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| - 4.5 stars... great new place in Toronto that should get some love. It is in it's first week of opening and I honestly could not tell ... there are zero growing pains experienced. It is well run on all accounts... environment, service, and tastes. It's all there.
Toronto was missing a really good restaurant that put out Latin American dishes that wasn't tacos or Mexican. Tanto fills that gap and I love this place. Around the world, I've had some great moments eating Peruvian & Argentinian... I almost feel that Toronto hasn't discovered the great flavours from this particular region. Now I can come back here on Ossington instead of picking up a plane ticket!
On Ossington, Tanto is a wonderfully intimate & subtley elegant space. I liked how I could have a conversation without yelling and how there was lots of spaces between tables. It's a good vibe here as the nicely dim lights just reveals the smaller details like the tufted velvet banquette, glimmers of the chandelier over the bar, or the distressed original brick walls. The open kitchen with the blaze of the wood fire was an interesting visual distraction.
Service here was great... attentive, knowledgeable, and the right amount of presence. It never was pretentious and it was always thoughtful. As with most new restaurants, it's shared small plates. We ordered a few dishes from each area. I also have to admit the additional gift of one dish was unexpected but help make a wonderful night even better.
Potato churros - This was a savoury take on the sweet churros. As explained, Chef Julian didn't want to do the conventional french fries and this is a nice twist. Super crispy and light, it came with a nicely sweet & savoury dipping sauce. I really liked how the churros had a prominent chive note that elevated it. 4/5
Squash Empanadas - I think these were fried and I know purists say that isn't right but I loved these. Super crispy crust surrounding a very creamy & naturally sweetened squash interior. It is one of the more expensive empanadas I've had ($7 each) but it's definitely one of my favourites I've had all year & worth the price tag. 4.5/5
Marinated Eggplant - Interesting take on eggplant. I've been on an eggplant binge with eating them at Bar Sybanne, Craft & commerce, every thai place ... this one was simple and had clean flavours. With the roast garlic puree underneath, the tender pieces of eggplant sat on top with it's charred skin becoming a darkened dusting on top. The addition of chilli adds the right amount of heat. 4/5
Grilled Squid - If there is an item to order... it was would be this. My most favourite squid dish all year. Honestly. Super tender with the right amount of smokiness. The addition of the chewy preserved mushroom and pancetta adds to the savoury depth and texture. I honestly loved every piece and would have happily eaten another plate of this. 5+/5
Bavette with chimichuri - Wood grilled meats are a key dish of Argentina and this was really nicely done. It was cooked more towards the rare side and the inner carnivore in me was so happy with the flavour. This is saying a lot since I'm a vegetarian Monday to Friday. This was very tender with the smokey & beefy flavours being really pronounced. The addition of the chimichuri was a great burst of vibrant herbs. 5/5
Banana and dulce de leche milhojas (millefeuille) - I was ready to go for the poached pear but the words uttered of 'millefeuille' made me stop. This is a really great take on the classic French dessert. With rich banana custard & creamy dulce de leche caramel sandwiches between flakey & super crispy pastry layers, it was a great ending to a wonderful dinner. It was not a super sweet dessert but a nice balance overall. 5/5
I think Tanto is a great Argentinian restaurant & a wonderful addition to the Toronto food scene. It's a place I'll definitely come back to try more dishes! With it's near perfect flavours & service, I feel it'll only get better as it hits its stride.
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