Eataly – Michael Eats

Quick Bites: Eataly Sherway Gardens, The Daily Dumpling Wonton Co., Roywoods

Published on November 15, 2023November 15, 2023 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Tuna sandwich and almond pastry cream croissant from Eataly in Sherway Gardens

I really hope that Eataly in Sherway gardens is still working out the kinks from their recent opening, because while my first visit was generally okay, I just tried a couple of things, and neither was even remotely worth what they’re charging. The tuna sandwich was basically fine, even if it tasted like something I could make at home and featured bread that didn’t exactly taste fresh. But the croissant (girella crema e mandrla) was so aggressively stale that I actually asked for my money back after a couple of bites. I’ve literally never even considered returning a pastry up to this point — and I’ve had a lot of bad pastries in my life — so make of that what you will.

Dumplings from The Daily Dumpling Wonton Co.

I tried a couple of varieties of dumpling from this place (Classic Shanghai, which is pork and mustard greens, along with shrimp, pork, and chive), and both were quite tasty. Neither variety particularly knocked my socks off, but they both featured perfectly cooked wrappers and satisfying fillings. The highlight might have actually been the very tasty chili oil, which is smoky, mildly spicy, and features a nice balance of flavours; they sell this in jars you can bring home, and yeah, I bought one.

Jerk chicken from Roywoods in Yorkdale

The time I tried the jerk chicken from Roywoods, I had it in a sandwich, so I figured I’d get the plate with rice this time. The boneless dark meat was a bit on the salty side, as was the rice, but it was otherwise quite tasty (and unlike last time, it actually had a pretty good kick). It’s nothing too mind-blowing, but for something from a food court, you could certainly do worse.

Pizza and Gelato at Eataly in Sherway Gardens

Published on November 3, 2023 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 25 The West Mall, Etobicoke (inside Sherway Gardens)
Website: https://www.eataly.ca/stores/eataly-sherway-gardens/

The Eataly in Sherway Gardens has just opened, and while it isn’t quite as impressive as the downtown location (it’s roughly half the size at 25,000 feet, as per Toronto Life), it’s still an absolute must-visit for anyone who’s even vaguely into Italian food.

The selection there is absolutely massive, with all kinds of pantry items, fresh pasta, cheese, meat, and prepared foods. The prices, however, are serious business — looking at the price tags on the prepared foods, in particular, is not for the faint of heart. It’s all a bit below restaurant pricing for stuff you have to bring home and heat up yourself, so I guess it’s not too crazy if the food is really good. But I will admit that paying 16 bucks for one small serving of cold lasagna just feels wrong on a very fundamental level, even if it’s delicious.

(Or maybe I’m just a cheapskate.)

I tried a couple of things. They have a decent selection of pizza slices that you can either eat in the restaurant (though there are only a handful of tables at the moment) or take out. It’s a thick crust, Roman-style pizza, which is ideal in a grab-and-go setting since it reheats quite well. I got the margherita, and while nothing about it particularly stood out (the crust, in particular, is pretty bland), it’s a solid slice of pizza.

They had eleven flavours of gelato on offer; I went with the old standby, pistachio, and it was fine. This is a thoroughly insufferable complaint, but I was recently in Italy and was eating gelato on a daily basis, and what they’re serving here is basically trash compared to that.

That’s not fair, of course, but even compared to what’s available in Toronto, the gelato here is good, but not great. The pistachio flavour was a bit off (it definitely tastes like they’re using real pistachios, but I think they might be using flavouring as well), and the texture wasn’t quite as creamy as it should be.

Checking out the Summer Scoop Series at Eataly

Published on July 11, 2021 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 55 Bloor Street West (in the Manulife Centre), Toronto
Website: https://www.eataly.ca/news/housemade-gelato/

Eataly is currently doing a promotion they’re calling the Summer Scoop Series; every month, they’re collaborating with a different local gelato-maker on a special flavour. This month, they’re working with Nani’s Gelato, and the flavour is pistachio ricotta kulfi.

The Eataly website describes it as “an Indian-inspired flavour with an Italian twist, featuring Italian pistachio paste, chopped pistachios, steeped saffron, cardamom, and whipped ricotta.”

As you’d expect from Nani’s (and the gelato at Eataly is no slouch, either), it’s superb. The pistachio flavour is pronounced, and it’s perfectly complemented by the saffron and cardamom. The bits of sweet ricotta interspersed throughout are a nice touch. It’s top-notch gelato.

Pizza and Gelato at Eataly

Published on December 16, 2019 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto (inside the Manulife Centre)
Website: https://www.eataly.ca/

After years and years of speculation and hype, Eataly finally opened in Toronto last month; judging by the intense crowds, it’s a hit. Apparently there were lines just to get in for the first few weeks, and on a recent visit on Saturday, the place was absolutely packed.

So was it worth the wait? It’s hard to say based on one relatively brief visit, but I’m gonna say yeah, it was. It’s basically an enormous, high-end Italian grocery store crossed with a food hall. They sell all kinds of really interesting looking stuff, and all the food I tried was tasty. It’s delightful.

I tried a couple of things. First up was a pizza at La Pizza & La Pasta, a sit-down restaurant with a wood-burning oven that pumps out authentic Neapolitan pizzas.

The meal started with some seriously good-quality bread, which came with a bowl of intensely nutty olive oil for dipping.

As for the pizza, I had to try the margherita. As I’ve said before, I think it’s one of the world’s few perfect foods. It’s also a great way to judge the quality of a pizza joint; its simplicity puts the technique of the kitchen in full display. There’s no fancy ingredients to hide behind.

The version they serve here didn’t blow me away — the crust was slightly lacking in substance and flavour — but it was a solid B+. In particular, the pizza had a perfect amount of char from the blazing hot oven. The person manning the oven clearly knows what he’s doing.

Just around the corner from the restaurant is Il Gelato Artigianale, which has a whole bunch of tasty-looking flavours of gelato on offer. I went with stracciatella, and I quite enjoyed it.

I found it a bit overly sweet at first, but the combo of the sweet ice cream and the very bitter chocolate (they’re definitely using a darker chocolate than the norm) won me over. And the gelato itself is nice and creamy, even if it was slightly on the thin side.