With an "Oh, Canada!" Theme for my dinner club we went to one of the top 100 restaurants in Canada. I was especially keen on going to this one as the chef, Daniel Costa, also has two other restaurants in the top 100.

Only five of us could attend dinner Club but that worked out perfectly because it is a small venue. It has three tables that could fit about 6 each and a long bar. There are no reservations so we tried to arrive upon opening in order to procure a table. The decor is dark within, literally and artistically, with few lights and the delightfully nightmarish Bosche wall. Our waitress was friendly and helpful and the evening was perfect.

We started with some drinks, the ladies had the most refreshing and unique Bellini I've ever had...on the menu it calls it a Seasonal Bellini, and ours was pink lady apples if memory serves me correctly.

We wanted to each taste as much of Costa's dishes as we could so decided to share instead of ordering individual dinners.

From the Spuntini section of the menu we had a dish of green olives, as a nice amuse-bouche of sorts.

Also from the Spuntini, we ordered two of the specials, which was the much lauded egg yolk raviolo from the menu but with asparagus. It was incredible! Creamy and luscious but not too rich. What a start to our dinner.

Next we shared the fennel salad with pistachio and mint...which was simply perfection. I have a pretty sensitive tongue when it comes to acidic foods and generally I can only eat dressed salads in moderation. This, however, was so amazingly perfectly balanced I could have eaten the entire plate. Wow!

Last item from the Spuntini was the Fried Cotechino Sausage, with lentils, carrot gremolata and vin cotto. Again, an incredible dish. The homemade sausage had a crispy seared crust that added such a lovely salty bite to the lentils and sweet carrots.

Then we moved to the Salumi and Formaggi part of the menu, served with Grissini, warm housemade Focaccia and a sweet house made marmaletta and honey. We choose the Prosciutto tasting plate and the formaggie tasting plate. I wish I could remember which cheeses we had and which one was my favourite but there was no time for taking notes...just time to savour and enjoy and have fun!

For Dolci/ Dessert we had the Tuscan Amadei Chocolate Truffles, a lovely sweet slightly chilled delight.

I honestly have nothing negative to say about this place and the food we tried. Every dish was heavenly and this restaurant is well deserving of being included in the top restaurants in Canada!

Owned and operated by Daniel Costa, a man whose Corso 32 has topped the list of Italian restaurants in Canada for years, Bar Bricco was added to an overpacked agenda thanks to strong praise from chefs and servers at Pigeonhole and Anju, respectively, the swanky Wine Bar on Jasper Avenue proving a perfect environment for some early evening snacks.

Rooted in Italian heritage, both that of its Chef and many of the Meats and Cheeses used to craft its plates, entrance to the long 30-seater any time after sunset sees diners immediately immersed in a bustling environment with music thumping, the two bartenders largely charged with taking orders and doling out wines by the glass as Sputini and some larger plates slowly trickle from a kitchen in back.

Built with a focus on sharing, the lighting subdued and capable of making everyone look a little more glamorous, it was on the notes of bold and citrusy that a glass of 2013 Alois Lageder Gewurztraminer was suggested, slow sips seeing it pair well with a starter of spicy Calabrian Sausage and sliced Anchovies on Bread with shaved Fennel, Red Onion and Parsley.

An oddly paced restaurant, plates coursed out with significant gaps even before the space really starts hopping, it was unavoidably eavesdropping on two Women discussing the complexities of dating while pursuing a career in Law that nearly thirty minutes passed before the arrival of plate two, the airy pudding of Eggs Moliterno served with grated Cheese and Black Pepper further embellished by Winter Truffles while simultaneously served naked Cheese Agnolotti were cleverly served ‘fondue-style’ with a sidecar of herbal Butter designed for dipping.

Impressed by the affordable Wine List and imported ingredients, but far more intrigued by items made in-house, it was after sizing up the menu at my subsequent dinner reservation that a plate of Housemade Porchetta was added, the room temperature meat served with Bread warm from the oven offering a perfect ratio of fat and protein with a hefty endowment of Rosemary and Garlic.