La Spada: A love letter to Rome with a Montreal osteria

From the atmosphere and menu to its service and sense of style, La Spada is a love letter to Rome in Montreal.

Capturing the energy of its source material, diners walk in and up to the ‘purgatory’ of a marble-topped bar before heading into an 80-seat dining room of different heights and settings. From a back bar looking into the kitchen to a more secluded chef’s table, all areas are lined with thick curtains and plush banquettes, slick tiles, marble statuettes, and rococo candelabras.

Named for the Palazzo Spada in Rome, a strong Roman-Italian vein runs throughout, with walls covered in the disorganized clutter of pictures and cultural touchstones.

Wait staff wear blazers and full whites—with bow ties and ties depending on their rank—and serve food from large trays. It’s that touch of class you’d find in New York institutions like Carbone, Bamonte's, or Rezdôra, and maybe Mother Wolf in Los Angeles.

It is an electric restaurant theatre and a source of experiential dining seldom found in the city.

"We wanted to create a sense of church. People don’t just come to eat; they come to hang out and feel like they belong long before they walk through our doors.”

Osteria Romana

Headed by local food photographer Scott Usheroff (@cravingcurator) and Steve Marcone of NDG’s Bistro Amerigo, their ambition lies in the creation of a neighbourhood haunt from scratch. Combining abilities in bringing people together, they’re focused on creating a real osteria where locals can gather over food, wine, and conversation.

“We’re all about the community behind the industry. Restaurants are incredibly important to us, and we’ve been inviting everyone from our area to come and eat, to foster those relationships and grow the community and make it beautiful,” says Scott.

With plans to hold pop-ups with neighbours, he adds, “the most fun I’ve had is with pop-ups, bringing chefs together—we need to foster those kinds of gatherings and sense of community.”

Steve has already seen momentum from establishing his own community in NDG, but La Spada is intended to be wholly unto its own.

“Instead of expanding Amerigo, we wanted to create more than another restaurant. We wanted to create a sense of church,” says Steve. “People don’t just come to eat; they come to hang out and feel like they belong long before they walk through our doors.”

“That’s an Italian thing, you know? You’re with your people around a table. Saint-Henri already has that in a lot of ways, but an Italian presence adds to it all.”

“When you walk in, no matter the time of the week, you can find fellowship with people here. The bartender knows what you like to drink, you can stand around and wait for friends to walk in—it’s more than going out to eat here, you’ll feel like you’re a part of something bigger.”

“That’s an Italian thing, you know? You’re with your people around a table. Saint-Henri already has that in a lot of ways, but an Italian presence adds to it all.”

La cucina Italiana

“We wanted to take it a step up, but also make it inviting, warm, and friendly,” explains Scott. “The food speaks to that. It’s very classic, technique-based, and traditional. We worked hard on the plating to make sure it’s clean and beautiful but still maintains its roots; all options are consistent favorites. Simple, but still elegant.”

Drawing on Scott’s past experience at ITHQ and line cooking in (now closed) kitchens like Rosalie and Garçon, he has worked on plating and refining Steve’s recipes to modern-day standards. It’s a two-man show of push and pull, with many dishes undergoing multiple iterations to reach their current state.

“I haven’t felt more comfortable than I do right here.”

"This embraces what I think people love about Italian food. You’ll tear at things with your hands, the sauce stains on the tablecloth—as much as it’s fine dining, it’s down-to-earth and accessible. The negronis and wine are flowing, and it’s OK to make a mess."

In embracing Rome, La Spada offers many traditionally fried dishes like vegetables, fish, and seafood; the cheese pull of suppli found across Rome’s Lazio region; and dishes like filetti di baccalà cod fillets, clams casino in red or white sauce, and thinly sliced crudo di branzino.

As for pastas, the menu includes classics like cacio e pepe, carbonara, and linguini alle vongole. But it goes further, serving tortellini alla vodka, pappardelle ribbons of ragu alla Romana, and butternut squash-stuffed ravioli francese in brown butter sage sauce. There’s also a premium offering of nero allo scoglio, squid ink linguine with seasonal seafood, and a lobster tail.

While La Spada operates out of the space that once housed Conceria, a vegan Italian restaurant, the new resident is clearly a far (and more carnivorous) cry from that. There are also dishes like the secondi of pollo paillard (breaded chicken cutlet), the abbachio of grilled lamb chops, vitello saltimbocca (veal cutlets sautéed with layers of prosciutto and fresh sage), and bone-in ribeyes. Of course, swipes of plush fresh focaccia can mop all of this up, and plates of tiramisu are available for dessert.

Working with sommelier Jon Cicerone of Taverne Sur Le Square to create a wine list of Roman, Puglian, and Etna bottles, La Spada also leans heavy into classic Italian aperitifs and digestifs, and some signature cocktails.

"This embraces what I think people love about Italian food. You’ll tear at things with your hands, the sauce stains on the tablecloth—as much as it’s fine dining, it’s down-to-earth and accessible. The negronis and wine are flowing, and it’s OK to make a mess,” says Steve.

"...if you speak with Romans, they’ll tell you it’s the capital of the world. There’s so much depth to it, and that’s what we’re trying to bring here—the energy, the food, the vibe, the feel of it.”

Rome, meet Montreal

What happens when Rome is brought to Montreal, not as a longstanding institution but as a fresher face? Rules will get broken now and then, transmogrified by being in a French city that’s home to so many Italian immigrants.

“It’s all about having fun and letting loose,” says Steve. “That said, if you speak with Romans, they’ll tell you it’s the capital of the world. There’s so much depth to it, and that’s what we’re trying to bring here—the energy, the food, the vibe, the feel of it.”

“What Steve said, that’s one of the places where we see eye to eye,” Scott adds. “When a friend pushed me towards this project, I knew I couldn’t take it on myself. So Steve was interested, and that made it more interesting for me: his authenticity, his experience, his respect, and knowledge of the kitchen—that made it the right choice,” says Scott.

La Spada is located at 3580 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest.