Wasn’t everything better in the ‘50s? Actually, having seen Midnight in Paris, we know that we’re just inherently dissatisfied with the present. Still, we’re intrigued by the latest project from Table 17’s Erik Joyal and John Sinopoli: an upcoming restaurant and wine bar in Leslieville that’ll offer up lots of house-made pasta while paying homage to a bygone Italian era.

Ascari Enoteca — named after 1950s Italian racing driver Alberto Ascari — is set to appear in the site that formerly housed Ben Navaee Art Gallery, a 10 minute walk from Table 17. At around 1,000 square feet, the new restaurant will be intimate, seating about 35, plus about 25-30 more on a potential patio on Caroline Ave.

Anchoring the menu will be a selection of 10 house-made pastas, Joyal tells us, five of which will remain as staples while the other five will rotate seasonally (fans of Table 17 know that seasonality is huge with these guys). Those who don’t feel like dining on pasta will probably be able to indulge in a meat dish and a fish dish, plus a selection of appetizers. Sinopoli will juggle executive chef duties between both venues.

Ascari won’t be as cocktail-heavy as Table 17, but it will be wine heavy. Joyal anticipates a selection of around 20-30 by the glass and 50-60 by the bottle. Décor will be done by J. Gibson Design, which did Table 17, and will include throwbacks to Ascari’s era. As for more specifics, we’ll have to wait to find out: construction on the new restaurant hasn’t even begun yet (owners are still in the permit stage).

Joyal says an optimistic opening date would be October of this year.

Ascari Enoteca, 1111 Queen Street E.