Before going to David Rocco’s Bar Aperitivo, I prepared myself
for a casual restaurant that’s meant for a quick bite, so I didn’t expect any
posh seating or an extensive menu. As anticipated, their tables were set-up
largely as communal shared space with a less than ideal table-to-chair height.
In the end, we felt it was best to forgo any dishes requiring a fork and knife that
could potentially make a mess.
Instead, we stuck to a hand-held sandwich with salad – easy peasy
eats to munch on while we enjoyed a bottle of prosecco. Little did I know that
for a restaurant who dedicates half of their menu to sandwiches and salad, the
dishes would be executed so poorly. After biting into both, I started comparing
the experience to the Druxy lunches that was catered through work and marvelled
how they could have been interchangeable.
In the next menu update, I highly recommend Bar Aperitivo
clarify that their paninis are cold. Unless you’re deeply steeped in the
Italian culture, most people may not realize that panini simply means “bread
roll” since the North American interpretation is generally a sandwich that’s
been pressed, grilled, and served hot.
Hence, when the frittata panini ($13) arrived cold it
was a disappointment – does anyone like cold frittatas? Perhaps the temperature could have been
overlooked if the frittata was really good and incorporated more
flavours than the sprinkling of herbs or if their house-made brioche bun was
uber fresh rather than hard and cold. At least the salsa verde was tasty
and the caramelized onions were nicely stewed and sweet. In hindsight, I should
have gone with a crostino, while it seemed like it’d be messier to eat,
they looked tastier than the cold egg sandwich we received.
For a dish that's been so overdone, there are over a dozen
that David Rocco could have gained inspiration from, Bar Aperitivo’s kale salad
($16) was one of the worst I’ve ever eaten. The kale was simply ripped into large
pieces and tossed with a very lightly applied mint pesto and lemon juice
dressing so the almost metallic flavour of the kale leaches through, unless you
can mask it with one of the orange segments, apples, cranberry, or almonds that’s
tossed with everything. Nor were the greens massaged with the dressing, so it
made for a fibrous salad.
The crocchette di cavolfiore ($7) was also cold and not
made to order. Temperature aside, the dish could really use some textural
contrast as the cauliflower and potato mash is soft and the fine bread crumb
coating wasn’t crispy either. Perhaps adding some panko to the coating
or some micro-diced vegetables into the mixture would have allowed for some extra
colours and crunch.
At least Bar Aperitivo’s gelato was tasty. With about half a
dozen flavours to choose from, the tried-and-true hazelnut was calling my name.
The gelato was served really cold, so it resisted melting, and the texture was silky
and creamy. The hazelnut flavours were pronounced and the sweetness a nice
balance. Yet, for $13 for a cup, it really commands a premium over the many
other wonderful ice cream shops in Yorkville. While Bar Aperitivo’s gelato was
good, I still find Summer’s Ice Cream to be better.
I should have learnt my lesson from the less-than-ideal “celebrity chef” dining experiences at Jamie Kennedy and Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants. Both instances were a lot of hype but the food fairly subpar. The same goes for David Rocco's Aperitivo Bar… let’s just say it does not have me feeling I'm living la dolce vita.
Address: 95 Cumberland Street
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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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