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It's the eve of summer solstice and I yearn to be sitting in
an Aegean fishing village taverna feasting on fresh, locally caught
seafood. But instead of heading out to the slew of Greek-inspired
restaurants on the Danforth, I aim downtown at
Mediterra.
Less than a year old, this eatery is nestled
between the Toronto Hilton and Sheraton
Centre, and its prices reflect the well-heeled clientele it
wishes to attract. Located at the southwest corner of York and
Richmond, the cozy bar is separated from the expansive, attractive
Adriatic fishing-village restaurant backdrop. Wood chairs with
raffia seats, warm terracotta walls, lots of wood, a see-though
fireplace and, thankfully, an unobtrusive, attractively designed
open kitchen, provide a pleasing ambiance -- a rustic theme in a
modern setting.
Fresh fish is proudly displayed on ice
beside the open charcoal grill with the ubiquitous lobster tank
sitting quietly by itself near the entrance. Service is cordial and
prompt (although the restaurant is on the quiet side this night with
only a few tables of happy American tourists). Gordon, the manager,
who hails from Scotland, greets and seats customers, and tells me
that they do a brisk business at lunch and that noise levels do
rise. Smokers are ensconced in a dramatically enclosed area at the
south end of the restaurant, which features an enormous, colorful
village mural. I choose a York Street window table for
two.
Dinner kicks off with warmed grilled slices of bread
dipped in a tasty mix of fine Greek olive oil and freshly clipped
oregano sprigs that our waiter prepares from a small plant that
resides at our table. It is accompanied by a full bottle of
surprisingly tasty Fantis (packed in New Jersey) extra virgin olive
oil. Beverage of choice? A bottle of Ontario's delicious Vineland
Estate 1997 Dry Riesling, its perfectly refreshing zesty green peach
flavours a wonderful foil for seafood. It's also a best buy at $30 a
bottle.
The creamy soup du jour is an under-spiced, rather
floury, clam-juice-oriented seafood chowder ($6.95) with some tasty,
firm, diced vegetables and small pieces of bland fish. Oh well. For
appetizers, I pass on a red, green and yellow pepper charbroiled
"salad," pre-marinated in olive oil, garlic, lemon and basil ($6.95)
and opt for the grilled calamari with fresh asparagus and olive oil
lemon dressing ($12.95 dinner/$11.95 lunch). Rarity of rarities,
this squid is truly tender, fresh tasting (although, as in most
Toronto restaurants, they've been previously frozen) and plentiful.
Note that the round, mushroom shaped "calamari" are really
cuttlefish that belong to the same cephalopod (meaning
"head-footed") family as squid. The asparagus is perfectly grilled
and the dressing's a winner. This dish's stars are shining.
The other starter, crab cakes made from pure Maryland
crabmeat mixed with fresh herbs and served with garlic dip ($16.95),
was a pricey disappointment. Two tender, plump, medium-sized cakes
are nicely dressed by a very tasty, small side salad of arugula.
Yes, the kitchen gets marks for using genuine expensive premium
crabmeat but, trouble is, there simply isn't enough flavour. As for
using the garlic dip as a foil -- hey, where's the garlic? This dish
wouldn't cut the mustard in any Aegean taverna. Perhaps a concession
to the American tourists.
Moving on to the mains, I was
tempted by the homemade open lobster "ravioli" (actually a thicker
much larger pappardelle) with fresh lobster basil and saffron sauce
($23.95). But a recent unhappy experience at another establishment
made me reluctant to experiment. Dario, our enthusiastic Argentine
waiter, promotes the whole fish and brings a platter, featuring a
trio of very fresh, pristine, plate-sized selections priced from $38
to $42. Fork tender, pricey and very hard-to-find genuine American
red snapper is one of my faves, but the sea bass and pargo (a
traditional Mediterranean catch) also have great appeal.
I
end up with shrimp and scallop linguine with freshly prepared pesto
sauce ($18.95). It was a knockout: al dente to a T, wonderfully
spiced and flavourful. It came with very fine, firm, and large black
tiger shrimp, and two genuine fresh scallops. Getting firm shrimp
flavoured with a gentle wink of iodine is a challenge, given the sea
of mediocrity out there.
Credit the kitchen for telling the
customer that halibut is now out of season. Instead of serving the
frozen kind, it was substituted by fresh Chilean sea bass, grilled
with spinach, potatoes and white-wine herb sauce ($21.95) -- also a
winner. The steaks are fresh and tender, and the wonderfully
textured sauteed spinach and sweetly roasted baby potatoes are
simply divine. The kitchen even shows off the skin, identifying it
from its lower priced pretenders. (Although, it can also belie the
freshness of the fish.)
Moving on to desserts, there is an
oral recitation. As my attention flags towards the end of a bottle
(and a meal), I'd prefer something in writing. Having just tasted a
truly stunning tiramisu at Olive & Lemon last week, I tempt fate
by ordering Mediterra's rendition, selling for the inflated price of
$9.50. Bad idea: it's perfunctory with neither excitement nor
fanfare. Send the chefs over to feast on the latter's recipe. And
the Death by Chocolate (7.95) doesn't fare much better -- memories
of a slice of Fudgesicle.
In sum, if you want fresh seafood,
especially as the main attraction, this is where the kitchen shines
at reasonable prices. The overall rating, however, is hampered from
the mixed quality of appetizers and disappointing desserts.
Hopefully Chef Antonie Daoud and his team will address these
points.
With dinner for two pushing $150 with a relatively
inexpensive bottle of wine, I would've liked to see a little more.
And skip the Mediterranean-inspired elevator music. But the Greek
texture and proprietorship, and a multicultural staff, do put a nice
spin on this downtown destination.
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ADRIATIC AMBIANCE: Mediterra's fishing-village
backdrop provides a pleasing rustic theme in a modern setting.
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