I was recently invited to check out Tuscan inspired Italian restaurant Florentia located on Mount Pleasant Road. I invited Erica to join me as I hadn’t had a chance to catch up with her in a while. We sat right by the window overlooking the street with a basket of yellow flowers staring up at us. I always try to find a window seat when I eat with her so we can people watch and comment on the world as it passes us by.
I ordered two bottles of Italian beer for us to sample as well as the risotto special which was being marketed on their sandwich board which sat propped on the sidewalk. The owner of the restaurant is a painter from Florence who has decorated the interior of Florentia with his work. I very much enjoyed the rectangular panel which stretches across the length of the dining room. While the service was friendly I was not necessarily wowed by the plates coming out. The food was run of the mill Italian food with a menu which read “soup, salad, pasta and pizza.” Presentation of the plates was a bit juvenile, especially the veal which appeared like a right mess.
Florentia offers folks living midtown a nice spot to grab a glass of wine and pint of beer but when it comes to their food expect to be greeted by the conventional. Dining at Florentia is essentially a deja vu with no real signature dishes or distinct culinary creations, you’ll leave feeling like you have been here before.
We sampled:
Carpaccio
beef tenderloin, arugula, lemon, evoo, parmigiano reggiano
Risotto
porcini mushrooms and parmigiano
Penne Strascicate
classic florentine dish of penne dragged through sauce prepared with lean beef, celery, carrots, onion and parmigiano
Vitello alla Sorrentina
provimi veal, sauteed with eggplant, fior di latte and tomatoes
Casaro Pizza
fior di latte, mascarpone, red onions, gorgonzola, parmigiano
Flourless Chocolate Cake
paired with hot chocolate and espresso macchiato
Toronto has many Italian restaurants offering different regional cuisine. I never found another one offering authentic Tuscan food that is on the level like in Florence. To appreciate the food you really need to know the difference between mediocre and excellent and this is what Florentia has! An excellent pizza, pasta and fish, daily cooked desserts and bread. While surrounded by artwork of the internationally known painter – Marco Sassone we were also commenting on their wonderful choice of jazz tunes. I guess we found our place to dine weekly and we think that our neighbourhood got really lucky having Florentia close by.