Cafe Amore Bistro - All in the Famiglia

Imagine a small bistro owned and staffed by multiple generations of the same family. It's late at night, well after the traditional dining hour. The place is packed and multiple layers of conversation are mixed with lively music. Close your eyes and you might imagine sitting in an Italian osteria. Open them and realize you are nowhere more (or less) exotic than the mature neighbourhood of Delton.

This is Cafe Amore Bistro. One moves through an unassuming doorway into an electric plane of energy underscored by solid Italian fare. The concept is simple: one of the owners greets you, you peruse the menus (which hang on the wall in a most cavalier fashion), order, observe your surroundings and eat.

Penne. Sausage. Tomato sauce. Need I say more?

Pasta specials change daily; today, a Calabrese interpretation graces my plate. Properly al dente penne loll with slices of spicy sausage and vibrant tomato sauce. A small shaker of red chilies is available for those with a need to spice things up, but I am content to consume this bounty unadulterated.

A happy sandwich indeed.

A chicken pizzaiola panino (Remember: panini is plural and panino is singular...had to sneak that in there for it's one of my pet peeves) arrives next. A crusty bun cradles an entire chicken breast caressed by herbs and melted cheese. I cannot help but recall that a certain sandwich franchise proffered chicken pizzaiola subs several years ago. Purge those from your mind, for they are not a valid comparison. Cafe Amore's panini are fresh and sing with well-chosen flavours.

The house red, a Montepulciano, is ruby red, bold and luscious. Two dishes of sorbetto - orange and strawberry - conclude our meal. I am loathe to leave this distinctly international hub and return to the starkly residential scene outside. It doesn't, in my estimation, get any more authentic than this.