Joso’s Restaurant

To enter Joso’s is to step back in time when the classical and ancient world of the sun and
sea collided to form a collage of colors that still inspires the mind and the senses. This
legendary Yorkville restaurant, a gem which first opened its doors in 1977and was the
inspiration of legendary artist, singer, sculptor, photographer, chef and restaurateur, Joso
Spralja, is reminiscent of lazy days spent by the Dalmatian coast – the rock, wind and
colours of Joso’s native land. Everything about Dalmatia is so vividly present in the
collage of art that fills the walls and beckons with a story that has yet to be told. The
other artwork that catches the eye are the row upon row frames of celebrities who have
dined here over the years – and all of these have a story to tell as well.

Joso Spralja, the legend behind the name, was a 32-year old immigrant from then
Yugoslavia (now Croatia), when he first cut a dashing figure on the hip Yorkville scene
in the early 1960’s. A seasoned opera singer, classical guitarist, chanteuse and artist in
his native land, he met his match in Israeli singer Malka Himel, following a legendary
meeting at the infamous coffeehouse known as Yorkville 71 (a plaque still stands on the
Yorkville spot to commemorate this legendary institution). While Joso sang, Malka
taught him a variety of songs, and before long the two made their official debut at the
Lord Simcoe Hotel. Not long afterwards, they appeared at the Mariposa Folk Festival
and continued singing together at Toronto folk and supper clubs until they landed a
regular gig as hosts of the CBC-TV series “A Wonderful World of Music” in 1966. The
show, which was cleverly broadcast right after the Saturday night evening hockey game,
allowed Canadian audiences a greater glimpse at this dynamic singing duo and their
popularity began to soar, so much so that they earned the nickname ‘the Canadian Sonny
and Cher.’ In between they appeared together at Carnegie Hall and on the Johnny Carson
show, and later recorded numerous albums before splitting to pursue solo careers. The
rest is history. Joso became a restaurateur and Malka returned to CBC radio work before
eventually moving back to Israel where she has written numerous books and recorded
more music.

Following their split, Joso busied himself with the demands of a growing family and a
busy restaurant – and even busier location – and watched as Yorkville grew into a posh
and trendy area that eventually became known for stargazing – especially during film
festival time. Whether it was its prime location (at the corner of Davenport and Avenue
Road) or the tantalizingly fresh Dalmatian and Venetian seafood dishes for which the
restaurant is known far beyond the confines of Toronto, one thing is certain, to dine at
Joso’s is an unforgettable experience and is reminiscent of hedonistic days spent cruising
the Mediterranean (think Capri, Ibiza, Dubrovnik or Sorrento in it’s heyday) while
brushing elbows with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Grace Kelly or Frank
Sinatra (some of whose signed photo’s adorn the walls of Joso’s).

Although Joso left Canada a few years ago to return to his native Croatia (where he is
still active as an artist, singer, sculptor, chef and connoisseur of all things Dalmatian and
Mediterranean!), I had the god fortune to catch up with Leo Spralja - offspring of Joso
and equally as charming and vivacious as his father, and his wife Shirley, a rare lady who
impressed me with her charisma and grace, and that beguiling ability to laugh with one’s
eyes
Upon entering the restaurant I had little trouble figuring out who Leo might be – well
over 6 feet tall, he stood out in the way that most Dalmatian men do (Croatia is well
known for harvesting the tallest men in Europe) and it wasn’t just his statuesque height
that gave him away. Switching comfortably between Croatian, Italian and English while
shouting orders, asking questions and throwing in the rare joke - all the while
communicating with his body and hands - brought back many fond memories of my own
family on the Dalmatian coast and the cousins and uncles who make any trip back home
an event to be remembered and treasured.

Leo has a real sparkle in his eye and a Dalmatian poet’s soul, and like his father, is an
accomplished artist in his own right (following the interview he presented me with a CD
he recorded with his father featuring music highlighting a variety of South American
nations performed in Spanish and Portuguese). Shirley is petite and feminine, and
revealed to me that when she first met Leo, she was representing the Canadian Olympic
Rhythmic Gymnastic team when they were introduced by her Bulgarian coach (I also
learned he won her over by persistently wooing her with his serenading!). A true writer
never reveals the age of their subjects, but suffice it to say that Leo and Shirley have
withstood the trials and tribulations of time extremely well, and their natural disposition
for laughter and camaraderie has surely helped. So too has their lifestyle. A dynamic
duo, who, upon entering the restaurant, I found hard at work scurrying about and
preparing for the 5:30 supper rush and all that it entails, I couldn’t help but notice the
natural chemistry and connection between them. Joso had clearly left the restaurant in
trusting hands.

I sat down with Leo and Shirley in an upstairs alcove and we reminisced about lazy days
spent on Croatia’s stunning Adriatic coastline, over a perfectly brewed cup of cappuccino
that Leo had prepared for me (in this part of Europe, brewing and drinking a cup of
coffee -- cappuccino and espresso especially, is considered a form of art). Shirley
surprised me by revealing that she was the muse present in some of Joso’s artwork which
adorned the walls. Additional muses included Joso’s wife Angelina, daughter Elena, and
Leo and Shirley’s two children – Marco and Olivia, who also help out at the restaurant
whenever they can.

Why is the restaurant so synonymous with Hollywood stars, was what I really wanted to
know. As Shirley told it, the reason was actually quite simple. Many of them continue to
return to Joso’s not just because of the menu – which boasts quite arguably the best
seafood to be had anywhere in Toronto – but more so because of the man behind the
name and that feeling of being part of a close-knit family circle. More than anything else,
it is this feature that sets Joso’s apart from the rest. “They can relax here. They feel at
home here, not hounded by the paparazzi. When they come to Joso’s, they dine without
the watchful gazes and stares that they would find at some of the other places in
Yorkville,” said Shirley. Leo interceded and began to re-tell the story of how Marcello
Mastroianni, one of the staple regulars over the past few decades and a personal family
friend, would come to the restaurant because it was the only place in Toronto where he
felt truly at home. “He would come every time he was in Toronto. He would sit with my
father for hours and they would belt out the old songs in Italian from back home. You
know, he just felt comfortable here, when he was shooting a film, he would come here
night after night. Many times the restaurant would close its doors and he would then
come to our house where my mother used to make him the most fantastic dishes. His
absolute favorite dish was the Risotto Nero (Black Risotto made with the ink from a
cuttlefish), and he loved watching my mother and father prepare it for him.”

Other celeb favorite dishes include the well known ‘Spaghetti ale Siciliana” (a house
favorite) and the spectacular Dalmatian grilled fish dishes accompanied with boiled swiss
chard and the perfect amount of seasonings (olive oil, lemon, and salt and pepper to
taste). There are also assortments of dishes that are distinctly Dalmatian and Venetian
and cannot be found anywhere else in Toronto. Of these, the most delectable are the
‘Shrimp alla Kornati,’ or Shrimp cooked in the Kornati Archipelago tradition (an 800
island national park located in the Croatian Adriatic). These are lightly floured deep fried
tiger shrimp which are simply oozing with flavor!

Other dishes which hail from the Dalmatian Adriatic and which are a must haves when
dining at Joso’s include the ‘Calamari alla Griglia’ (grilled squid), which is wonderfully
grilled to tenderness with olive oil, garlic, parsley and lemon. Joso’s also offers ‘Fresh
Fish alla Griglia,’ and I am often surprised by the superb assortment and high-quality of
the catch offered on the daily menu. As a fish connoisseur, it is almost impossible to find
a restaurant in the city that offers true Mediterranean red mullet or sea bass (having been
born and raised on the Dalmatian coast, I can definitely separate the Atlantic variety from
the ones which are European) – but there they were, right on the platter. Other well
known classics include the ‘Clams and Mussels alla Buzara,’ which are shellfish steamed
in white wine, garlic and parsley. This dish is so characteristic of the Dalmatian coast
that when I visited the island of Hvar, Croatia a few years back, I noticed that locals and
glitterati alike tended to use the empty shell of the shellfish to scoop up what was left of
the delectable buzara broth. Finally, one of my personal favorites, and the reason I keep
coming back to Joso’s religiously is the ‘Rack Lamb Chops’, which are grilled over an
open fire and dressed with fresh garlic and rosemary.

In addition to Marcello Mastroianni, the restaurant hosts a lot of other celeb regulars,
“Robert de Niro, Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgewick, Lawrence
Fishburne, they are all here quite often. Alex Rodriguez and Kate Hudson were here just
last week, and we get a lot of the sports stars and politicians as well,” said Shirley
(former Prime Minister Jean Chrètien dined at Joso’s when in town). When asked which
of the celebrity chefs they would love to host, their responses couldn’t be more different
– Leo would love to cook for Gordon Ramsay while Shirley’s choice was Nigella
Lawson.

One of the interesting things about Joso’s is that in the past three decades the restaurant
has never changed its menu. “Why change a good thing?” said Shirley, “they keep
coming back because they respect and honor the consistency of our menu – the fish, the
risotto – these are timeless classics and people just love that. Did you know that we were
one of the first restaurants in Toronto to make fish popular? People had no clue about
fish here – especially calamari, and our dishes helped change that perception.”

And tasting the dishes one can tell why. Joso’s stands out from the rest of the crowd not
just in the presentation of its fish dishes - but also in the preparation - by relying on
recipes which are distinctly Dalmatian and Venetian in origin and which have been
passed down lovingly from one generation to the next.

I ask Leo for the secret behind his father’s Risotto Nero and in true Dalmatian fashion his
eyes begin to twinkle and he twitches with a nervous excitement. Every true culinary
artist will diplomatically back out of this game of wits, and Leo was no exception. What
began in the kitchen, stayed in the kitchen, and the secret behind the infamous Risotto
Nero was quickly dropped.

As I thanked Leo and Shirley for their time and mentioned that I would be visiting
Croatia and Montenegro for the next three weeks, they stirred with animation and began
advising me on where to eat and dine (and provided some fantastic tips on isolated
Dalmatian swimming coves!). The evening dinner rush was beginning, and they had to
ensure the kitchen was ready for the throngs of regulars and über-famous who flock here
not just because of its image as a harbinger of all good things gastronomic, but also
because of the sense of consistency, tranquility and familiarity that have become
synonymous with Joso’s restaurant all these long years.
Joso’s is located at 202 Davenport Road, Toronto, ON M5R 1J2, Telephone: (416) 925-1903. The restaurant is open Monday
through Thursday from 11:30 am – 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm; Friday from 11:30 am – 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm; and
Saturday from 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm. For more information please go to: www. Josos.com