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ast night, I had dinner at Grazie Ristorante (2373 Yonge St.) with 3 former co-workers from Mordor, that vegetable-free stronghold walled by mountains and ruled by the Great Eye. Denied of at least 5 to 10 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, the inhabitants of this dying land (but not yet dead) are constantly wary of their Tupperware containers being thrown out. Oh, there is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever-watchful and yet… ironically shortsighted. Mordor is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume… umm, but I digress. Ah yes, Grazie Ristorante is a cozy little Italian restaurant tucked in the vibrant ‘hood of Yonge St. & Eglinton Ave. in upper Toronto (North York). It specializes in gourmet pizzas and hearty pastas with sauces made only after you order (… so they claim).

I ordered a plate of pasta called “Capri” which is linguini with shrimps, clams and diced tomatoes. I wasn’t really in the mood for a heavy tomato and / or cream-based sauce because I had eaten a really late fast lunch of Chinese stir-fried vegetables in black bean sauce with fried rice at 4:00 PM. I would’ve liked more seafood to go with the good size portion of al dente linguini but at least the seafood bits were fresh and tasty. The sauce (white wine and seafood stock) was light but flavourful. I know that red wine doesn’t go with this light dish but food rules be damned. I DON’T CARE. I LIKE red wine even when it might drown out the subtlety of a dish.

I don’t remember the names of the dishes ordered by the other girls. “R” dug into a heaping plate of steamed mussels in white wine and herbs, “Evil Twin” ordered pasta in a cream sauce and “Bob” ate pasta bathed in a tomato and cream sauce (possibly containing smoked salmon and Vodka). Thanks to R for suggesting both the get-together and the restaurant.

The place itself? The restaurant accepts reservations for lunch only and does not hold tables. A Southern Italian ambience. Charming. Constantly busy. Vibrant. The service was courteous and fast enough, I suppose. The only negatives: a little loud and the tables are a bit too close to each other. Prices are OK. A glass of wine, a main entrée and tip will set you back no more than CDN$ 25. Would I return? Yes, but I think I’d try the pizza the next time.

The dinner companions? Great. I’d forgotten how nice it was to just hang out with these women. I can pretty much be my crazy or reserved fruity self without feeling like I’m being judged. Good people. I should probably try to see them at least more than twice a year and get over the fact that seeing them does not mean “automatic flashbacks of Mordor”.

If you like the food at Grazie Ristorante and want to make it at home, you can apparently buy the Grazie Cookbook for CDN $24.99 + tax at the restaurant and participating Indigo and Chapters book store locations. Details on the cookbook can be found on the restaurant’s website.

Grazie (that’s “thanks” in Italian) for reading.

Now, I bid you adieu,

A fresh serving of fruity

P.S. to self: Today is my cousin’s birthday. I haven’t seen this crazy witch in years. I wish her well even though she’s a crazy witch. Tomorrow is my Daddy’s 65th birthday. I’m just glad that he’s alive and well after all his health problems. Happy birthday to you, Dad! OK, this greeting is pretty much useless since my Dad won’t be seeing it. My Dad thinks the greatest use for a computer is finding out NBA game schedules and getting driving directions via MapQuest. When trying to explain what I do for a living to their friends, my parents now just say “computers”.