Shakespeare’s famous saying proclaims, “If music be the food of love, play on.”  It aptly reminds me of Bar Poet, a restaurant that blends top 40 tunes from past and present, an eclectic comfort food menu, and arcade games. And by the end, the 2-hour seating limit flies by and all we want to do stay longer.

The arancini ($15) was seriously good. Made with mushroom risotto, there’s an earthiness to the creamy rice ball that’s stronger than the cheese only versions. But add in sambal cream and chili oil and that hit of heat goes so well with the comforting starter.

Somehow, we ordered a lot of dishes incorporating chili. The NYC spicy rigatoni ($18.95), an item so highly recommended in Google reviews, was surprisingly plain: pasta tossed in a spicy rosé cream with a fine dusting of Parmigiano. While it was tasty, a few spoonsful were sufficient, I can’t imagine having an entire dish to myself.

Even the Dovercourt and Queen ‘sweet’ calamari ($19) had a zing. The menu describes the sauce as being tomato based (pomodoro aioli) but tasted like the spicy rigatoni. Regardless, it’s a flavourful dish as goat cheese, chives and pickled peppers mingles with the squid. Even though the ingredients do detract from the calamari’s crispiness.

Bar Poet is known for their pizzas (all $22). If you like pepperoni, you’ll love the Hot Rod, a pie covered with tiny pepperoni with hot honey creating a sweet, salty, and spicy bite. For me, it was a bit greasy and heavy, but likely wouldn’t bother a pepperoni aficionado.

I preferred Rob’s Favourite Pizza, which sounded like a hodgepodge of ingredients, but they work together so nicely. A white pizza made with alfredo bacon sauce, it combines pulled chicken, brie, kale, spinach, caramelized onion, hot honey, chili flakes, and Parmigiano. Despite all the spicy elements, the pizza was the least spicy of the dishes we ordered, likely the chili and hot honey calmed by the creamy ingredients. Rob knows how to create an interesting meaty pie.

The pizza crust stays dry on the bottom despite an ample number of toppings. While it doesn’t have the requisite crispiness I enjoy, there was a lovely chewy consistency and sour dough finish that makes it tasty even without dipping sauce. Additionally, I love the inclusiveness of Bar Poet’s pizza menu with pies available gluten-free as well as vegan.

Everyone raves about the tiramisu ($9). While it wasn’t terrible, it also wasn’t great. It incorporated too much cream (didn’t incorporate enough mascarpone) and not enough of the espresso ladyfingers. While the Skor bits adds a unique element, left in chunks it was too crunchy and would be better in powdered form.

We were intrigued by the peanut butter espresso martini ($19), which emits a faint aroma of peanut butter but none of the taste. A decent rendition of the drink, it’s really sugary given it’s mostly made with Tia Maria and no vodka. Ultimately, one is enough, and I was glad that I switched to their other cocktails like the white negroni ($19).

Amongst the foliage ceiling and twinkling lights, Bar Poet creates a unique environment. Somehow, amongst the blasting music and Skee ball machines, there’s a romantic aspect to makes you want to eat, drink, and play on.   

If song writers were to remake popular songs to update them for the 21^st century, I wonder how Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song would change. Could chestnuts still be roasting on an open fire? I can’t remember the last time I’ve had roasted chestnuts, especially not during Christmas. And do families really cook anything over an open fire anymore? The closest foods that come to mind are barbequed meats and pizza, but I guess “tomahawks and pizza cooking on an open fire” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Regrettably, you now have a glimpse of my chaotic inner mind.  

Perhaps it’s a tune that Otto Trattoria will consider remaking for their holidays as their wood burning oven is prominently displayed and coaxes every table to get one of their pies.

I like tasting a chef’s skill with a plainer pizza. We tried the burrata pizza ($24), which was covered with tomato sauce, basil oil, cherry tomatoes, and the cheese. The crust had a lovely soft chewy consistency but would have been better if it weren’t soggy in the centre – unfortunately, there was too much tomato sauce. Still, I liked that the chef broke up the cheese and applied it evenly across the pie so that every bite contained some burrata.

The prosciutto & rucola ($22) takes the basic pizza and tops it with a covering of thinly shaved cured ham and arugula. Strangely the chef cuts the crust before topping the pie, so diners need to saw through the prosciutto with a butter knife, which causes the cheese to slide around. One small change of cutting the pizza after covering it with the meat would help make eating this easier. Messiness aside, the paper-thin crust remains crispy and it’s a flavourful bite as you get the fresh tomato sauce, gooey cheese, salty ham, and peppery arugula.

I’m glad Otto leaves their tomato sauce rather neutral so it’s not overly salty. If anything, it allows you to ask for their chopped green chili oil to scatter over top to give it a light heat.

The chili oil also pairs nicely with the rigatoni Bolognese ($24), cutting through some of the heaviness of the meaty beef and veal and helping to flavour the under seasoned sauce. While the menu notes it’s served with rigatoni, the pasta almost resembles an oversized macaroni that really traps the sauce within the crevices and inside. The dish is simply finished with parmigiano and tastes authentic.

While I was taken aback by the square pasta shape used in the shrimp linguine ($23) – surely, more spaghetti than linguine - I’m glad it was homemade and arrived with a lovely chewiness. The white wine, olive oil, and garlic sauce was thickened with a touch of pasta water, so it clings nicely to the noodles. Along with cherry tomatoes and spinach, the dish is fresh and nicely seasoned. I just wish there was more than four shrimp and that they would be cooked less so they aren’t as rubbery.

Yet, nothing surprised us more than the sheer size of the chicken parmagiana ($31) - just the cutlet resembled a dinner plate and was covered with a gooey cheese. Usually, it's a dish you need to eat quickly or starts to get soft. At Otto's, the thinly butterflied chicken breast was lightly coated in bread crumbs so it held onto the tomato sauce without becoming mushy and the spaghetti cooked al dante remaining chewy to the last bite. Trust me, you need to share this dish or be prepared for leftovers galore.  

I was skeptical whether Otto’s calamari fritti ($18) would be good… it came out so quickly after placing our order. They are likely the frozen variety, but nonetheless lightly battered, crispy, and well seasoned. For those wanting some heat, you’ll find it in the aioli.

The more I think about it, the more I like the sound of “pizza toasting on an open fire”… it has a ring that causes a food lover’s heart to sing. Mr. Bublé, maybe it’s time for another Christmas album?

I keep reading about the staffing shortage in Toronto, especially amongst the hospitality industry, where people have supposedly changed careers to find a role that has better hours, more stable pay, better growth prospects, etc. Vela doesn’t seem to suffer from this problem, three individuals checked in on us throughout dinner service. Their front-of-the-house and open-faced kitchen seemed stacked with individuals, no shortage here!

Firstly, to quickly sum up the experience - the meal was exquisite. The albacore tuna crudo ($21) arrived in huge chunks rather than the 1/3-inch slices generally found at other restaurants… a surprisingly generous portion of fish. Tossed with a dashi soy vinaigrette, crispy shallots, and compressed cucumbers, the dish certainly has Asian influences, which made the fried rice crackers an appropriate pairing with the crudo. Still, the tuna was so fresh and meaty that it tasted equally delicious solo.

The burrata ($24) may look typical, but the pistachio pesto provided such an interesting savory bite against the cool creamy cheese, with the nuts giving it a bit of texture. Plenty of figs and grapes were strewn throughout to add sweetness. If anyone remembers the iconic burrata from Campagnolo, this is in the same realm of deliciousness.

Of all the starters, the beef tartare ($18) was probably the most traditionally prepared. The meat was finely chopped and mixed with mayo, pickled shimeji (a tiny, sweet mushroom), and other spices. I liked that it wasn’t overly salty allowing the umami of the shaved truffles and parmesan to shine through.

We were already off to a good start and then the mains blew me away. Vela doesn’t skimp on the truffles in the truffle rigatoni ($40), the prized fungi mixed with chewy fresh pasta and just enough mushroom duxelles cream sauce for flavour without becoming overly saturated. Having dishes family style is best as the pasta was huge and being so rich would be a lot for one person.

The Nova Scotia halibut ($45) seemingly was poached in an infused broth as even the centre of the thick fish was tasty on its own. The herb beurre blanc is a traditional sauce to pair with the halibut but was augmented with a spicy stewed potato that added a burst of zeal that the meaty fish needed. Who knew, maybe halibut goes better with a chili sauce.

Even the flatiron steak ($35) was impressive, cooked to a calibre I’d expect from a steakhouse. The kitchen likely uses a reverse sear method to prepare the beef, starting off low-and-slow as the inside was cooked evenly and hot throughout. The caramelization of the outside was done ever so lightly allowing the lean cut of beef to remain tender. A bit of finishing salt rounded out the steak and was the ideal saltiness. Oh, and don’t get me started on the French fries, they are so crispy and flavourful rivaling the duck fat French fries from Beer Bistro that I love.

Food aside, what also makes Vela standout is the down-to-earth nature of the restaurant. The posh environment could seem too fancy and stuffy, but the warm greeting from the host and friendliness of other staff members really puts the diner at ease. Even quippy descriptions in the menu such as what was listed with the steaks help, “You all know what you like. Feel free to order blue, rare, medium rare, medium, medium-well, well-done, or burnt to a crisp. Live your best life!”

Vela’s huge dining room with white floors and walls could have become a starkly modern environment. Yet, if felt cozy with the dim lights, warm temperature, and dreamy white ceiling lights that reminded me of hazy clouds. There was even live jazz music playing on Tuesday, which really got me into a chill mood and had me ordering a third cocktail, despite it being the beginning of the work week. Vela just makes you comfortable with its atmosphere and their fabulous food. Live your best life indeed. 

• Although the gnocchi quattro formaggio ($15.95) is actually a main, we all wanted to try it without having an entire portion as it sounds so rich. So, we asked for it to be brought out as an appetizer instead and shared amongst the table. The gnocchi were plump and soft (believe due to adding ricotta to it); I favor the regular potato mix resulting in a harder pasta but this really is a matter of preference as the rest of the table loved it.  The four-cheese sauce made with asiago, gorgonzola, parmigiano and bocconcini was absolutely delicious and a good combination of strong, creamy and mild cheeses so it wasn’t overpowering.  Added cream made this even more decadent and certainly made us glad we decided to share this.