I am almost certain that most of you have not heard of this long standing, north GTA, off-the-beaten-path, Italian restaurant……let alone set foot in it?! For a restaurant to survive the financial meltdown of 2000 plus the economic turmoil caused by SARS and COVID is indeed a miraculous feat! Supporting a steadfast business decision not to fold in light of adversity and allowing the restaurant to endure such turbulence must exist a back-stage team of skilled and dedicated kitchen staff. More importantly, their food offering must be attractive and well executed enough to attract new, repeat and sustaining customers!..hence our decision to give the place a try!
The rustic, Roman themed decor dining room offers patrons a warm and inviting atmosphere. Live piano, guitar and vocal entertainment featuring nostalgic, pop-classic hits was a most welcoming and heartening addition.
The menu offers a pot-pouri of traditional, homey and comforting Mediterranean and Italian fare that emanates simple and straight forward authenticity. Stand-out char-broiled grilled meats, tender and aromatic, were carefully prepared and cooked to perfection by skilled chefs. Unpretentious and lovingly prepared appetisers, veal and pasta dishes speak mouth watering tastiness!
For sharing we ordered the following:
- Gourmet Garlic Bread with Mediterranean accent toppings and dips
- PEI Lobster and Crab cakes with charred corn, lemon and Jalapeno Mayo
- Steamed PEI Mussels in a homemade tomato sauce with garlic, basil, onion, mixed herbs and white wine
- Veal Scallopini with Mushroom, Marsala wine, grilled seasonal vegetables and roasted fingerling potatoes
- Char-Grilled Rack of Lamb with Capers, Red Wine Balsamic Reduction, Seasonal vegetables and potatoes.
Before delving into the food. I would just like to say, unexpectedly, tonight’s dining experience was dominated by the live music entertainment offered……with a much lesser extent contributed by the well prepared, delectable food! The ‘aftermath‘… one of the most emotionally overwhelming dining experiences I have ever had! For tonight also happens to commemorate the death of my father nearly two decades ago. His most beloved piece of music / song was “The Moon Represents My Heart” 月亮代表我的心, a popular Mandarin love song by Teresa Teng (邓丽君). Out of the blue, half way through dinner, the elderly Italian gentleman, providing the nightly musical entertainment, suddenly sang this song ‘in Mandarin’, with guitar accompaniment in front of our table!..and such a beautiful rendition it was! Talk about unleashing a sudden Tsunami onslaught of unstoppable nostalgia and fond memories!!
So much for my tear-jerking tale! Back to the food!
The outcome of our culinary adventure was a most pleasant surprise. Every component of our meal from the crunchy, well crusted and super light and spongy Garlic Bread; to the generous, lightly packed and crispy Lobster and Crab cakes; to the plumb and fat Mussels paired with a delicious, spoon-worthy sauce; to one of the best executed Lamb Chop I have had for a long while. The only minor down side of tonight’s dishes was the under salt and under seasoned Veal Scallopini.
Service was attentive and friendly, food portions were more than generous and price-point extremely reasonable
Overall, the meal was a pure delight which emits a ‘ worthy of a re-visit ‘ signal!!
