When in Rome…

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/02/2017 (3459 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Today, Corydon Avenue is home to cuisines from all over the world, and that’s a boon to Winnipeg’s food scene. Years ago, though, this was largely an Italian strip.

The arrival of Aurora Pizzeria and Café on the corner of Corydon and Lilac feels like a nice, nostalgic throwback. This is a real Italian-Italian place, run by a restaurant family recently arrived from Rome, with friendly service and fresh, unpretentious cooking.

Open from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on weekdays, and even later on the weekends, Aurora starts early with strong Italian coffee and pastries in the morning. Lunch offerings include Roman-style pizza, baked in big rectangular slabs and sold by the piece.

The menu is concise but manages to hit many Italian high points. Antipasti include a garlicky tomato bruschetta and substantial Sicilian arancini, rice balls crisped on the outside and opening up to a rich mix of meat sauce, ham, melted cheese and peas.

The caprese salad, drizzled with olive oil, has to make do with wan winter tomatoes and was lacking basil on one night, but the mozzarella is good. The optional balsamic vinegar is a concession to North American tastes.

The Neapolitan pizzas, with a thin and tender-chewy crust, are standouts. (They are sold by the pie, ranging from $13 to $18.) The classic Margherita, with tomato sauce, mozza and basil, shows off its simple flavours. The olives on the Pugliese are bland, but I love that the chef has a free hand with the prosciutto. The Primavera also includes generous amounts of prosciutto, as well as Parmesan shavings, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, all scattered with arugula.

The unsauced Ortolana, with peppers, eggplant, onion and zucchini, is a good vegetarian option.

Another possibility (not sampled) is the Tedesca, a pizza topped with wieners and French fries (!!). Believe it or not, this crazy mash-up is a real Italian thing, mostly eaten by small children.

Several of the pasta dishes start with house-made noodles. (Pastas, except the lasagna alla Bolognese, are all available in half orders.)

Tender gnocchi with ragu is Italian comfort food on a cold Winnipeg night. The bucatini matriciana, with guanciale (cured pork jowl) and a deep, intense stewed tomato sauce, is terrific, as is rigatoni Aurora, made with creamy basil pesto and bursting cherry tomatoes.

We tried the carbonara, which can be a tricky restaurant dish as it only takes a moment to overcook. I like that it was a straight-up celebration of bacon and eggs and Romano cheese — too many restaurants feel compelled to gussy up carbonara with odd extras — but it was a little dry.

There is an edited selection of Italian wines, and a short dessert menu, including traditional tiramisu — creamy and with a real hit of espresso — served in a stemmed glass. There’s also a nice blond variation made with strawberries and limoncello.

The venue includes a room with a TV screen and a bar, which tends to be loud and sociable, and a quieter dining room to the side. Come summertime — and it will come, eventually —there’s also a patio.

It’s not quite Rome, but with a glass of prosecco and piece of pizza, we can make do.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca