After a couple of weeks of neglecting my foodie cravings for a Summerlicious pick, my friend and I decided to go to lunch at Scaddabush Italian Kitchen & Bar. To be completely honest, the first thing that caught my attention was the name. It is most definitely a unique and playful restaurant name. Coming from the Italian-American slang, scaddabush describes when something is, “a little of this and a little of that,” (from one of the servers I asked). Not definitive, I know, but it does reflect the charm this restaurant has. From the eclectic collection of light fixtures, mason jars, wooden chairs and framed photos, Scaddabush makes you feel like you are eating Sunday night dinner, Italian style. They also have a narrow patio at the front of the restaurant perfect for dining under the sunny skies.

For lunch, I had the Avocado & Goat cheese Bruschetta, Pizza Fresca Vegetarian, and for dessert, Strawberry Gelato. The bruschetta had the same classic taste from the garlic, cheese, tomatoes and herbs while adding a creamy component from the avocado. You might be thinking that this is borderline a guacamole, but it’s not. The goat cheese taste was subtle but it helped with defusing the avocado taste from overwhelming the dish.

The pizza was delicious, although I should have probably told them to cook it well done because I do like a crispier crust. I really liked the balsamic reduction and the Parmesan aioli and how well they complimented the peppery flavour of the baby arugulas. The tomatoes and roasted red peppers added sweetness and a little tang. Overall, it was a well-balanced dish.

When I was asking our server for recommendations, she mentioned that the chef specifically made the strawberry gelato for the Summerlicious menu. We went ahead and gave it a try. The strawberry flavour exploded at my first spoonful! It reminded me of a sorbet rather than a gelato, but unlike a sorbet, the consistency was creamier and the gelato melted in my mouth quickly. I also tasted some flavours of lemon as an accent to help with the sweetness of the dessert. It was a tad sweet for me since I generally prefer semi sweet-savoury desserts.

The staff was friendly, and accommodating despite of the larger groups around us. Also, my friend and I were going to be late for our reservation and the hostess politely told us when I called her to let her know that she was going to hold our table until we got there. Our server, Tiffany was very nice and had a bubbly friendly personality. I definitely recommend Scaddabush to my friends and family!

Have you been to Scaddabush on Gerrard? Leave a comment below and let me know how it went!