Best Casual Italian 2010

Casual Italian has matured with the appearance of rooms like Silver co-winners La Quercia and Campagnolo, and La Buca (Bronze). All three tightly packed neighbourhood staples drew flattering comments from the judges, but it’s La Buca’s recently sold cousin, L’Altro Buca, in the West End, that took Gold. “Andrey Durbach eschews the media circus and goes about producing beautifully made, reasonably priced food,” said one judge. “He should be canonized on the basis of his foie gras parfait alone,” said another. “Who says a value-driven menu has to sacrifice on quality?” asks another. “Andrey understood what this city needed before we did ourselves, and delivered it to us in a cozy setting that, as an added bonus, has one of the most pleasant courtyards in the city.”