food
a Carnivore’s Dream
W
Chef Gabriele Paganelli is a master of his craft. He also happens to be the only Assaggiatore Salumi in North America by the Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Salumi — the equivalent of a wine sommelier for all things charcuterie
Speducci Mercatto serves up the best in cured, dry-aged, fresh and prepared meats in the city, thanks to the traditional (and tasty) Italian methods to which Chef Gabriele Paganelli remains loyal Written By Rebecca Alberico 24
City Life Magazine
Oct/Nov 2017
hen it first opened its doors in 2014, owners Gabriele Paganelli and Rosie Scavuzzo couldn’t have anticipated the success of the then little-known Speducci Mercatto. Nestled in an industrial nook of a bustling city, the warm and welcoming butcherslash-market-slash-café grew and grew to become just what Torontonians had been looking for — a place to gather for good Italian food and quality products. Its mainstay is an award-winning selection of Paganelli-branded cured meats: mouth-watering prosciutto, pancetta and salami. Once you set foot in the door, the aroma, reminiscent of an Italian salumeria, paired with the beautiful visual of the cured meats hanging everywhere is enough to overload the senses and transport you back to Sunday lunches at nonna’s. The Ravenna-born chef (from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy) grew up on the food he prepares and serves today. While working for the family business as a boy, he fostered an appreciation for the freshness of homemade goodness. Paganelli’s philosophy is simple: “I want to reproduce what we don’t have here in Canada, all the beautiful flavours.” As a duo, Paganelli and Scavuzzo proved to be the A-team — Paganelli has years of culinary experience, while business-savvy Scavuzzo has successfully opened and managed several eateries across the city over the years, including the Real Sports Bar and Grill with MLSE. Speducci Mercatto was destined to be a local gem. With an emphasis on using only the finest-quality, locally sourced cuts of meat (some of which are from the chef ’s personal farm) alongside fresh produce and using traditional cooking and curing processes, Speducci www.mycitylife.ca