I usually get to the airport just in time to board my flight. From the anxiety of getting there on time to the strain of security, who wants to be there longer than they need to? However, Toronto's Pearson Airport has stepped things up to another level. From Celebrity Chefs to sugar helium balloons and Greek grilled cheese sandwiches there's so much to enjoy there. I shot a fun video with Andrew Gunadie (aka Gunnarolla) and reviewed each restaurant we visited.
Keep reading for my review of Boccone Trattoria and to watch our video!
This rustic Italian restaurant left us stuffed! We bantered with celebrity chef Massimo Capra as he served up a feast of his favourites. While we were filming and trying the food, one of the patrons told Massimo that his flight was in an entirely different terminal. However, he frequents the restaurant anytime he visits the airport. As we ate, I realized why.
What is an Italian dinner without a delicious Caprese salad? It was a simple and yummy way to kick off our eating. With a balsamic glaze and crumbled goat cheese, I had to hold myself back from polishing it all off alone.
The chicken wings were cooked in a traditional Florentine style, lightly dusted with flour and seasonings before they were fried and crispy. They were served with a creamy dressing on the side for dipping. I usually favour blue cheese so it wasn't my favourite, but I did like them on their own. Unlike many chicken wings that are over sauced or over seasoned, they were a bit plain, perfect for someone who's about to board a flight and doesn't want something too greasy.
I was obsessed with the calamari. As you could see in the video I was all over it and I didn't even wait for Andrew, I had to try a piece. It was crispy and cooked to absolute perfection. We squeezed the lemon on it and dipped into whatever that sauce was. I wasn't even listening, I was in bliss crunching away.
I highly recommend going for the Capra Pizza. Coated with goat cheese and spinach with a pesto base it was a light pizza. I especially loved that the red peppers brought more flavour (and colouring) to it too. It was such a simple dish and I didn't feel too weighed down by it afterwards. However, a definite guilty pleasure of the day was the spicy Calabrese pizza. From the chilli flakes to the hot salami my mouth was a tasty infirno.
Spicy Calabrese Pizza
Of course, we had meatballs and they were so tender. Massimo told us their meatballs were hand rolled in the kitchen and never frozen. They were served covered with a delicious marinara sauce and fresh Parmigiano. My tastebuds were definitely happy that day.
What was especially cool about the restaurant was that they also had a 'to go' section for people to grab a quick bite. I board long-haul flights pretty often, so I would actually just grab a slice or one of their delicious sandwiches to go.
Stay tuned for my review of the other contenders for my YYZ Eats series!