The culinary scene in Toronto is no stranger to hidden gems that emerge from humble beginnings, and Porzia’s is a prime example.
Porzia’s debuted in Toronto’s food scene in early 2014, setting up shop in the Parkdale neighbourhood. The restaurant quickly gained recognition thanks to its mouth-watering lasagna, but in those early days, lasagna was only available on Sundays, a nod to owner Basilio Pesce’s Italian roots and love for his mother’s lasagna.
Despite its initial success, the restaurant experienced its fair share of challenges, eventually leading to its closure after roughly two and a half years. However, the legacy of their lasagna endured, leaving a lasting impression on Pesce’s culinary journey.
Now, once again, Porzia’s—which is also named in honour of Pesce’s mother—has opened its doors on Oakwood Avenue.
“We’re in a great little pocket of St. Clair West,” he says. “Our idea was was to be a neighbourhood restaurant, that could grow into the neighbourhood as well.”
Pesce’s second crack at the lasagna business began during the COVID-19 pandemic. He recalls, a conversation with a friend during lockdown sparked the idea of offering trays of lasagna for takeout. Initially, it was a low-key endeavour, coordinated through Pesce’s Instagram direct messages. The response, however, was overwhelming, with lasagnas swiftly selling out fast.
Recognizing the growing demand, Pesce made a bold move. He left his job and started a weekly lasagna pop-up once-a-week, exclusively available through pre-orders, hosted at Osteria Rialto.
If you ask Pesce to explain the recipe for his wildly popular lasagna, he’ll tell you that it includes all the typical ingredients like flour, eggs, meat, tomatoes and cheeses — but that the real secret lies in the love and patience he puts into making it.
“I don’t put any out of the ordinary ingredients into it,” he says. “We source our ground beef from a local butcher shop for the Bolognese and and I use a blend of cheeses, including mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano Reggiano,” he continues. “But the key is a lot of practice in layering the pasta sheets and finding the right balance, so that it won’t overflow when it’s baking.”
In just a few short years, Porzia’s has transformed from a modest online takeout operation into a full-fledged dine-in restaurant. With seating for 26, the newly-opened restaurant features lasagna on both its lunch and dinner a la carte menus.
While it comes as no surprise that the lasagna remains the star of the show, the menu has expanded to include some standout items, including the focaccia, tagliatelle, and ricotta agnolotti—which Pesce notes are gaining popularity as new favourites. The carefully curated menu also offers a range of antipasti, main courses, and even soft-serve desserts.
The restaurant also has plans to reintroduce those famous takeout trays that brought Pesce so much recognition, beginning with one day a week and then expanding as demand grows.
And while the restaurant was inspired by his mother’s cooking, Pesce says it is not his mother’s exact recipe.
“I learned a lot from watching my mom make the dish, especially based on what I saw her do, and I just kind of made my own version of it,” he says. “She likes it.”
Porzia’s is located on 319A Oakwood Ave and is open for dinner on Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., and for lunch Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.