Il Posto

For Winterlicious this year, some friends and I decided to try out Il Posto, an Italian restaurant hidden in the corners of Yorkville. This was kind of a last minute/random decision since we weren't able to make reservations for the place we wanted to go. I must say, this place is quite a pleasant surprise to us all. 

One thing I must say about this place is that it is quite hard to find, since you have to walk through this tiny (easily missed) alley to get here.

Grilled calamari, roasted peppers, spicy olive oil dressing. 

This is the appetizer that everyone ordered. It is some of the best calamari I've had to date. It is seasoned perfectly; just the right amount of salt and pepper. There is nothing extravagant about the sauce or the way it is made, but the simplicity of it really compliments and brings out the freshness of the calamari. 

Pan seared salmon with balsamic reduction.  

I didn't actually get to try this, but my friend couldn't stop gushing about how good the salmon was while he was eating. So I guess I'll have to take his word for it. 

 Homemade veal and spinach ravioli with light tomato basil sauce. 

This is what I ordered. I was a little disappointed. As described on the menu, the sauce is light and fresh, since they used fresh tomatoes. The ravioli dough is very nice; unlike the ravioli in Sassafraz, the dough is very tender, keeps the fillings sealed inside the pocket, yet it is very easy to cut through. However, the filling is even lighter than the sauce, so not only is there no contrast, the dish is a bit bland. I appreciate them taking a different route and not over seasoning with a whole can of tomato paste, but there needs to be a balance between keeping the dish light yet flavourful. 

Homemade ravioli of spinach and ricotta cheese, in butter and sage sauce.

This pasta is so good I wanted to steal it from my friend. I don't know how they made it so creamy yet light at the same time. Everything is seasoned well, again, very tender ravioli dough, the flavours of spinach, sage and butter is well infused into the dish. This is a dish I would definitely order again.

Banana chocolate meringue cake. 

My weakness is wine and sponge cake, so this cake was delicious to me. The bottom layer of sponge cake is soaked in a dessert wine (Marsala possibly?), yet it is not too mushy, which takes a lot of skills. (This is the part in which I often fail whilst making Tiramisu.) The banana also brought dimensions to the cake, and since it added new textures to the cake. One tiny complaint I have is the meringue. It's a bit too heavy, it would've been better if it was more fluffy on the inside. 

Overall Review: 

Food: 9.5/10 

I took the fact that this is Winterlicious into consideration. (Food during the 'licious events are often not as good as the restaurants' usual quality). Even taken this into account, Il Posto is the second best Winterlicious restaurant I've been to (aside from Bodega). A friend of mine also came to the restaurant after Winterlicious was over and she couldn't stop telling me how good the food is. I really liked how they took a different direction with their pastas and not overwhelm/cover the dish with heavy flavours. It's refreshing. 

Ambience: 6/10

It's a pass, but everything is very generic looking and seem kind of outdated. 

Service: 9/10

They asked to take my coat right as I entered the restaurant (a very promising start). The waiters were very attentive, welcoming and polite despite the crowd not being their usual customers. We also stayed there for quite a while after we finished our lunch, yet they were very patient with us and did not try to rush us out in anyway (A+ for this)! The only thing is, it took a while for someone to bring me my coat. I had to hunt someone down to bring it to me (as I had no idea where they put it). 

Price: N/A 

Since it's Winterlicious, the price and food are adjusted, so I'd have to return on a regular day to see if the quality matches the price. 

Overall Verdict: 9/10

I would definitely come back since the food is outstanding. I've been craving for their calamari ever since I've had it. 

Address: 

148 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, ON M5R 1C2

(416) 968-0469

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High Society

La Société is one of the higher end French restaurants situated in the heart of Yorkville. I walk by this restaurant all the time but could never justify eating here until the past month. One of my best friends and I have the same birthday, so we decided to come here for part one of our double celebration. 

This is the entrance to the bar area, there is a different entrance for the main dining room. 

The first thing I noticed is that my friend and I are the only 20-something in the restaurant. Most of La Société's customers seem to be an established and experienced crowd. You can also tell from the extensive wine list and $1,500 price tag on one of the wine they offer. This restaurant also seems like a popular business meeting-type restaurant. La Société is often compared to a very well known French restaurant called Balthazar in New York. 

The main dining room.

One part of their seafood bar.

Happy me, excited to try the food! 

 French Onion Soup

Since this is a French restaurant, we decided to give the French Onion Soup a try. I was so excited to try this, since they used my favourite melted cheese, Gruyère, from Switzerland. Sadly, I was sorely disappointed by this.It's good when an onion soup has rich flavours, but not so good when it's over reduced to a point of it being musky tasting and way too salty. As you can see, the cheese is burnt, and you can definitely taste the burnt bitterness in the soup. This soup was so salty that I ended up just eating the (unburnt) cheese. 

 Roasted sea scallops with fennel, squash purée and lime butter. 

This is my friend's dish, and the first thing I noticed was how little there is on the plate, considering this is a main dish. However, the scallops tasted great. It was seared perfectly on the outside, yet the freshness of the scallops remain and it is not overcooked. The squash purée and lime butter is a great combination with the scallops. The zesty flavour of the sauce really brings the freshness of the scallops to life. It would be great if this was less salty; again, this dish is over seasoned. 

 My steak frites. Grilled AAA dry aged striploin steak with 'Maître d'Hôtel' butter.

Simply put, this is a great steak. Medium rare, juicy, tender, perfect amount of seasoning. Along with the butter? Perfection. In the taste department, I have no complaints. However, I was disappointed by the portions. This is does not seem like 8 ounces to me.

Overall Review: 

Food: 8/10

I really want to give it a higher rating, since the quality of the food is there. However, 2/3 things we tried were too salty, and the portions were not great for what we're paying.

Ambience: 9.5/10 

As you can probably tell from the pictures, the décor is very nice, and is situated in one of the most fabulous locations in the city (in my opinion). It's a nice place semi-hidden from the busyness of Bloor Street. I took 0.5 off for the spacing of the tables. The tables were a bit too close to one another, and we can hear clearly the conversations beside us without intending to eavesdrop. 

Service: 6/10 

The service was adequate. The disparity in service is so apparent, and there's just no excuse for it. Sitting beside us were a pair of established, and older couple. The waiter would check on them, ask them about the food, refill glasses often, but it took forever for us to get the waiter's attention, let alone him checking up on us. I was not too pleased. 

Price: 7/10

The steak frites was $29, scallop $24, onion soup $12. Even if it wasn't filling, I expected the food to be top quality. Yes, the food quality is high, but the cooking/seasoning needs improvement. 

Final Verdict: 8/10

I would probably give La Société another chance, and give the restaurant a try in the evening. 

Address: 

131 Bloor Street W
Toronto, ON M5S 3L7

(416) 551-9929

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