Sep. 09, 2009 - Issue #725: Sex in the City 2009
Luzzara Coffee Bar
Viva Luzzara: Southside scooter shop houses lunch delicacies
This little coffee bar is connected to Top Gear Scooters, a local source for Italy's Vespa scooter. Luzzara, a town in northern Italy, was the inspiration behind the local Italian coffee bar. On a work trip to Italy, one of the Top Gear owners thought that incorporating an authentic coffee bar would compliment the Vespa experience in Edmonton.
Luzzara has officially been open since April 1 and is managed under the care and creativity of Sasha La. Her passion for food and Italian heritage has helped to create a simple menu that focuses on ingredients and flavour.
I was introduced to Luzzara during a hair appointment at the Beauty Parlour, a hair salon that is above the coffee bar and integrated into the Top Gear building design. Coffee is supplied with your hair service, and if clients are hungry food can be ordered for upstairs. I had arrived a few minutes early for my appointment so I decided to check out the café. I was skeptical of the $5 deal because I was quite hungry. One bite and I knew that the Panini filled with spicy Italian meats and cheese paired with a homemade lentil soup would satisfy both my palate and my hunger pangs.
I brought one of my favourite lunch partners, Bob, back to Luzzara for another look. Sasha caught wind I was coming and had a complete sampling of the menu ready for us. We started with a spinach salad topped with feta, basil, strawberries, blackberries and pine nuts with balsamic vinegar. The simple yet healthy ingredients combined for a delicious starter that was enough for an entire lunch. The salads can be ordered alone or paired with a panini for $7 or soup for $6.
Next up was the Rise and Shine breakfast favourite, a buttery croissant toasted with a poached egg, back bacon, cheddar and sliced tomato ($5). Bob's half of the tasty back bacon breakfast croissant was gone before I could even take a sip of my chai latte ($4.25).
Next panini up was an assortment of spicy meats and cheese grilled on a ciabatta bun ($5) and the Southern Bell stuffed with roasted bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, spinach and Sasha's homemade veggie spread grilled on flatbread ($7). Even though I am a meatatarian, I was in love with the flavour and texture of the Southern Bell.
What surprised me was that Sasha does all of the cooking in the small space behind the till. All of the paninis, and the meats and vegetables that fill them, are grilled on the one grill press she has on the counter. While I could taste that her soups are from scratch, I was surprised to find out that she doesn't make them at home first. "I have one burner that I start the soups on, and then I usually transfer it to the crock pot," Sasha explained. She has one filled with today's soup, and the other already simmering for tomorrow. We were treated to a bowl of fagioli soup, a simple combination of chickpeas and bowtie pasta in tasty broth.
Even though we were both stuffed, I was overjoyed with the last panini that graced our table. The Nutty for You is a dessert or breakfast croissant grilled with nutella and seasonal fruit. Today's treat included strawberries which were unbelievable when paired with nutella and the buttery taste of the grilled croissant ($5).
What I like is that each visit to Luzzara results in a different menu option. "I try to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. I just bought a lot of yellow zucchini so you'll probably see a lot of that in the soups and paninis for the next few days" laughs Sasha. The stand-up cooler is stocked with an assortment of beverages, including Bob's favourite limonata, as well as her ingredients for the next few days. Everything is fresh and her menu choices are supportive of an authentic Italian experience—simple flavour combinations made from fresh ingredients.
Even though business has been slow to pick up, Luzzara is becoming a fixture in Old Strathcona. More and more of the surrounding business owners and staff are popping in for a coffee and breakfast sandwich in the morning. An authentic Italian coffee bar is a great concept, but it doesn't translate for everyone who is used to a quick Starbucks fix or a drive-thru Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut. North American culture has grown accustomed to super-sized coffees and meals, but a visit to Luzzara can show you that the quality of a good espresso and panini tastes much better than the quantity found at the drive-thru. For $5 I will certainly be back—Luzzara Coffee Bar is a tasty Old Strathcona secret that needs to be shared. V
Tue – Fri (7 am – 4 pm); Sat (9 am – 6 pm)
Luzzara Coffee Bar
10011 - 82 ave
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