July 22: Fabbrica ★★★

$35 Dinner

Fabbrica, as the name might imply, runs the risk of feeling like a factory that pumps out food to institutionalized specifications (terroni, mercato). The centrepiece of the room is a wood-burning oven that looks so well-kept that you might mistake it for a decorative piece. The Caesar was done properly. The dressing had copious amounts of garlic and lemon with a hint of anchovy to scare of the vegetarians. The croutons were varied and pancetta took the place of bacon. The salmon was surprisingly better than Bymark’s fish and bean salad attempt. The bean salad tasted of the olive oil and balsamic mix so indicative of Italy while the cucumbers in their watery crunchiness offset the pasty beans. The gelato looks three brown eggs and tastes just as uninspired. And having dined with my Richmond Hill financiers, I had the luxury of trying everything on the Summerlicious menu. The risotto and the pistachio gelato were particularly interesting. Everything else was average. And with that Summerlicous ends on a strong note from the affluent shops of Don Mills. I am very impressed.

Insalata di Fabbrica
romaine hearts, pancetta, toasted focaccia and garlic anchovy dressing

Salmon
Tuscan bean salad and arugula pesto

Gelato