By Rhonda Massad
I love Quebec city. The old historical buildings. The water views. The food.
As a young adult my father had retail stores in the old capital and it became a second home for us. Visiting the Chateau, walking the cobble stone streets ladened with history. Whenever I feel the need for a little get away, Quebec makes a great choice, not too far, yet far enough to be “away”.
Rocco Cortina’s Il Matto is always on the list of must eats. Cortina is a second generation Italian that learned to cook under his mother’s instruction in the families renowned restaurant, Le Michelangelo in St. Foy.
Il Matto is Cortina’s up to date version of home cooked italian cuisine. Simply amazing. I started with a salmon tartare that was second to none. The taste of dill was prominent. The little bag of chips gave the starter a modern feel.
Service is consistently amazing year after year. Antoine took care of us again this trip. He was fun, knowledgeable about the history of the restaurant as well as the food and very quick to take care of any requests we had. Thank you Antoine!!!
Ashley had the white mushroom risotto. A blend of parmesan cheese, mushrooms and shallots. Perfect texture, cooked to perfection.
I had the house lasagne. I waited a whole year for to enjoy this. It was not gluten free so I had to plan all week to save my cheats for this dish that never misses. Sauce was tasty, upper crust cheesy and slightly crunchy.
Ashley and I shared the Bomba. This has become a bit of an obsession for me. The desert is served on single plate with two large cakes covered in warm nutella sauce. Yup, I dream of this one.
Salmon starter was priced at $12, Lasagna $21, Risotto $26, Bomba $9
Il Matto can be found in two locations, the old city as well as in St. Foy. Reservations are recommended: www.ilmatto.ca