BUCA

BUCA

LOCATION:

604 King Street west

Toronto, On

M5V1M6

RATINGS:

Ambiance: 3 . 5 /4

Service: 3 / 4

Food: 3 . 5 / 4

Price: $$$

Buca has been on my must-go restaurant list for some time now so  finally, AM and I made our way there for a romantic dinner out. At first, we were a little worried because we could not find the restaurant because it is down and secluded, dark alley way.  However, as you open the door to the restaurant you know you are about to have a unique dining experience. The high ceilings, exposed brick and interesting decor make you feel like you are about to eat in a modern Italian salter house. As like other trendy restaurants in the Toronto right now, they have no signage; you must make reservations and no there is no menu on line.

 We started with the small CHARCUTERIE. All the meat is stored in glass faced meat lockers that decorate the rustic restaurant. Trying this fresh, hand-cut, cured meat was a must. We got the chili salumi, bresaola and the parma ham. Pretty standard but, as always AM loved it.

When I was in Italy, one of my favourite things to eat were the "garlic balls." So when I saw the NODINI on the menu, I convinced AM to pay for bread. The small bread knots are smothered in olive oil, rosemary, salt and loads of garlic.  The outer crust is crispy, but when you bite in they are soft and outstandingly tasty. Be careful, they are surprisingly messy!

Next,  we ordered the ORECCHIO DI MAIALE. We are always interested in trying new things, so we had to give the pigs' ears a chance. These treats  are deep-fried and served with wild fennel salt. I was a bit nervous at first, so I let AM take the lead. They were crispy and a little chewy, so I was amazed at how tasty they were quite tasty. However, the portion was too large for two people; we each ate about three and had to leave the rest.

 As a recommendation by our waiter we tried the ARROSTICINI.  Four large lamb skewers served with grilled lemon, olive oil, oregano, and ricotta salata. The lamb was tender, juicy and well seasoned.  

Finally, we shared a pasta dish. We decided on the SCALATIELLI ALLE VONGOLE. Fresh, house made pasta served with BC clams, chili, smoked eel and minutia. Boy, did I love this pasta. The portion was small so we had to fight for it. The fresh pasta was unique in texture, reminding me of an udon noodle,  interestingly enough. The clams were a harmonious pair to the smokey flavour of the eel.

Would we go back? We may take my dad one time; we think he would really like it.

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

Scalatielli Alle Vongole

THE BURGER'S PRIEST

THE BURGER'S PRIEST

LOCATION:

1636 Queen St E  

Toronto, ON M4L1G3

theburgerspriest.com

RATINGS:

Food: 3 / 4

Price:$

If you have not made your way to The Burger's Priest then you have been missing out. This tiny burger joint makes a mean burger. They are known for their interesting burgers and a secret menu for the more edgy burger eater. If you plan to go to The Burger's Priest and want to order off the secret menu,  make sure you do some google searching (or look at their website under the section titled 'secret menu)because when you get there, the secrets are not posted and the staff will not give them up. 

I ordered the PRIEST BURGER which  is one of the restaurant's signature  burger. The all-beef 4 oz patties are accompanied by, 'THE OPTION': which is two breaded deep-fried Portobello mushroom  caps stuffed with cheese. I  finished it off with all of their standard toppings: tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced onion. I added one secret menu item which was the 'SMOKES': which are panko-crusted jalapeno peppers. The bun was soft  and reminded me of wonder bread. The meat was juicy and well-seasoned, however,  the impressive part was the crispy crusted Portobello and ozzy, melted, stringy cheese. 

Would we go back? Yes

GRAZIE RESTORANTE

GRAZIE RESTORANTE 

LOCATION:

2373 Yonge St

Toronto, ON

M4P2C8

416 488 0822

www.grazie.ca

RATINGS:

Ambiance: 3 / 4

Service: 3 . 5 / 4

Food: 3 . 5 / 4

Price: $$

Whenever we are looking for good bowl of pasta, we always make our way to GRAZIE. There are a lot of Italian restaurants in Toronto, but  I would have to say Grazie is one of the best. The food is consistently good, whether the place is packed or almost empty (which hardly ever happens). The menu provides a large assortment of pizzas and pastas; most people rave about their pasta for it is made in-house daily. The service is always friendly and attentive, and if you go as much as we do they even begin to remember your order and make you feel part of the Grazie family.

AM ordered the PAESANA. A rich tomato sauce with fresh peppers and ground Italian sausage piled high on fresh Fettucini.  What's nice about this dish is that they leave the sausage in large chucks so you can really taste the flavours of the meat in each bite you take. This large, rustic bowl of pasta is sure to fill you up. Although, if you are like AM, you will need to save some bread to ensure you don't leave any drop of sauce or meat behind.

My go-to dish is always the TERAMO. This delicious bowl of fresh spaghetti comes with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, parsley and a large dollop of goat cheese. Its dressed with dressed with an olive oil and garlic which sounds rather simple but as you mix the goat cheese into the sauce it becomes creamy and packed with flavour. I always try and recreate this at home, but  can never get it to taste like there's.

Would we go back? Yes

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:
Teramo although AM would say the Paesana!

 

ORIGIN

 ORIGIN

LOCATION:

107 King Street East Toronto, ON M5C 1G6
(416) 603-8009

http://origintoronto.com

RATINGS:
Service: 3 / 4
Ambiance: 3 . 5 / 4
Food: 3 / 4
Price: $$$

Origin - with its open kitchen and large back patio has a funky and eclectic vibe, however, the dining lounge is quite dark and can get quite loud. We sat near the open kitchen, which allowed us to see all the interesting dishes being prepared. All the dishes are suggested to be shared, in a tapas style. overall, we found the flavours to be an interesting mix of European and Asian. We decided to pick Origin for my father's birthday, as he has always wanted to try their famous 38 oz steak.

From the raw bar we ordered the JAPANESE STYLE TUNA SALAD. The salad was so nicely presented that we didn't want to dig in at first. They used a spicy ponzu dressing to pickle and marinade the radishes, cucumbers and Asian pear, which garnished the large pieces of tuna sashimi and avocado. All of the flavours worked magically together.

Whenever we go to a restaurant that has beets on the menu my mom has to order it. So we got the BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD. It was served with one large beet, dressed with a sherry dressing and garnished with walnuts, pickled red onion and a yogurt goat cheese mixture. My mom loved it, but to me beet salads are all the same and can be reproduced easily at home.

Then came the famous SPICY SPANISH FRIES: Crispy fresh-sliced fries with chorizo, shredded Spanish Manchego cheese, all toped with a spicy mayo.  The men at the table went crazy for these fries, that I like to think of as the Spanish Poutine.

Next up was the wonderful BANGKOK BEEF SALAD. The beef was served with crunchy peanuts, mint, green mango, fried shallots,  vermicelli noodles all soaked in Nam Jim broth. The beef was tender and cooked to a nice medium-rare just how we like it. The mangos were a little sour, which was a nice contrast to fried shallots and cilantro. It was hard to share I could have  eaten this dish all to myself.

As suggested by our waiter, we ordered the CURRIED SHRIMP AND NAAN BREAD.  The curry was intensely flavoured, with an overwhelming taste of ginger, and the contrast of the cold fresh veggies atop the hot curry, was a little strange for me.

We also ordered the Crispy Calamari with caramelized peanut sauce and pineapple. The long strips of calamari were nicely battered and lightly fried. The peanut sauce was drizzled, but hard to find on our plate, we wish there was a little more.  The pineapple added an interesting flare to the mix, but overall the dish wasn't too exciting compared to the others we ordered.

Finally, the menu item we had all been waiting to see the 32 OZ RIBEYE AND CHIMI CHURRI. Our waiter told us it would be really large about two pounds of meat. My mom was worried it would be way too much. Upon arrival, we realized that the bone contributed to most of the weight; there was not one piece of the meat left at the end of the night. The Ribeye was cooked to a nice medium-rare, it was quite fatty, but all Ribeyes tend to be.

We don't do dessert too often - none of us have a real sweet tooth - but it was my dad's birthday, so we ordered the DULCE DE LECHE. It was a interesting combination of dulce de leche, lemon sponge, raspberry ice, caramel and sea salt. If you like sweet and salty, this is for you. If not stay away.

Would we go back? Yes

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:
Spicy Spanish Fries