Food: Country casual Italian.
Vibe: Your best Italian friend’s home where everyone is welcome.
Order this: Bucatini puttanesca (loose translation: “unsavoury lady” pasta).
Know this: Tavernetta offers catering so you can host an Italian feast in your own home.
Average Price: $23 per entree.
Negronis on tap, house wine by the litre and a bocce court in the backyard — these things alone warrant a trip, but there’s so much more to Tavernetta than booze and bocce. Of course, there’s the rustic Italian menu — intended to be served family-style — that’s so authentic you feel like you’re a guest in a Tuscan home. And there’s the warm, casual and totally competent style of service, which automatically puts diners at ease. Set in an Arts and Crafts-style home on Edmonton Trail N.E., Tavernetta definitely does not look like your typical restaurant from the outside, so keep your eyes peeled. It’s well worth it.
1002 Edmonton Tr. N.E., 403-250-8894, tavernettayyc.ca