Address: 49 Karl Fraser Road
Type of Meal: Brunch
For Mother's
Day my husband and I wanted to treat our mothers to lunch (without the work)
and after the McEwan All Access event, Fabbrica seemed like a perfect choice. Located
at the outdoor mall, the Shops on Don Mills, the area was bustling on the sunny
day with people sitting on patios and mingling around on the square of AstroTurf
in the centre of the mall.
Inside Fabbrica
the sunlight shrunk away and you’re transported into a rustic homey
environment. We were seated in a small room off of the dining room, beside the
meat curing room and complete with a humongous mirror. We enjoyed the cozy and
comfortable atmosphere and was glad that Fabbrica doesn’t cram in tables; we
received a large one for our group and had more than enough space separating us
and the nearest table.
Sticking with
my normal frittata ($17), Fabbrica’s was piping hot and contains large pieces
of artichoke and roasted tomatoes. The menu noted it also contained fontina
cheese but I couldn’t taste it and actually found it seemed to be lacking
something – maybe a stronger goat cheese would stand out better. However, there
was plenty of shaved parmesan which melted onto the top of the fluffy frittata.
Served with a side of lightly dressed arugula salad, a fair portion of
hash browns and wonderfully toasted, chewy and oiled ciabatta bread this was a
substantial meal.
My husband’s
short rib hash ($16) had succulent pieces of tender short ribs along with two
beautifully poached eggs that simply oozed onto everything combining with the
meat gravy. This dish had some nice flavors and the sauce was perfect for dipping
pieces of bread into – my husband’s dish was pretty much spotless by the end of
the meal. If only the potatoes were cooked longer or better yet substituted
with toasted hash browns the dish would be even better. The potatoes were just
done but lacked the fluffiness you’d want with hash. The fried hash browns,
that accompanied most other meals, would have held up nicely with the short rib
liquid yet be softer on the inside.
Having
managed to sneak a piece of the flank steak from the steak and eggs ($18), it
was surprisingly tender and the salsa verde topping it adding some freshness. With
a fairly substantial portion of meat, two eggs, potatoes and the customary toasted
ciabatta this is another dish for the hungry.
Although I
didn’t get a chance to try the fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes ($14) with
blueberries & whipped mascarpone and the Fabbrica benny made of poached
eggs placed on cheese crumpets with prosciutto in place of ham, they certainly
looked delicious. Our parents who ordered it certainly seemed to enjoy it as
their plates were also cleaned.
Some lighter
fruit desserts were offered during brunch. Although I’m not a fan of rice
pudding, I tried a spoon of the strawberry rhubarb rice pudding ($11). Made
with Arborio rice, mixed with a refreshing strawberry rhubarb syrup and topped
with aged balsamic vinegar it was a nice combination of flavours and textures.
For me, I found the grains of rice too pronounced but understand many
individuals enjoy it when the creamy rice layer isn’t too mushy.
The lemon
trifle ($11) packed a powerful punch. On the bottom a piece of sponge cake soaked
everything up. Layered on top were a substantial amount of sweet lemon curd,
tons of stewed blueberries and crunchy olive oil streusel bits (similar to what
tops fruit crumble). I was disappointed, I generally love trifle, but found the
lemon curd overpowering and extremely sweet for a dish that’s normally fresh
and light. Moreover the layers were too thick so it was very hard to get a spoon
of everything at once. In the end, if there were more layers, less lemon curd
and more cake & whipped cream the dessert may be more balanced.
All in all, it was a successful Mother's Day brunch and we agreed it was a wonderful experience. While visiting the restroom, we couldn’t help but walk past the wood-burning oven and found the smell of cooking pizzas intoxicating. A return visit may be in order to try out their pizza and Nona's ravioli, both which sounded very tempting but just a tad heavy for the first meal of the day.
Overall mark - 7 out of 10
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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!
