Negroni Panini
492 College St., Toronto
416-413-0005
$75 for dinner for two including tax and tip
It was a tough week to be a restaurant critic.
Initially, I had intended to review Raaw Japanese Cuisine, a new sushi spot in Liberty Village, but that turned out to be one of the most bizarre and unsettling meals of my life. The first sign of trouble occurred with the arrival of the hiyayako, the famous cold tofu dish with soy, ginger, bonito flakes and scallions. For some unfathomable reason, the kitchen served it in what appeared to be a miniature plastic Eero Aarnio ball chair with about a cup of rapidly melting ice on the bottom. Soaking wet and nearly impossible to eat without losing most of the seasoning into the expanding pool, it was a futile and frustrating experience made even worse by the fact that the serving vessel was noticeably smudged and dirty.
Things only got worse from there. The sunomono salad (lightly pickled vegetables with noodles and shrimp) was served in a similar, equally grimy bowl, but this time with a glowing cube in its middle that flashed green and red, green and red. Not only was the odd electronic gizmo a pointless encumbrance; it also made the food look alternately sickly and garish. Dirty, glowing plates in a sushi restaurant do not inspire confidence and we left vowing never to return.
My next choice, a new Persian grill on College Street called Sheherzade, was considerably better and started out with real potential. The owners, who also operate the always packed Pomegranate restaurant right next door, have done an admirable job taking what is a pretty dull space and giving it some character with the addition of elaborate textiles, beautiful tiles and atmospheric lanterns.
The appetizers were light and intriguing. Zeitoon parvardeh - green olives in a sauce of ground walnuts, crushed garlic and pomegranate paste - is a rousing combination of savoury, salty, sweet and acidic flavours. A dip of charred eggplant, tomato, garlic, walnut and pomegranate juice known as kal kabob is just as fascinating with the bonus of some nice grilled flavours.
The entrees, however, were a disappointment. Even the much-lauded abgoosht (only available on this night in its vegetarian form) was more fun in theory than in practice. A two-course affair, the stewed chickpeas and whey with beans, onion, garlic, potatoes and eggplant is served in a little clay bowl. For the first act, the broth is strained and the same kind of flatbread that comes with the appetizers is used as a dip to soak up the broth. Then, using a big pestle, you crush up the rest of the ingredients into a paste and eat that separately with onion, beets, cucumbers and walnuts. It was fun, but kind of one-dimensional, tasting mostly of dried lime. The real problem only occurred when I tried to make a reservation for a return visit and found out that they were closed for two weeks.
So, it was back to the drawing board.
Negroni, a little College Street panini spot that's been on my radar for a while, is charming, but I was concerned that its limited menu might not warrant a full review. This provided a prime opportunity to find out.
Panini are the house specialty and they are grilled on big presses at the open kitchen in the middle of the spare but comfortable dining room. At once yielding and crispy, the sandwiches manage to walk that fine line between toasted and mouth-grating by erring on the side of soft. Inspired combinations like bresaola with pickled eggplant, fontina and arugula pesto or Milano salami with goat cheese and black olive tapenade raise the standard for panini in the city.
The owners also oversee Sidecar, another popular College Street restaurant known for its affordable take on classic Italian fare. Here they have lowered the price bar even further, with no dish over $15.
Any restaurant naming itself after one of my favourite cocktails better be able to make a good one and, sure enough, the Negroni is listed prominently at the top of the wine list. In fact, it's the only cocktail listed and it's a beauty. Loin-girdingly strong with a great balance of gin, vermouth and Campari, its secret is in the garnish: three large, juicy segments of orange that give the drink a bright, citrus freshness.
In addition to the baker's dozen selection of panini, there are some intriguing little starter plates. Among my favourites were the deeply savoury oven-dried tomatoes with fresh slices of buffalo mozzarella and a dark green, exceptionally basily pesto. A couple of cloves of roasted garlic added the necessary pungent punch.
The dense puree of salt cod was also impressive. The reconstituted fish is mounded on three lightly grilled little pucks of polenta and topped with a tiny slice of preserved lemon rind. There's some nice interplay between the soft, almost creamy polenta and the meaty cod, and although the lemon is scant it packs a big, refreshing flavour.
I found the desserts to be less compelling but was able to combine two of them to make one great dessert. The panna cotta was a bit too loose and the strawberry sauce that came with it overpowered the cream, while the peanut-butter ice cream was, well, peanut-butter ice cream and therefore delicious, if a bit unadorned. But combining the sauce from the panna cotta with the peanut-butter ice cream resulted in a version of peanut butter and jelly that was utterly fantastic.
The week may have started out a bit bumpy, but at least it ended on a high note.