Gia, Rosalinda, Tsuchi and some other spots are mentioned in this article. https://torontolife.com/food/inside-kitchen-diaries-juan-alvarez-rosalinda/
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Finally made it to Gia, with some friends. Had a nice streetside patio table one evening with a friendly and helpful server, When she didn’t know the answer to a wine question, she phoned the sommelier at home. Food was very good and sometimes great, with meat not being missed.
We shared a bottle of Baia’s Wine “Krakhuna” 2022, Bagdati, Georgia - ripe apples and easy drinking.
Red fife focaccia brought 3 huge slices, with sesame, thyme, and a tasty harissa “butter”.
Proscuitto & melon featured smoked & cured radish slices, cantaloupe in similar ribbons, arugula, pickled onions, with an Aperol vinaigrette. It was a lovely salad that bore no resemblance to the referenced dish.
A salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, balsamic, and a gorgeous lovage vinaigrette was simple, light, and satisfying.
"Meat"balls was a better attempt at meat mimicry, with panko-crusted legume balls served with a terrific spiced tomato sugo, plant-based mozzarella, and basil.
Ripened cashew brie had an odd mushy texture, but the flavour wasn’t too far off. What made this dish were the accompaniments: elderberries, rhubarb, pickled fennel, and carta di musica.
Bigoli al vino was the best of the pasta dishes we tried, with perfectly al dente noodles and. a great sauce of smoked tomato, red wine, basil, and a bit of kick. Crispy garlic and lots of stracciatella (non-vegan) adorned the top.
White truffle agnolotti (no pic) were tasty, but quite rich and came with wild mushrooms and recorino romano. Casarecce al basilico featured a great mix of spring peas, pistachio, lemon, ricotta salata was delicious and could have been fantastic with just a bit lesss oil.
The most visually impressive dish was the Lions Mane Bistecca, with the mushroom steak carved to show a pink interior. The truffle potato pavé and mushroom demi glace were also full of flavour.
A side of roasted romanesco was perfectly cooked, charred and yet crisp, came with too little of a tangy blood orange salmoriglio.
Semolina cake was pleasant, but a bit dry. It came with pistachio buttercream and Campari jam (Campari flavour MIA). Toasted coconut vanilla gelato had a lovely creamy texture and came with slow-roasted strawberries.
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