I started Food Junkie Chronicles back in April 2010 and one of my very first blog posts was about my love for the duck confit pizza at Pizzeria Libretto (still my favourite pizza there!) I haven't been back to Pizzeria Libretto for quite a while so I was really excited when I heard about their new Danforth location (@pldanforth).
My friend and I went to the Danforth location exactly a week ago around 7pm. We didn't make a reservation because it was a last minute decision to go. The restaurant was completely full and we were lucky to get the last two seats at the bar (it would've been more than an hour wait for a table).
The decor at this location is very modern, very "industrial" with the exposed piping, black and white walls, shiny concrete floors and the multi-coloured lights. This location is a lot more spacious than the Ossington location, which also has a more cozy and warm ambiance.
Two wood burning ovens at this location compared to only one at Ossington.
Our server asked whether we wanted bread. My friend said "no" while I said "yes"... I'm such a bread fiend O_o
Cheese Agnolotti: Pickled mushroom, mushroom broth - Chef Rocco(@ChefRoccoTO) brought this out for us. It was a perfect start to our meal; the mushroom soup was light yet flavourful...very appetizing.
Pork Skewers - Another dish Chef Rocco brought out for us. I love all the herbs, spices and seasoning. The meat was also very soft and juicy...it soaked up all the amazing flavours.
Gnocchi Fritti Lemon: Lemon, chives & sour cream ($5) - Love gnocchi, love fried stuff...perfect!
Arancini: Braised lamb neck, tomato, mozzarella, mint & spicy aioli ($9)
Pizza Fritta: "Porchetta", chinotto bbq sauce, chili & arugula ($8)
Exclusive to the Danforth location, this Pizza Fritta completely blew us away. Really...how can anybody NOT like this? Thick slices of fatty pork belly slathered in a sweet & tangy BBQ sauce, topped with fresh arugula, and then all that on top of a piece of pan fried pizza dough. I can have this again and again.
Apple & Fig Salad: Blue elizabeth cheese, croutons, cider, white balsamic vinegar ($10) - I like everything in this salad. Period.
Nduja Sausage Pizza: Tomato, garlic, oregano, basil, mozzarella, stracciatella ($17) - Spicy sausage and fresh mozzarella that is tangy and creamy, along with Pizzeria Libretto's signature tomato sauce, this pizza was delicious.
Brussels Sprouts Pizza: Bomba, garlic, balsamic, bufala ricotta, mozzarella ($16)
Since this pizza is not available at the Ossington location, I knew I had to try it. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Brussels sprouts (I don't hate it I just don't prefer it) but surprisingly, I still liked it (probably because of all the cheese and balsamic =D). Note that this pizza has a white sauce instead of a tomato-based sauce (my friend liked the nduja pizza more because of this).
My friend and I both went into a food coma afterwards =P Thank you Chef Rocco for taking care of us!!!
I can't wait to go back and have that Pizza Fritta again................
