La Vita es Dolce, Indeed - A Restaurant Review
/Ottawa’s Little Italy is never disappointing. With so many great restaurants, you can’t go wrong by strolling through the neighbourhood and choosing one at random. But if you really want that wow factor, I have a place for you.
La Dolce Vita is an Italian restaurant on Preston with all your favourite classic dishes: pasta, pizza, and calzones. But this is definitely the place for you if you have a gluten allergy or Celiac disease. As a certified gluten-free restaurant, La Dolce Vita offers nearly all the classics we usually miss out on.
It’s a cozy little restaurant romantically lit by real candles. Italian music plays throughout dinner, making the ambiance all the more enchanting. Each table has thick, white linens and intricately folded cloth napkins. The enchanting decor and anticipation of aromatic food make it easy for the rest of the world to make like cheese and melt away.
I came with a big appetite and wasn’t disappointed. The waiter kindly greeted us and asked if we would require a gluten-free menu. It was separate from the main menu, but still had plenty of options. I was most excited about the variety of gluten-free appetizers—garlic bread, bruschetta, and even calamari. I was in heaven.
We ordered our drinks. Though I’m usually a white wine kind of girl, I felt that the occasion called for a nice red. I decided on the Chianti from Chianti (and absolutely butchered the pronunciation). It was deep and delicious; I highly recommend it if you’re as clueless about red wines as I am.
I’m no fine dining expert, but something about the glass of red in my hands, the classy instrumental music, and the divine smell that wafted from the kitchen made the restaurant immediately impressive. By that point, I was ravenous.
The allure of authentic Italian pasta that I could actually have drew me in. I ordered the Manicotti, which they describe as “fresh oven-baked noodles stuffed with ricotta, feta, tomato sauce, and mozzarella.” It was also served with a garden salad and garlic bread, which I knew would fill me up. When the plate arrived, I practically had to stop myself from drooling. It was drenched in cheese and sauce, just the way I like it.
My first bite was stupendous. The cheese and sauce were rich in flavour, and each bite was *chef’s kiss*. Switching between the pasta, the salad, and the garlic bread was truly a delight. I loved all the different flavours, and by the end of it, I was the most full I’d ever been. We didn’t even have room for dolci. But rest assured, there are many options for those of us who are gluten-free. When I inevitably go back to La Dolce Vita, I’ll be sure to leave enough room to try one out.
Usually, at restaurants, a good meal and nice servers are enough for me to give it at least four stars. But when the head chef came out to talk to my partner and me as we finished our drinks, I was pleasantly surprised. He commented on how happy he was to have people dining in at the restaurant again, and reminisced about how the restaurants had closed due to lockdowns right when they got their gluten-free certification.
We told him how much we had enjoyed our visit and assured him we would come again. That one small interaction was enough for me to fully appreciate this little Ottawa establishment. Delicious food is one thing, but the personal connection made La Dolce Vita all the more memorable.
Amanda Monterroso — is a 2nd-year Professional Writing Student who will try (mostly) any food at least once, has a bookshelf full of unread books, loves writing poetry, and hates writing bios. Follow her on Instagram: @quietsonginthenight
