economist suntribune diversions saturday sept 14 2002 23 eatery recreates grandmas cooking by sheryl greenspan special to the liberal looks can be deceiving you could pass this woodbridge strip plaza restaurant a hun dred times and never give it a second glance but dont be fooled this restaurant may not look like much from the outside but inside you will be treated to a delightful array of homecooked italian delicacies in a comfortable yet elegant setting casauria ristorante prides itself on recreating food true to cucine della nona or grandmas cooking no fancy fusion cuisine here just fresh traditional italian fare prepared to perfection started in 1993 this familyowned restaurant takes its name from a town in the central region of abruzzo italy and is attentively run by adamo dilacovo and his motherinlaw lina presutto as soon as we were seated our serv er arrived with a plate for each of us containing a delicious slice of bruchet- ta and a few cured black olives this was promptly followed by a basket of warm sliced italian bread which was replenished throughout the meal as we reviewed the extensive menu we observed a wine list was strangely absent when we inquired we were told they serve primarily wines the owners import directly from italy with a few selections from the lcbo the limited list was presented to us verbally the menu at casauria is well laid- out and offers an excellent selection including appetizers pasta pizza meat seafood and a few desserts again imported from italy overall prices are fair but portions are large so consider sharing an appe tizer or dessert and save room for the entree there is a good variety of appetizers 550 and up including a mountain of mussels and clams in a slightly spicy marinara sauce and caesar salad large enough for two or even three to enjoy entrees range in price from 950 for a simple pasta to more than 30 for a selection from the seafood category a house specialty but most entrees fall into the 12 to 16 range the food at casauria ristorante is fresh abundant and served steaming hot we were so impressed with the fresh simplicity of dishes we ordered we actually asked if nonna was in the kitchen cooking try casauria when you want to enjoy a wellprepared meal in an ele gant surrounding without having to fight downtown traffic quick bites for great panini sandwiches try dino paninos on langstaff just west of hwy 400 or paninis on the southwest corner of hwy 7 and weston road the ultimate in decadent gelato italian ice cream can be found at la paloma on the northwest corner of hwy 7 and weston road no cuts to psychiatric beds schizophrenia society of ontario 18004496367 wwwwebnetsso this message brought to you as a community service of the economist sun notes from a napkin casauria ristorante location 200 marycroft ave suite 5 woodbridge hwy 7 and pine valley phone 9058519678 type fine dining italian entre selection excellent variety price range 950 to 3250 wine selection primarily italian limited selection childrens menu not available but children are welcome and accommodated reservations recommended for weekends only ss pat robinson inc 1 trustee in bankruptcy h call for a free personal discussion help with creditor problems proposal to creditors pat robinson trustee personal business bankruptcy aurora 1 5 105 yonge st 20 1 at church 905 7272577 richmond hill 9555 yonge st 401 at weldrick 905 5089493 toronto north 45 sheppard ave e 201 at yonge 4l6 4106648 toronto downtown 1 50 york st 800 at adelaide 416 4106648 toll free 18777272577 email patpatrobinsoncom web wwwpatrobinsoncom join now for n a mjr i 11 m my m gg mi ggg m tea p4 mmlm t 11 m the sooner you join the more money yon will sawel living good lite expires september 30 2002 limited to the first 100 people at this location come in to discover how goodlife can help you reach your goals receive a free copy of the book living the good life goodlife fitness clubs 905 4795343 5000 highway 7 coed nominal dues and administration fees apply offer expires september 30 2002 4-1-