Friuli Trattoria: Part 2 of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip

This post is the second of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip.

Part 1: Tomato Kick
Part 2: Friuli Trattoria
Part 3: Cocina Juan

Part 4: Sancho Churreria
Part 5: Cha Dao Tea Place

Our second installment in The Great Maginhawa Food Trip is all about Friuli Trattoria, a cute little Italian cafe that serves pizza, pasta and desserts, and prides themselves on their "Genuine Italian Cooking".

According to our ever-reliable source Wikipedia, Friuli is actually a region in northeastern Italy famous for their local cheese, cured meats and wine, while Trattoria refers to a small casual dining restaurant where "prices are low, and the emphasis is on a steady clientele rather than on haute cuisine. The food is modest but plentiful (mostly following regional and local recipes) and in some instances is even served family-style (i.e. at common tables)." With this, I'd have to say Friuli Trattoria definitely lives up to the standards of its namesake. The staff service is informal and friendly. The interiors are warm and cozy with the checkered tablecloths and the Italian themed decor. The food is excellent, as I shall soon further expound. And this is a place I'm sure I'll want to go to again and again.

It's a-me, Mario!

Because we were doing several restos in quick succession, we only ordered one pizza to share, split into two of their best-selling flavors: Tre Formaggi (Three Cheese) and Margherita (Garlic, herbs and fresh tomatoes). Their pizzas are a generic medium size, maybe around 14 inches. The "freshly rolled whole wheat pizza crust" is thin and light, chewy on top and crispy on the bottom. Despite the thin crust and the small size, the pizza was actually quite filling.

Margherita/Tre Formaggi Pizza

The Tre Formaggi was topped with a blend of creamy mozzarella, salty cheddar, and pungent blue cheese, giving it a distinctly savory flavor that left our tastebuds wanting more. The Margherita on the other hand, has slices of fresh, tangy tomatoes, fragrant basil, and spicy garlic that provided a sharp contrast to the full-flavored cheese.

After the pizza, we decided to get something sweet to cleanse the palate. Friuli has an assortment of various gelato cakes in lovely designs and unusual flavors We originally wanted to order the After Eight gelato cake which was a mint/chocolate dessert, but they were out of stock, so we decided to try one of the more exotic sounding cakes, Pharaoh's Delight.

Pharaoh's Delight

The Pharaoh's Delight is a small mound of fig gelato topped with pistachios, and probably named that way because of its pyramid shape (or was it shaped in a pyramid because of the name? Hmm.). The serving was tiny (as can be seen in the photo, together with a 3 by 2 playing card and a teaspoon), but the ice cream was really smooth and creamy.

With a Monopoly Deal card for size comparison

I have no idea what figs taste like, I only know them because they're always talked about in the Bible, but this fig gelato had an interesting fragrant taste. It wasn't really fruity, more of a mild sweetness that reminded me of coconut. The pistachio bits in the gelato give a nice crunchy texture and make the dish more interesting with the nutty flavor.

The thing with Friuli's pizzas is that you know just from the first bite that they certainly do not skimp on the quality of their ingredients and that every dish is given much thought and effort to give you the best experience. Despite this, their prices remain affordable, with their whole pizzas at around the P200 price range. Definitely worth it! I've heard that their pasta dishes and coffee beverages are also excellent, so if you do happen to drop by, be sure to try them out!

Friuli Trattoria
79A Maginhawa St., UP Village, QC
Tel No.: 434-1416
Opening Hours: 10:00 am-2:00 am
http://www.facebook.com/FriuliTrattoria