So I have been waiting, wishing and anticipating the opening of Alimento Fine Food emporium and alas it does not disappoint! It mimics one of my very favourite spots in the world, the Mario Batali Italian food emporium - Eataly in NY where you can shop, browse and enjoy all things about Italian cuisine.
The retail space has a a great selection of gourmet Italian foods, mostly shipped from Italia and the variety of specialty deli
meats, cheeses (including homemade bocconcini, burrata and fior di
latte), antipasti and olives. All of which are my very favourite things!!
The open space combined with the exposed brick walls makes it very modern but a good creative feeling as well. The restaurant features a gorgeous long marble mozzarella bar and a few tables for intimate groups.
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| Capicollo |
I was fortunate enough to be invited to sample a gourmet and authentic italian tasting menu from their dinner service and I jumped at the opportunity.
We were greeted with a large salumi platter alongside house made cheeses that was incredibly decadent and desirable. Then soon after a plate of their house made capicollo to accompany our appetizers.
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| the verde |
We also had the opportunity to sample a few of their salads - their verde - which is their green bean salad which was lovely but the show stopper for me was the brussel sprout salad. I am not a fan at all for brussels sprouts but this preparation was absolutely wonderful and a must have! The slivered brussels sprouts combined with tart shaved apple, piave, and drizzled with an incredible carmelized honey vinaigrette with a garnish of pancetta was to die for!
Another unique item we tried was their
fresco fritta - battered cheese with cream of argula lemon and prosciutto wrapped in these deep fried pouches! To me, it sparked an idea for a poutine dish but a lot more elevated and decadent as well.
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| fresco fritta |
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| Brussels sprout salad |
Another big hit for the group was the
Parmigiana di Melanzana: Alimento's version of the Eggplant parmasean. The breaded eggplant layered with fior di latte, creamy ricotta, with a heaping of fresh and tangy tomato sauce garnished with shaved parmesan - it was simply delicious!
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top right - cabornara top left- il crudo
bottom right - lasagna bottom left fusilli |
For our mains, we were treated to either a pasta or a pizza for ourselves. We all ordered different dishes in order to share with each other. I would say that the
fusilli alla contendina was a stand out here with it's punchy flavours of sausage, onions mixed with rapine. I enjoyed my favourite thin crusted pizza - the
il crudo - prosciutto and arugula pizza. Served authentically without being sliced in advance, perfectly crispy and warm.
I'm so glad this place has just popped up in my neighbourhood! Can't wait to come back for more!
*** 1/2 stars
Alimento
522 King Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 1L7
(416) 362-0123
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