Aug 31: Centro ★★

The storefront off Yonge & Eglinton has little finesse; the stone wall looks like elephant skin. This opens up to vaulted ceilings, (more) stone walls and oversized drapery, which make the experience a bit overwhelming.  The octopus arrived with vivacity. It looked very interesting before tasting overcomplicated. A hectic pastiche that was the caponata was sour and inconsistent in make-up and detracted from the octopus. The lamb was perfectly cooked and lay in a delicious mix of pea puree and sweetly viscous “rosemary-olive” jus. This was offset by the “patty pan squash,” a bitter oddity. The ratatouille, on the other hand, succumbs to the same problems as the caponata. At $55 for one appetizer, two mains, and a dessert, this meal is a defensible. Otherwise, it probably would not be.

Charred Octopus
fennel, caponata, capers and chorizo powder
22

Herb crusted lamb sirloin
ratatouille, patty pan squash, pea puree rosemary-olive jus
45

Chocolate mascarpone tart
Espresso ice cream
12