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Avlyn Gardens Restaurant & Event Center
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Italian Canadian (New), Italian [Edit]
10503 Islington AveVaughan, ON L0J 1C0
(905) 893-1144
- Hours:
Tue-Wed 11:30 pm - 10 pm
Thu-Sat 11:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sun 11:30 pm - 8 pm
2 reviews for Avlyn Gardens Restaurant & Event Center
2 reviews in English
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Review from L K.
Scarborough, ON
8/18/2011 6 photos
Avlyn Gardens has been open just 3 weeks. They have fixed up an old tea house on the main street of Kleinburg and created a charming, mildly upscale restaurant. From the front you will see only a cottage, but in the back is a smart little light-filled dining room and a large shady patio. We sat outside for lunch on a warm day but were comfortable in the shade overlooking a large greenery-filled backyard with huge maple trees.
The food is modern Italian: hand-made thin crust pizza (I would say Neapolitan style) with simple, high-quality ingredients, plus the other usual suspects: risotto, veal, and a few good appetizers and desserts. Our party of four tried the pineapple shrimp appetizer, two pizzas and the asparagus risotto. Everything was very tasty and prepared perfectly. The service was friendly and professional.
This is a welcome addition to the dining options in Kleinburg and I would recommend it for visitors who want a casually elegant lunch or dinner. -
Review from Johnny H.
Toronto, ON
4/8/2012 12 photos
The restaurant is warm and inviting. The dark brown wood floor and white walls offer a relaxed countryside atmosphere. A touch of elegance is added by chandeliers, trimming details on the wall and paintings. But this restaurant, first and foremost, caters to a calm rustic charm of dining experience in a place surrounded by trees and secluded from busy city streets. Time seemed to have slowed down, and all the stressful aspects of life disappeared from my mind. It was very pleasant staying in the restaurant.
The restaurant is very tight. There is barely any privacy between any tables. The dining section in the solarium is very bright and airy. Tables are quite small. But the chairs are extremely comfortable with enough cushioning and back support. Noise level is rather high since everyone is sitting so close to each other. All the conversations are heard. Server is very courteous and kind. She was attentive to some extent. Sitting in the corner of the dining room made it a bit difficult to call the server when needed. However, she wasn't really efficient with managing the restaurant. I noticed that table next to us was not cleared for 20 minutes. And there were some plates on the table when we were brought there upon entering the restaurant (I am guessing she just put them there instead of taking them away). But then I have to acknowledge that she was the only person serving the whole dining area (7 tables were occupied). She also listened to our demands, and accommodated us with respect. It took quite some time until our appetizers arrived. But the entrees arrived while we were still working on the appetizer.
We ordered calamari and backed mushroom salad for appetizers, and mushroom risotto and pizza or entrees.
The calamari pieces were quite huge. But they weren't thick. I liked it. Unfortunately, crispy texture was not present. It was quite salty too. Some were a bit undercooked. On a bright side, they didn't have rubbery texture. There was a subtle cheese taste in it. I think it worked pretty well, but the saltiness of the dish hindered the chemistry. The dipping sauce offered very nice flavor though.
The baked mushroom salad offered a raw but ultimately tender flavor. I loved this dish. A bit heavy in its cheese aftertaste, but all the ingredients complimented each other well. The vinaigrette and arugula countered earthy flavor of mushrooms with pinchy fresh feel. This is something that would fit perfectly in a log house located in a mountain. Unfortunately, this had a salty overtone too.
The risotto was a bit watery. The rice and mushrooms were cooked nicely though. There were enough mushrooms thrown into the dish. But I just wish they been a bit chunkier. And the sharp fragrant aftertaste was refreshing. A bit unrefined in its construction, but nevertheless it offered natural soothing taste - very warm and hearty. Again, this was a bit salty.
The thin-crust pizza was very interesting. It had pancetta, honey, pears and walnuts. The cheeses included gorgonzola and mozzarella. The honey wasn't sticky or too sugary. To be honest, this is sensory overload. All kinds of things going on in this pizza. Overall feel of the pizza was surprisingly mild, but it still had too many contrasting flavors. The walnuts seemed to have balanced them with aromatic taste though. Clever. But I don't like walnuts. And the pizza somehow tasted a bit cheap... It reminded me of something I eat at food courts. On the other hand, I also thought it was vibrant and exuberant. You be the judge. First several bites can be interesting, but I am not sure if I could have had the whole pizza. And yes.... This thing was salty too.
Enough thinking and passion went into each dish. But skills and sophistication? Not really. It kind of felt like kids playing with Lego blocks. It's a shame because I liked the concept behind the dishes. Somehow each dish relies on pungent aftertastes rather than impressions from initial bites. They could have been much better. But the ingredients were extremely fresh. I could taste much pronounced flavors in arugula, rice, calamari and cheese. Furthermore, the portion is massive. We struggled to finish the foods.
I also have to mention that this restaurant doesn't have air vents. You know what that means. It will be freezing in winter and boiling hot in summer. If you sit in solarium in summer, you will be part of the dish since you will be roasted instantly. And you will breathe other customers' sweat vapor.
