The italian family meal 

Family and food. Nothing is more important in an Italian household.  Both are made with love.  That's what we offer: real Italian food, made with the same care that we take for our family - always from scratch, by hand, using Nonna's decades old recipes (yes, that really is one of her handwritten recipes above), catered for you to enjoy at your own home, business, or event, or to take-out from our Kitchen Cafe and Market.  

It all started with a trans-Atlantic boat voyage on the Saturnia in 1958, when a young Giovanni Ritacca (second from the right, top row) left Calabria, Italy, to make a new life for himself in Canada.  After landing at Pier 21 in Halifax, he made his way to Toronto, where he settled in Little Italy, eventually joined by his wife, Francesca. Together, they raised a family of four children, including Mauro, and eight grandchildren. As proud Canadians, they maintained their Italian customs, most of which involved food. Now, Cucina Mauro is bringing those to you.  

The Italian family meal experience is like no other.  It means fresh ingredients, often literally grown right in our own backyard. It means making everything from scratch, by hand. It means heaping servings, and course after course.  It means good company with good, and loud, conversation. 

Whether it is tending to the huge backyard vegetable garden, nurturing beloved fruit trees, crushing grapes for home made wine, turning dozens of bushels of tomatoes into tomato sauce, or curing their own hand-made sausages, food is not just a part of an Italian family's life, it is everything. 

At Cucina Mauro, providing personalized service is as much of a priority as the quality and authenticity of our food. Whether you are hosting an event for 2 people or 200, at home, the office, or anywhere else, we provide the care and attention to make you feel like you are part of our family.  No event is too big or too small. 

If you are looking only for exceptional food, we have you covered, whether you are looking for food to be prepared and dropped off ready for serving, or if you just want to pick up a quick bite or coffee at our Kitchen Cafe.  

If you are looking for more than just food, we can help with that too.  Whether your needs include servers, serving ware and equipment rentals, photography, event decor, or music, we can coordinate every aspect of your function. We will do whatever it takes to help make your event a success. 

 If you are just looking for a quick snack, lunch, or coffee, we would love to meet you at our Kitchen Cafe and Market space. You’ll be greeted with a loud “buongiorno” or “ciao!” when you come in and you’ll have your pick of our amazing lunch counter, with elevated Italian menu options that change daily, or our made-to-order panini, pizzas, and pastas available everyday. Or, if you just need a quick morning or afternoon pick-me-up, we’re ready to make you a cappuccino or espresso, or a freshly piped cannoli! While you’re visiting, be sure to check out our micro market space full of gourmet imported Italian pantry items, and house-made prepared meals to save yourself some time when you get home.

We are located at 76 Densley Avenue, Unit 3 (on east side of building facing Sheffield Street) and the Cafe is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (lunch served 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.). On weekends, we are open for catering and events, only.

Do you have a love of food? Do you enjoy being in the kitchen? Do you want to learn how to make authentic Italian cuisine? We can bring the Cucina Mauro experience to your home. Gather some friends or family and make an event of it. We can even tailor it as something different for your children's birthday parties! We will bring everything needed, including our fun Italian personality! Learn how to make fresh pasta, gourmet pizza, gnocchi, and much more, right in your own home, and then enjoy the dinner made with your own hands. It doesn't get any fresher than that!