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| - I always scratch my head about the mediocre food served on the Theatre Row of King West. Having dined at many of the restaurants which garner business mostly because of their proximity to the entertainment - I had pretty much given up and just eat dinner earlier at good restaurants that aren't necessarily on this strip. Though I am a skeptic, I still like to give things a second chance... after all, maybe things have changed?
Last Friday, I needed to grab dinner with my BFF prior to atttending the Wine & Spirits Festival at Sugar Beach. I had bought a voucher a while back for Paese and seeing as the expiry date was fast-approaching decided to dine there.
We arrived around 7PM with no reservations, but found a spot on their quaint patio. I also noticed that they had opened up their giant floor-to-ceiling windows to let the natural breeze in to the restaurant. A cute, orange Volkswagen with the restaurant's name was parked out front. It reminded me of the car that my high school principal drove, except his was shabby-chic and we dubbed it the "hippy van."
We were given some foccaccia with a mint and roasted garlic hummus to nosh on while the kitchen was busy preparing our order. I loved the large specks of salt sprinkled on the bread and the roasted garlic hummus was spreadable and yummy!
We shared the Roman Wedge Salad ($10), (which in essence is a reinvented Caesar salad) composed of Iceberg lettuce, roasted garlic mustard dressing, soft boiled egg, crispy capers and Parmesan frico. While the absence of Pancetta was dearly missed, the salad itself was still quite flavourful with its soft-boiled egg, and creamy dressing.
We also opted to try the Funghi Pizza ($16). I loved the thin crust, and the drizzle of truffle oil made it fragrant. The mushrooms were quite flavourful and further accented with thyme. Yummy!
A trio of hot sauces (Pickled Red Pepper + Chilies, Green Apple + Banana Pepper and Pickled Vegetable + Peperoncini) accompanied the pizza. Call me a purist, but the pizza was amazing just the way it was!
For our protein fix we ordered their Whole Grilled Fish ($28) which would be a Branzino for the evening. This was served atop a bed of fregola (similar in texture to barley), mustard and wilted dandelion greens. The fish had a nice char, and the skin was crispy. Although those of you who don't fancy boney fish, may want to opt for a fillet instead. I am a believer that anything boneless is inferior to its fully-boned counterparts. But that's just me. I absolutely loved the texture of the fregola and only wished there was more of it!
We also ordered a side (à la carte) - Rapini ($6) tossed in garlic, lemon, and extra virgin olive oil.
V E R D I C T
While you have to mind your elbows as table space seemed more precious than a square footage of Toronto real estate - the food was tasty.
Our bill, with tax and tip came to $78 (less the $50 voucher). Suffice it to say, that the next time I need to grab a bite pre-theatre in this neck of the woods - Paese will be where you'll find me.
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