quite that. Cooked to absolute perfection, supple and blushing, and finished with salsa verde, a San Marzano chilli reduction, and a swirl of demi-glaze. One of the most memorable bites of meat I’ve ever had, and the original reason my vegetarianism broke as a young, idealistic eater when I tasted a similar iteration of this dish many years ago. Maybe it was the magic of the evening or maybe it was just the hands of chef Davide himself – but it was never more beautiful than in this moment. Another plate of food I will never forget. Deeply soulful, gratifying, and delicious.
Then – with full, loved hearts and full, loved bellies – we ended our night on sweet everythings. A whimsical, artful tiramisu shaped into the form of the very sculpture we began our evening with – Philippe Pasqua’s Crane. A white chocolate skull and gold-dusted butterflies filled with mascarpone mousse, coffee-soaked biscotti, and finished with a simple but heavenly salted caramel. Sticky, luscious, joyful, and clever – another circular, meta moment in this restaurant that reflects itself at the intersections of design, food, and story. A chef selection of fine petit fours then made its way to our table – a final note to a spectacular, progressive meal. Flavours of hazelnut, truffle, liquorice, raspberry parfait, and a traditional Easter cake called pasteria Napolitano served over a glass disc of scented smoke – a dreamy and opulent way to close the evening.
What Don Alfonso and chef Davide do exceptionally well is challenging to put into words – though I’ve tried. Yes, it’s stunning cuisine. But really – it’s philosophy. It’s the intricacy and pathways between the source of things, the respect for land and water, the homage to heritage and origin, and the intention of using that to tell stories through food with art, design, and creativity as its foundation. It’s a piece of something whole – an orchestra of movement, not a single dish or a single feeling. It’s complex, nuanced, and brilliant, but distilled in a way that feels entirely honest and authentic. In hindsight, that might be the mind of chef Davide himself – a talented, remarkable technician with plenty of heart to share. Awarded at the most profound levels, but truthfully just here to cook great food, honour himself and his country on a plate, and make people happy. Which may go without saying, but we felt in the purest possible way on this evening.
Alongside chef Davide, Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto has maintained its Michelin star for a third year in a row. It’s also often celebrated as the #1 Italian restaurant in the world outside of Italy, as well as holding several other prestigious accolades. Saying goodbye to chef Davide and his remarkable team over biscotti, grappa, and limoncello, this night will not be one we soon forget. Thank you to our friends at Don Alfonso, and to chef Davide, for not only sharing what you do, but who you are and why it matters. We are so grateful to have joined in that spirit. Ti adoro. – VV
It’s important to us to make sure that the world will be safe. Of course [as chefs] we don’t save lives, but we do make life better for people.
Photography by Scott Lennon
