Paese (on King)

In his last blog post (dated May 28, 2010), Executive Chef Christopher Palik made "the big reveal" with the unveiling of Paese Ristorante on 333 King Street West—a welcome downtown addition to Tony Loschiavo's original location, where patrons have been enjoying his dishes for well over two decades on Bathurst Street in North York. Although Paese on King has been operational since late last spring, a bit of clever marketing finally prompted me to walk through its bright orange door at the start of this year.

Lobster & Basil Crespelle

Modern, crisp designs lend an air of sophistication to this neighbourhood restaurant that prides itself on its philosophy of creating Italy-inspired meals in a made-in-Canada approach. Upon stepping inside, I couldn't help but remark on the clean, loft-like architectural feel, yet with none of the pretentiousness all too often affiliated with certain establishments that try much too hard to be all trendy things (bar, club, lounge, restaurant) to all demographics. At Paese, staff are not only friendly and attentive, but also quite knowledgeable when it comes to its culinary creations (house-made pasta and fresh fish and seafood) and specially imported ingredients (mozzarella di buffalo and prosciutto di Parma).

Although deviating somewhat from its online selection, the menu features daily specials and provides enough variety to entice you to come back for more. For brunch the other day, I opted for the lobster and basil crespelle with marscapone and heirloom carrot sauce—a very appetizing seafood dish that contained a generous portion of lobster filling, wrapped delicately around a crisp, wafer-thin crêpe. Superb. Dessert? Pannetone with golden raisins, citrus, chestnut gelato, and dark-chocolate sauce—not thoroughly defrosted on the inside and, well, an item that did leave something to be desired ... but perhaps an opportunity to try the dark-chocolate terrine on my next visit to Paese ;).

Paese Ristorante is located at: 333 King Street West (between Blue Jays Way and John Street)