Toronto Fire Service sent out a repeat notice Friday morning (Boxing Day) that the fire at Spuntini Ristorante and its downstairs companion place Sotto Sotto had suspicious origins. The old restaurant seemed as dry as tinder last night as flames mushroomed through the roof at the location on Avenue Rd just south of Davenport Rd. in the Annex. The eating spots are famous for celebrity patrons and there is much sadness among notables. The Italian word sotto (softly) suggests an intimate hideaway. Kevin O’Leary tweeted his sorrow at the loss of a second home. No one was hurt in the four-alarm fire. Damage is estimated at more than a $1,000,000 according to some reports although this amount seems conservative given the location of the property. These two “ristos” have hosted Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) soirees. Among the hotshot diners: Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon, Mary J. Blige, Bill Murray, Elton John, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Smits and Ewan McGregor, Brad Pitt, Lauren Graham, Edward Norton, Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Jack White, Jimmy Page and U2. The owner of the restaurants, Marisa Rocca,.promised in a statement today to rebuild and “come back stronger than ever.”
