Via Cibo - Toronto

I am a huge fan! How have I not known about Via Cibo before; a restaurant that is part of the CraveItRestaurant Group that also owns Stoney’s Bread Company (review) and The Burger’s Priest? The franchise has restaurants in Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa, with the York Mills Rd. location as the sole Toronto location.

Via Cibo is another example of the current trend of upscale restaurants with counter service. I don 't mind that you order the food at the counter, are given a number to place on the table, then pay, and then wait until the food is delivered to your table. I do object to being asked for a tip when the only service is delivering the food to your table.<br/ <br/ The tag line on the front of the restaurant and in their menu is 'Italian Street Food '. Sorry, but dinner entrees like Tuscan Braised Beef and Chicken Parm are not street food.<br/ <br/ The food that was delivered was good. SWMBO ordered the Pollo Parmigiana (hand-breaded chicken, grana padano, provolone, pomodoro, side pasta). For $16, I would have expected a larger portion of chicken. I had the Pollo al Pesto<br/ pizza (grilled chicken, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, pesto, broccolini, goat cheese, fior di latte mozzarella). For $15 I was quite satisfied.

I have experienced the brunch and lunch menu here. For brunch, my sister and I shared the spinach and ricotta frittata and the lemon blueberry pancakes. The pancakes were delicious but the frittata tasted watery and was not as flavorful as I imagined it would be. When I went there for lunch I ordered the Margherita pizza. The pizza there is baked in a wood oven and has a slightly elastic dough with crunchy crusts. The texture and flavors of that pizza were spot on. My friend's pesto was also really good. Via Cibo also has gelato. A tiny sample of the chocolate tasted decadent and creamy.

Walking into Via Cibo, I was greeted by a fully open kitchen where chefs prepared fresh pasta, pizza and other classic Italian dishes. Designed as a fast casual restaurant (I believe the first of it’s kind in Toronto) Via Cibo served up authentic, traditional Italian cuisine with a focus on fresh, simple ingredients. To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect from Via Cibo, but after just a few bites, I knew I’d be recommending the spot to friends. The food was delicious, from buttery gnocchi to refreshing Italian soda.

You definitely have to try the food at Via Cibo!!! ' Its worth your money. Pretty cheap and amazing food!