F'Amelia

Tucked away on Amelia street in Toronto's Cabbagetown neighbourhood is F'Amelia. On a warm late May Saturday night, the restaurant's recently opened patio is packed and a line has formed with people waiting for tables.  Not a surprise, F'Amelia received huge praise from both Toronto Life and The Globe and Mail last year, hailing it one of the best places to eat in the city.  Executive chef Maurizio Verga delivers a Northern Italian menu that stays true to his roots.  

Here's what came to our table: calamari with arugula, cherry tomatoes, green olives, cappers and chili oil; asparagus salad with fava beans and bufala cheese; Ontario ricotta and fresh mint ravioli with peas, white pearl onions and Parma ham; fresh apple and celery risotto with seared scallops; and the parmigiana pizza with grilled eggplant and bufala and basil.  For dessert - the stunning brulee lemon tart with rhubarb compote and Ontario strawberry budino.   

So believe the hype. It really is that good.  And enjoy your escape to Cabbagetown. Walk around the hood and feel like you've been transported to another city, in a whole other time.