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Italian
Casa 73
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“We wanted the space to welcoming to everyone,” says Chelsea Mahal, the general manager at Casa 73. “We wanted to make sure that whether you’re a tourist, whether you live here, whether you’re going to a game or a concert, that this is somewhere you can stop before or after and enjoy a really nice meal and a nice wine selection.”
Casa 73 offers the best of Italian food: traditional, hearty recipes, an extensive wine list, and a decadent, luxurious space. It’s the perfect mix of approachable and upscale, says Mahal, designed to cater to the corporate offices and the late-night crowd alike. Staff from the family-run restaurant even travelled to Italy ahead of the restaurant’s opening to familiarize themselves with the recipes that would eventually hit tables at the Bay Street eatery, traditional Italian fare with a modern twist - an idea reflected in the space as a whole. Even the plateware was selected to evoke the seaside of the southern Italian coast.
“We want guests to feel the Italian touch to what they’re eating, but we also want it to be exquisite to look at,” Mahal says. “With our tree, our finishes, all of our decor, every detail in every corner of this restaurant was thought about.”
There’s a seasonal cocktail menu and a level of seasonality in the food options, but Mahal says that there will be very little changes within the fare, leaning into the idea that repeat visitors may want to visit because they’re craving a specific dish, or because they want to enjoy a familiar experience. In true Italian family fashion, it’s all about the way the food and the atmosphere makes a guest feel.
“We stack each piece of eggplant parm on top of each other so that each bite is covered in the marinara sauce and the cheese, so that each bite has a ton of flavour,” Mahal says. The dish comes with three pieces of eggplant, and the cheeses used are mozzarella and parmesan.
“The crab cakes are made with blue crab and vegetables, so they’re fresh and, of course, fishy, but they’re sweet, too,” Mahal says. “There’s some carrot, which brings a little bit of extra sweetness to it and makes it different from other crab cakes.” They’re lightly breaded and served with avocado puree.
One of the most popular dishes on the menu, the Linguine Pescatore is made with shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams, tossed with cherry tomatoes in white wine, herbs, garlic, and virgin olive oil.
A diavola pizza is a cornerstone of any Italian menu, and Casa 73’s version is made with spicy soppressata, nduja, tomato sauce, roasted peppers, mozzarella, and black olives.
“The fettuccine with smoked chicken has an earthy kind of profile,” Mahal says. “It comes with a light Alfredo sauce, mushroom, smoked chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and artichokes.”
The dolce de lecce cheesecake is made in-house, and it comes with a caramel sauce, whipped cream and fresh fruit.
The sweet mocktail is made with grapefruit juice, grenadine and eggwhite foam to make a fruity addition on the summer mocktail list.
“The cucumber gimlet has gin, elderflower, and a splash of prosecco,” Mahal says. “It’s very light and refreshing, perfect for warm weather.”
“The smoked margarita has pineapple, tequila, and mezcal, which gives it a smoky kind of flavour,” Mahal says. “It has a tajin rim for a beautiful flavour.”
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