Summer’s almost here, and that means that heavy desserts are the last thing Torontonians crave to round off a meal. Sorbet may be the easy go-to choice, but panna cotta — the traditional Italian dessert — is perfect for sweltering summer days: it’s light, and it even has a JLo-worthy jiggle. Here are six Hogtown joints that are putting their own spin on panna cotta.
Quintessentially traditional from Queen Margherita
Made with milk, vanilla seeds and gelatin; served with a blueberry coulis. QMP proves that traditional is not synonymous with stale. The whisper of savoiardi crumble acts as culinary allusion to a deconstructed blueberry cheesecake, but one that’s just light enough for summer.
$7. Queen Margherita Pizza, 785 Annette St., 647-345-4466
Mercatto’s spicy panna cotta
Although this panna cotta might be plated like it came fresh out of nonna’s kitchen, the twists are in the details. The shard of house-made cayenne candy is a perfect complement to the cooling vanilla seed-specked cream.
$7. Mercatto, 101 College St., 416-595-5625
Ortolan’s sweet and sour
Chefs Daniel Usher and Damon Clements have looked to lavender, rather than vanilla, to flavour their panna cotta. Ortolan uses Prince Edward County lavender, which becomes an echo of a flavour when juxtaposed against the pucker-inducing rhubarb compote. The result: an addictive adult version of a sour candy.
$7. Ortolan, 1211 Bloor St. W., 647-348-4500
Take-home panna cotta from Stasis
Julian Katz simmers dried Prince Edward County lavender in honey-sweetened Harmony Organic cream with gelatin. The mixture infuses for a few hours before being strained, poured into mason jars and sent to bed in the fridge for the night. The lavender results in a heady floral taste.
$5. Stasis Local Foods, 476 Roncesvalles Ave., 647-766-5267
Keriwa Cafe’s Canadian twist
Aaron Joseph Bear Robe’s bosc pear and roasted citrus panna cotta is served on a plate painted with sea buckthorn curd. Jujubes of pear-and-sparkling-wine jelly and a sprinkling of puffed wild rice finish the dish.
$10. Keriwa Cafe, 1690 Queen St. W., 416-533-2552
Buca’s this ain’t your nonna’s panna cotta (pictured above)
Orbs of buffalo mozzarella panna cotta sit on a bed of star anise-and-cinnamon infused strawberry jelly. Chef Rob Gentile curates his plate by perfectly positioning grappa-soaked Ontario strawberries, Sicilian pistachio, micro basil and dollops of 13-year aged balsamic.
$14. Buca, 604 King St. W., 416-865-1600
