Toronto pasta lovers have just one month left to line up for a plate at Famiglia Baldassarre’s famously tiny lunch counter. The Michelin-recognized pasta factory at 122 Geary Ave will serve its final public lunch on Friday, Aug 14, before closing for its usual late-summer holiday. This time, however, the shop won’t reopen to the public, at least not in its current form.
Chef and owner Leandro “Leo” Baldassarre announced the change in an Instagram video on Tuesday.
“I’m never nervous making these videos, but I’m nervous today because this is actually a big piece of news,” he said at the beginning of the video.
“Baldassarre, as you know it, will be closed, and that will be the last lunch.”
Famiglia Baldassarre began in a College Street basement in 2010, producing handmade pasta for select Toronto restaurants. In 2017, the operation moved to Geary Ave, operating on a first-come, first-served, 10-seat lunch counter from noon to 2 pm.
Behind the counter, pasta-makers work at a large bench, making everything from perfectly uniform squares of fresh ricotta-spinach ravioli served in bianco to plates of tagliatelle al ragù or in bianco with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, depending on the day.
“Ten years of doing this lunch service, 10 years of doing something this against the grain, for this long, is something to be really proud of,” Baldassarre said in his video.
“This closure may be for a couple of months, or it may be for a year,” he added. “Look, I can’t not cook, so something will happen soon in some way, shape or form, and I’m excited to do some collaborations with other chefs.”
Famiglia Baldassarre’s final lunch service will take place on Aug 14 at 122 Geary Ave. Lunch is currently served Tuesday to Friday from noon to 2 pm, with no reservations, while the retail shop remains open until 5 pm.
And those who miss the lunch counter won’t be completely cut off from Baldassarre’s pasta! The company already sells its products through independent grocers and fine food shops, and Baldassarre has been working for the past few years to expand that side of the operation.
In fact, Baldassarre’s pasta has already landed downtown at Bar Romy, the new Italian restaurant that recently replaced Figo on Adelaide St W.