JULIET ATE HERE | Carlitos, Collingwood
JULIET ATE HERE | Carlito’s ,Collingwood
Great for lunch, even better to share. Lots of room to sit out the back. I dare you not to order the cotoletta.
Sixth in line at 12:42.
They were out of ciabatta. The guy said he prefers it on focaccia anyway, so I had the cotoletta on focaccia.
Chicken schnitzel, green goddess, onion pickle, iceberg, pickles, ginger shallot, provolone. $21. Warm to the touch when it arrived.
The space is small at the front. On the left as you walk in, a wall of people waiting for their order. Three more outside. A good cookbook selection on a shelf near the counter. Next to the cookbooks, an expired Italian passport. Bits of focaccia to snack on while you wait.
One person serving. Two in the kitchen. The person serving, I think, was called Gabe. He had to duck to get into the kitchen.
The regulars were easy to spot. The staff remembered them. You could tell by the smiles.
Names called out while I waited: Steven. Claire. Cal. Peter. Sam.
I ordered at 12:45. My order came at 1:04.
Everyone ordered the cotoletta. One person ordered the mortadella.
There's a courtyard out the back. Big outdoor area, six long tables with bench seating. I sat there.
The sandwich was warm, pickley, crispy and saucy. The chicken freshly fried, not pre-made. I loved the cucumber and the lettuce. The provolone was the right call.
Delicious. Would have it again. Would share it with someone next time though. At $21 it's also enough for two. I wasn't hungry for the rest of the day.
I went because I’d been told to, again and again. Thank you for that.
