Back when my friend Lucy was visiting in town from Vancouver, all us girls got together for a late night adventure at Corso 32. I personally have not been to Corso 32 (shocker!), but it is extremely popular here in Edmonton and I've always wanted to try it out. The opportunity just never came up.. We called about a week in advance to inquire about reserving for dinner, but they were unable to take us until 10pm on the night we wanted to dine. After hearing so many good things about the restaurant, I really couldn't say no! I'd do some late night dining if it meant having some delicious food.

Corso 32 - 10345 Jasper Avenue - Edmonton AB

Corso 32 is a local Italian restaurant, aiming to focus on "simplicity, quality and creativity". Owned and opened by chef Daniel Costa, who has been named one of Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine, he named the restaurant after his family's address in Campania, Italy. Funny thing is, Lucy actually used to work with Costa a couple years ago in another restaurant - it was pretty cool to see that he had accomplished so much in just a couple years.

Just a little more about the restaurant - the menu changes regularly not just to mix things up, but to accomodate seasonal ingredients and the availability of local produce. Sustainability is awesome! All their pasta is made by hand and meats cured in house. Every year, Costa also flies his culinary team over to Italy for inspiration and to learn more about Italian cuisine. Can you see why I was excited to try this place out?!



When we arrived around 10:00, I was surprised to see that the restaurant was still quite full and busy. The restaurant itself is not too big, but they do have a table that can accomodate a large party.



Considering it was pretty late to be indulging in a large meal (I had to resist the urges!), we ordered a couple antipasti to share before indulging in dessert.


{Grilled Cheese: boschetto al tartufo, charred onion, sunny up egg, Umbria truffle, $14}

The most decadent and delicious grilled cheese I have ever hand in my life. Hands down. The bread is grilled to a nice crisp, balanced with the soft, gooey cheese and the liquid egg yolk. The boschetto is full of flavour, with a kick from the truffle. If you're at Corso, I would say this dish is a must.


{Arancini: funghi misto & fontina, $11}

With the arancini (crispy rice balls), I really didn't know what to expect. However, I was delighted once I bit through the crispy exterior. to find a rich, creamy interior. The cheese was perfectly melted and tasted oh so good. Textures really worked well in this dish - I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to order more!


{Pear carpaccio: arugula, pecorino tartufo & roasted walnuts, $13}

As a lover of beef carpaccio, pear carpaccio piqued my interest and I had to try it out. The thinly sliced pear was sweet, and a great way to cleanse the palate before our next dish arrived. Contrasting the sweet, juicy pear was the pecorino tartufo, adding saltiness to the mix. The walnuts changed up the texture, making this an all around interesting dish.


{House made goat ricotta: maldon sea salt, crostini, $13}

The ricotta spread was thick, creamy, and a fresh change. Cold ricotta on warm crostini.. mmm. It's a simple dish, with minimal flavour, but I liked it. When we ran out of crostini, our server gladly brought out more so we could finish up the ricotta. My attention was actually caught by the charcuterie board - simple but elegant, with Corso 32 engraved in the wood.



Now a meal isn't complete without some dessert.


{Ginger Spiced Cake}

The feature dessert for the night was a ginger cake. Served warm, moist, and covered in caramel sauce.. heaven on a plate. I am not a fan of ginger in baked goods at all. Hate gingersnap cookies, loathe gingerbread .. but this here was delicious. The ginger was subtle, and the cake was delicious.


{Vanilla Panna Cotta: vin cotto, pistachios & honey grappa, $10}

Panna cotta is amongst my top desserts, sitting next to creme brulee and chocolate mousse. Corso did a fantastic job with the panna cotta - it was not too sweet, and the flavour balanced with the vin cotto. Pistachios were an interesting addition of texture and the colour gave life to the dish, but I personally prefer my panna cotta to be smooth and undisturbed by other textures.

All in all, our late night adventure to Corso 32 was excellent. The server was attentive, while the atmosphere was warm and inviting. It was the perfect place to catch up and spend some much needed time with my girl friends. Daniel Costa, you've brought something wonderful to the Edmonton food scene, and Corso really sets the bar high for other Italian restaurants. I look forward to my next visit!