Osteria Rialto was one big, pleasant surprise. In need of a last-minute reservation to be close to after-dinner festivities, we booked the restaurant based on availability versus reviews. Their menu offers a selection of Italian staples that looked adequate. It’ll likely be a safe but forgettable meal, I thought.

My first bite into the suppli cacio e pepe ($12 for two pieces) and Rialto already brought the arancini to another level by combining it with a mozzarella stick. There was a nice cheese pull to the rice croquette encapsulated by the creamy risotto with a liberal sprinkling of black pepper to balance out the rich bite.  

A decent portion of cheese and meat arrives with the burrata e prosciutto ($25), enough for a taste each for our table of five. The 36-month aged prosciutto had a lovely savoury sweetness against the creamy cheese. And while we didn’t want any bread, they mistakenly provided focaccia ($9) that ended up pairing well with the cheese, the bread salty and fluffy served with a generous dish of olive oil.

The tagliatelle ($27) was surprisingly rich for a meatless sauce. Soft buttery squash was tossed with parmigiano and fried sage, almost melting into the chewy pasta ribbons. The dish is a hearty vegetarian alternative for the winter.

I preferred the squash pasta to the rigatoni ($28), which was a touch dry. While I liked the hint of heat in the sugo, the lamb tasted more like sausage, so the dish was too salty and greasy.

While the chicken in the pollo ai funghi ($34) could be cooked less, the thin cutlets were at least crispy and flavourful slathered in a creamy mushroom and black truffle gravy. If only Osteria Rialto offered rice as a side, the grains would soak up the delicious sauce so well.

It was difficult to decipher the background flavour in the sauce on the braciola di maiale ($38) ... it had a hint of umami that seemed out of place from what looks like a cream sauce. Consequently, the bagna cauda sauce incorporates anchovies (along with garlic), which is likely what added the umami and gave the neutral pork chop a lot of flavour. The meat was cooked well and the roasted rapini kept nice and crispy.  

Osteria Rialto tried to jazz up the insalata misticanza ($16) with a colourful variety of lettuce, including pink leaves – spoiler alert, it tastes like any other bibb lettuce. Ultimately, it’s a plain salad with a few slices of radish and sprinkling of crispy farro tossed in a vinaigrette. Nothing exciting, but if you’re looking for a traditional way to finish an Italian meal, a simple salad is it.

The dinner reminds me to sometimes not over plan a meal – there’s so many reviews and opinions that at times it gets overwhelming. Keep it simple: look for location and a decent menu, then grab a group of friends and go. 

When the speed of change is breakneck, it’s refreshing when a restaurant steadfastly beats to their historical drum. I referred to my 2015 post on Jacobs Steakhouse before revisiting and other than a rise in prices (the $19 Caesar salad is now $34), not much has changed.

We still received a detailed menu walk through, but Liam made it informative rather than lecture-like. He pointed out the grass-fed steaks but also explained what this meant for the fat content and taste, to make sure we weren’t disappointed with our choice. Don’t worry, I’m sticking with the tried and true 45-day aged Guelph Hereford.

The table-side prepared Caesar salad ($34 for two) was still a hit with enough dressing to adequately cover the lettuce without being saturated. A mouthful of garlicky umami, the splash of Tabasco  was perhaps a bit more heavy-handed this visit so there was a noticeable kick to the salad. The bacon was still served in chunks, a bit too hard for me. I wish they'd change this to strips so it’s crunchier… they could even place a strip on top (like the sliver of anchovy) as a garnish. Making the croutons from leftover cheese buns, rather than regular bread, could bring the salad to new heights.

Thankfully, no low-carb vegan diet has influenced Jacobs, their cheese buns still make an appearance. One of the highlights of the meal, it’s really a Yorkshire pudding with cheese, slather on butter and these are perfection.

Remembering how tasty the T-bone steak looked previously, we substituted our typical rib eye order with their Guelph prime Hereford bone-in T-bone ($175), a hefty 25oz (when including the bone) and was more than enough to share amongst two.

While not as marbled as my beloved ribeye, it’s a great cut for contrast as you receive a piece of tenderloin and striploin. Both are leaner cuts: the striploin full-flavoured and tenderloin swoon-worthy as it's soft and juicy. The steak's crust was flawless and the seasoning perfectly. For those who find it needs more salt, complimentary condiments – a bacon blue cheese spread, shoyu, chimichurri, and selection of salts – are available.

Amongst our table of ten, we shared five side dishes, and it was more than enough. We ordered two roasted rapini ($22) as the simplicity of the greens – lightly tossed in anchovy butter – is an excellent pairing with meat.

A huge platter of heirloom baby carrots ($22) arrives slathered in a refreshing maple dill crème fraiche, so the vegetable didn’t become too sugary. Just roasted through, they were the perfect consistency and not too mushy. Even though I normally detest roasted carrots, I liked these.

The sauteed mushrooms ($24) were surprisingly tasty thanks to the parsley butter and I preferred the smaller sized mushrooms as they didn’t taste spongy.

Still, there’s something about combining meat and potatoes… a luxurious option being the potato gratin ($24). Uber rich with the layers of cream, cheese, and spuds, you don’t need more than a spoon to satisfy.

The take-home muffin finishes us off but its recipe was tweaked as it was tastier than I remembered. Within the cakey vanilla batter lies a dark chocolate core where the chocolate chunks melt throughout the muffin. The pastry is an ideal sweetness with just a dusting of streusel for an elegant, albeit messy, finish. Hats off to the pastry chef.

Sadly, even Jacobs Steakhouse isn’t immune to change. We learned that they need to vacate the Brant location because of developments and move into the shiny CIBC Square. So slow run to Jacobs now if you want to experience a nostalgic dinner that reminds you of the good old days.