Trattoria Di Parma — Restaurant in Toronto

I was drawn to this place by the simple white table cloths and the table by the fire. The vibe was chill but not messy. We went earlier on a Friday night, around 530pm. A couple other tables were occupied but not at all busy. Menu is homestyle italian at a very reasonable price and portion size. The only entree over $20 is seafood based so that's to be expected. The server was perfectly lovely and fine with the service being the same. The food. We started with the bruchetta. 4 pieces at $6. Good price point but the tomatoes were not ripe which affected the flavour; a flavour so subtle as to not be a factor. Couldn't taste any of the herbs normally associated with the dish, and the oil itself was lacking in flavour. The bread was also burnt enough to be tasted on the crusts. Will try again in case it's just an off day for the dish. I had the Rigatoni with sausage, my partner the daily special. I found my pasta to need another minute in the water but can recognise that's my personal taste and the Rigatoni was cooked a nice al dente. The sauce on first taste was lacking. It was a little watery and flavours were hard to find. After it sat for a few moments and the ingredients got together, the flavour profile increased. The other pasta had the same issue. The food came out in good time but it wouldn't have been a wait if they cooked the dishes a couple min more to marry all the flavours. We also both felt the pasta itself needed more salt in the water during cooking. The daily special was seafood on pasta in a garlic and (I think pesto but she might have said basil) sauce but she modified it to an Alfredo. The seafood was cooked well, good flavour. She liked how her pasta was cooked but agreed the pasta water needed salting. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, sitting at a window seat watching life on The Danforth go by. We will be back for a second go around as affordable Italian is not easy to come by around the Danforth. Will...

Apparently, a trattoria is a place that serves simple food, and Parma is a city in Northern Italy that is known for its prosciutto and cheese. If that's the case, then Trattoria Di Parma is perfecty named.

My wife and I took advantage of their patio and went here for dinner. We got: Bruschetta: Soft and crunchy in all the right places. The tomatoes tasted really fresh. Insalata di Parma: Amazing and easily the best thing we had. The prosciutto was probably one of the tastiest we've had. The bosc pears were stuffed with gorgonzola and goat cheese, which made the contrasting tastes really work well. Linguine Gaetta: Linguini with shrimps, calamari and mussels. Generous serving of the seafood, though would have liked the sauce to have just a bit more bite. Shrimps and Scallops Diavollo: Scallops were cooked well (not rubbery at all), but would have liked the spicy sauce to have more kick. Also, this may sound funny but I'm being serious - the side roasted potatoes were really really really good. Tiramisu: Light, airy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Brownie Cheesecake: a bit small for the price. That said, it's heavy, sweet, food-coma-inducing goodness.

Overall value was good. And last but not least, Joe was amazing - friendly vibe, quick service, gave great recommendations. Think we've found our go-to spot on...

Check out @bredgyeats for food pics!

A night full of delicious Italian comfort food, what more can you ask for? The seafood linguine was sublime, especially for a big appetite like me. One giant bite of the linguine covered in a refreshing tomato sauce, which contains a subtle seafood aroma. Then follow it with a bite of a wide variety of seafood, which includes lobster tail. The sprinkling of capers also provides brightness in every other bite for an entertaining contrast.

Next was the chicken parm, where the breast meat is covered in an absorbent layer of breadcrumbs and fried to a juicy interior, while the batter clings onto the delicious tomato sauce like Velcro. It's topped with a gooey and bouncy layer of mozzarella and served with linguine and steamed veggies. You know, for health.

You should not skip the tiramisu, though, which is tremendous value for the price that doesn't properly allude to the addictive gastronomic experience you're walking into. It achieves my ideal ladyfinger-to-cream ratio, the former being soaked in a fragrant espresso liqueur that'll wake you up as it melts on your tongue. It's topped with a not-too-sweet mascarpone cream that's silky smooth, and a generous dusting of cocoa powder. Seriously contemplating ordering another despite being quite full. The decor is warm, inviting...