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| - Absolutely love this spot.
I have long been a fan of the Mercatto locations in Toronto, and this one is now my favourite.
I have been living near the Eaton Centre for nearly 4 years now and believe me when I tell you, I have completely exhausted the venues in my immediate surroundings for meals and drinks. Not to mention, the options at my disposal were nothing to write home about (Home = Yelp).
This location has two floors; a bar and semi-private dining room on the main floor, and a mezzanine on the second floor. The decor is rustic and welcoming, high ceilings and simple yet comfortable seating and tables.
One thing I could not help but notice is how personable and warm all the staff were, I was extremely impressed even before the food hit the table.
Along with another guest I shared a pizza and a pasta. The pizza - Pancetta e Caprino (Italian bacon, goat cheese, roasted tomato and caramelized onions) was a delicious choice. Aside from the seemingly heavy toppings, the pizza sat lightly in my pork belly. The crust was blistered just perfectly and the pizza was thin and crunchy. I loved it, with the addition of the pepperoncini, I could not ask for more.
The pasta we ordered was the Chittara (alla carbonara, guanciale, black pepper, egg, pecorino) and it to was on point. The chittara pasta closely resembles a spaghetti but is a touch flatter. However, what truly caught my eye about this dish was the guanciale which is cured pig's cheek. I'm an absolute charcuterie slut and I love guanciale. If you've never had it before I would compare it to a pancetta, it is very very salty. It is also traditionally included with spaghetti alla carbonara.
What I most admired about this dish was that I could taste every ingredient that was listed for it. I could taste the fresh black pepper popping throughout, it definitely had a warm eggy taste to it, the sharpness of the pecorino was noticeable, and the cream sauce with explosions of salty guanciale brought it all together for me.
For dessert we had the much anticipated Ciambelle pronounced chee-am-bell-ay, Italian doughnuts filled with vanilla pastry cream. They were very good but I have had better Italian doughnuts so my expectations were not met. My guest was losing their mind with each and every bite and even used his last doughnut to sweep up all the excess sugar and icing sugar that was left on the plate. I found them to be a tad dry, but it is their go to dessert and they are hella popular.
To wash all this down we had a gorgeous pint of Birra Dolimitti. It's brewed in a small town in Italy name Pedavena located at the base of the Dolomites. The reason why I decided to write this fact is because I wanted to make it clear that Mercatto takes very little shortcuts if any at all with their selection. What items and ingredients should be local, are, and what should be imported from Italy, are. The beer was light, refreshing and aromatic, I loved every sip of it and they even had Dolomitti pint glasses which again is them going that extra mile for authenticity. Speaking of their alcohol they boast several 100% italian beers on tap and their wine selection is staggering. They also have an enomatic wine dispenser and a preservation system in place which ensures you receive a glass of wine as perfect as it can be, or should be.
Wow after that alcohol spiel I feel like I should be working there. But seriously, all liquor aside this is a cozy resto with delicious edibles and fantastic fluids. They also have flat screens above the bar constantly playing sports and the Food Network. Speaking of the Food Network Mercatto's Executive/Head Chef will be competing on the next Top Chef and that is big things.
Come summer time their patio can hold up to 150 patrons...I know where I'll be having my patio treats.
Great for coffee, lunch, dinner, dessert, drinks, groups, kids, take-out and even catering, They got it all.
I highly recco this resto.
Do it.
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