GIO RANA'S REALLY REALLY NICE RESTAURANT

GIO RANA'S REALLY REALLY NICE RESTAURANT 

LOCATION:

1220 Queen Street East  Toronto, ON M4L 1C3 (416) 469-5225

RATINGS:
Service: 2 . 5 / 4
Ambience: 3 / 4
Food: 3 . 75 / 4
Price: $$

Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant would be very hard to find if you were searching onlyby name.  The restaurant is not marked on the outside but for a very large three dimensional nose hanging over the entrance leading into this eclectic find being dubbed the  'nose' by many.
The decor has a thrift-store-chic feeling; all of the chairs are mismatched as are the plates.  It's best to go here with a group of people so that you can share lots of the small bite plates.

We began with the FRITTO MISTO: Lightly fried calamari and shrimp with a tangy tomato sauce. With a splash of lemon, the dish was perfect. The delicate batter added a nice crisp texture, but did not overwhelm the natural flavour of the seafood.

We had high expectations for the DRY-PACKED SCALLOPS AND PORK BELLY. The scallops were nicely seared with a soft tender texture. The pork belly was salty, which contrasted nicely with the sweet maple sauce.

THE BEEF TENDERLOIN CARPACCIO was served with a crisp green bean salad and parmesan cheese. The carpaccio melted in your mouth it was so soft.  It needed a little squeeze of lemon to add some acidity, but if you like carpaccio you will love this. 

SCOTTY'S MEATBALL, is one giant, slow-cooked meatball smothered in a rich tomato sauce. The meatball was juicy, well seasoned and soft. The large chunks of parmesan cheese added a nice saltiness to the dish. It is a great plate to share with a few people.

You can't order a huge meatball and not have any pasta to go with it. We went with a simple LINGUINI  in a garlic-tomato sauce. The pasta was al dente with clean flavours. It was a nice side to accompany our other dishes.

Finally, the BEEF TENDERLOIN. It was tender, well-seasoned and perfectly cooked medium-rare. It was like butter melting in our mouths. We would highly recommend all steak lovers give it a try; it rivals many steakhouses in Toronto.

Would we go back? YES!

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio