On a blustery Saturday night, a few members of The Big Eat team took an autumn stroll through the cozy Roncesvalles village in High Park. Our destination was Domani Restaurant & Wine Bar – a stone’s throw away from Dundas West station, and a gem in this growing, trendy neighbourhood. Past the attractive cafes and chocolatiers, the aroma of this Italian eatery wafts down the street, drawing your attention and making it nearly impossible to walk away.
Established almost 13 years ago by owner and chef Kohyar, Domani features mouth-watering Italian fusion cuisine made entirely from scratch. You’ll find no freezer in the Domani kitchen, and all dishes are made with fresh produce purchased weekly from the Ontario food terminal and local family-owned markets. Chef Kohyar fell in love with food over 20 years ago, and has spent time as head chef of Verona Ristorante on King St. W. and Serra in the Annex. Now, his passion for food has translated into a beautiful and successfully authentic restaurant in one of the most up-and-coming neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were welcomed by Chef Kohyar’s daughter, Mariam, who we learned greets all diners personally when she can. Mariam appeared to really know her regular customers and it was clear that her friendly rapport is one of the reasons diners keep coming back.
At the table, Domani diners are treated with a complimentary bread basket and a delicious spread made from grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, white kidney beans, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, and lemon juice. The bread was served warm and had a soft, airy dough with a crispy crust. Our cocktail of choice was an authentic add-on to our Italian meal as we asked Mariam to whip us up a couple of limoncellos. Like lemonade in the fall, this cocktail was tangy going in and sweet going down, and not too tart for our taste buds.
To follow our autumn theme, we warmed up with Domani’s featured butternut squash soup infused with a harvest-y but subtle maple syrup ($9). This soup proved to be what can only be described as the perfect fall dish. It’s smooth, sweet taste matched it’s luscious texture and could easily be enjoyed as a starter or as the star of the show. If your palette is more on the salty side, the pepper crusted beef carpaccio ($9.50) might be the appetizer for you. Capers, arugula, roasted red peppers and asiago cheese were carefully presented on a thinly sliced, fresh and salty beef. The asiago cheese is aged, but not too strong and gives this dish a nice punch. For diners in the mood for a salad with a little more pizzaz, this one is perfect.
One of Domani’s feature entrees was the oven roasted trout ($24.95), a bright, flavourful fish that made its home on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes, carrots, red peppers, broccoli, and asparagus. The trout was a savoury perfection spiced with thyme, rosemary and basil. Buttery, with a sweet aftertaste, this mouthwatering fish fell apart on our tongue and was complimented by the salty tang of the lemon butter sauce.
The fusilli ($16.95) was another warm and indulgent meal with its tender roasted chicken, grilled eggplant, sweet peppers, basil pesto and tomato goat cheese cream sauce. Complimenting the maturity of the cheese was the acidic tomato, creating the perfect combination of indulgent and fresh. The cream sauce was light and flavourful and even for those whose preference is for tomato or pesto – this one will easily impress. Topped off with some reggiano cheese, we felt like we were back at home in Nonna’s kitchen.
Domani’s décor captures the trendiness of the neighbourhood beautifully and without pretense. With terra cotta tones, mellow indie music and romantic lighting, one can dine comfortably in this enchanting eatery. A perfect date spot, Domani Restaurant & Wine Bar will make your taste buds fall in love.
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