Not many restaurants have siblings, but Bar Ardo, and its predecessor, Ardo, aren’t ordinary — they are some of the best restaurants in Toronto. Here, at the new Sicilian-inspired cocktail bar on King Street East, run by wife-and-husband team Jacqueline Nicosia and chef Roberto Marotta, family is a common theme.
“Roberto asked me out on many dates, and I was like ‘No, no,’” laughs Nicosia as she regales me with the co-owners’ origin story. “It’s a small town,” she says of Milazzo in Sicily where the pair first met. She succumbed to his charms, and the couple moved to Toronto where they have since created a mini empire of Italian restaurants comprised of Dova, Ardo and now Bar Ardo.
Chef Roberto Marotta and Jacqueline Nicosia, the co-owners of Bar Ardo
Carmen Cheung
“We have a much bigger cocktail list at Bar Ardo and a very extensive temperance list,” says Nicosia. Though many of the drinks are riffs on the classics, the warm, terracotta hues and cheeky names tie back to their roots. The Sicilian Storm blends peach with cassis, while Sirocco, its zero-proof equivalent, is a fun play on the eponymous dry (get it?) storms that blow across the Mediterranean.
Though Bar Ardo distinguishes itself as a cocktail bar, you won’t go hungry. “We also like to eat when we go to a cocktail bar,” Nicosia says. Marotta has found new ways to showcase his Sicilian roots, but his Canadian influence is also visible. The Capesante, a bright, Mediterranean-inspired ceviche made with Nova Scotia scallops, is a dual citizen of a dish.
“The menu here is based on my and Roberto’s travels together: everything that has inspired us over the last 15 years, the people we’ve met, the places we’ve been and the cultures we’ve discovered along the way.” Another constant inspiration is their children. Leonardo, their oldest, struggled to pronounce his full name early on, leading to the beloved nickname ‘Ardo.’ Nicosia admits that her mini food critics helped to create a non-alcoholic cocktail at Ardo, “And they tell us if it’s not done properly.”
Even the menu itself is a nod to family. Nicosia’s nonna is on the front of the cocktail list, smiling with a coupe superimposed in hand. “It’s fun that I get to see her every day.”
Carmen Cheung
Pilot Life
When it comes to non-alcoholic options, there’s not the faintest whiff of an afterthought here. Nicosia has crafted one of the most robust temperance lists in the city, plus there’s the ability to make most cocktails zero-proof. Aware of the many reasons one may choose not to imbibe, she named the green drink after a pilot friend. “If you’re flying a plane, you shouldn’t be drinking.”
Bar Ardo makes a sugar snap pea and cucumber juice, which is shaken up with lime and non-alcoholic gin. That’s added to a tom collins glass with muddled mint, before being topped with “sparkling bubbles.” Nicosia was drawn to the unique flavour profile of vegetables in cocktails. “Sugar snap peas have this lovely sweetness, but also an earthy tone ... and the cucumber just brightens it up.”
Carmen Cheung
Pina
The Pina is a twist on a sour that uses Bulleit Bourbon, Amaro Montenegro, Aperol, a housemade charred pineapple chili juice, plus some lemon to brighten things up. “One of the things that’s really important to me is using every element of what we bring in.” An event director for many years, Nicosia has a laser-focus when it comes to the finishing touches. For the Pina, pineapple crowns are saved and used as garnish. “I just think they’re so pretty: Pineapples are so regal looking.”
The juice that goes into this show-stopping cocktail is a labour of love. Pineapples are grilled in the kitchen until they get a lovely caramelization on the outside. “It’s hard not to snack on it,” laughs Nicosia. That’s then blended with pink peppercorn and pineapple juice, before getting strained through a fine-mesh strainer.
