Grazie Toronto - Feed Me!

Grazie Toronto

2373 Yonge St.

  Toronto, ON

M4P 2C8





This is sure to be long, never ending blog that will be updated like there is no tomorrow. Having lived in the Yonge and Eglinton area for a few years, Grazie's is my go to spot for a solid meal and good wine. I've been here with family, friends - and everything in between. A landmark in the area, this Italian restaurant has been busting bellies for years.


The Review:


By the time this blog on Grazie's is officially finished, I'd have tried everything on the menu. The Grazie menu is heavily focused on fresh pastas and thin crust pizzas. A shame I'm only starting now - but a hungry man has got to start somewhere. This is one of two Italian restaurants in the area (the other is La Vecchia) that is consistently busy - day or night, 7 days a week. Expect to wait at least 20 minutes to get seated for dinner on weekdays, longer on weekends. All pasta is fresh, made daily.

My co-drinkie and Comet girl stopped by on the weekend (February 17, 2012). What to eat? C'mon, get outta here!

K girl went with the Penza ($15) - rigatoni with vodka, pancetta, green onions and a hint of chili pepper.

Penza

Over-sized rigatoni with a creamy tomato vodka sauce. Pancetta (cured bacon) to add a salty fattiness, green onion for a little sharpness and chili for a touch of heat. I'd prefer smaller rigatoni and a little more pancetta with more herbs, but overall it's a nice combo.

Comet girl went with Amalia ($15) - spinach filled ravioli with prosciutto, green onions and asparagus. *Disclaimer: eating asparagus makes your pee smell like rubber!

Amalia

Hand-made stuffed ravioli. The spinach and ricotta inside the ravioli had a nice balance of bitter and creaminess. The prosciutto fed the saltiness factor, the cream sauce smoothed it out and the sharpness of the green onions and semi-bitter asparagus added a little crunch texture to even things out. I found the mildness of the cream sauce got over powered by cracked black pepper the waiter offers to add on after serving. I'd skip the pepper next time.

I dove in for some heavy hitter carbs - Gnocchi ($14.75) potato dumplings.

Gnocchi

Topped with ricotta, bathed in a light tomato sauce it hit the spot. Gnocchi is always heavy and dense - one second on the lips means forever on the hips. Luckily I'm not a 40 year old woman with a thyroid problem so I can pound this dish back without regret. The tomato sauce was so light and tangy it worked perfectly with the gnocchi. The ricotta on top added a creamy saltiness that brought it all together. I liked the cracked black pepper on this to add a little kick.  

Baked Goat Cheese Salad



June 5th, 2012. It's been a while since I've been back here. After an evening of hard drinking, I headed to Grazie's for a late night snack and a drink. Something from the antipasto menu seemed appropriate. The baked goat cheese salad ($12) hit the spot. A light phyllo pastry pie filled with warm goat cheese and roasted vegetables. Very rich. Went straight to my spare tire so to speak. It was served on top of an arugula salad and some fresh tomatoes in a light oil and vinegar dressing.

The Verdict:


The service at Grazie's is fantastic. The servers are friendly and always attentive. For people like me who get off on instant gratification, the food comes out lightning fast after ordering. Great wine selection. This bustling Italian joint gets a solid 9 out of 10. Three dishes down... fifty-two to go.

The Bowery Toronto - Tumultuous Tuesdays!

The Bowery Bar

55 Colborne St.
Toronto, ONM5E 1C6

The Bowery Toronto

I was feeling a little lethargic. Having gone out the previous five days in a row for food and drinks had me a little beat - both my liver and wallet have been taking left right combinations lately. The Bowery bar is a semi-posh restaurant / bar in the St. Lawrence Market area of downtown. Located on Colborne St., this old stone building seemed to be the perfect place to house this drinking spot.

The Review:

After a full day of indecisions and confusion on where to go, we miraculously agreed on The Bowery. It's 8pm - we're thirsty. The friendly hostess with big glasses wearing a dress that looked like it was made from the skin of a zebra seated us at a nice half circle booth near the back. Happy hour for the win. All pints and bar rails are ($5) from 7 - 10pm. Perfect. Round 1.

Onto the food. The Bowery menu is an eclectic mix of meats and appetizers. With none of us having the appetite for a full entree, we opt to go with apps and a pizza to soak up some of the free flowing wobbly pops we start eagerly guzzling back. One of the group went with the Lamb Ribs ($9) and Frites ($5).

Lamb Ribs

The rest of us snacked on one of the two pizzas ($16) on the menu. A chewy thin crust with a simple tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes, spicy salami, mozzarella with some fresh strips of green on top. There was some balance of saltiness from the salami and sweetness from the tomatoes, but overall I found the pizza a little bland. To be honest I'm not sure what the mountain of green strips on top were... at first I thought basil - but they were totally flavourless. Anyone want pizza with their green leaves?

Bowery Pizza

I found the open glass concept wine cellar in the back a nice touch. Since it's not in the cellar, does that mean it's just called a wine room?

Tuesday nights they have a dj playing a mix of house and r&b / hip hop. Around 9pm people start filing in, and by 11pm they were packed in like sardines. Thankfully we had our spacious booth! With the music cranked up to club like levels, I was starting to lose my voice having yelling conversations with my friends. We decided to call it a night at midnight.

The Verdict:

This restaurant / bar had a nice, relaxed atmosphere (until it turned into a club). Coupled with good drink specials, a small - yet selective food menu and good music makes this a place I'd definitely come back to on a Tuesday. 7 out of 10. I'll be sure to try some of the entrees next time to get a real taste for the food here.

Nota Bene - Rabbits Beware Review

Nota Bene

180 Queen St. W.
Toronto, ON

M5V 3X3 Canada

Damn you Trevors Kitchen! Since Trev didn't give us a break, the girls and I ended up at a place I've been wanting to check out for a while. Nota Bene is a favourite spot of a girl I used to date. I was hesitant at first. The thought of running into her almost terrified the appetite out of me. ALMOST. Not quite. Let's eat.

The Review:

Reservations at 9. The cute hostess with nerdy glasses had us seated quickly. Before we start - why am I not surprised my co-drinker Krissy has been here before? Even more so, that she happens to know the chef? Does she ever sleep? Is there anywhere she hasn't been?! 

We started off with drinks - Vodka and tonic  for the K girl, white wine for Comet girl any myself. What to eat? My co-drinkers opted for the Thyme and garlic roasted cornish hen ($27) and Braised beef short rib ($29). I've always had a taste for exotic or unusual - and my taste in food mirrors just that. I eagerly ordered the Rabbit soffrito with pappardelle pasta ($26) - cute animals always seem to taste good.



Braised beef short rib

The Braised beef short rib came on top of corn truffle, pickled red onions, coriander and queso anejo. Que? The beef was uber moist and tender, sweet and salty. Nicely balanced.



Thyme and garlic roasted cornish hen

The cornish hen rested on top of braised kale, bacon, white beans and tarragon jus. The hen was perfectly cooked, super moist and juicy. The skin was crisp and salty which added a nice texture. Mixing some of the hen, crisp salty skin and bitter kale in a bite was the perfect balance of savoury, bitter and salty.

Rabbit Soffrito with pappardelle pasta

My go to restaurant in my area is Grazies. Italian at its best, especially when the drinks are flowing. I usually go with the 'Nico' - braised veal with pappardelle pasta at Grazies. This dish reminded me of Nico with a twist. The sauce was smooth, and the pancetta and olives added the saltiness and the sauteed porcini mushrooms finished it off with some bitter chewiness. Top top it off - some braised rabbit. It's my first time dining on the little furry animal. It had a slight gaminess with chicken like texture that went hand in hand with the rest of the dish.

Dessert was on the house c/o Nota Bene chef Geoff. Still space in the belly so I help finish of all 3 of these.

The Verdict:

Nota Bene food was really good. Service was excellent and fast. Free desert was awesome. They've got suckling pig on the menu which is seasonal and in limited quantity. I'd definitely go back. Hopefully sooner than later. I'll give this foodie spot a 9 out of 10.