Lunch With an Old Flame Paulo’s Italian Trattoria
Paulo’s Italian Trattoria, located in the heart of Belleville, is just as lovely as ever. A 20-foot high ceiling and colourful décor set the scene. So much detail has gone into this beautiful space that you have a feeling of being transported to a little coastal village in Italy. Owner Paul Dinkel has always strived for quality. When Paulo’s first opened in the mid-90s, Paul set a high standard: to offer the most pristine ingredients, the freshest produce, meats, and seafood which today are still part of the uncompromising philosophy of Paulo’s (and Dinkel’s Restaurant next door). Dinkel’s is equally as beautiful with an outdoor terrace courtyard that also evokes the feeling of an Italian piazza with a bubbling fountain – serenity in the city. Back at Paulo’s, fragrant and succulent pineapple mingles with sweet peppers, snow peas, and diced red onion on top of my pizza, which emerges from the gaping opening of a Roman wood burning oven. There is nothing like eating sumptuous food cooked in a hearth. Paul faithfully goes to Toronto once or twice weekly to select the best cuts from an abattoir he has trusted for over 30 years. Maybe I should have tried the grilled lamb chops with a dijon rosemary sauce or the ginger tiger shrimp served with a caramelized brandy sauce. I decide instead to save myself for a lovely raspberry tartufo – an Italian chocolate and raspberry combination of gelato rolled in cocoa, which also comes from Toronto. Paulo’s still has a few tables lingering over coffee. Diners are reluctant to leave this lovely oasis to go back to work. Paulo’s could easily be a movie set from the film Under the Tuscan Sun.
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COUNTY & QUINTE LIVING AUTUMN 2010
By Gudrun Gallo
The walls are painted in a warm terracotta, contrasted by aqua green shutters and crisp white trim. Black wrought iron railings divide the tiered seating and lead you up to intimate balcony tables offering a bird’s eye view over the diners below. Red and white checkered tablecloths set the stage for chef Paul Travis’s classic Italian inspired dishes. Paulo’s Italian Trattoria has always been known for its wood oven pizzas, though the restaurant’s pastas and paninis are not to be missed. The penne primavera is always a favourite, as is the Tuscan panini offered on homemade bread which is baked daily in none other than the wood burning oven. My pizza is the “Chef’s Recommendation”. The aromatic curry makes me take pause as the warm scent of turmeric and cumin wafts enticingly upward. Paul Dinkel and the staff sample several versions of what is to be the daily special, finding the ideal combination and, in this case, a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Paulo’s is unwaveringly confident about their food. They discourage substitutions because it will undermine the desired effect of the meal. I can only agree as I thoroughly enjoy my pizza served with a generous array of greens. I finish my lunch and leave this lovely restaurant reluctantly. But this I know for sure: I will be coming back to Paulo’s, and sooner than later! Paulo’s Italian Trattoria 38 Bridge Street East, Belleville 613.966.2556 Gudrun Gallo is a lover of food and wine, living in Prince Edward County.