Totally Toscanos

Taste of Italy in Puyallup

More About CTU The Good Samaritan Children’s Therapy Unit is located in the Donald and Beret Mott Children’s Center at 402 15th Ave. S.E., near Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup. Pediatric specialists provide expert care to infants, children and adolescents with special needs. The goal is to help these children become as functional and independent as possible. To find out more about this cause, call 253.697.5200 or visit multicare.org/goodsam/childrens-therapy-unit.

Tucked amongst the typical businesses of a drab, gray office park off Main Street in Puyallup is Toscanos Café and Wine Bar. The restaurant is unassuming from outside, and you might not notice it unless you’re driving by in the summer and see the swell of customers eagerly soaking up the sun on the patio. But locals know all about this gem — and with signature dishes like the martini clams (a behemoth glass full of clams cooked in vermouth), you should, too.

The inside of Toscanos makes you quickly forget your surroundings. Rich, dark woods and deep red tones transport you to a different place. The relaxing ambiance is the perfect spot to enjoy date night, or a fun bite with coworkers after a long day.

The menu is put together by Executive Chef Tom Pantley, an industry veteran and Tacoma local who went to Lincoln High School. “I come from an Italian background; my family comes from Southern Italy. Growing up, I watched in the kitchen, and when I got older I created food that we used to put out at home, and the reaction was great,” said Pantley. His menu is a reflection of that —  he uses simple, locally sourced products to create country Italian cuisine.

The highlights of the menu include Pantley’s martini clams, a dish he made on the “KCTS Cooks” show years ago. He uses vermouth (and only vermouth) to steam his clams with parsley, onion, garlic and celery. Pantley says the restaurant goes through about 70 to 80 pounds of clams per week. Another delicious appetizer is the seared ahi, rubbed with thyme and pepper and drizzled with balsamic reduction.

If you like steak, go with the filet. You can get it prepared one of four ways — with sautéed prawns; bourbon pepper and mushrooms; blue steak style (a rich bleu cheese sauce) or with toasted garlic, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and butter. If you’re more interested in pasta, there are several that will tickle your taste buds. A customer favorite is the tortellini with smoked salmon tossed with zucchini, carrots, basil and cream. Pantley’s favorite pasta, however, is the rigatoni aromatico, a simple pasta with Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts tossed in a spicy olive oil sauce.

Don’t forget dessert — Pantley’s wife, Cindy, is the pastry chef, and she creates such delectable treats as the chewy chocolate brownie. It’s mounded with vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces and whipped cream. Order one and share it between two people. Or four.

All of Pantley’s sauces are made from scratch. Being a smaller and independently run place allows him to make many of his dishes to order. Pantley thinks it’s a great way to operate. Since his team builds sauces as they go, they are able to customize dishes, and really learn something about their guests’ tastes.

Toscanos is lauded by its customers for delicious food and creative cocktails, but the real draw might be the sense of togetherness the restaurant creates. Sue Walker, general manager of Toscsanos, believes that the South Sound community really cherishes small businesses. “People root for us because we’re small,” she said.

And with all the local cheerleading, the restaurant, owned by Walker and her husband, Doug, partner Jerry Mahan and Executive Chef Pantley, is able to give back to the community as well. Since opening more than five years ago, Toscanos has given more than $200,000 to MultiCare’s Good Samaritan Children’s Therapy Unit, a local organization dedicated to helping infants, children and adolescents who have special needs, including patients with conditions like cerebral palsy, sensory processing disorders, genetic syndromes, autism spectrum disorders, muscular dystrophy and more.

The restaurant raises all these funds with an auction. Vendors donate products, the entire staff works for free that day, and community members and local celebrities pitch in. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the MultiCare Children’s Therapy Unit. “When my management staff and I toured several different types of children’s charities, the Children’s Therapy Unit really tugged at our heartstrings. All of us said ‘this is the place.’ They help kids be kids, and we love what they do,” said Walker.

In a time where restaurants are having difficulty staying busy, much less staying open, Toscanos Café and Wine Bar uses its resources to give back. This selflessness also helps solidify its presence in the community. It’s just one more great reason to love local.

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