Last Friday night, Kathy and I were at the end of a long and trying week so while doing some running around we decided to hit a fairly regular Friday haunt of ours for dinner.  Upon arriving there, we were welcomed by a “Closed for Holidays” sign.  Ok, time for a Plan B.

We didn’t want to venture too far, and neither of us were too excited by the prospect of fast food.  So after thinking about it, we decided to go for a return visit to a place we had been to a few times before, Sorriso Deli & Restaurant. 

Now, like every town, there are areas in our town that aren’t maybe as ‘popular’ as others.  This area of our home town is considered by some to be one of those areas.  That said there really isn’t anything wrong with it, it is just a bit off the beaten path.

When it comes to food, understand that for me ‘off the beaten path’ is a good thing.  It is there that you tend to find restaurants that are eclectic, unique and more about the food than fancy presentation.  Simple, homey and unique are things I truly treasure in my eating experiences.  These are the kind of out of the way places I seek out when travelling, eat where the locals eat kind of thing. 

Sorriso is one of these places.  We have been a few times, basically it is a deli with a restaurant area at the front.  If you are looking for good quality Italian cooking ingredients, it is great store.  If you are looking for Italian Deli items, it’s got a good  selection.  If you would like someone to take the ingredients and serve them up in a home style meal – they have you covered there to. 

The atmosphere is very casual.  There is a very small bar, and it always seems to have a handful of colourful characters hanging out visiting and having a drink – think a 6 stool version of Cheers.  There are a handful of tables, and the menu actually offers a pretty good selection given the size of the place.

I have had a tendency to order the Gnocchi Gorgonzola on my visits –  Ok, I’ve only ever ordered the Gnocchi Gorgonzola – it is really good, it is unique and not something I have ever seen anywhere else.  Perfectly cooked gnocchi, with a rich cream sauce with a perfect amount of blue cheese.  Kathy normally orders the penne, and they have a very, very good red sauce for it.

Tonight, they were out of gorgonzola, so that was my second strike on the night.  They had two specials, Penne with meatballs, and a Cannelloni.  Now, I am very gun shy about ordering cannelloni in restaurants.  Most of the time, I have been somewhere between somewhat and highly disappointed.  It could be the flavor, or the texture, or the sauce, but there is a myriad of ways to go wrong with cannelloni, so usually just avoid it.

Tonight however, I decided that I would give it a try.  What the hell, it had been a rough week, and two strikes into the night what was there to lose.  Well…

Apparently nothing!  I was treated to one of the best cannelloni dinners I have ever had.  The portion was sensible, the pasta and filling were absolutely to my liking, and the red sauce was perfect.  I was really impressed by it, and I am eager to order it again.  Kathy’s penne was also very nice, and the Caesar Salad’s we started with were very good.  The Vanilla Bean Gelato with Balsamic Glaze (read about it here) was over the top good as our desert.  Both specials included bread with olive oil and balsamic dip, salad, entre and dessert.  Both were under $20, so the value was definitely up there with the food.

If you are looking for a bit of a ‘Triple D’ type experience without Guy F, and you just want some simple but excellent Italian home cooking, give Sorriso a try.  What it lacks in pomp and flash, it more than makes up for with great food!

Enjoy!