Un-Instagramable pescatarian restaurant near Trinity - Bellwoods.
The sizzling summer sun retreats into the dead of night as my stomach begins to growl. And the beast demands a lovely meal. Located in the robust neighbourhood of Ossington and Dundas, Ufficio [Italian for office] is not a difficult restaurant to get to. An Italian pescatarian concept, Ufficio is what the Trinity Bellwood hippies dream of.
Their sleek modern designed interior with forward-thinking female operators will make you feel shy and flustered. I pulled up to the restaurant feeling butterflies in my stomach. But, it’s dark now and I’m feeling famished. Standing outside the dark exterior entrance, stood an elegant, tall well-dressed blonde-haired lady. She was well mannered and spoke calmly. We lock eyes and I immediately noticed her piercing blue eyes, wow. She’s not Italian.
Enters Jennifer.
Jennifer, or Jenny as she’s often referred to around these parts, had been putting out fires all day. She’s used to it as a veteran in the hospitality industry, but her house did almost blow up. Unruffled, and with a big warm smile on her face, she greets me and accompanies me into her restaurant.
Tell me about Ufficio’s history.
Jenny and her partner in crime Stacy “The Gangster”, have been together for 15 years! Ufficio is their baby. Now they work together at the office too. Before veganism overtook Parkdale, Ufficio started out as a vegetarian concept. Back then vegetarians were less fun and didn’t drink. Catering to the dinner crowd, they eventually migrated towards seafood. Pescatarian covers many multicultural dietary guidelines. They paved the way for the neighbourhood. There are now multiple pescatarian restaurants in the area. As a society, we are slowly portioning off meat from the dinner table. Was Jenny always so forward-thinking and chic?
What’s your first memorable meal?
Dad’s old girlfriend was Italian, real Italian. Rexdale was home before the Italians moved away to Woodbridge. You get together for Easter and you eat for two days straight. Italian love smothers you like Nona's Sunday gravy. First up was the antipasti, prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe. Being an only child, Jenny hung out with the grownups a lot. Come on, everybody is eating, you gotta eat now. Just get the wrapped melon in the mouth. Her first thought was “this isn’t going to make it down.” It was stuck. For a 10-year-old, prosciutto is not an easy eat. The cantaloupe was slimy and the prosciutto was resilient. With the added performance anxiety in front of a full family mob, little Jenny was in trouble.
Why Italian? 🇮🇹
Stacy and Jenny both love Italian cuisine. Their food takes care of you. Fresh pasta changed Jenny's life. Ufficio uses local Brodflour, a live unprocessed flour for their pasta. This flour goes bad in two weeks. Try the spelt gnocchi and you’ll file for divorce with box pasta. There are standards at Ufficio. Jenny said she’s “naturally a picky bitch”. They had challenges with chefs before. Good thing they have “The Gangster” on the payroll.
Comment on the restaurant game.
Jenny is a book nerd. She left school because her family went through some hard times. She tried acting but was always a part of the restaurant industry roller coaster ride. When the restaurant gets slammed, she’ll call for “bring a friend to work day”. She enjoys the theatrical part of the business. Stacy is the godfather of many restaurant chains or as the kids say these days the plug. It takes a village to run a restaurant. Together, they keep Ufficio balanced, a difficult feat as female operators. Jenny holds a very realistic perspective on gender issue in the food industry. Two generations ago your grandma was the kitchen. Since then feminism has come a long way. The sacredness of women is the responsibility to give life. The last act of feminism is to honour the housewives. Raising your own kids is a luxury these days and it’s becoming hard than ever before. The first 10 years of a child’s life sets the tone of their lives. Business isn’t everything.
As Toronto transform into a modern megacity, we’re packed into condos and there are fewer things to do besides going out for a great meal. Ufficio is an un-Instagram-able restaurant. They don't do anything weird, unicorn poop gelato is not a thing. No neon lights. No one is really on their phone at Ufficio. People take a picture of the food because they simply want to remember it. They don’t have crazy looking dishes or superb softbox lighting. Cherish the textile experiences now before the dystopic artificial future is upon us. It’s a cool place for you to kick it with someone that you actually want to talk to. It’s a place for the more mature palate. Jenny’s next venture will focus on expanding entrepreneurship for women. This might be the last time you get to eat with Jenny. If she opens another restaurant it’ll be in the magical countryside. Go to Ufficio. The food is tremendous, but you’ll really love Jenny. Go now before they vanish into the countryside.
Fresh Italian with a little Ufficio love.