Located in the northern portion of Yorkville, L’Unita
offers the similar polished charm without the hectic crowds. As the grainy quality
of my photos indicate, it’s a dimly lit atmosphere. It’s warm and cozy from the
closely placed tables and there’s an entire wall of exposed brick.
The pompelmo spritz ($13) is fruity from the pink grapefruit juice,
yet the sugar level is controlled with vodka and Aperol. The prosecco helps add
the sparkle that makes the cocktail a great sipping drink.
L’Unita’s appetizers are delicious and with enough could
easily make for a satisfying meal. The sweet pea arancini ($12 for 3) has the creamy risotto and gooey cheese filling
that makes you swoon. The hot fried ball is served sitting on a garlicky cream
sauce to give it a chance to cool down.
The meatballs ($17) were decent: large, plump and
tender but incorporated a tad too much binder for me. The marinara they were
smothered in was delicious and the polenta served crispy, incorporating a
terrific textural contrast to the dish.
It was the tomato chitarra
and calamari ($25) that faltered. The dish wasn’t all bad: tasty flavours and
the calamari cooked nicely. But, the pasta itself was much too soft; surprisingly
not al dante for an Italian restaurant. Only to be further ruined by sprinkling
way too much largely chopped parsley over top – good luck trying to get a bite
without the overpowering taste of the herb.
Indeed, I was already disappointed when the pasta
arrived red and not a murky black as you’d expect when there’s ‘squid ink’ used
in the description. Yet it’s my own fault as the description was followed by ‘pangrattato’, which means bread crumbs,
and this is the sole ingredient that gets the squid ink kiss.
A better choice would be their zucca bianca pizza
($19) whose base is fantastic – crispy, aromatically blistered and thinly
pressed. The varied toppings worked well
together: soft butternut squash, salty bacon, smoky roasted brussel sprouts, and
the sweetness from honey… just watch out for the hit of spice from the chili
peppers.
L’Unita’s staff were wonderful, not only providing
attentive service but also proved to be knowledgeable with the menu. If only
the pasta was given less time in the pot and garnishes weren’t so liberally
spread, the meal would have been bellissimo.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 134 Avenue Road
Address: 134 Avenue Road
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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