Maybe, just maybe, you're wondering "What the heck does she mean by Zomato x FoodismTO @ The Good Son: A #ZomatoMeetUp?" Meh, it's just my way of telling you guys I attended a Zomato Meetup dinner hosted by Zomato and Foodism Toronto at The Good Son Restaurant, that's all. I'm trying to be more creative with my writing these days. I'm failing miserably already, aren't I?
Last week, Zomato and Foodism Toronto, invited me and several foodies for an intimate tasting dinner at The Good Son, a restaurant that I've been dying to check out. As a matter of fact, The Good Son (Twitter: @thegoodson_to, Facebook: The Good Son Restaurant) is one of 12 restaurants participating in the #TOMealsForAYear giveaway, an amazing contest going on right now where one lucky winner will win a prize consisting of 12 meals (and drinks!) for two at 12 of Toronto's top restaurants. That's right, one meal every month for a year. Imagine that!
In association with restaurant listing and booking engine Zomato, Foodism Toronto has pulled together 12 of Toronto's most vaunted restaurants. The list is very impressive, if I may say so myself:
Cafe Boulud
Lisa Marie
George
The Good Son
Canoe
Carmen
Windsor Arms
The Chase
Miss Thing's
Miku
NAO Steakhouse
The Carbon Bar
You MUST love food if you're reading this, so what are you waiting for? GET ON IT and enter now! If you snooze you lose because the contest ends on April 1st. By the way, if you're not familiar with Foodism Toronto, you will be very soon. Foodism is, in fact, London England's largest food and drink magazine, and in November 2015, Foodism Toronto was born. It's a website and weekly newsletter, and coming September, they will be launching a print magazine which will feature local trends, profiles, personalities, gadgets and stories from Canada’s food and drink capital.
Whew. With that outta the way, let us now focus on All The Good Food at The Good Son! That was pretty clever, right? Right?! ;) First things first, sitting by the pass has its pros and cons. I love being close to all the action in the kitchen, especially this one with that beautiful wood fire oven imported in from Mam Forni, Italy, in the back. At the same time, though, it's the absolute worst when you're hungry. DAMN IT, JUST GIMME ALL THE FOOD RIGHT NOW!
Chef Vittorio Colacitti (@vittorioreo) and his team at The Good Son prepared a special seven-course tasting menu for the evening. The dishes were either entirely off-menu or a variation of what's normally offered on the menu.
SEA BREAM CRUDO
Tomatillo, apple, almond, avocado
Great start to the tasting. A beautiful and delicate dish that's rich in flavour and texture.
The Good Son, located at 1096 Queen St. West, is Chef Vittorio's first restaurant. Opened in June 2014, the Top Chef Canada season four contestant wanted his restaurant to reflect a melting pot of diverse cultures with a focus on local, sustainable and seasonal organic produce. Chef Vittorio, born and raised in Toronto, learned his culinary art from some of the best names in Toronto's restaurant industry including: Lorenzo Loseto (George), Scot Woods (Lucien), and Didier Leroy, a Master Chef of France. Chef Vittorio also studied at the Thai & International Food Academy, staging in various regions across Italy and working as a stagiaire at Thomas Keller's Bouchon.
STEAK TARTARE
Piquillo, grilled ciabatta
Another superb plate. I love steak tartares with a nice heat, chopped not too fine with a bit of texture and 'chew'. There's just enough ciabatta for the quenelle of tartare. And that quail egg? Beautiful. Everything component was perfect here.
Another superb plate. I love steak tartares with a nice heat, chopped not too fine with a bit of texture and 'chew'. There's just enough ciabatta for the quenelle of tartare. And that quail egg? Beautiful. Everything component was perfect here.
DUMPLING SOUP
Scallop, ginger, miso
Very comforting. This dish reminds me of home. This dumpling soup is, perhaps, the best non-Asian "wonton soup" I've ever had :)
DOUBLE DUCK PIZZA
Duck confit, foie gras, rapini, apples, balsamic
This was one very rich and "luscious" pizza. Personally, I thought the pizza looked way better than it tasted; it was also my least favourite course of the evening. Maybe I had high expectations because of the ingredients? I mean, I love all the ingredients on it, literally every single one of them, but I thought the pizza on the whole was a tad too salty. I also didn't care much for the balsamic glaze/sauce. The result was an oddly sweet yet salty combo. Others at the table seemed to really enjoyed it, though.
GRAPEFRUIT SORBET
Fresh grapefruit, chilli pepper and basil
Wow. What a tasty palette cleanser. This should be made into a cocktail or a bellini because I can totally see myself sipping/eating this on the patio in the summer. Incredibly refreshing.
WOOD-GRILLED RIB EYE STEAK
Potato pesto pave
Excellent rib eye and potato pesto pave (scalloped potatoes). Absolutely no complaints.
ASSORTED DESSERTS
I don't remember what any of these desserts were. I had a couple of bites of each. They were good but nothing memorable.
I didn't take any photos of The Good Son's dining room because it was really dark but the room is incredibly lovely and welcoming. The restaurant was modeled after a home, with distinct sections, each functioning as separate rooms. The layout features a formal dining area, a casual and fun seating area with large wooden tables and hand painted vintage chairs, a 22-foot wooden bar and a plush lounge. Trust me, it's all very neat and quaint (or just google for photos!) I look forward to going back to The Good Son soon to try their regular menu.
*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*