Eat & Drink
New Toronto patios for 2012: Gusto 101
Gusto 101's patios (that's right, two patios) offer perfect settings to sip and savour the Italian Trattoria's notorious $1/oz house wine. The supremely affordable Vini di Gusto is enough to render a night in the downtown core an experience in and of itself, but enjoying a glass while literally looking down (or "out," depending on where you're sitting) on the pedestrians on Portland rounds out a truly formidable centre-of-everything outing. Almost enough to make you forget you're sitting by or atop a former auto garage. The upper patio, in particular, is still in the starting stages, but expect a little outdoor grilling to land there soon.
The Scene
The street level patio has been open for about a month now, offering patrons the opportunity for a little people-watching through its groomed box hedges. You'll have to squint if you want to people-watch from up top, but better to bask in the shade of its patio umbrellas and take advantage of the rooftop's own outdoor bar. Both have ultra-cool vibes with plenty of activity, surely only exacerbating Gusto 101's weekend lineups. Bring shades — both patios are uncovered.
The Eats
Gusto is in the process of rolling out new summer bites, which will include shrimp taco and fish kebabs. In the meantime, you can't go wrong by opting for one of the restaurant's daily specials, which include Costoletta alla Milanese and Eggplant Parmigiana. Squid ink pasta and grilled branzino for the serious eaters, but my ideal patio picks include a couple of pizzas and a pitcher of sangria to split.
The Drinks
And speaking of, Gusto 101 offers pitchers of Sangria for $22. The $1/oz Vini di Gusto is obviously an easy call, but the restaurant also has a pretty extensive wine list that includes bottles from Ontario, Piedmont, Tuscany, and beyond. If you're keen on a Coors Light, this probably isn't your place, but non-wine-drinkers can take their pick from a list of six or seven specialty cocktails (all named after cars or motorcycles), which include the vodka-based Vespino, the Murcielago of tequila, absinthe, and ginger beer, and the Lambretta made with bourbon and maple syrup ($11-$12).
Key Features
The best is yet to come, says General Manager and Sommelier Matteo Floris. Matteo tells me that the rooftop patio is poised to receive a 6-foot grill that will be used for outdoor-only dining specials such as fish and meat skewers. Jealous, insiders? Nevertheless, you can bet on a long wait for a Saturday night banquette or table outdoor spot since Gusto 101 does not take patio reservations.
Other Details
The rooftop patio is set to become an all-year patio come September when it is affixed with a retractable glass roof. That's right, "neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet..." will soon be applicable to dining at Gusto 101. Glorious, isn't it? Heat lamps will be available then and now, though let's hope that the heat continues to hold strong.
BY THE NUMBERS
Rooftop capacity: 100
Street level capacity: 35
Patio hours: Same as restaurant
Kitchen closes at: 1 a.m. (on weekends)
How much is that house wine again?! $1/oz (just in case you missed it the first four mentions)
A big thanks to Shock Top for sponsoring our patio adventures.
Photos by Jesse Milns
Discussion
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You've probably never walked on Portland Street - which was a small side street never destined for the traffic that now clogs it's narrow ways. As a pedestrian when you have to dart around people literally taking over the sidewalk to stand and smoke you have no choice but to jump out among throngs of delivery trucks and Audis/Porches/BMWs going 80km to try to hit all the greens between King to Queen going north or south.
I love Gusto, look forward to my afternoon patio times (when I can get a seat!) but agree... the smokers make me feel like I'm going to have to kill myself to get to where I'm going. :) Now you know.
And I cant remember the last time I had to "jump" out of the way of someone standing around having a cigarette....just sayin.
Otherwise a great spot, but would love to be able to take off on a Friday a bit earlier and get settled on the rooftop.
However, when I requested a table for 3, I was told it would be a 45 minute wait, despite the half-dozen empty tables I could see on the streetwise patio alone - and they don't take reservations, right? And they didn't seem particularly busy inside either. If I were being charitable, I'd say that perhaps they've expanded their seating but the kitchen hasn't caught up and they moderate the rhyhm of seating tables to avoid the kitchen staff getting slammed. If I were cynical, I'd say they're playing some marketing strategy to make themselves seem elite and desirable - like some club that makes patrons stand in a line outside when it's actually empty. In either case, though, this is a city of excellent food and patios, so if Gusto wants to send out mixed signals, play games, and waste my time, I'll spend my considerable wino-dollars elsewhere. (And did.)