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Ascari Enoteca
Categories: Restaurants Italian Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Italian, Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
1111 Queen St EToronto, ON M4M
Neighbourhood: Leslieville
(416) 792-4157
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sun 5:30 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
8 reviews for Ascari Enoteca
8 reviews in English
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Review from C M.
North York, ON
5/17/2012
Went here for Mothers Day - it was pretty busy I recommend reservations unless you are a party of 2.
Between 5 people we ordered:
Apps:
fried broccoli (daily special) - pretty good, light on the breading (a positive)
Tuscan beans - didn't try
arugula salad - surprisingly flavourful and the mushrooms tasted bright and tangy
Entrees:
Jerusalem Artichoke pasta (big, flat noodles cooked perfectly with rich sauce)
Sausage/Pepper pasta - lots of veggies, wished there was more meat but still good
Ricotta Stuffed Gnocchi - OMG probably the best bite of pasta I have ever taken, I could have eaten 3 bowls of this. I have been talking about it for days.
I am only sorry I didn't have room for what can only be described as deep fried bananas dipped in caramel. Yum.
Everyone was happy and full leaving the restaurant. Atmosphere is clean and simple but also warm. I would try anything on the menu as none of the dishes we ordered disappointed. Service is fine, they definitely know their Italian and their dishes. Will absolutely return and recommend highly.
As of May 13, they were accepting cash & debit only. -
Review from Eric T.
Toronto, ON
5/11/2012
We've been here twice and LOVED it both times!
Come for the fresh pasta, but add on some appies and wine. Yes, it's pricey, but it's oh-so-worth-it. We've tried the Stracci and the Cavatelli. Both were pitch-perfect! The Stracci has a healthy amount of wonderfully non-gamey lamb with swiss chard, currents, pine nuts and other tasty ingredients. The truffle-scented cavatelli is hard to go wrong in my books in that it has many of my favourite things: not raindrops or roses, but duck confit, brussel sprouts, and chanterelles.
Off the starter menu, we've had the crostini and caponata. Of the two, I like the crostini, but both were excellent! The crostini is a great blend of smooth and crunch between the well-seasoned chicken liver mousse and the perfectly toasted crostini.
Wines were generally tasty and I love that they let me sample before committing.
The vibe is great too. Small room with a large bar and you can kinda see into the kitchen.
They're doing DJed events on Monday. If I remember, I'll go on Monday and report back! -
Review from Jordan M.
Toronto, ON
3/26/2012
Went here for dinner on New Year's Eve for dinner
Busy enough but still felt welcome with good service
Ordered the Stracci and will definitely order it again.
The charcuterie plate was very nice but maybe a little small.
No pizza on the menu -- understandable with so many pizza places nearby. -
Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
3/11/2012
200th Review!
I've heard the raves about this place so it was the perfect place on a Saturday night when an old friend was in town. I called and the hostess squeezed us in at the bar. For me it's more 3.5 than 4 but this is the first time. I'll have to go back!
VIBE
It's very simple but it works. Charcoal grey walls with nothing else on them and a few pictures on the other side of racecars (the reviews below explain why).
The bar is fantastic. Beautiful, gorgeous marble and you can't peek down to see the magic of what the bartender does. :)
Crowd is sophisticated and relaxed. Lots of couples or four-tops of friends. It's a nice vibe. You don't feel rushed here.
Service is friendly but not warm, if that makes sense. However, he was very informative on the drinks and food. That said, I was here to catch up with my friend not make friends with the bartender.
WE ATE
We started off with the olives and bread --it would have been nice to get a basket, instead of one piece of bread at a time but that was probably a good thing since we'd be loading up on our carbs that night.
We wanted something more heavy so we got the Crostini alla Toscana: three crostinis topped with a generous dollop of chicken liver mousse, capers and sage. Wow. If you want an explosion of flavour, this is where you'll get it. Definitely good value. We were happy after this course.
We were craving pasta and pasta we ate! I got the fetuccine bolognese, which was the special of the night. It was a generous portion that made you feel satiated. There aren't many meat with pasta options on the menu so this is why I got it. But this bolognese didn't have red sauce and I was disappointed by that fact. Pasta was as fresh as can be.
I nibbled on my friend's choice: the Tagliatelle with Jerusalem artchoke sauce (whatever that means); mushrooms, black truffle puree and fresh thyme. All I have to say is I wish I got his dish! Wow. The flavours were amazing and the thick noodle picked it all up. Damn.
WINE:
I got a glass of 2008 Nero di Troia / Colle Petrito --it was a full bodied red that went well with the bolognese. I was definitely a bit tipsy after this one.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
Definitely one to "race" to in Leslieville. It's a nice space and I hope it continues to do well but I would love to see a chicken pasta dish on the menu. I'll definitely be back if not for the Tagliatelle, for the Cavatelli. Great date place! -
Review from Vivek S.
1/19/2012 1 photo
Opened by the the same folks who helm Table 17, Ascari Enoteca is Leslieville's entry into the Amazing Torontonian Enoteca Race. It's fitting then that it's christened for a famed Italian Formula One champion. The resto features racing iconography and postcards regaling diners of its namesake, Albert Ascari; a man who was as enthusiastic about eating as he was with driving at high speeds, i.e., a Man.
Though it isn't enormous, there are quite a few tables inside which make it well suited for groups large or small. The decor is mostly subtle, modern and grey, which is as far from nonna's design sensibilities as I can imagine. I enjoyed the long bar, where bottles of wines slotted themselves into Tetris-like wall shelves.
Their menu comprises of starters, salads, and pasta. Quite simple. The drinks menu is actually more substantial. They have a handful of inspired cocktails (Fernet-marinated kumquat in a Manhattan? Say what?), some bubbles, and a solid selection of red and white by the bottle or glass. When the description promised the that the Cacc'e Mmite di Lucera "tasted like purple" we had to order a bottle of this red. Pretty dark and fruity and a respectable match for the eats.
Our foursome started off with the Antipasto Ciccio which was a platter of meats, cheeses and spreads served on a large charcuterie board. It's quite an array: provolone, quince jam, honey comb, a grape seed mustard, pickled veg, honeyed chestnuts, olives, and three kinds of salami all served with a small basket of soft bread. I thought the meats fell a little flat but everything else was interesting enough, and it was sufficient for four people to share. We also ordered the Crostini alla Toscana: three crostinis topped with a generous dollop of chicken liver mousse, capers and sage. I could eat about a dozen of these bad boys.
The pasta was flawless.Two-bites-in everyone was thrilled with what was on their plate. I was impressed (with myself) for ordering the casarecce with sausage, tomato sauce, peppers, and fennel. Simple but extremely satisfying, and a Big Boy portion. I also snuck a bite of the other pastas on the table; everything was great.
We polished things off with a three-layered semifreddo of maple, quince, and chamomile and cappuccino. A wonderfully light closer to a fantastic meal. With a bottle of wine, an appetizer and dessert dinner for two came to $120, which is well worth it. I shall return!
Obligatory Title Pun: Leave V-ROOOOM for dessert!
Menu Readability: Fabulous design. And I really dig that azure blue.
Need to mention: At present they only take cash and debit.
What this place teaches me about myself: Did you know that "a racecar" is a palindrome?Listed in: That's Amore!, Yet Another Good for Groups…, Leslieville Locals
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Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
It's been less than a week since my dinner at Ascari Enoteca, and I'm already planning my next meal there. Vivek S. has already nailed it on the head -- the pasta is absolutely flawless, and definitely the star of the show. My Stracci pasta was to die for: wide sheets of fresh pasta with sumptuous chunks of braised lamb, a smattering of pignoli, and bits of chard. I could have eaten four bowls of this. My dining companions were kind enough to let me have a taste of their pastas, and I'd say it was a pretty close race for 1st place between all of our dishes. Eeetza good pasta. *makes Italian-esque kissing noise* Squisito!
The Antipasto Ciccio was delicious as well -- a huge board with several kinds of salumi, cheeses, and antipasti. I particularly enjoyed the pickled vegetables and the bresaola. The appetizer was huge, and definitely feeds two starving people or four for nibbles.
The wine list is quite large for such a small, casual place. I also loved the wine descriptions on the menu -- playful but still meaningful enough to make a good decision.
I'd also like to award Ascari some extra-credit points for two more things:
1. Not restricting menu access on their website to a PDF download. I *hate* it when restaurants make me download a PDF to view the menu. So, yay Ascari for doing it right!
2. Online reservations! No need to call the restaurant beforehand!
In short, I loved my meal at Ascari. I'm definitely headed back ASAP so I can shove my face in another bowl of their awesome pasta. -
Review from Golnar F.
Toronto, ON
11/30/2011
Similar to Pat A. who was the first customer at Ascari, we ordered the Crostini Toscana to start. It was quite delicious and our dog tried to lick our face off when we got home so human and dogs approve :)
The menu is predominately pasta, salads and appetizers aside, so this I found a bit disappointing. With little variety of options I was left wondering how this place would have me coming back consistently.
Regardless, having difficulty choosing from the lack of choice I defaulted to the waitress, which we all know can be a challenge sometimes. You hope to hear some romanticized answer and often get the "Well I haven't had a lot of this stuff because I don't eat meat." This waitress on the other hand was amazing. With a hint of an Italian accent and ability to tell a story, she had me sold on the lamb pasta. Now I'm not going to do it any justice by explaining it, so you'll have to try it yourself but essentially it was braised lamb, with square homemade pasta, what seemed to be dried cherries and a very subtle use of cheese. Spectacular!
The significant other settled for a simple spaghetti but as far as simple spaghetti's go ... again the actual noodles were incredible and the tomatoe sauce was deliciozo!
We ended the night very unnecessarily with the equivalent of what I'd say are fried banana donuts. Banana's battered, fried, dipped in sugar and cinnamon and then served with a creme of caramel.
We also had an espresso and Americano and I'd go back just for the coffee it was so good.
The meal was served with perfect olive oil and bread, which they are apparently still trying to settle on ... the bread not the oil.
They still didn't have their license so it ran us $70 before tip and tax.
In terms of decor ... it's lacking the warmth of an Italian establishment. I'm all for minimalist and slightly industrial looking design but it's too "cold". What's really great is the postcard that comes with your bill that tells the story of Alberto "Ciccio" Ascari, why they haven't leveraged this story to add some life to the walls via black and white photography is odd.
However, given it's Table 17 affiliation, I am confident they'll make the place work but would def recommend more variety on the menu or at minimum a changing menu.
Otherwise it was yum! -
Review from pat a.
Toronto, ON
11/30/2011 3 photos
I was the first customer in the door!
This is a new venture by the Table17 folks, and has been in the work for a few months now.
There's no trace of Lou's Variety or Ben's gallery left. It's a cool, contemporary spot with an open kitchen (they make their own pasta) and the colours make me think of mens wear -- those subtle tones, nothing too bright. I don't recall any artwork on the walls: will check next time I go in.
On opening day, they didn't have their liquor license yet -- they were hoping it would come through this week. I'll have to follow up on that.
Failing alcohol, I had a carbonated beverage: they have a few Italian ones, and I chose a Chinotto. It's like having a non-alcoholic bitters. Label looks like '40's pin-up girls. I'm sure a few of my friends would enjoy that. Kinda had a nostalgia thing going on there.
There were a lot of items on the menu I wanted to order. I really had difficulties deciding (and I'll be back to try out other items).
I settled on the Crostini Toscana for an appetizer. Three toasts with a good dollop of chicken liver paté each, with caramelized onions on top, and a fried sage leaf covering all.
Very tasty! I've been making paté for over 30 years, and this one was enjoyable: smooth, sweet, no hint of graininess or bitterness. Not as rich as foie gras, which sometimes is a good thing! The sage leaf had been fried to the point that it shattered perfectly when biting into the toast and had that sort of funky sage flavour, and the onion contributed additional sweetness. Good appetizer. It's going to be a challenge not eating that all the time, now that I know how tasty it is -- saves me making a pound of paté and then eating it all.
I was tempted to order one of the side vegetables -- brussels sprouts -- they sounded delicious. But I worried about eating too much. Then I found a pasta main that included brussels sprouts, so I thought I had it all covered! I had the cavatelli with shredded confit duck, brussels sprouts, and chanterelle mushrooms. The mushrooms were on the verge of crispiness, which was delightful, and helped their meaty taste come out. The brussels sprouts were individual leaves, casually tossed in olive oil, and bright green. They were sweet, and I almost wished they were a little bitter, as a contrast to the richness of the duck, which was gorgeous and moist and everything that good duck confit is. The pasta was firm, provided some resistance when chewing it, and teamed perfectly with the fall food ingredients.
How to finish? I didn't need anything else to eat. I decided to have an espresso, and it came with perfect crema, lovely depth of flavour and richness to complete the meal.
Yah, it's a good thing I'm fixing up my exercise cycle with a laptop holder, because I'm going to need it with Ascari Enoteca in the Leslieville neighbourhood.
