647 351 1200  |   $12-$17 Pizza & Pasta

Haven’t heard of Strada241? Neither had I ten minutes before I decided to go check it out. The Rubino brothers, of Rain and Ame, opened this spot up in the center of Chinatown last week, and I happened to spot it on Toronto Life. It was close to work and I was in the mood for pizza, so naturally I walked over with a couple coworkers to sample the menu.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

Simple tends to be very revealing and the menu here is very straightforward: antipasti, salads, a good pizza selection, a few pastas and some salumi/cheese options. You can’t hide behind a lot of these dishes, either you get them right or you have a super mediocre restaurant on your hands.

First up, selected the zucchini fritti served with fresh parsley salsa verde. Presentation here was awesome, with each slice spiked on it’s own nail coming out of the board. It tasted great too: the light crispy breading with perfectly done cuts of zucchini and that bright, savoury sauce worked well.

Both my friends ordered paninis and really enjoyed them, but oddly, they seem to have been removed from the most recent menu posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page. In case they make a return appearance, the pollo cacciatore sandwich (above) is delicious, hearty, and highly recommended.

The other panini we ordered, a mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, and pesto sandwich is clean yet satisfying as well. Just look at that bread. There’s a bakery on site that also serves a number of goods out front, which you might have guessed anyways on the basis of the bread alone.

The final main had to be pizza. I went with the Zia Rita, topped with a beautiful tomato sauce (so delicious when done this well), great spicy salami nduja, roasted onion, rapini, parmigiano, and mint. The crust was pretty tasty as well, and had a good mix of chewy and crispy.

We also ordered a side of cold rapini with a lemon vincotto dressing and some frisee. I’d never had cold rapini, but that lemon kept it real bright and I found myself coming back for more. That said, thought it could have used something else to contrast the level of bitterness just a bit more.

After a great meal, it only made sense to go with dessert. My choice was the ‘Limone’, a cold lemon custard of sorts topped with an almond crumble, ribbons of fennel and a touch of fennel frond on top. The pairing of fennel and perfectly balanced sweet/tart lemon was terrific. Throw in the textural contrast of the biscotti-like almond crumble, and this was one hell of a dessert. Highly recommend it.

Service and Ambience

Insulated from the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, you’re more or less transported when you walk in. High ceilings, tons of brick and wood, and a very open concept make this a great space. The front area with coffee and sweets kind of reminds me of Dark Horse just down the street actually.

Our server was also good given the newness of the restaurant and the changing menu. Our waters were always full, she happily offered her recommendations, and was really cheery throughout.

The Reco?

I was so impressed by this place and will definitely be back. There’s a bunch of dishes I’d re-order and I also can’t wait to try the baked goods up front and the ongoing changes to the menu. It’s not the most ambitious food in the world, but it’s hard to find it all executed this well.

Other Reviews? 
 blogTO   |    dine.TO

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Oct 9, 2012

416 214 2252  |   $19-25 Pasta/Risotto, $25-50  Mains

Eating in the financial district during weekdays is usually an exercise in banker avoidance. When the business model is built around alcohol sales on the patio, it’s hard to find somewhere that puts great emphasis on food. I was skeptical about Vertical for this very reason, but I think it’s safe to say you can eat well here even surrounded by our suited friends.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

A read through the menu shows you this is more than a bar. It reads very modern Italian with everything you’d expect to find in the apps and pastas, along with some mains that veer away from the traditional. 

The four of us decided to start with three apps that we all agreed were the highlights of the meal.

The lamb meatballs in tomato sauce (above) were delicious - juicy and full of lamb flavour you’re looking for when you order lamb. I also enjoyed the focaccia with it to sop up all the leftovers. 

Next up were the five balls of arancini (above) filled with saffron risotto and fontina cheese. I will always order arancini when I see them on a menu because, when perfected, nothing is more addictive. That, and they’re usually tasty even when botched.

That said, I thought these were pretty darn good. If you don’t like saffron, avoid these, because the risotto is rife with it. I enjoyed the bold flavour, along with thin exterior and accompanying sauce. Just a touch more fontina would have won it for me. I’m very picky.

This was a dish that tasted as good as it read on the menu. Seared scallop, watermelon, speck, corn and watercress. Watermelon and corn makes sense. Speck and scallop makes sense. Fresh, juicy, porky goodness.

The first main that caught my eye was the halibut over spinach, with a fennel and star-anise puree along with a porcini and potato ’crochetta’. In theory, sounds like a really smart flavour profile. 

The good: Most of the fish was perfect, with an excellent crispy layer on top and moist, flaky interior. Spinach was a nice strong compliment. The mix of textures throughout the dish was really successful.

The not: The puree was ultra mild to the point where it was hard to say what it tasted like. The filling of the crochetta didn’t yell porcini either.

I think this dish has huge potential, but I really missed the promise of fennel, star-anise and porcini.

You may think the above is a ravioli, but this stamp-shaped pasta is called Sfoja Lorda. Vertical fills it with halibut and services with lobster, tomato, and wild fennel. I’ll say the star of the dish was the halibut filling, which I’ve yet to have in a pasta dish. My issue was the lobster is overwhelmed and the fennel flavour was missing again.

The last dish looked beautiful. The risotto of the day was also lobster, so we said why not?

The mouth feel was great and the flavour was pleasant, but I really wish something had stood out. Lobster meat is really quite subtle so anything to dial it up is appreciated and I just felt like I was missing it again.

The last dish of the night was the dessert above. I can’t seem to find that night’s dessert menu online, so I’m not going to take wild guesses at the ingredients. What I do remember is that the cake fell apart really easily, got sopped up in the sweet sauce below and turned into a bit of mess with the cocoa-flavoured sauce.

Dining Date Night

You may have heard me mention this service before, but I’m just going to reiterate how useful and easy it is. 

It lets you make a reservation at some solid restaurants for $10 during off-peak nights (usually excludes Fridays & Weekends) for up to six people. In exchange, they give you 30% off the entire bill including alcohol. The four of us save $40+ and turned this pricier place into something pretty affordable.

Click below to sign up. Highly recommend it:

Service and Ambience

So here’s the obvious part: during weekdays in the summer this is a bar for business people in the financial district (and those eager folks that pursue them). If you don’t like that atmosphere, you may be put off. If you’re not and don’t mind a lively patio in a great location, this is your scene.

On the service side, I was impressed. The great thing about these restaurants is that the kitchen isn’t particularly bombarded with orders so your food comes out pretty quickly. Our server was also very attentive and was always around when we needed her.

The Reco?

This was a really tough one. The apps were great and definitely reco-worthy, but the mains and dessert all had some issues that held them back from fully delivering on the menu’s compelling promises.

Without the 30% off, I’ll say Vertical borders on being too rich for what it delivers. That said, the apps give me faith that there’s more delicious food to be had here, and with the available discount, there aren’t enough reasons not to come back.

Other reviews:
 Food Junkie Chronicles (tasting menu)   |   Toronto City Gossip

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited August 2, 2012

416 323 0666   |   $12-$15 Pizza and Pasta  

I’d read a little bit about F’Amelia late in 2011, but admittedly forgot about it until this spring. I tried recruiting them for Dish Duel at that time because I’d read positive reviews, but again things didn’t work out. My most recent exposure was Toronto Life putting them into 2011’s top new restaurants, so I finally caved and decided to head over. Such a good decision.

Food

Another concise menu foreshadowed a quality meal. There are really only six antipasti choices and eight mains outside of the pizza menu, so you know everything is there for a reason.

We started with the best charcuterie plate I’ve had in a long time (the large version pictured above). I should have filmed a video of our server describing it, but here’s what I remember as highlights. The duck prosciutto on the top left is out of this world. The thinly sliced pancetta crusted in juniper and black pepper on the bottom left blew my mind. The apple mostarda in the little dish was full of sharp flavour, with the cheeses to its right creamy and subtle in their own way. Just a fantastic spread.

Somehow, this might have been even better. Maybe the most tender calamari I’ve put in my mouth. Really fresh roasted tomato, fragrant fennel fronds and tasty bits of sausage all married to form perfect bites. Such a winner of a dish.

The green asparagues risotto while prepared masterfully, was missing the stand-out flavours of the previous dishes. The lardo gave it richness and ramps were definitely there, but despite spears of asparagus cut up inside, you would have been tough-pressed to pick out the taste of asparagus.

This super clean tagliatelle with braised rabbit (killer), brussel sprouts and wild mushrooms was very refined. The noodles were delicate and eggy, but I felt like it could have used just a bit more something (acid? sprouts?). Something.

After the previous two ‘good’, but not great courses, this pizza recovered. For those who like a mild crispiness, while preserving the thin/chewy quality that makes great pizza great, this is a home run crust. We ordered the ‘Norcina’ version, topped with more of that great sausage, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, and nutmeg. The nutmeg was really subtle, but made you appreciate the pizza a bit more every time to caught a hint of it.

We finished with the selection of gelato - the only thing not made in house. That said, the chocolate was so smooth and filled with cocoa-flavour and the pistachio was subtle, but dead-on. The straciatella (just means vanilla and chocolate shavings) was meh.

Service and Ambience

I really liked the homey quality of F’Amelia. It did the name justice with its rustic charm. The natural light hitting the white-tiled floor just brightens up what would otherwise be a pretty dark space. It”s a good vibe on a nice day.

Our servers were excellent throughout the night. Chumming with us, bringing everything out correctly at a pleasant pace, and making us feel at home. I’ve read reviews of poor service, but they clearly didn’t have any of our four servers. Kudos.

The Reco?

I know Toronto needs another Italian restaurant like a hole in the head, but every city could always use an authentic one that gets the cuisine right. This is one of those places. Many of our dishes were very near perfect, the service was welcoming, and we enjoyed our meal so very much. You should go.

Other reviews:
 Toronto Life  |    Food Junkie Chronicles

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited May 5, 2012

416 504 9669   |   $12-$15 Pizza and Pasta  

I’ll be the first one to admit I’m wary of ‘trendy’ new Italian restaurants in King West. As the area gets more and more saturated with restaurants, I get increasingly skeptical. A friend of mine said she’d enjoyed her last visit, so I brought of bunch of friends to check it out on a Friday night.

Photo Credit: Toronto Life

Food

The menu features everything you expect to see: fritti, insalate, antipasti, pasta, pizza, a few mains, and contorni. The variety is solid and the prices are surprisingly reasonable across the board which is refreshing given the area. 

We started with smoked eggplant and prosciutto on three large crostini (above). I don’t know if it was the campfire scent coming from the nearby pizza oven, but there was smokiness here and the simplicity of it was appealing and delicious.

Next was the calamari (above), which is always a good test. Definite pass with really tender, lightly battered rings. The roasted garlic aioli on the right tasted great too.

What I really didn’t understand was the pickled cucumber and jalapeno salad in the middle along with the balsamic reduction. The presentation was confusing since I was eating the calamari ‘chips-and-dip’ style, so I had to cut up the salad and use a fork to combine it all…at which point the flavours just didn’t make sense to me.

Another ‘gotta try’ item was the arancini (above). I order them every time I see them because I’m always in search of perfection. Even when they come up short, it’s hard to make them taste bad. To me, it’s gotta be thin and crispy on the outside filled with a 1/3 melted cheese, 2/3 risotto mix.  

These had a thin outer layer, but no crispiness. The inside wasn’t cheesy enough, although the mushroom and fontina risotto had good flavour to compensate.

For the mains, the table had two pizzas. The first was their classic prosciutto (above). For those of you who like crispier/floury crusts, this will be to your liking. I was also fond of the tomato sauce.

The other pizza was the Da Dee with thin slices of sweet potato topped with spanish onions, lots of crispy kale, and some cow milk mozzarella. It was pretty tasty, but I felt like the bitterness of all the kale wasn’t quite balanced with enough salt or cheese. 

We finished off with two pastas: a mushroom fettuccine and rigatoni with lamb shank. I thought the fettuccine was passed al dente, but what it didn’t lack was earthiness. It’s packed with portobello, oyster mushrooms, porcini AND truffle paste. That plate needed a green or something because that was intense.

The rigatoni was well-received around the table and the lamb was tender and not particularly gamy. 

One last thing, the dessert menu is pretty limited and there’s no beer on tap (only a few bottles available). The wine menu is quite extensive though and there’s even wine on tap. I had a cabernet sauvignon-malbec blend that was simple and fruity; it’s pretty good value too at only $1/oz.

Service and Ambience

From an interior design perspective, I really liked the grunge/loft feel. My guess is it used be a garage (there’s a big garage door at the front). Much of that ‘bricks and mortar’ style remains, and all the sunlight that seeps through from the front really lights up the place on a nice day. There’s a patio out front too, but it doesn’t yet have a liquor license if a drink in the sun is what you’re in the mood for.

On a busy Friday night, the staff managed to hold a table for six of us by turning two tables sideways. The improv was smart and worked for us. Our server was also knowledgeable about the menu and called all the women at the table ‘senorita’ (most of them enjoyed this). 

The Reco?

Toronto has yet another casual but authentic Italian restaurant that you’ll probably enjoy. Nothing on the menu wowed, but it all tasted reasonably good and the service along with the ambience charmed me. Couple all that with the fact the prices are reasonable and the location is central, and it’s a decent choice downtown.

Other reviews:
 blogTO  |    Foodies Inc.

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited May 4, 2012

416-363 2742    |    $16-22 pasta, $27-38 pesci, $35-47 carni

Chances are, unless you’ve been to the ACC in the last little while, you’ve never heard of Aria. And even if you were in the area, you probably didn’t know much about this shining jewel across the street from the Real Sports Bar. Yes, it’s almost intimidatingly good-looking from the outside, but after two visits, I’d encourage you to walk in. 

Food

The menu just recently changed, so not everything here is still available. Not to worry though, I’m sure the rest of the Italian fine dining menu will be quite well done. The menu’s offers a variety meat, fish and pasta as well as small sections for crudi (raw bar) and fritti (crispy fried goodness). 

Photo Credit: Food Junkie Chronicles

When we searched through the crudi, had to go with the tuna, charred pineapple, basil, mint, olive oil and fennel pollen (above). This is a great raw dish that’s far from bland. Basil and mint keep this fresh, pineapple adds juicy sweetness, tuna texture is wonderful, and an undercurrent of fennel and the charred fruit add that extra taste layer. Really enjoyed this.

Photo Credit: Food Junkie Chronicles

The other crudo we dined on was the carne cruda (basically beef tartare) with raw egg yolk, black truffle and porcini fries (above). Despite the attractive presentation this dish missed for me. More than a little too salty and I’d believe you if you told me they’d removed the truffle entirely. The porcini fries just tasted like salty fries.

In addition to these starters, I’ve also had the new fennel salad and shaved octopus carpaccio, both of which I’d recommend as light starters (no pics, sorry =S).

Photo Credit: Food Junkie Chronicles

For the mains, you cannot miss with the snapper dish (above). Aria’s nominated it for Dish Duel for good reason. You can find my take on it here.

I’ve also had their new paccheri pasta with scorpion fish stew. FYI: paccheri looks like short, smooth, hollow cannelloni tubes. They were perfect al dente, the portion was filling, and the stew hearty and comforting. Not the most ‘fine dining’ dish you’ll ever have, but nice nonetheless. 

Photo Credit: Food Junkie Chronicles

As for dessert, tried the pine nut and truffle honey tart with basil citrus curd, raspberry and lemon (above). Can’t say I was impressed or disappointed, it was pleasantly sweet and the mix of lemon and raspberry was nice. Missed the basil, earthy quality of the truffle honey, and pine nut flavour could have been more forward.

Service and Ambience

It goes without saying that this place looks incredible inside. It’s stunning from the floating globes, to the amazing spiraling woodwork (or at least, it looks like wood), to the wine tower and glowing back splash covered in wine bottles. It’s looks like a restaurant straight out of Ocean’s Thirteen (compliment). 

For such a “fancy” restaurant, I found the service unexpectedly warm. Our servers were charming and attentive, likely a holdover from the atmosphere at Noce on Queen West (same owners).

The Reco?

You can’t beat the atmosphere and awe of the place, and you can’t deny there are some outstanding dishes (snapper and tuna crudo). When you tally up all the dishes, you’ll come away happy with the performance, even with a dish or two that doesn’t wow you. I’ll be coming back for more.

Other reviews:
Toronto.com    |     National Post    |     Post City

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Feb 6, 2012

416-597-8839    |    $21-23 primi, $24-30 secondi

Guess I’m on a bit of Italian streak recently, but seeing as there’s so many in this city can you really blame me. Was looking for somewhere in the entertainment district, that wasn’t sitting on King across from Lightbox, and wasn’t doing Winterlicious. Tutti’s just one block up on Adelaide near Spadina, so that fit the bill for me and a couple friends on a Friday night.

Photo Credit: blogTO

Food

I wouldn’t call the menu here classic Italian, as there are some less traditional additions to some of the menu, but the Tuscan theme is still apparent. There’s a healthy selection of apps, salads and mains, so there should be something for everyone on the menu. And if you want black truffles, you’ll find them all over the menu in various dishes.

We started with the porchetta on crostini with caramelized onions, tuna sauce, and arugula (above). Coming in three large crostini, this is great for sharing between three people. I liked the dish, the pork was the major flavour – as you’d hope – but the tuna sauce I found too subtle. I ordered it for the seafood-pork combo, but I couldn’t have picked it out without knowing it was there. In any case, a delicious starter all the same.

For the mains, we ordered two pastas and a stuffed rabbit leg dish. One was a pappardelle (above), the other maltagliata. The pappardelle with braised beef brisket, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil was great. Found the beef to be tender and generously portioned (think a really beefy ragu) and the noodles to be a nice al dente.

The maltagliata (above) included stewed veal shank with porcini, a gremolata, and bone marrow. Perfect pasta and great protein were again present here, although bone marrow was difficult to pick out and overall the dish may have been a bit salty (this is admittedly a very subjective point).

The stuffed rabbit leg disappointed me a bit. I was expecting the leg meat to be more tender, but found it to be a little dense and rubbery. It wasn’t chewy per se, but my butter knife had difficulty performing with the protein resting on the bed of well-prepared cannollini beans, cipollini onions and parsnips. The leg was also wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with a half sweet, half savoury mix that I couldn’t quite pick out. 

For dessert, I went simple and ordered the tiramisu.  I liked the crispy lady finger on top that added some texture, but generally I was disappointed here too. Flavour-wise I liked it, although I prefer my tiramisu with bolder coffee taste. I also thought it was quite heavy for a dish that I consider best when it achieves both lightness and moist. Couldn’t finish it after the larger portions (not complaining) from previous courses.

Service and Ambience

Inside, the place is actually quite a bit larger than it looks on first approach. The space is pretty cozy despite the size due to the rounded tavern-like ceiling. There’s a nice bar on the left when you walk in as well.

Photo Credit: Food Network Canada

From a service perspective, everything came out quickly on a reasonably busy night, so thumbs up there. Our main server was polite and attentive, but I don’t think I’d say friendly or inviting. 

The Reco?

Hard to say. I was only slightly underwhelmed by 2/3 of my dishes, so I can’t say it’s awesome, but I also don’t want to be too critical. The rest of the menu looks promising, the portion sizes justify the price, and my friends enjoyed their food for the most part. I’d probably stop in again if I were in the neighbourhood. 

Other reviews:
Toronto Life   

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Jan 27, 2012

416-534-1200    |    $13-21 pasta

Along with Buca, a lot of folks would claim this as one of the best and most authentic Italian restaurants in the city. Having had way too many people ask me about my experience here (non-existent), it was time to head over and get a good sampling.

Food

The menu is composed of two main sections: sharing plates and pastas. Food is roman-inspired, very classic flavour combinations, and a few twists to keep it interesting. I was advised before going that pasta portions weren’t very large, so this is the kind of menu you should comfortably order a few appetizers from, a pasta, and a dessert.

We started with three apps:

Arancini filled with mozzarella di bufala and soppressata (above): Nice thin crispy outside, rich dense and melty center, and fresh tomato sauce along the bottom. Only one problem…where’s the soppressata? None of us could find it inside or outside.

Baked kale, thinly sliced persimmon and king oyster mushrooms, farro and pine nuts (above): Really nice salad. Similar flavour profile to the one at Buca, but the crispy bits of the baked kale were excellent, and the level of seasoning, and layered flavours of sweet, salty, bitter, and nutty made this a winner.

Grilled octopus, pepper puree, and potatoes: I’ve heard buzz about this, but thought it was missing something. Grilled octopus was very tender and had a nice charred flavour, potatoes were bland, and the puree along the bottom couldn’t really kick up the taste of it all. I think a crispier potato and more of the sauce drizzled over the top would have done it.

Then came the three pastas:

Rutabaga mezzaluna (half moon pasta), pickled chaterelles, and lemon maple butter (above): Rutabaga with the lemon maple was a great combo, pasta was beautifully al dente and thin, and the chanterelles over top were good for texture and acid. If you don’t like sweet, you may find the butter a little strong admittedly.

Papparadelle, lamb ragu, guanciale and pecorino: I had a bite of this and new instantly it was great. The ragu was less saucy and more about the meat: the way I like it. the lamb was gamy enough to pick out but with a bit of pleasant heat as well. Really nice.

Bucatini alla’amatriciana (tomato, pecorino, and guanciale): From someone who’s been to Rome and had great versions of this, I was told it was comparatively excellent.

And we finished with three desserts:

Ginger & molasses cake, stout toffee sauce, blood orange, rosemary meringue & lovage cress (above right): Cake was moist and gingerbread-y, toffee sauce kinda stuck to the plate, rosemary meringue was barely there and didn’t taste like rosemary, and the blood orange was a dotted puree that reminded me of dried apricots. This had a lot of potential: put actual thin slices of blood orange, would have really elevated it.

Panna cotta bianco, pear mostarda, pine nut & rye flake crumble (above left): Very clean flavours, nice flaky crumble, good dessert.

Chocolate & fig tart, balsamic, rosemary cream, candied walnuts: Really liked the combo of dark chocolate, fig and balsamic. Three very strong flavours working together, and a great light tart crust that was really nice.

Also, I don’t often comment on the wine selection, but it’s very impressive here with some hard-to-find vino if that’s your cup of tea. They’ve got taster sizes as well that let you sample some of the fancier stuff without breaking the bank.

Service and Ambience

I liked the atmosphere inside. For ‘one of the best’, it didn’t feel at all pretentious. Liked the tile work throughout, good lighting, and the long bar area looked really well setup for dining (some bars offer the menu, but aren’t really comfortable spots to eat).

I thought service was friendly and very attentive. A little excessive on menu explanation (particularly with respect to the feed of cow turned bistecca). For a fairly large space, the dishes came out at a good clip and we went through the whole meal comfortably in about two hours.

The Reco?

This is a good Italian restaurant I would happily come back to. My issues came down to some things that disappointed me from an execution perspective, but I think there was a lot here to be happy about. I’ll be back. Cheers.

Other reviews:
Globe and Mail   |    National Post  |   NOW Magazine

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Jan 22, 2012

416-504-1992   |   $12-30 entrees

Visited Bettola, its conjoined semi-twin earlier in the year and decided to give the Osteria try…just to say I’d been to both. Classic and simple is how I’d describe it.

Food

Here’s what I wrote for Bettola below. I’d write this paragraph again for Osteria almost verbatim:

“Menu reads like a run-through of Italian flavour combinations 101. There’s really nothing you haven’t seen before if you’re familiar with the cuisine. I wouldn’t say it’s a ‘twist on traditional’ kind of place.”

Outside of the frequently tweaked menu, the switch of pizza for proteins, and the location slightly north of the other, these places are quite similar.

We started with a selection of five seafood antipasti (above). From left to right: tuna tartare was better sans oily chip, octopus salad was fresh and not chewy, battered shrimp tender juicy, oyster was forgettable, and calamari + radicchio was a nice combo. Overall a pleasant little grouping, but $20 for the simple and very small portions didn’t quite seem right.

We then moved onto the mains with a potato gnocchi and bistecchina (grilled tenderloin, above). Both were well-executed. Potato gnocchi with tomato and basil were fluffy and flavours were clean. Bistecchina melted in your mouth, served classically with arugula, balsamic and cherry tomatoes. 

The two of us finished admittedly hungry, so onto dessert we went for the Dolcetto Fondente (dark chocolate hazelnut cake/pudding served in a cup topped with a zabaione sauce, above). This way my personal favourite of the meal. The cake was perfectly dark and gooey, and especially delightful with some hazelnuts tossed in for some crunch.

Service and Ambience

Service was uneventful and friendly. I’ll give credit where it’s due though and thank our server for recommending the dulce at the end. Much appreciated.

Like Bettola, I liked the look of a space that felt both rustic, simple, and modern at the same time. Open ceiling, geometric graphics on wall/placemats. I very much enjoy this style and think it works well for the Terroni franchise generally.

The Reco?

In the area, its probably a good idea to head here for a guaranteed pleasant Italian meal. I don’t think you’ll be wow’d necessarily and I questioned the portion sizes a couple times, but I did enjoy the food for the most part. I do feel dumb for not actually ordering the Ciceri e Tria (traditional Pugliese stew). It’s probably really good…let me know. Cheers.

Other reviews:
Toronto Life    |     blogTO   

Posted by: Jacob, Visited Dec 23, 2011

416-865-1600    |    $21 -$70+ mains

I’d be very surprised if you haven’t heard of Buca yet. The Jamie Oliver tweet, the constant praise, the mysterious alleyway on King West. I’m embarrassed to say yesterday was my first time, but having lost my Buca virginity, here’s my lengthy take on the experience.

Right side photo credit: Ian Mile Design

Food

You’ll notice that there’s no menu link in its usual spot, that’s because it changes daily (and gets stamped to prove it) and is not published online. It’s too bad the lighting wasn’t better because it’s a beautiful menu: unique snacks, fried goods (fritti), starters, salads, pasta, carne, pesce, pizza. It’s not a small menu and it’s kind of bewildering at first.

We started our meal with four plates to get the variety the menu merited:

• Nodini (below): A suggestion from our server, these little freshly made bread knots with a strong garlic and rosemary flavour are just awesome. Mildly crunchy outside, soft inside, really addictive.
  Photo Credit: Sifu Renka 
  
  
• Lamb brains alla saltimbocca with caper agliata (below): Texturally, a very unique dish with the creamy lamb and crispy pork wrapping. We found the agliata to have much more parsley flavour than any hint of caper. Overall a nice snack of something very different for only $8.
  
  Photo Credit: Joseph Mallozzi 
  
  
• Mixed kale salad with ripe persimmon, chocolate red wine reduction, macerated almonds and a lardo vinaigrette: This was a beautifully balanced salad. Kale gave it great texture, persimmon a unique sweetness, light dressing of chocolate wine reduction added the unusual, and the lardo vinaigrette gave you that meaty flavour without the meat. Can’t find any mention of this online, not a usual menu item.
  
  
• Eggplant parmigiana (below): A staple on the menu, this small stack is classic and the very fresh basil on top sets it off. It’s tough to wow with this dish, and I don’t think it did. That said, it’s still good.

We had a difficult choice with the mains, especially turning down the pizza (served with pizza-cutting scissors), but we decided other things on the menu were more compelling.

An orecchiette dish was my favourite of the night (a different variation with scallops below). The subtly sweet brininess of BC mussels, the bitter green of brussel sprouts, the texture of al dente cannellini beans, and the salty,crisp pancetta make this a fantastic dish. One of the better pasta dishes I’ve ever had.
Photo Credit: Foodies Inc.

The other main was cripsy prosciutto-wrapped sweetbreads over lentils with poached duck egg, and marjoram agliata (above). Nicely balanced dish with rich, earthy flavours, crispy pork, and some fresh agliata to cut it all. 
Photo Credit: Buca Twitter Feed

To finish, naturally we needed to sample some desserts. The first we selected was an olive oil cake, topped olive oil gelato, quince, and a beautiful pouring of olive oil over top. Despite all this all olive oil, the only time it really came through was when you got some of what was poured on top. The gelato was nice and creamy, and cake moist, but neither really conveyed olive oil. I think less cake would have prevented muting of the other elements.

The second desert I labeled a “mindfuck” when reading. A chocolate…and pork blood…tart topped with espresso soaked figs, macerated almonds and a creme anglaise (below). Unfortunately, I didn’t get the use of pork blood; it seemed to be used as a thickener, but I don’t think it added anything and I felt kind of tricked into ordering it. I thought the fig and espresso flavours dominated the dish.

Photo Credit: Globe and Mail

Service and Ambience

From an ambience perspective, Buca is impressive. The height of the room, the amount of exposed brick, the displays of Italian fare - all of it makes the experience special. The only thing that threw it off a bit was the classical orchestral tunes. Is it purposefully pretentious? Maybe so, but it didn’t fit for us.

Photo Credit: Fashion Magazine

On the service side, everyone was friendly and food came out of the kitchen at a pleasant pace given the number of dishes we ordered. I’d say the dishes were slightly ‘over-explained’ sometimes. I don’t mind some table-side romancing, but I think it gets excessive when there’s an agliata in a dipping bowl and two separate servers remind you to use the agliata for dipping. We get it.

The Reco?

On the merit of some particularly exceptional dishes, it’s impossible to give this less than 3.5 stars. The orecchiette and kale salad were perfect, and we really enjoyed most of the other dishes. There’s an uncommon level of precision and thoughtfulness here that blends with authentic Italian flavours, and I’d be crazy not to return here for more.

Other reviews:
 Globe and Mail    |    Toronto Life |    Food Junkie Chronicles

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Dec 18, 2011

416-362-0123    |    522 King Street West

Website’s not up yet at Alimento.ca so no direct links to menus or more information at this point in time. Will update once the website gets launched.

Been waiting for this ‘fine food emporium’ to open for a while now. A little less than a month ago it finally opened its doors to reveal the treasures within. I’ll focus this quick review on the lunch we ate, but I promise that the fine food/grocery area will please you.

Photo Credit: Gizelle Lao, Toronto Life

Food

The lunch menu is great, featuring authentic salads (don’t think lettuce please), mozzarella platters, pasta and pizza. This sounds plain, but its definitely not. Had a tough time picking what to eat, and am sure I missed other treasures. 

Started with the funghi al forno with hazelnuts, ricotta and chives (above). Mushrooms have great flavour, olive oil is spot-on, nuts are a great compliment. Only thing was I thought it could have used a pinch of salt, it felt under-seasoned to me given the lack of salt in ricotta.

Photo Credit: Gizelle Lao, Toronto Life

The other salad was the beet caprese (above), with tasty chunks of beets, fior di latte, and pistachios. Again very simple, honest, and tasty, but could have used salt. Also was looking for the cheese to have some added creaminess. We were served complimentary bread and much creamier mozzarella at the start of the meal that was perfectly seasoned and would have worked well with the beet dish.

For mains, my friend ordered the eggplant parmigiana that came in a napolean style (stacked more or less). She enjoyed, but again thought it was missing some seasoning.

I ordered the calzone calabrese (above) with house-made sausage, rapini, and a couple other ingredients I couldn’t remember/taste. First off, it’s enormous! I liked the dough/crust but I found the insides a little underwhelming flavour-wise. There’s also a significant part of it (the ends) which have none of the ‘toppings’, which makes for a lot of bread and cheese eating. This is typical of a calzone, but this was huge so it made the empty ends more pronounced. Servers should warn or it should be designated as a sharing plate.

Service and Ambience

First off, the place looks great, and after walking through the store side you’re very ready to try the ingredients. The dining area itself is a reasonably big space, but there isn’t a lot of seating so it could be difficult getting a table when busy.

Our server was an Italian from Napoli, which was a nice touch. Always adds authenticity. Still wish he would have warned me about the size of the calzone for lunch, but maybe he thought I could handle it.

The Reco?

While not everything was perfect, signs of finesse mixed with intriguing menu items makes me want to come back. I’m certain the rest of the menu holds gems and the store side alone makes this a worthy visit. 

Profiles of Alimento:
 blogTO  |     Toronto Life 

 Posted by: Jacob, Visited Nov 24, 2011