Second restaurant outing for me as part of the ninth edition of "Sherbrooke met the table", a unifying event taking place from October 14 to 30, 2022 where it is possible to taste the best gastronomy in the region by having access to tables unique, discounted and fixed-price hosts. This time at Sballo, a “bring your own wine” Italian restaurant located on Wellington Street North.

With two friends, we were planning a dinner at the restaurant followed by a show at the Little Black Box, a performance hall also located in downtown Sherbrooke. I was very happy when my friends suggested Sballo for dinner, partly because my last visit was a few years ago and partly because I love Italian dishes. The fact that we can bring our wine there also contributed to the choice of the restaurant, promising us a drunken evening at a lower cost.

Downtown parking has become a real headache since the closure of the Webster parking lot, leaving few parking options around Wellington North. Having found parking near the St-Michel Cathedral, we walked to the restaurant, where we were able to contemplate for a few minutes the magnificent works of art on the walls of the large reception hall.

Divided into two fairly large rooms, the restaurant offers an atmosphere that is both chic and intimate with its brick walls lined with abstract paintings, soft lighting and thick red curtains. On this Saturday evening at the end of October, the tables were almost all occupied by calm and cheerful diners.

Quickly, our hostess offered us buckets of ice to keep our refreshments cool and opened the first bottle of wine. After taking our orders, she brought a loaf of sliced ??cold bread and butter wrapped in plastic containers. Given where we were, we were rather surprised, expecting to receive hot bread and butter presented in a way other than in its commercial packaging. Also, both being very cold, it was difficult to spread the butter on the bread.

As a starter, my choice fell on the homemade gnocchi stuffed with mozzarella topped with a rosée sauce, delicious although the taste could have been enhanced by the presence of vegetables such as green onions. One of my friends chose the Orzo salad with green onions, peppers, dried tomatoes, artichokes and olives, a light starter that left her a little disappointed, without a wow effect. My other friend simply enjoyed the homemade rice croquette stuffed with prosciutto, green peas, tomato and cheese covered with a homemade sauce.

For the main course, we unanimously opted for the homemade agnolotti stuffed with filet mignon of braised beef and speck, served with a sauce made with white truffle oil, cream and Parmigiano Reggiano. As seen in the photo above, the presentation left something to be desired, but the taste was simply divine. Tender to perfection, the pasta was stuffed with a generous amount of meat and the sauce, although rich, complemented it wonderfully with its taste and smoothness. Served in generous portions, we savored until the last bite. Only downsides: we would have liked to be offered, in addition to the ground pepper, grated parmesan on top and the basil leaves, which gave flavor to the dish, could have been present in larger quantities.

The slow service that evening was a real blessing, allowing us to digest between each course and chat happily with friends. However, I would have appreciated that my hostess provided me with water on a more regular basis rather than having to continually ask her to refill my glass. The owner, present that evening, passed between the tables, supported the employees in their work and greeted the guests in a friendly way.

The dessert consisted of an exquisite Cannoli stuffed with pastry cream, Ricotta and citrus flavored cream, sprinkled with dark chocolate shavings. The portion, generous as one could wish, brought this part of the evening to a magnificent close at Sballo. Despite the fact that our show at the Little Black Box had already started for quite a while when we left the restaurant, we were satisfied to have eaten so well and to have had a good time together, among friends.

Rating: 7.5/10
What stood out to us the most during our visit: the generous portions
The most expensive main meal on the menu (apart from “Sherbrooke met the table”): AAA beef filet mignon
The least expensive main meal on the menu (apart from “Sherbrooke met the table”): Vegan linguine
Do we recommend this restaurant: Yes
What time of day did we do our visit: Dinner
Pros:
The intimate and spacious place
Bring your own wine
Quality Italian cuisine
Cons:
The scarcity of nearby parking
Lack of water at the tables