Sara Says...

Come to Toulà at the sunset cocktail hour and you will never want to leave. Settle in at your table and appreciate the scene. During the day, the view of the lakes, Island Airport and yacht clubs is breathtaking. Evenings, the cityscape is dramatic and romantic. Comfortable banquettes and spacing of tables for privacy is carefully planned. No one can overhear your sweet whispers or your five-year business plan.

Toulà, an internationally renowned restaurant that had its beginnings in Treviso, Italy, gives us the culinary traditions of Biffi Scala e Toulà in Milan. Luca Viscardi and his team are Italian to the core. These are the people who invented hospitality. To the non-italian speaker, the menu reads like an opera, though our server is delighted to translate. An English menu is available, but let’s take the journey. Many of the pastas are fresh, handmade—the kind I like best. Pappardelle with fresh and wild mushrooms; tagliolini with asparagus and P.E.I. mussels and the list goes on. The perfume of fresh basil is intoxicating and emanates from most pasta dishes.

In Italy, food is utterly fresh and simply prepared. The whole grilled fish, a plate of carpaccio with shaved Parmigiano-reggiano, rack of lamb encrusted with fine herbs; a simply perfect risotto Milanese—these are the classics that we love. We can dine and dream and enjoy a view overlooking the lights of the city.