Gusto 101

Holy macaroni you need to get over to Gusto 101 asap if you haven't already had that pleasure. A few gals and I went for brunch yesterday pre-matinee musical. It usually takes a lot for an italian restaurant to truly impress me (blame my nonna's incredible cooking), but I can honestly say that Gusto 101 blew me away. Don't come here looking for the grand slam breaky - this isn't your mom and pop shop, nor is it a greasy spoon. Chef Daniel Mezzolo has carefully crafted a menu to epitomize an italian brunch, if brunch were in fact, a thing that italians did. Be ready for cornetto (italian croissants), fine cheeses (Taleggio!), and lots of uovo's (eggs). And obviously there's an entire pizza and pasta section if you so desire.

image via toronto life

I really loved how the bold italian flavours were seamlessly incorporated into traditional western breakfast menu items. Adding ricotta and blueberries created a sweet and savoury pancake dish that left us casually grappling for the last bite. At first glance the Eggs in Purgatorino (mine) seemed like an overly-saucey egg dish, but the smoky provolone and salty olives balanced the tomato fresca perfectly - pair that mixture between two pieces of artisan bread and I'm really not sure it can get much better. Aside from superb food, the venue itself is pretty cool - restored from an old auto garage, Gusto has a whopping 90-seater indoor rooftop patio AS WELL as one streetside. yay!

Ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote ($13.95)

Eggs in Camicia - poached eggs on brioche, with spinach, crispy prosciutto, and sliced fontina cheese  ( $12.50)

Eggs in Purgatorino - spicy tomatoes, gaeta olives, smoked provolone, basil, and tuscan bread ($12.95)

Omelette - with prosciutto, prosciutto cotto and smoked mozzarella ($12.50)

Not pictured above - the most delicious Mojito's I have tasted in a very long while. Kudos to the bartender for knowing how to effectively muddle mint. While the menu itself was nowhere near overpriced for the quality and quantity of food (absurdly rare for a king street hot spot), the speciality cocktails were the same price as my meal. I was feeling pretty happy afterwards though, so perhaps they were doubles? Unsure. You tell me.

Happy Monday!

A.C