Out of all the scrumptious cuisines on all the oak dining tables in living rooms across the globe, we can all agree that Italian food hits a certain nerve that no other meal can. Mexican? Fantastic. Greek? Tasty and underrated at the same time. But there’s something about a golden-crust pizza that exists in a category of its own.
As of November 23rd, Ontarians can enjoy authentically made Italian food at their door with PORTA; a ready-to-make Italian meal delivery service. PORTA is simply a convenient extension of the burning passion for authentic Italian food that has made founder Cosimo Mammoliti so successful. The menu is simple yet powerfully effective; 8 different pizzas and pasta combinations with 4 different kinds of desserts are available for a swift and tasty meal. The typical heavy-hitting Italian dishes are all there such as Margherita pizza, while some more adventurous options exist like the lamb ragu Pescara pasta. All the grub is made fresh by chefs and flash-frozen to preserve the vigorous flavour and takes 15 minutes or less to prepare with little prep or clean up. The whole enterprise is aptly summed up in a swift Q&A for HOLR.
What is PORTA?
PORTA is Ontario’s first Italian meal delivery service. It brings restaurant-quality traditional Italian food directly to the homes of roughly 7 million people in 50 towns. PORTA offers a weekly, bi-weekly and monthly subscription box that can be paused, skipped or cancelled at any time.
Where did the idea for PORTA come from?
The PORTA business was inspired by the culinary team at Terroni, Sud Forno and Spaccio. While restaurants were closed during the pandemic, our founding partner Cosimo Mammoliti learned a lot about his customers’ desire to replicate parts of the dining out experience in their own homes. So, Cosimo challenged his chefs to start thinking about how they could bring delicious Italian food to more tables across the country so that everyone can feel like a chef and enjoy the kind of Italian food that makes a house feel like a home.
How is PORTA different from other meal delivery services?
There are several ways that PORTA is differentiated from other food subscription services:
- It tastes better! Our food is restaurant-quality made by chefs
- It saves the customer significantly more time and effort. It is not a “kit” of raw ingredients, it is a few items that are combined together like pasta, sauce and cheese
- It is always hot because it goes from your stovetop to your kitchen table, on your time.
- It is easy to store, has a long shelf life, and has no preservatives or additives
Where do PORTA ingredients come from?
The flour for our Roman-style stirata pizzas comes from a 3rd generation family-run mill in Le Marche. We use only the best San Marzano tomatoes from Campania. And our extra-virgin olive oil is made by a close family friend in Puglia.
How do I order PORTA?
Simply visit EATPORTA.com to get started. Our service is extremely flexible, allowing you to change your selections or even skip a delivery week. Use code CIAO15 to get 15% off your first order!
If there were any doubts about the grade of PORTA, a quick look at the founder of the operation would put them quickly to bed. The fourth son of a cabinet maker, Cosimo Mammoliti started his culinary empire in a then-shaky neighbourhood of Toronto called Queen West in 1992 with his cousin Paolo Scoppio. Between the family of Scoppio importing Italian food and Mammoliti’s brief bartending experience, the pair took advantage of the little Canadian connections they possessed and opened up a small Italian grocery/cafe. Absurdly named Terroni (a derogatory Italian slang word for peasant) the shop survived its early years off of the coins collected from the old-school pinball machine they possessed rather than cappuccinos and capicola. Through blood sweat and tears Mammoliti’s passion for good eats persevered, and he presently owns 12 restaurants, bakeries and cafes across North America as well as several other culinary enterprises. An interview with Nuvo magazine summarizes his humble attitude perfectly saying “There aren’t many restaurant owners who are there at the pass, hustling plates, and clearing tables, but Cos leads by example,”.
PORTA is the appetizing blessing that we didn’t know we needed. The concept behind a meal delivery service is a no-brainer. Many of us would rather have a meal ready in 10 minutes after a long day at work than fire up the oven and get to work. However, the content of the food is often in question, understandably so when it arrives frozen in boxes on your doorstep. PORTA takes the meal-delivery service concept and turns it on its head, granting customers peace of mind knowing they are eating authentic and delicious Italian food. Head over to the PORTA website to get yourself set up.