Paese

Foccacia with a cannoli bean, beet and rosemary spread - really quite nice.

Grilled Octopus with grilled escarole, potato, mint, lemon, chili oil

We ordered a Grilled Octopus to start which was nice; the octopus was not too rubbery. There was definitely some spice from the chili oil on the octopus and while I really hoped the lemon and mint could take it away, it was much too strong for me. 

Pizza Polo with roasted chicken, butternut squash, sweet garlic and escarole

The thing I loved the most about the pizza was the great crust! It was thin but substantial and there was something different in the dough creating a great flavour and texture. The roasted garlic cloves brought a bit of sweetness to the pizza and the squash thins were artistic and interesting. The one downside was that the pizza didn't have enough sauce and it was too dry; it would have been nicer with some tomato sauce or something. Overall, the pizza was very unique and different, but I don't think I'd order it again. 

Ricotta gnocchi with roasted chicken, squash and mascarpone. This was absolutely AMAZING! Delicious cream sauce and perfectly tender and delectable gnocchi. It was probably one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had - WOW was it ever good! There was also quite a bit of chicken making the dish more hearty and butternut squash cubes were really well done because they weren't too mushy and you could definitely stab them with a fork to eat. This is definitely a Must-Try at Paese!

Striploin with mashed potatoes and greens. 

This was the special of the day. It was done quite nicely, but it was definitely on the pricier side $38 which is more expensive than some of my favourite steakhouses (and my favourite steakhouses do it better for less). 

Tiramisu with mascarpone cheese, savoiardi, marsala and espresso

I credit this restaurant with introducing me to a well-made tiramisu.
Over the years, the taste has been consistent and it's still absolutely divine - it makes you want to scrape every last spoon of the mascarpone. The Paese Tiramisu here is HEAVENLY - probably the best tiramisu I've ever had! I couldn't even find places in Italy that could compare to this version.  

The ladyfingers (savoiardi) are soft and soaked with the flavour of the marsala wine and espresso, but I never got the impression that the wine and espresso were overwhelming.  The layering is fantastic - each bite feels light, fluffy and packed with flavour. It's the perfect ending to a great meal, what a way to end the night!

Conclusion: Paese has a relatively simple menu (which is good if you don't like having too many choices). Based on the food we tried, it was ok overall. There were some great dishes like the ricotta gnocchi and tiramisu and some we didn't like as much. There's one thing's for sure: you HAVE to come try their Tiramisu because it's magnificent!

Website: http://paeseristorante.com/