Osteria Pollino – Little Italy’s New Italian Gem
Little Italy has a new restaurant called Osteria Pollino, which has been booming since opening in October. Located at 251 rue Dante, veteran restaurateur Ted Dranias partnered with Domenico Armeni and Donato Palazzo to create this new “go-to” spot for Italian cuisine. The menu changes weekly and can be viewed on Instagram.
During a recent lunch visit, Chef Armeni welcomed us with bread, Fritto Misto (deep-fried calamari, shrimp, smelt), and bowls of busiate pasta with braised rabbit in fresh tomato sauce. Donato explained: “All our products are of the highest quality and locally sourced when possible.”
Favorites include warm cauliflower salad with white anchovy vinaigrette, tuna tartare, grilled octopus with Nduja-pesto dressing on potato foam, seafood linguini, bucatini with braised lamb, busiate alla trapanese, branzino on freola Sarda, lamb saddle with artichoke, and braised rabbit stuffed with bietola and olives.
The restaurant is housed in the former Cafe Via Dante, renovated extensively with materials from the closed Tony’s Shoes in Westmount. Seating is available for 50 guests plus seven at the bar.
Dranias owns four Petros Taverna restaurants, with a Petros Express planned nearby and Petros Fort Lauderdale opening in November. Osteria Pollino is open Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 am to 3 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm, and Saturdays for dinner. Private parties are accepted Sundays and Mondays. Visit www.osteriapollino.com or call 514-288-0712.
Au Coq – A Classic Quebec Restaurant with a Fresh Take
Au Coq has been part of Quebec’s restaurant scene for over 60 years. Since 2019 it has been part of the Foodtastic group (www.foodtastic.ca). There are 10 Au Coq franchises in Quebec with two new locations soon in Terrebonne and Île-Perrot.
The Dollard location, in a strip mall at 3500 boulevard des Sources, has about 50 seats. Customers line up at the counter and receive their order within 10 minutes. Soft drinks are self-serve. I enjoyed a chicken and ribs combo with bun, coleslaw, and crinkle-cut French fries. The chicken was juicy, the ribs tender, and the meal included a slice of pie for dessert, all for only $23 with tax.
Au Coq offers home delivery and is popular in the community. Call 514-421-6267 or order online at aucoq.ca.
