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| - FOOD: top notch. I like that they are creative with their pasta dishes and offer a choice of four sauces accompanying different types of pasta.
I like tomato sauce so I ordered the Nonna Franca - spaghetti with sauteed broccoli, anchovy paste, pine nuts & raisins covered with bread crumbs & sesame seeds. It was delicious and very different. Never thought of adding raisins to my pasta, but the sweetness and texture blended surprisingly well with the sourness of the sauce and the pasta.
My bf ordered the Catrina - spinach linguini with grilled chicken, pancetta, onions and black peppercorns in extra virgin oil and garlic sauce. Also very good, with a subtle taste.
The portions were on a smaller scale, which is great for us, as we got to finish the entire plate. For those who are used to N.A. sized portions, you may want to get an appetizer as well.
SERVICE: really liked the hosts, bartender and the ones who brought water and cleared our dishes. Funny thing is, our waiter was probably the least helpful. He took our order and we never saw him again until he brought us the bill. I wish that our tip went to the others (incl. kitchen staff) instead of him. But, that is just one person from the number of people that serviced us, so overall, we were still content with the level of service.
AMBIANCE: casual, lively atmosphere. There's constant background noise of people in nearby tables chatting. Seemed like everyone by the bar was having a great time. I like that it's bright in the restaurant, enabling me to see my food.
VALUE: I was surprised by the prices. I always thought Grazie's was an expensive restaurant, since it was so popular and located at Yonge & Eglinton, but it's actually very reasonably priced, most dishes are around $15 and was tastier than some of the high end restaurants.
I definitely want to come back and try all their pastas. I wish they take reservations so that I don't have to wait 30-60mins for a table!
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