Chapter 12 That's Amore
698 Words
With our huge Italian population, Toronto may have more fine and more varied Italian restaurants than those of any other national cuisine with the possible exception of Chinese. To rattle off a list of some of the best in the downtown area: Romagna Mia Osteria Pizzeria (106 Front St. E., 416-363-8370) is a higher- end North Italian spot known for its risotto, veal, and seafood. Milanese Toula, in the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel (1 Harbour Sq., 38th Floor, South Tower, 416- 777-2002), has a top-floor harbour view. Celebrity spotting is one of the attractions of the romantic Sotto Sotto Trattoria (116-A Avenue Rd, 416-962-0011), with its pastas and grilled meats. Located in a charming house with an appropriate white-and-blue interior, Adriatico (14 Dupont St., 416-323-7442), as its name suggests, specializes in seafood. And we've long enjoyed the oasis on Yonge Street that is Caffe Volo Pasta Ristorante (587 Yonge St., 416-928-0008), an unexpected haven in a hectic strip, though less swanky than those listed above. Narrow Terroni (720 Queen St. W., 416-504-0320) serves thin-crust pizzas that are a favourite with west enders.
Along St. Clair, Ferro (769 St Clair Ave. W., 416-654-9119) is a destination for the chic pooltable crowd, with a varied menu, filling portions, and according to our sources the best pizzas in the city. Marcello's Pizzeria (1163 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-656-6159) serves excellent, moderately priced pastas and meat mains, but their pizza is a standout. Nearby La Bruschetta (1317 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-656-8622) is not only the genuine article, but a
favourite of Tom Cruise's. Further north, Granola (2035 Yonge St., 416-440- 1986), with its warm, creative decor and great menu, gives the impression of an elegant and convivial family affair to which you've been invited. The Columbus
Centre 1901 Lawrence Ave. W., 416-789-5555) features several eating spots, of which the most gracious is Restoration Boccaccio, equally wonderful for a long and leisurely lunch or a splendid dinner.
In the east end, a rather barren stretch of Queen is enlivened by Public Ella Trattoria Napolitano (1590 Queen St. E., 416-463-5373), decorated with icons of its Comedian dell'Arte namesake, which dishes up Neapolitan charm and homemade pastas. And, although we haven't yet visited Michelangelo's Fine Italian Cuisine (1910 Gerrard St. E., 416-698-4891), we've witnessed near-swooning at the mention of their gnocchi with gorgonzola.
On a different scale entirely, the former Ford assembly plant is home to Cafe Fatema (672 Dupont Street, 416-535-1555, faema.net), named for and owned by the manufacturers of excellent espresso machines. Sunny and pretty, it's a cheerful spot for an afternoon business meeting over coffee and light fare. People still flock to Camera's Pizzeria & Restaurant (2899 Dufferin St., 416-789-3221) for the legendary old-fashioned pizza, while Bi tondo Pizzeria & Sandwiches Ltd. (11 Clinton St., 416-533-4101) has been luring downtown folks with their unforgettable panzer Otto for almost 40 years. There's also a certain robust charm about Pizza Gigi's (189 Harbored St., 416-535-4444) thick-crust products, and you can watch the Central Tech students compete on the video machine while someone heats up your slice.
OPA!
There are Greek restaurants in other
parts of town, but we still think it's
worth going out to the Danforth. On
Saturday nights the neighbourhood's
really crowded with "tourists";
Sunday is when Greek families go
out to eat, the rest of the week is
much quieter. In our opinion, if what
you want is a big souvlaki dinner, just
head for Astoria Shish Kebob
House (390 Danforth Ave.,
416-463-2838), the one with the
mermaid fountain. For the less-
common chicken Southlake on a pita
at lunchtime, try the unpretentious
Asteria Sou lalit Place (292
Danforth Ave., 416-466-5273;
679 Danforth Ave., 416-463 9765).
Athenian Garden Restaurant
(526 Danforth Ave., 416-465-
4001), with its tasty take-out that wiki,
used to be a favourite with former NOW
restaurant critic and caterer Byron
Ayanoglu - who was himself raised on
Greek fare. A little more upscale and
out-of-the-way is Ella's (702 Pape Ave.,
416-463- 0334). Perhaps our favourite,
for its
fish soup and delightful baked-on-
premise mazes, is Pappas Grill
(440 Danforth Ave., 416-469- 9595),
although it's not as fancy or popular as
places like Myth (417 Danforth Ave.,
416-461-8383).
- Writer
