Hey Lucy
Posted on September 24, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in The Annex
4 stars
- Geez. There seems to be some negative buzz surrounding this place. Most of the stuff I read made it seem like there wasn’t any shot of much good coming out of it. So, imagine my surprise when the food was good, the service was attentive, and the overall experience was one that I’d come back for.
In all fairness, a lot of that negative stuff I read was about their Theatre district location on King West, which I’ve neer been to, but that just doesn’t hold much value for me. The fact is, most of those places on that strip of King seem to get a bad rap. Get ‘em in, get ‘em fed, get ‘em out; that’s their philosophy as they wait for theatre goers to arrive, and then again when they hope for them to come back after the show… thankfully, Hey Lucy’s Annex location isn’t anything like that.
With their soft lighting, chandeliers and black-and-white cow print seats, it’s difficult to describe what exactly they were going for when they designed this place, but somehow, it works well and provides a nice backdrop, particularly for a date night. The ambience is hip, the decor is comfortable and cozy, and the space is of a decent enough size that it can easily accommodate both large groups and couples.
Hey Lucy is busy in the summer evenings, mostly because of their killer patio that lines the entire side of the building. Perfect for people-watching, this packed space is a nice addition to The Annex, and it holds up well against other patios on the street (except for Pauper’s Pub!).
Probably what Hey Lucy is most well-known for is their martinis. They’ve got a pretty decent martini menu with some interesting things on it, like the Godzilla and the Freedom 55, but man, these guys are expensive. Although they do come with a minimum of 2 ounces of booze, you can expect to shell out 9 bucks plus taxes for one. And while that may seem ok at first, having a few of them can easily add up… trust me on that. If martinis are your thing, but getting ripped off for them isn’t, then you’re definitely going to want to come back on a Wednesday. Wednesday is Martini Wednesday at Hey Lucy, and the prices drop to 4 bucks for the exact same martinis. But come early, other people like a good deal when they see one too, and this place fills up pretty quickly.
Their menu doesn’t follow any sort of style; it’s a bit all over the place, but it’s still the sorta thing you might expect from a place like this. Pastas, wood-fired pizzas, paninis, sandwiches, all of it is pretty good, but unfortunately, this can unexpectedly change once the place fills up. In Hey Lucy’s case, it’s better to go when it isn’t that busy.
While I wouldn’t go out of my way to go to Hey Lucy, if you’re in the area and looking for a night out, Hey Lucy provides nicely.
- Andre
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Parkette Kitchen and Bar
Posted on March 19, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Liberty Village
4 stars
- If you venture away from the downtown core, just outside the hustle and bustle of the 9-5 crowd, the theatres and skyscrapers, you might just find a restaurant that is surprisingly unique and that shows some real passion. You can still see the CN Tower, but it all seems far removed from the tourist-focused mentality. Preparing food requires creativity and there is no better place for the chefs of Parkette to find artistic inspiration than on Queen West beside Trinity Bellwoods Park.
A very tiny restaurant, Parkette offers an equally small, very succinct menu with starters, second courses, salads, pasta, pizza mains and desserts. The server tells me, “our dishes are meant to be shared, like family-style,” and so we did.
A meal for two should typically be made of three dishes; a starter, a salad and a main or a “second” and two mains, and so on. They offer, what I would call, up-to-date traditional Italian food. Our starter of mussels in tomato broth, topped with fennel and white beans ($10), was just light enough to leave room for the heavier mains of beef cheeks on bed of polenta ($16) and ricotta gnocchi with oxtail ($14). The beef was tender enough that only a fork was needed to pull the pieces apart and, though not experienced with polenta, I thought it was appropriately soft and that it held up to the rich beef.
As mentioned in previous reviews, I am a new gnocchi-addict. Parkette’s was not so dumpling-like as I’ve had before and it was certainly not topped with your typical pasta sauce. Little packets of tender potato, assumingly kept so soft by the ricotta, were paired with oxtail and sun-dried tomatoes in more of an aus jus, than a sauce. I think I had a bit more than my fair share of that dish – at a $14 price-point, this was the best of the night. The ingredients are bold, but the layered flavours hold up perfectly.
Humble, but delicious, Parkette offers carefully prepared food in a great atmosphere; natural woods, stemless wine glasses and paper napkins prevent the tiny interior from becoming claustrophobic. Parkette does almost make you feel like you’re having a lovely dinner in the park.
- Nicole
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La Passione Italiana
Posted on February 19, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Deer Park
4 stars
- La Passione is a dimly lit and intimately decorated restaurant on Yonge, just south of St. Clair, where you can get your fill of any and all your Italian favourites and a (huge) glass of wine.
Their extensive menu holds everything from Calamari Fritti, Insalata Arugula, Papparedelle al Salmone and Penna alla Vodka to Gnocchi with a choice of four sauces, Pollo alla Jolly (chicken in rose sauce) and Margherita pizza (a simple delight of mozzarella, olive oil and oregano).
La Passione balances the traditional with some modern comforts; you can peruse the thorough and interactive website and check out their Facebook page, then go and grab a classic white-clothed, candle-lit table and dip your focaccia in olive oil and balsamic before ordering gluten-free or whole wheat pasta.
The atmosphere is warm and inviting and, as I found out while waiting for my dinner guests who were running late, it is a very comfortable space to sit and relax with a glass of red.
From start to finish, it was delightful. For such a moderately-priced Italian restaurant, they surely hold their own.
I was ecstatic to find that my penne side dish with the Pollo alla Fiorentina – chicken sautéed with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in smooth and rich cream sauce – could be replaced with tender gnocchi. I truly could eat pasta every day, but gnocchi is my new favourite indulgence. I’m on the hunt for the best in the city and will devour any potato pasta nugget that comes my way in the process.
The veal Marsala entree is adorned with tons of sautéed mushrooms, the vegetables were cut large and almost put the roasted potatoes to shame; it was true Italian comfort food.
And as for the Papparedelle al Salmone, the wide threads of pasta are covered all over with a pink Salmon-infused cream sauce. Rich and smooth, this was definitely the star of our table.
Personally, I can’t go to an Italian restaurant that has Tartufo on the menu and not order it – no matter how full dinner has left me. A few flavours are offered, but I finally landed on Tartufo Royale, a tart and sweet pairing of raspberry and chocolate ice creams covered in cocoa and drizzled with chocolate sauce. I also happened to snag a scoop of pistachio gelato, but it didn’t hold a candle to the aforementioned chocolate indulgence.
La Passione was a nice surprise, with entrees coming in around $15-$20 and a wide-range of choices on the menu, it is sure to satisfy. They also occasionally post deals on Groupon – it makes for the perfect opportunity to get out and try something new.
- Nicole
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La Bettola di Terroni
Posted on January 30, 2011 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Downtown
4 stars
- Out on a cold winter’s week night, some friends and I thought we’d head to Terroni on Adelaide for a casual bite. Not having a reservation, on what appeared to be a very busy night, the hostess recommended that we try their new venture, La Bettola di Terroni, which was close by.
Once we arrived, we were all immediately impressed by the glass-walled pantry in the entranceway. It is always comforting to find a restaurant that flaunts its freshness. To me, it screams, ‘Come in! We know what we are doing!’
We took the advice, and waited for a table in a very cramped entrance way. With three other patrons in front of us, the hostess desk seemed very busy, but soon we were greeted and seated having had a table reserved at the suggestion of the hostess at Terroni.
The first thing we noticed, sitting at the end of a very long shared table, was how loud the music was. A mixture of 60s R&B and 70s Disco; it was far too loud. We actually couldn’t even hear each other. Being a trio, I had to use my friend to the left to convey what I was saying to the friend sitting opposite me. At one point, while trying to explain my thoughts on my salad to the person across from me, they smiled, nodded, and asked ‘so what salad are you having’? I’ll admit the restaurant was packed, bustling, and full of all the noises that come with that, but despite that, the music was the biggest contributor to the noise.
Our server soon appeared and did a great job answering all the questions we threw at him about red and white wines. He spoke well and seemed to truly care about recommending something we’d enjoy. Unfortunately, upon his return he gave the white to the red drinker and vice versa. To his credit, he noticed his own mistake and did not make it again with any of the refills.
Looking at the menu, anyone familiar with Terroni will find a lot to like here. It is, as their website describes, a sort ‘best of’ all the food at Terroni, with something for everyone.
Bread arrived with olive oil to dip. The oil had a nice earthy bitterness and was quite enjoyable. Our salads arrived soon after: a Giuggiolosa with mixed greens with Cambozola cheese, grilled peppers, pine nuts, black olives, honey and a Barbabietole e Caprino with roasted beets, goat’s cheese, lamb’s lettuce, pistachios, candied lemon zest, and anchovy balsamic dressing. The Giuggiolosa was slightly too sweet and could have used a few more of Bettola’s exceptional olives to add some more saltiness, but the Barbabietole e Caprino was near flawless. The beets were well roasted, and the flavours all stood out, as they should have.
Looking at the menu, one of my guests fondly remembered having eaten Arancini di Modica on a ferry ride once from Italy to Sicily, so out of nostalgia, we ordered them. Arancini are breaded and deep-fried balls of rice, cheese and other fillings. At La Bettola di Terroni, they’re filled with mozzarella and a pork ragout. They were a step above their peasant food origins, but all of us agreed that they weren’t spectacular, didn’t live up to the nostalgia, and we wouldn’t be compelled to order them again.
Our pizzas arrived soon after. Having been to other Terronis before, I knew what to expect, and so we decided to split two pizzas between the three of us. Although thin crusted, they’re not small.
We ordered a Smendozzata, with sausage, red onion and gorgonzola on a tomato base, and a C’t Mang with prosciutto, pear, walnuts and honey with gorgonzola and mozzarella on an olive oil base. The Smendozzata was classic Terroni style, and just as expected. The Gorgonzola was sharp and salty, and the sausage had a hint of fennel. Tasty. The C’t Mang was also excellent, with the perfect combination of salty and sweet, and a nice sharpness from the Gorgonzola.
Overall, it was a good meal. With La Bettola di Terroni, the Terroni family has added another feather in its cap. La Bettola di Terroni serves classic, Italian comfort food and serves it well. Besides the noise level, it’s be a great place to take a date, bring the family, or bring friends.
- Guest Contributor
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Lil Baci
Posted on December 1, 2010 by TOFoodReviews Staff in Leslieville
4 stars
- I’m a sucker for top-notch pizza. By top-notch, I mean pizza that is served sizzling and fresh and made with high-quality ingredients. Pizza like that is true craftsmanship; pizza like that I could eat every day. In my continuing effort to find superior pizza, I looked to Lil’ Baci in Leslieville. My visit didn’t disappoint me.
Lil’ Baci’s dining room is a decent-sized dining space, but the tables are packed pretty tight, so don’t expect too much privacy. You’ll likely hear everything that the table next to you is talking about. If you need to escape your neighbour table, in the warmer months you may want to check out the cute backyard patio. Comfortable, busy, and social, it’s the place to be when the sun is out.
When I’m eating Italian food, I like to start off with a glass of red vino or cold Italian beer. Lil’ Baci’s wine list is small but thorough and their beer list offers some nice Italian choices; Moretti and Perroni are my personal favourites.
Lil’ Baci has a seriously amazing dandelion greens salad. If you’ve never had dandelions as food before, this would be the one to expose yourself to it. The greens are slightly bitter, but the bitterness works well topped with shaved Parmigiano, cracked black pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon. Perfect starter.
And the pizza, they do it right. Lil’ Baci has a savoury and seasoned tomato sauce base that expertly compliments the four cheeses that are layered on their Quattro Fromagi; my personal favorite. They’ve got some other really outstanding pizzas to choose from like the Margherita (with tomato, basil, and mozza), the Lil’ Baci (with pecorino, sausage, and fennel pollen), and the Gorgonzola Dolce (with gorgonzola, Yukon gold potatoes, and caramelized onions). All of their pizzas are served on signature thin crust dough that is seared and blistered perfectly.
Lil Baci has got a really small pasta menu. Ridiculously small. There’s only three items. But still, these 3 items are done perfectly. They’re all made with quality ingredients and use that great tomato sauce that’s on the pizza. My favorite is just the plain ole’ Spaghetti and meatballs. It’s got just the right amount of fresh basil, sauce, and Parmigiano. The portion size isn’t huge, but with that dandelion salad and something from their Insalata menu, it’s more than enough.
Lil’ Baci also has a Panino menu, which surprisingly is different from their pizza menu. I love the Panino Tonnato. Packed with Italian tuna, caper aioli, sun-dried tomatoes and arugula, it’s perfectly pressed into an amazing bite.
The dessert menu has a few options, but when I was there I had a lemon prosecco tart. The crust was buttery, but a tad on the dry side. The custard-like lemon filling had a refreshing prosecco flavour, which balanced the acidity nicely.
I head to Lil’ Baci when I want some decently priced Italian food and some amazing pizza. Lunch or dinner, what you end up with is a steal anywhere in the city!
- Guest Contributor
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