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| - Food 5/5 (60% of final grade)
The food is very fresh and evidently made on site. I went with my team from the company and was blown away! Even the bread they served first was soft and aromatic. The appetizer charcuterie board had an assortment of meats and cheeses paired with olives that appealed to a full spectrum of taste-buds-- from heavily fermented to lighter tastes. The provolone pizza that followed was thin-crust and for the first time in my pizza eating experience did I taste fresh tomatoes in the sauce-- not the heavily processed, MSG-filled, junk-food goodness in usual pizzas, but an evidently simple, effective, traditionally family-owned-Italian-recipe pizza sauce recipe. A vegetarian 4-ingredient tomato sauce penne and minced meat fusili followed. While the penne was succulent, I personally loved the minced meat fusili-- the pasta wasn't soft like usual at all, but had a bouncy texture that gave it great gourmet texture and feedback on the palate. A tomahawk was served next-- one was medium rare, the other was medium-well, and I loved the medium rare one. It was so tender, with the taste of the beef melting into your tongue along with the succulent meat itself. For dessert, a delicate platter of Italian desserts-- cannoli, tiramisu, lava-cake, and pistachio ice-cream. While normal pistachio ice-creams are just frozen fogs of greenness, this ice-cream was jam-packed with the nut itself and had a wonderfully crunchy texture I will not soon forget. The meal was finished with a choice of coffee (caf or decaf), americano, latte, or cappuccino. The latte was small, temperature was perfectly palatable (coffee is actually not supposed to be super hot when you drink it), milk was steamed with the texture of meringue while retaining its silky texture. Basically, the meal was perfect.
Ambiance 3/5 (10% of final grade)
At first sight there really was't anything to comment about in terms of the decor, and the big table we ate at was right in front of the meat fridge (so it almost felt like we were sitting in front of the cold cut aisle of the supermarket, except we didn't feel the cold). However, after awhile the inner decor kind of grows on you. It's a family-run store that knows exactly what it's doing, and is low-key enough for you to be perfectly comfortable without being blown away by the decor (which was minimal, really). The clear meat casing, hanging hams, and wall adorned by other products they sell were really homey though. In general, the place was small, but not cramped.
Service 4/5 (10% of final grade)
The servers were very friendly, and made sure not to be intrusive with their interactions with us while we were chatting away about our work. They were there, but not intrusive at all. The gentleman didn't have a specific alcoholic drink for one of my colleagues, so he conjured one up based on what my colleague drank prior, and my colleague absolutely loved his creation! Evidently, they were very attentive and had an attitude of quiet genuine servitude. The lady even asked if we wanted to save the bone from the tomahawk for a dog, if we happened to have one, but then the gentleman commented on the choking hazards of giving a dog a bone (which possibly saved my colleague's dog, as she was going to bring home the bone to her baby).
Cost 4/5 (10% of final grade)
For the food, it was ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT. 5/5 would be dirt cheap, so no 5/5 here, but for food of this quality, absolutely acceptable.
Brownie Points 2.5/5 (10% of final grade)
They have bottled Coke and Ginger-ale. That's retro and awesome (HEART)
Final Grade = 87/100 = 5 Stars
TLDR: The restaurant is tucked away in a sneaky little location, but trust, this is food I'll crave for again, soon. That fusili though.... Perfect for a nice little dinner out after shopping at the nearby Yorkdale that won't break the bank but would give you something to fan-girl to friends about later. This is the first 5 star I've given to a restaurant. Fun times, excellent food, superior service, amazing experience.
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