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Lower Lonsdale eatery offers eclectic flavours

In my career I have been on both the issuing and receiving ends of countless news releases; I understand their value as modes of information transmission.

In my career I have been on both the issuing and receiving ends of countless news releases; I understand their value as modes of information transmission.

Once you strip away the superlative language, a well-constructed news release often provides some kernel of useful information.

As a regular food columnist, I am on multiple PR mailing lists and receive my fair share of restaurant news tips. I relish these updates, especially when they give me the head’s-up on a new restaurant opening, the appointment of a new chef, the launch of a seasonal menu, or any other development that might provide substance for a future column.

I did not receive any formal communication about La Tasca, the small Mediterranean lounge on lower Lonsdale Avenue that opened a month ago. That’s because no such communication was issued. Nor was any signage placed in front of the restaurant proudly proclaiming “Now open.”

There was also an absence of print or digital advertising, direct mail, or any of a number of other conventional promotional methods employed by new businesses. I learned of La Tasca’s existence quite by accident through an indirect acquaintance on an unrelated Facebook page.

Mere mention of the new business on this particular page had prompted an immediate outpouring of praise and support for the restaurant’s exceptional food and generous hospitality. I felt a flutter of excitement at what was emerging to be a promising discovery.

I struggled to find any concrete information about the restaurant online, unearthing only a website for a business named Euphoria Catering and a North Shore phone number associated with the latter.

When I phoned the number to enquire as to whether the mysterious La Tasca was, in fact, in operation, an affable and enthusiastic man told me, “Yes, I’m sorry. I’m afraid I’m not very good at this advertising stuff.”

The man on the other end of the phone turned out to be none other than La Tasca’s owner and chef, Georgio Prego, an accomplished and welcoming restaurateur whose humility is all the more remarkable given his impressive culinary pedigree, one that includes a reported stint as executive chef of the Ritz Carlton in London.

After a recent lunchtime visit to La Tasca with my wife DJ, I understood that rather than leverage the usual marketing channels for success, Prego has chosen to employ a delightfully old-school method of promotion: word of mouth.

With a simple menu served by a laid-back and accommodating chef in an unassuming room, La Tasca is surely poised to become a neighbourhood favourite, converting one unsuspecting diner at a time into a regular patron.

DJ and I felt at home at La Tasca right away, occupying two of only 12 seats in this tiny room with minimal décor, which includes a hand-written essay on happiness on one wall, urging diners to laugh and to love to the fullest of their capacity, leaving no regrets at the end of their one shot at life.

The menu is varied, almost eclectic, finding some cohesion in a loose Mediterranean undercurrent. I get the sense that chef Prego cooks what he enjoys and avoids the constraints of rigid labels. Breakfast is served all day and features mainly eggs prepared according to various international culinary styles, including Mexican, English, American and Greek.

DJ chose the latter for her lunch and was pleased with the light and fresh flavours of two scrambled eggs loaded with feta cheese and still-crisp spinach, accompanied by toast. An excellent house-made chai latté, spicy and comforting, was an unexpected find on the menu and is a good example of Prego’s apparent approach to cooking: he does not clutter his plates with countless competing flavours but rather employs an ideal complement of simpatico ingredients and simply lets freshness and simplicity prevail.

My meal consisted of spaghetti in marinara sauce with lamb meatballs. The marinara had a tremendous depth of tomato flavour elevated by olive oil and garlic, while the meatballs, of which there were easily a dozen, were lean, tender and delicious. I chose a glass of tart and refreshing, freshly squeezed lemonade to wash down the generously portioned dish.

Other La Tasca menu items include braised lamb shank with vegetables and mashed potatoes, souvlaki and calamari, fish tacos, panini, salads, and a number of wraps featuring healthy and fresh ingredients like yogurt, mint leaves, peppers and spinach.

In Spanish, tasca means tavern. While I would typically expect a tavern to focus on the provision of alcohol, I also understand the term to include a broader historical significance as a place where locals and travellers met and engaged in the sharing of ideas, often counter-cultural and anti-establishment in nature. In an era of boundless brand endorsements and sales imperatives, La Tasca is refreshingly dissident in its modesty.

Lunch for two cost $25 before gratuity. La Tasca is located at 144 Lonsdale Ave. 604-349-1941

Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: hungryontheshore@gmail.com.