Yet another new concept has arisen from the ingenious walls of Italian restaurant Il Covo and it is all about a beloved Italian cold cut.
Morts is a recently launched pop-up operating out of Il Covo with a focus on mortadella. An oftentimes undervalued sausage that unjustly gets equated to its lesser counterpart, American baloney, morts is striving to prove (and successfully so) how divine the Italian sausage is.
Hailing from Bologna, Italy, mortadella is an emulsified sausage composed of cured pork and studded with cubes of fat, pistachios, black pepper or myrtle berries.
The Classic comes on a soft griddled bun with griddled mortadella and garlic mustard sauce.
Although the show's uncontested star is undoubtedly mortadella, morts' menu consists of several sandwich options with items like grilled artichokes, Conestoga eggs and shishito peppers to accompany the cold cut.
For the fried chicken fanatics, there is The Total Mort, which comes with a crisp piece of fried chicken draped in mortadella and served on a soft griddled bun. Or a more decadent option, the Truffle God, consists of truffle mortadella on a crusty ciabatta and is accompanied by a side of truffle butter.
They do carry a selection of other dishes and sides, including polenta fries, shishito peppers, coleslaw and even a salad with shredded mortadella. For dessert, you can also order the famous Gertie's Peanut Butter Pies.
Morts is just the latest installment of a series of intriguing and well-thought-out food concepts that respond to the demands of COVID-era dining. What has evolved into a food incubator for burgeoning new concepts, Il Covo has flourished into a space to house and nurture the creative ideas of the many talented chefs and restaurateurs that walk through its doors. In addition to its regular takeout menu, concepts such as the famed Gertie's Peanut Butter Pies, Radio Cocktails, Pastaio David Pasta Kits and now morts are all housed under the umbrella of the College Street restaurant.
The team behind morts pictured outside of Il Covo restaurant, chef Ryan Campbell (left), chef Samantha Lamanna (centre) and Il Covo owner Giuseppe Marchesin.
If you're a long-time devote mortadella lover or are looking to give the Italian deli meat another shot, morts is guaranteed to convert all skeptics. Find them on Uber Eats from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
