Handmade Pasta of the Day
Whatever shape the kitchen felt like. The order, every time.
Italian · Yonge & Eglinton
Zucca Trattoria
Regional Italian on Yonge, cooked by someone who has stopped chasing anything
ItalianYonge & Eglinton, Toronto$$$Details being confirmed
The review
Zucca has been on Yonge for decades doing regional Italian cooking, which in practice means the menu names a place and then cooks like it. It is the quietest good restaurant in midtown and shows no interest in changing that.
Order the handmade pasta of the day whatever it is. The whole roasted fish for two is filleted at the table with no ceremony attached. Fritto misto to start — light, hot, salted properly.
Honest notes: the menu moves with the season, so the dish you loved may be gone. It is closed Sunday and Monday. The pricing is midtown, without the midtown noise, which is rather the point.
What to order
Whole Roasted Fish
For two, filleted at the table without ceremony.
Fritto Misto
Light, hot, correctly salted. Start here.
What works
- Regional and seasonal rather than generic
- Wine list is small and entirely deliberate
- Quiet enough for a conversation
What doesn’t
- Menu changes so favourites disappear
- Closed Sunday and Monday
- Midtown pricing without midtown flash
Verdict
Fritto misto, the pasta of the day, a bottle from the short list.