Sometimes it’s harder to find old standbys that you can trust than new and hip places you will only go once. I had been to 7 Numbers on the Danforth, but not on Eg. It was a while ago and I liked it, but didn’t love it. Recently a friend told me I should try the Eglinton location and then about a week later another friend suggested we go. I’m happy I said yes.
Right when you walk in, there is an Italian grandmother cooking. You can tell this is the real deal. The menu changes nightly (from what I can tell, there is a lot of consistency, but no guarantees). We got there around 6:30 so we had our choice of seats, but it definitely filled up as the night went on. The prices are far below what you would expect and for what it’s worth, which means you can order more! My recommendation is that you don’t order a la carte, but that you go with the AMAZING $29 per person family style meal. Get ready for great value and a lot of yumminess.
To start, we had a plate full of 3 salads – tomato and bocconcini; arugula, goat cheese and roasted pepper (freshly roasted, not oily jarred peppers) and spinach and blue cheese. The salads were equivalent to 2 generous salad portions at another place, but it was nice to be able to try all three. They were simple, but tasty. PLUS we got calamari. I don’t eat it (due to a scarring high school science teacher), but my friend said the batter was delicate and light albeit a little greasy. She still went to town on them.
three salads
For the second course, we tried all three pasta dishes on the menu that night. Veal lasagna, orechiette with ricotta and linguine with rapini. This may have been my favourite course and this is despite the fact that I am currently enrolled in a 6 week pasta cooking class. These also all came on one plate all in a tomato sauce. The lasagna was so tender (the star for sure), but we also kept working our way around the plate. They served it with a jalapeno oil that added some zing, which was a bonus, but not required. I took home some pasta and enjoyed a full other meal from this and some asparagus we got with our main.
Pasta and more pasta
For our third and final course, we were both able to select a main course. I went with a beautifully braised lamb shank with peas. My friend went with eggplant parmesan. By this point we were stuffed, but it didn’t matter. I would highly recommend the lamb – it was super tender, had great flavour and the peas were mushy, but it’s not exactly pea season. We also got two sides – a bitter green salad and grilled asparagus. Other mains I would like to try: veal meatballs stuffed with mozzarella (two covered in tomato sauce about the size of tennis balls) and the osso bucco.
Lamb and out of season peas
For a quick recap – $29 each, we shared: 3 salads, calamari, 3 pastas, 2 mains, 2 sides. These are NOT small portions. This is the deal of the century. I wanted to have the flourless chocolate dessert, but just couldn’t eat anymore.
I look forward to returning again and again.
Best: Veal lasagna – just the way you expect grandma to make it, except grandma’s is never that good
Not the best: bitter green salad – it was a simple salad and not to my taste, but I know a few people who would love it
PS. After writing this post, Jess and I started talking about it. She’s obsessed. It’s now going onto The List.
516 Eglinton Ave West (between Avenue and Spadina)
not foodies. 