Review: Francobollo Posto Italiano

Francobollo Posto Italiano is a modern Italian restaurant, just north of downtown Toronto. They have been open for 1 year and are the newest restaurant introduced by Substance Food Group. I had a great time reviewing Terra, Substance Food Group’s flagship restaurant, so I came into this meal with high expectations. We reserved a table with fellow food lovers Clara and Monica from The Food Sisterhood so that we could share and try more dishes! Francobollo Posto Italiano is located in the upscale Avenue Road neighbourhood. The restaurant’s decor is very sheek and has a clean, modern feel throughout the narrow building that also gives it a homely ambiance. They have a nice selection of wines that are proudly displayed on the wall, which is where we started the night. There was a wide variety of menu items including some classic Italian dishes and lots of great seafood! 

For appetizers, we ordered the Calamari Fritti, Buratta “Oscar”, Polipo Sottovuoto and the Cuori d’Anatra. Gotta love the Italian menu names! The Calamari Fritti was a crispy fried calamari with horseradish and sea salt. The Burrata “Oscar” was delicious and consisted of a giant piece of domestic Burrata cheese dressed up with charred asparagus, snow crab, roasted lobster bisque, dried tomato and almond pesto. The Polipo Sottovuoto was another favourite at our table- a 75° octopus dish with quinoa, butter lettuce, orange-red-onion-caper-mint salsa, all plated beautifully on a red endive. Duck hearts are rarely seen on Toronto menus, so we had to try the Cuori d’Anatra. This dish used pan seared free range duck hearts, roasted Brussels sprouts, guanciale and 10 year old balsamic. 

We decided to try more seafood for the mains, as a Grilled Whole Seabream and Filet of Mediterranean Sea Bass were both available as daily specials. Both were tasty, however the seabream was especially impressive as a whole fish dish. Very fresh flavours as both fish were well seasoned and were accompanied with local veggies. Francobollo has a wide selection of pasta, and we decided to try the Linguini Vongole, an Italian classic made with manila clams, fresh tomatoes, parsley, white wine and aglio olio e peperoncino. Again, fresh ingredients stood out in each bite. We also ordered the 8 oz Grilled Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak with Bone Marrow and Wild mushrooms. This was a really nice cut of beef with a big chunk of roasted Bone Marrow. 

If you like desserts, Francobollo does not disappoint. Their selection of desserts changes daily, so we had to try all the featured desserts. I really enjoyed the house made Tiramisu and the fresh baked Apple Turnover. There was also a Pistachio Cheesecake and 2 types of Tartufo- double chocolate and salted caramel. If you find dessert choices difficult, sometimes you just have to order them all. Treat yourself. 

Since we were dining with fellow bloggers from The Food Sisterhood, our cameras were out in full force! I couldn’t have gotten these bright shots without some creative lighting help from Clara. It’s always more fun to eat with friends, especially when exploring Francobollo’s extensive menu. Francobollo Posto Italiano is a great choice for all occasions, with top notch service and impressive modern Italian dishes, heavy on seafood.

Francobollo Posto Italiano 

1959 Avenue Rd 

North York, ON M5M 2M5 

(416) 481-3888

Cactus Club Cafe- First Toronto Location

Written by Rayanne Y. aka @goodfoodscarborough (Good Food Toronto guest writer)

I had the opportunity to get a sneak peak of the Cactus Club Cafe Toronto located at 777 Adelaide Street West during their media event this past October. Cactus Club Cafe is a well established restaurant in Western Canada so I was very excited to see what they had in store for Toronto. 

As I entered the restaurant, I was warmly welcomed by the hostesses. I was then ushered to the glass elevators that took me upstairs to the second floor. As the elevator doors opened, you can see that the area was tastefully decorated. The vibe is upscale, yet relaxed enough for a drink with friends or an after work visit with coworkers.

The friendly bartenders served the Cactus Club's signature cocktails which were thoroughly enjoyed by the guests. Their bellinis were delicious and on point. They served samples dishes from their menu that were created by Canadian Celebrity Chef Rob Feenie.

If you crave a lighter fare, the Tuna Tayaki is an excellent option. Seared Albacore Tuna, papaya slaw, pine nuts, yuzu vinaigrette and cilantro. The fresh ingredients really makes this dish very refreshing.

Rob's Crispy Chicken Sandwich was really tasty. Perfectly fried panko-crusted chicken with swiss cheese, sambal mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. This was my favorite item I tasted that evening.

After sampling the food and drinks I went to check out the third floor of the restaurant. This floor had a rooftop restaurant feel and an amazing retractable roof which will be prefect for patio season. The lower floor had a classy sports bar feel and would be a great place to watch games with friends. I had a great evening at the Cactus Club Cafe.

My overall impression of this establishment was that it is conveniently located in the heart of the Toronto financial district and is a great place to relax, mingle and grab a few drinks and food after work or on the weekends. They offer exceptional customer service along with a great selection of food and drinks. Thanks for a great experience Cactus Club Cafe Toronto, I will be back for that chicken sandwich.

Fresh Burger Toronto Grand Opening

Fresh Burger recently opened its first location in downtown Toronto and I had the chance to attend the Grand Opening event. Fresh isn’t just their name, as they already have many happy customers for their Richmond Hill location. Ran into fellow food bloggers Alex (@hypebelly) and Diana (@TorontoCafeFood) at the event, who were busy snapping pics of the event (+ burgers!). I tried the 4oz Fresh Burger and a Poutine. It’s a simple burger, with simple quality ingredients that speak for themselves. Although I would prefer the meat to be a bit more seasoned. Props to Fresh Burger for giving out FREE Burgers that night to anyone willing to line up!

Fresh Burger
542 Church Street 
Toronto, ON M4Y 2C6
http://www.fresh-burger.com

Poutineville Open in Toronto

poutine... The delicious combination of fries, gravy and cheese curds is often known as Canada’s national food and this summer marks the opening of Poutineville’s first location in Toronto. Based out of Montreal, Poutineville has taken poutine concepts to another level! The menu consists of a variety of signature poutines with customizable toppings and their famous All You Can Eat Poutine deal! I was recently invited to preview their new location in the Annex near Bloor and Brunswick. When I first got there, I was surprised by how nice the restaurant itself was. Unlike the usual take out poutine joints, Poutineville offers a full service sit down dining experience focused on Poutines! They definitely know how to have a good time, as we were happily sharing shots and cocktails and stories with the owner, Kosta within minutes of entering the restaurant. We were then ready to eat some poutine!
I had a chance to try their signature “The Poutineville,” ($12+ tax) a poutine topped with five-hour braised beef, cheese curds, mozzarella and red wine gravy. One thing you immediately notice is that they use special crushed potatoes for this poutine, giving it a little more crisp. The “Filet Mignon Poutine” ($18+ tax) was another memorable one- fresh crispy home fries, topped with cubed tender AAA Filet Mignon, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheese curds, blue cheese and pepper sauce! The steak cubes were perfectly tender and juicy! “The Montrealer” ($12+ tax) was another amazing poutine with smoked meat and a giant fried pickle! We barely had room for more poutine and then they brought out “The Heart Attack" ($100+ tax).  2 of the servers were dressed in white doctors' coats and brought out this poutine mountain…a GIANT 15 LB POUTINE, easily the largest poutine in Toronto. It is also one of the most insane food challenges, as they offer the entire poutine for free if you can finish it in 1 Hour. It is a mountain of deliciousness, loaded with crispy potatoes, chicken, bacon, hot dogs, minced beef, ham, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese curds, mozzarella and gravy! “The Heart Attack” would be a challenge for even the craziest competitive eaters (1 person in Poutineville’s history has completed the challenge). If you and your friends love poutine, this could be shared with a group of 10-15 people!
It is a unique take on Poutine, as Poutineville focuses on giving Poutine lovers a fine dining experience in addition to epic Poutine concepts. They even welcome you to make a late night reservation (open til 4 am Fridays-Saturdays) to get your fix of poutine after a night of drinking! Poutineville already has 6 locations in Montreal, Quebec City and now Toronto.

Poutineville Toronto

296 Brunswick Ave.

Toronto, ON

M5S 2M7

647-349-2345