Pusateri's celebrated its 25th anniversary at its expansive Avenue Road location with wines, cheeses, cured meats, seafood and rich sweets. Call the timing good or bad, but after making some unfortunate headlines in October due to a DineSafe shutdown, there's not much doubt that Pusateri's would benefit from a little customer appreciation. Toward that end, it was the perfect event for the North Toronto set in attendance — you know, those with champagne tastes and the budget to back them up.

The cheeses looked rich and creamy, and the salty salamis were piled high. The desert counter was stacked with velvety chocolate pastries and beautifully garnished tarts (note the $35 price tag!). And there were, of course, plenty of items free for sampling. With a glass of Kim Crawford in hand, my friend and I hopped around devouring all sorts of treats, from the melt-in-your-mouth smoked salmon to the super fresh tuna tartare crostini.

And then we found the oyster bar. They were like a little taste of the sea with a hint of horseradish — in other words, just as they should be. The sophisticated guests circulated, ate, laughed, ate, drank, ate. Very Pusateri's. Will a birthday party be enough to bring back those scared off by the little public health crisis the grocery store experienced? Probably not. But free stuff is always nice.

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