Ang Dabawenyo

When it comes to pizza, my favorite in Davao has always been Picobello (5/F Gaisano South). But my friend — who happens to be an excellent chef — upbraided me for my “uneducated tastes” (in his opinion), and claimed that the pizza offerings at La Toscana are much better. So to prove his point, off we went to that quaint-looking Italian bistro. I always see La Toscana whenever I pass through Quirino Ave., but the location just was never inviting enough. Until now.

When we entered, it was a visual cacophony of clashing patterns and seemingly hodge-podge placements of assorted bric-a-bracs. The place is also quite cramped. But, boy, when the food arrived, I was an instant convert!

We had Pizza Volcano (it still escapes me until now why it’s named so), calzone, tuna spaghetti and carbonara. Except for the pizza’s being sprinkled all over with capers (which I dislike), every single morsel of our superb spread agreed with my taste buds. The calzone was especially tasty, and awash with subtle flavors that made me eat half of that huge order.

The carbonara too was interestingly prepared. For me, carbonara has always been white. But this one was deep yellow — my friend said the sauce had egg in it. I was hoping the owner would come out and chat with us, so I could probably interview him about his cooking, but that didn’t happen. Oh well, next time.

No matter that the location of La Toscana is rather off, the cuisine more than makes up for the effort of going there! I’m looking forward to my next treat already! Next time, I’ll try the other pizzas, the spicier ones.

Price-wise, well, let’s just say it’s worth what you pay for.

Still and all, I disagree with my friend about Picobello. I still love it there — it’s just that, now, I have one more favorite eating-out place in Davao!