Mediocre, to say the least..
So we decided to try Scarpetta this past week for my significant other's bday, and went into the experience with relatively high expectations, both being big fans of Scott Conant. I'd read up a bit on this resto before making our resos, and they were mostly mixed, but thought what a better way to celebrate a birthday than at a resto with a notable executive chef known for his refined Italian cooking..
To start, we ordered the creamy polenta with a fricassee of truffled mushrooms, the duck & foie gras ravioli, and the porterhouse steak (special) with a side of mushrooms & grilled potatoes.
The ambiance in this resto was cool although a bit vacant and definitely had the air of a restaurant superimposed in a hotel. Not the cool vibe of a funky, independent resto on the Ossington strip. It was quiet inside, granted, it was a Monday night and neither of us expected it to be super happening by any means, so it would be interesting to see how this place shapes up on a weekend evening... Our server was definitely lovely and super personable, and very attentive throughout our meal.
As for the wine list, it is very extensive for Italian wines (being an Italian resto and all) ;) although I do have to say I wish there was a larger selection of international wines at more reasonable price points (I have had many a bad reaction to Italian wines so I tend to stay away; a sensitivity to the tannins used in Italians so it can really be hit or miss). Although going into an Italian restaurant I don't expect the focus to be on International wines, but for purely selfish reasons I would have liked to have seen more on that note :)
The Polenta came and went quickly.. It was truly delicious and has kept me wanting more.. Good thing I found the recipe online ;) (Yes, I am making this tonight lol). This course truly set the tone for the rest of the meal... next course was the duck & foie gras ravioli. We shared this between the two of us, and the nice personal touch was dividing the portion into two, for individual servings for us both.. The filling of the ravioli was divine to say the least, but on the note of the fresh pasta, I'd give it a 5/10. Quite gummy and just not the most enjoyable texture by any means.. I've had much, much better fresh pasta on many occasions..
Next came the Porterhouse steak topped with truffle butter, with the side of potatoes & mushrooms. The steak was well beyond medium rare (we'd asked for a touch above medium rare at medium-rare-medium), but came out well done. The cut wasn't the greatest and was quite fatty (Morton's is a thousand times better on the note of its Porterhouse; hence, it being a true steakhouse). We also found it to be really bland and flavourless, even with the truffle butter (this seemed to be the only thing to add any flavour to the meat, and it was just not enjoyable by any means.. we went as far as contemplating sending it back, but the kitchen was closing and we just didn't want to be that couple... As for the sides, there were maybe 2-3 small bits of mushroom on the plate, and a very small handful (say midget?) of potatoes which were so well done they were hollow on the inside (almost like they were deep fried??). At a pricetag of $68 for this dish, I truly would've anticipated far better. Scott Scott... tsk tsk... so disappointed in this item which should've been the highlight of our meal.. :( ! Really disappointing to say the least, especially after having dug out the receipt just today and looked at the total for this one item..
From what I have read, Scarpetta does not live up to Conant's reputation and I'd have to agree on this note. I wouldn't recommend Scarpetta by any means (there are much better places in T.O. to check out) but if going, I would highly recommend Conant's signature polenta dish; all other items we sampled left much to the imagination... Mediocre, to say the least, and with a pricetag of $200 for dinner, I would have expected more..