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| - Wednesday nights are not what they're used to be: they're better. Especially when they involve dinner at Terroni, a hefty Italian restaurant in a converted courthouse nestled in the heart of Toronto. A buzzy lunch spot, I explored the place with a local and I was fortunate to see every angle of the space (even the wine cellar, which was an old jail cell decades past, and columns still stand) before my friend found us a seat at the bar. Some of my favorite dinners have been barside - Grammercy Tavern, Woodfire Grill, Anissa, to name a few - if only because the heart of a restaurant comes through the simplicity of the bar experience. on this particular evening, it was the two of us rounding out a corner seat. Behind us though, the space was expansive - good for large groups and intimate gatherings due to the varied dining rooms - and well lit, as any good restaurant should be.
We started the evening off with the perfect cocktail: a negroni. Then followed that with a bottle of red from the extensive wine list. Food was light that evening. A gorgeous plate of creamy burrata, after which came a crispy mushroom salad - baked not fried so the flavors come through clean - and the most simple of pizza's, a Margherita.
The salad has been a staple on the menu since the restaurant opened, and I can understand why. It's a surprising combination of flavors and textures, a welcome respite for those tired of the traditional cured meat platter - though I hear Terroni does great work in their own salumeria. But the finery is always best found in the details. A good burrata on the menu will often indicate the restaurant is worth trying, if only for that cheese.
Just don't expect pretension. Terroni keeps it simple, so you can be slightly decadent, and well, revel in your cocktail.
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