STAZIONE CENTRALE

No. 1 STAZIONE CENTRALE

LOCATION:

820 St. Clair Ave

Toronto, ON
(416) 656 4817

http://stazionecentrale.ca/

RATINGS:

Service: 3 / 4

Ambiance: 3 . 75  / 4

Food: 3 . 75 / 4

Price: $$

Stazione Central  is a cute little train station-themed Italian restaurant tucked away on St Clair West. This glamorous venue is decorated with vintage street light posts and tin-roof paneling. My dad, who has become a full-out foodie, discovered this gem and organized a family night out so that we could all experience the fabulous journey of food that Stazione provides. The menu is comprised of  is casual comfort items with an Italian touch; there is sure to be something to intrigue any diner.

We started off with a CAPRESE SALAD. Large beef steak tomato slices were topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, a light vinaigrette and a chick pea puree.  Although this dish seemed simple, it was packed full of flavour and was quickly devoured by us all. 

 We also ordered the ITALIAN SAUSAGE  from the Daily Specials menu.  The sausage was served with pork belly, chickpeas and sautéed rapinni.  The sausage reminded me of a breakfast sausage, but nicely complemented the lightly-charred vegetables.  This plate mixed ingredients that I would never have imagine together, but now can't imagine separately.  All the elements on this plate created a level of flavour that would impress any meat or veggie lover.

The COZZE was also a daily special, although I think it should be made a permanent fixture on the menu.  It has been such a long time since I have had such a wonderful bowl of mussels.  We ate every bite with a smile, and asked for about three refills of bread to make sure we could get every morsel of sauce left behind.

 The SAUSAGE-STUFFED CALAMARI AND SHRIMP sounded too delicious to pass up.  The seafood was served smothered in a smokey tomato sauce with green olives, anchovies and capers.  The sauce nicely balanced the acidity of the lemon and tomato, and with the saltiness of the capers and green olives.

 When my dad came to Stazione earlier in the month, he had a pasta dish that he loved. However, this time we tried the PORK BELLY PASTA. The very al dente pasta was covered in a rich tomato sauce with fresh peas and chunks fresh ricotta.  It was quite tasty, but nothing to rave about in comparison to the other dishes of the night.

Last but not least came the BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS.  Though the ribs were slow-cooked until they had fallen off the bone. They were served without the bone ( unfortunately I like to see the bone in). The meat was finised with some of the the natural jus splashed on top.  The dish came with their famous thick-cut home made fries.  The men at the table were all over this dish. 

Would we go back? Yes, absolutely! 

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:
The Cozze