Ask for Luigi is a casual and intimate Italian-inspired restaurant, specializing in fresh, handmade pasta and family-style dishes designed to share.
With the warm hospitality and energy of a traditional Italian home, we offer family-style service: all dishes are designed for sharing and the food arrives in the middle of the table, as it is prepared. The antipasti arrives first, with pasta courses close behind. We also offer house-made gluten-free options available daily. All menu items are available for dine-in or take-out.
Wine
Our fully Italian wine list has several offerings by the glass and half litre, in addition to a curated list of bottle offerings with an emphasis on small producers and unique, indigenous varieties. Look to the feature board for a selection of vermouths, often a Lambrusco by the glass and additional wine offerings.
APERITIVI
A friend of ours from Treviso, Italy, once asked us what it is that Canadians customarily drink before they eat a meal. When we told him that it wasn’t necessarily a custom to start off with an ‘aperitivo’ in Canada, he assumed we didn’t understand the question and proceeded to rephrase and ask again… six more times!
So, to observe the ritual of Italian eating, we bring you, ‘The Spritz’ – easily the most popular aperitivo in Italy, well, at least in the Venice/Treviso area it is. We’re pretty sure we had about 15 per day while in Venice! Further to The Spritz, we offer two other classics — the Americano and the Bicicletta — as well as several amari and a selection of vermouths available on rotation to help get the appetite going before your meal begins or to enjoy as a digestivo at the end.
COFFEE
Of course the Italian eating ritual is never complete without a nice coffee at the end of the meal to complete the experience. With our two-group Synesso and a weekly rotation of our favourite beans, we strive to provide our in-house baristas with all the tools they need to execute an espresso drink on par with our sister coffee houses. Don’t forget to ask our service staff about the ‘rimorchio’ or ‘trailer’ when you get to the bottom of your espresso… it’s the perfect finish!
GRAPPA
An Italian tradition! We offer a collection of grappa for sipping at the end of your evening, with several of our favourites on rotation, ranging from the approachable to the obscure. Ask us for some recommendations!
