Living and working on College Street can sometimes spoil you
when it comes to Italian food because there are just SO many options. I have however quickly discovered that as
many options as there are, the actual quality doesn’t always measure up. It seems that as delicious as the food at
some of the places here is it can also feel heavy, bulk-made and sometimes hastily
prepared without much attention to the nuances of spices and flavors that bring
Italian food to life.
Gusto 101 (which literally means “tasty” in Italian) opened
its doors earlier this year by transforming an old auto garage into and open
concept, industrial-style feast for both the eyes and the tummy. The owner has already made her mark and built
her reputation off the success of her previous venture Café Nervosa in
Yorkville (which I still have to try). I
started hearing rumblings of this place on various different newsletters and
blogs and instantly had to add it to my list of places to try. Judging that the place is always packed to
the point where people are spilling outside I was excited to see if the food
would live up to the hype.
The atmosphere is exactly that of what you want for the bustling
King West location – loud, busy, crowded with the noise from their open kitchen
battling over the conversations from small groups, dates and after work drink
seekers. It’s hard to get reservations
for any seating after 6ish so the trick is to get their early. When you are lucky enough to get a table you
are greeted by very friendly and knowledgeable wait-staff who know the menu,
know their wines and have stepped into the new age of technology by taking your
order on i-Phones. Love.
On this sunny Thursday evening we found ourselves in the
back corner table ready to indulge! We
ordered our drinks and then promptly decided on appetizers. They have a great selection of wines and also
have their own winery in their basement.
House Wine for only $1 an oz – which is clearly why it was sold out on
this visit of ours L You can also book out the wine cellar in
their basement for private group engagements – definitely need to keep that in mind!
Fresh Ricotta
Bruschette (herbs, maldon sea salt, house made focaccia) and Arancini (rice wild mushrooms, fontina
and tomato sauce)
Ever since I first had Arancini at Enoteca Sociale its
actually become one of my most favourite appetizers. Rice stuffed in a deep friend breaded
ball? SIGN ME UP. The Gusto version was nothing less and
literally made me not want to share! But
they do come two in a serving so it’s perfect to split. The ricotta that came with the bruschetta was
maybe the freshest, softest and fluffiest ricotta I’ve ever had, just perfect
with the their focaccia and when that ran out, we used our bread basket!
On to the mains!
Spaghetti Chitarra alle Vongole (manila clams, white wine roasted tomatoes, toasted
bread crumbs, pepperoncino), Ravioli di
Ricotta e Spinaci (ricotta, spinach, tomato, smoked mozzarella di bufala), Fettucine ai Funghi (portobello,
oyster mushroom, porcini, truffle paste, light cream) and Da Dee Pizza (sweet potatoes, cavolo
nero, local fior di latte, spanish onions, pecorino, rosemary)
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The spaghetti was not my cup of tea just because I’m not the
biggest clam/mussels fan. Just something
about the texture but it LOOKED absolutely delicious. So many textures and colors all in one
plate. The Ravioli was also nothing to
write home about but still a great option if you’re looking for a vegetarian
dish that’s simple. My FAVOURITE pasta
dish was by far the Fettuccine. First of
all, we all know my love for anything with cream and mushrooms so this was
already a winner before it even got to the table. It was full of flavor and each bite just
melted in your mouth. It doesn’t rival
the mushroom pasta from Spuntini but it’s definitely up there. The Da Dee pizza was an interesting
choice. We weren’t sure how the sweet
potatoes and kale would work together but they actually created a perfect blend
of bitter and sweet. Not sure I’d go for
it again but glad I tried it.
Looking at the menu now it looks like I’ve tried all the pastas
that I would (and clearly have a favourite) but would love to try some of their
pizzas. The Funghi, Prosciutto and
Salisicce are all on my list. They also have some great salad options (starter and meal
options) but who can go for a salad when there’s so many delicious options.
And Finally Dessert!
Being that we were 4 girls, there was really only one option
– the Dessert Platter!
Dessert isn’t on their menu but from what I remember this
included a caramel crème Brule, mini cinnabons, and mini chocolate
cupcakes. The Crème Brule was the clear
winner of them all.
So all in all the food was sort of hit and miss. You almost need to figure out what your
favourite dish is and then not stray from it.
I found mine but feel excited that there are still some other options to
try. I’ll definitely be back seeing as
Gusto 101 is so close to home, their open late Thursday-Saturday, have Brunch
AND are opening their 90 seat roof top patio this summer!
Till Next time!
Address: 101 Portland Street (King and Portland)
Parking: Plenty of street parking and lots
Price: $$
Food: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 9/10
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