Her name: Janet Zuccarini
Her game: Travelista and restaurateur, Janet Zuccarini is the femme fatale behind two Italian restaurants based in Toronto, Gusto 101 and Trattoria Nervosa.
What three words describe you best?
"I describe myself as an entrepreneur, a globe-trotting foodie...which sums up 3 of my passions. I'm determined, open and fun-loving."
What is your favorite place in the world?
"I have been traveling the world for most of my life, but when I return to Italy where I was fortunate to live for 8 years, it will always edge out any other travel destination for me. (Runners up: Bora Bora by way of a sailboat, Rajasthan, India and Bali, Indonesia)."
What’s one quirky thing about you that most people don’t know?
"I cannot go to bed unless every last dish is cleaned and put away. Even if I have a dinner party that ends at 3:00 a.m., I will stay up until 4:00 a.m. to make sure I wake up to a clean home."
What’s your nightcap of choice?
"I only have one drink of choice: red wine."
What’s your ultimate comfort food?
"My ultimate comfort food is pasta in a fresh tomato sauce, topped with some fresh basil and freshly grated parmigiano - nothing brings me back to my childhood more than this dish."
You’re sipping on a glass of your favorite wine---what music's playing?
"Frank Ocean: Channel Orange. It's rare that I can listen to one artist's entire album, but I like every song on this one."
If wine’s not in your glass, what is?
"Water...Evian, please."
What's your favorite wine-drinking experience or memory?
"Attending Vin Italy in 2012. I tried 100 Italian wines in 2 days and tried some of the best wines I have ever tasted in my life."
What do you think it is about Italian food?
"It is said that Italian cooking is all about highlighting the inherent goodness that already exists in its raw form, as opposed to covering up food with complex sauces. Italian cooking is all about using fresh, seasonal ingredients and not manipulating them too much. Culturally in Italy and with Italians abroad, food and breaking bread together as a family is central to the Italian lifestyle, something which I subscribe to wholeheartedly."