Celebrity stomping ground up in smoke
Christmas fire deemed suspicious at Yorkville’s Sotto Sotto eatery, a longtime filmfest hangout
SADIYA ANSARI
STAFF REPORTER An iconic celebrity hangout has been reduced to cinders in a suspicious Christmas blaze.
Yorkville’s Sotto Sotto Ristorante was famous for its star-studded parties, particularly during the Toronto International Film Festival. The intimate Avenue Rd. eatery was also a favourite for homegrown talent.
Toronto hip-hop star Drake posted a photo of it on Instagram Thursday with the caption: “Damn. My second home. Gone but not forgotten. #SottoSotto.” Later, he arrived at the scene to watch firefighters battle the still-raging blaze.
As of Friday night, the Avenue Rd. build- ing that housed Sotto Sotto as well as Spuntini Ristorante & Bar had been destroyed, along with a top floor apartment that was unoccupied when the fire broke out. Toronto Fire estimated the damage at more than $1 million.
The fire has been deemed suspicious because it broke out when both restaurants were closed and because the flames managed to engulf the building without much notice on a busy road, said fire platoon chief Kevin Shaw at the scene Friday.
“They understood celebrities and took very good care of them.”
HELGA STEPHENSON FORMER HEAD OF TIFF, ON SOTTO SOTTO’S REPUTATION
Spuntini co-owner Peter Catarino was shocked to discover the fire on Thursday. He said he received a call from his alarm company to notify him that the rear windows were broken. When he arrived, he saw the flames inside and called 911.
Emergency crews arrived just before 7:30 p.m. to find the building ablaze. About 20 fire trucks and 80 firefighters battled the inferno as flames licked through the roof.
Toronto Fire continued to battle “hot spots” on Friday and entered the restaurants briefly to try and retrieve valuables for the restaurants’ owners. Keepsakes salvaged included framed photos of celebrities who had frequented Sotto Sotto since its opening in 1993.
“It was always a great place to have an intimate party following a movie premiere,” said the former head of the Toronto film festival, Helga Stephenson. “They understood celebrities and took very good care of them.”
During the filmfest in 2009, stars the restaurant served included Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon, Mary J. Blige, Bill Murray, Elton John, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Smits and Ewan McGregor. The year before, Brad Pitt, Lauren Graham, Edward Norton, Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Jack White, Jimmy Page and U2’s The Edge were all spotted at the restaurant.
Sotto Sotto’s design, with booths in the front and back of the restaurant, helped patrons dine discreetly, Stephenson said. She was a regular patron and understood the appeal.
“The food was excellent; the ambience was cosy and relaxed,” she said.
Being steps away from the Four Seasons also helped the eatery stay popular with stars in town filming year-round, said Stephenson.
On Friday, Sotto Sotto president and owner Marisa Rocca released a statement about the blaze.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of our restaurant that has been a part of the Yorkville neighbourhood, history and culture for more than 22 years,” the statement read.
“We extend our gratitude to all the brave firefighters who battled the fire. We owe it to our history, our team and our loyal patrons to rebuild and we will come back stronger than ever.”
Spuntini co-owner Fernando Esteves said in a statement his restaurant has been closed since Tuesday and that Sotto Sotto was open for business on Wednesday. Esteves said there was “catering work” at Sotto Sotto on Thursday.
Fire platoon chief Shaw said he hopes the cause of the blaze can be determined. “There’s video surveillance cameras at the rear of the building,” he said. Police and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office are currently investigating.
This isn’t the first time a Yorkville celebrity hot spot has been hit by misfortune. Sassafraz was gutted in 2006 as a result of a kitchen fire that broke out at lunchtime so quickly that staff didn’t even have time to pull on their coats before running into the December cold. It took $5 million and nearly a year to rebuild, but as Rita Zekas described it, the “celebrity petting zoo” has been back in business since.