Effective tonight, LA is banning indoor dining due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. There’s also speculation that they’ll soon be moving to “safer-at-home” orders that may not be as strict as the lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic but certainly it means that people will not be able to move around as freely as we’ve seen. And where entertainment news is concerned, that may affect productions that are already underway. Something to keep an eye on in the weeks ahead.
So here’s Rihanna last night, at her favourite restaurant Giorgio Baldi, perhaps getting in one more dinner before the new rules are in place. As I’ve said before, the food there must be amazing because the paps are parked at Giorgi Baldi constantly, and the celebrities know that the paps are there, and they still go, knowing they’ll be photographed; some of them of course want to be seen. Others, like Rihanna, who is not a star who calls the paparazzi on herself, show up because, legitimately, they’re craving the house-made pasta. Now that I just wrote that, I’m craving some house-made pasta too. I haven’t had Giorgi Baldi’s but I live in a city with some excellent restaurants that serve house-made pasta. And, well, like so many restaurants in so many cities, those businesses are hurting.
If you are able to then, support them through takeout. For those of you in the Toronto area, one of my favourite restaurants is Tutti Matti. Alida Solomon is the owner and chef, one of the few female owner/chefs in Canada. Tutti Matti is her dream, and she’s been doing what she can to protect her dream through this miserable crisis. I was first introduced to Tutti Matti ten years ago by my friend Lo, the most exacting foodie I’ve ever known. She was obsessed with Tutti Matti because Alida’s standards remain consistently high. It’s located around the corner from where I work – or where I’m supposed to be going to work if not for this f-cksh-t – and I miss the after-work dinners we had there. Tutti Matti is also the place we always hit up before a concert. We went there before Beyoncé one year, a night I’ll never forget.
So if you’re in Toronto now and hopefully if you’re ever in Toronto in the future, order from Tutti Matti (they’re doing takeout and delivery). Lo and I recommend the pappardelle. It’s UNBELIEVABLE.
And for those of you everywhere else, please consider sharing information about your favourite local restaurants on your social media channels if you’ve not done so already. It really will make a difference.
