Reviewed by Elisa Bozzo
Bienvenidos a Argentina...
Home of . . .
- the TANGO
- the creation of chimichurri sauce, dulce de leche and empanadas
AND
- Eva Peron and the ending to "Don't cry for me...." (You definitely just sang that)
First on the list:
LATINADA TAPAS BAR & RESTAURANT
1671 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
What a start to our food journey! LATINADA is rustic Argentinian eatery located near the corner of Parkside Dr. and Bloor St. W. in Toronto. Outfitted with wooden paneling and twinkling lights, walls adorned with pictures of musicians, sounds of smooth jazz (Jazz FM) floating through the air, and a patron at the bar conversing in Spanish with Alfredo periodically, LATINADA seemed like an off-the-beaten-path-tucked-in-a-corner-somewhere-in-Argentina authentic experience waiting to lure us into its cultural kitchen.
I contacted the restaurant ahead of time to reserve our group of 7 for 6:30 pm on a Tuesday night (the restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday). The restaurant's owner, Alfredo, was very quick to reply and ensured us we would not be disappointed. (After trying to reserve a night in January, we were informed that the restaurant was on vacation until early February - this led us to believe that this was a family run restaurant, which only meant one thing....'HOME COOKED FOOD!')
Upon arrival, Alfredo greeted us at the door. Over the course of the night, Alfredo proved how warm and friendly customer service, as well as a thorough knowledge base of the over 20 dishes on the menu, goes a long way in creating an 'at home' atmosphere. As there were an odd number of us, Rob wanted to sit at the head of the table, and so Alfredo offered to move a table out of the way for our comfort.
We were offered to start the evening right away with GUACAMOLE. I've tried guacamole from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and my own mother's homemade guac (which can't be beat), but THIS was by far THE BEST GUACAMOLE EVER with what tasted like tortilla chips made in house. I stand by my hatred of cilantro, but THIS GUAC had just the right amount of lime and cilantro, with small pieces of avocado still left in tact to give it a thick, yet creamy texture. Paired with the thin corn chips... SUCCESS!
Alfredo then brought us water with lime (which for me is so exciting, because I CANNOT STAND water with lemon, and instead most definitely prefer LIME!). We also ordered a litre of SANGRIA, red wine infused with citrus fruits (oranges for sure) as well as apples. I've also tried SANGRIA in various places around the world, and we seemed to be on a roll so far... this was THE BEST SANGRIA EVER. Not too sweet, a bit tart, and a great fruit to wine ratio in each of the 7 glasses.
As we reviewed the well laid out menu of tapas (latin appetizers), salads, entrees of meat, seafood, and fish, as well as options for vegetarians (yay Alex!), and don't forget dessert, Alfredo inquired as to our taste buds and guided us to recommended dishes. Daniel was content with 'surprise me', hoping he would not be led to the most expensive item on the menu, however Alfredo (to ensure Daniel enjoyed his meal I'm assuming) led him to a dish with shrimp, rice, beans, salad and avocados. Well done! None of us had any specific allergies that we needed to bring to the cook's attention.
Thanks to Daniel, I was able to taste a variety of tapas, including YUCA FRITA, PATACONES, EMPANADA de QUESO, and EMPANADA de CARNE (all either $5 or $6). Can you say TASTE BUD PARTY IN MY MOUTH?!?! The YUCA FRITA (think fried, finger-like, and potato in flavour and consistency) and PATACONES (fried plantain rounds that have been squashed) were served plentiful (more than 6 pieces) on a bed of chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro. The combination of hot in temperature, crunchy, salty, and refreshing was delightful on the palette. The two EMPANADAS de QUESO (flaky pastry pocket filled with cheese) and one CARNE (meat - already cut in half) were crunchy on the outside with a warm filled center. Comments of "oh my God this is delicious" filled the air after the first bite of every tapas.
I went on to ask Alfredo what he recommended and he led me to a fish dish. I was open-minded and unable to choose between a few meat dishes, and he stated that one of the most popular dishes (as well as cheapest fish dish at just under $20) was the PESCADO FRITO (pan-fried white fish fillet with coriander and lime sauce) served with YUCA FRITA and AVOCADO SALAD. I already ordered the yuca frita as an appetizer and so easily substituted with YUCA MOJO (cassava sauteed Cuban style with garlic, lemon, and onions). The yuca was warm, not melt in your mouth mushy, but with a good bite consistency. The avocado salad included romaine lettuce (a sign of a good salad according to my mother who thinks that salads made with iceberg lettuce are hardly salads at all - and I agree!) with balsamic vinaigrette and what seemed to be a WHOLE AVOCADO. Actually, everyone who ordered the avocado salad received roughly a WHOLE avocado in their salad (halved) which was very generous. The fish was lightly pan fried, served warm, melt in your mouth, no fishy smell or flavour, but was rather complimented with a refreshing green sauce. The portions were plentiful, but I managed to finish all the fish and most of the yucca and salad because everything was so delicious. Alfredo offered some hot sauce for us to try. Made with jalapenos and scotch bonnet peppers, the heat was almost too overwhelming, but because of the flavour, I couldn't help but lightly sprinkle my fish with the sauce (and dip a french fry or two from Jenna's dish in there). The flavour was addictive, and the heat which hit the back of my throat 5 seconds later did not detract from continuing to savour the flavour of the hot sauce. If you can't handle the heat though, BEWARE! I was also able to taste Daniel's rice and beans and again, the flavour was spectacular.
For dessert, I had a bite of Daniel's PLATANO FRITO (2 halved fried sweet plantains with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce for under $10). The plantain was tender and warm, with a hint of sweetness (even without the chocolate sauce).
For $55 including tax and tip, I was more than satisfied with the amount of food and drink I was able to taste test for that price. Service was both efficient and friendly (my simple judge for efficiency is directly linked with water refills as I sometimes drink a glass and need it refilled by the time the server makes his way around the entire table). Apart from the odd glass forgotten, Alfredo was extremely attentive to our group (I must however admit we were the only customers at that time of night). Overall, my experience at LATINADA TAPAS BAR & RESTAURANT was EXCELLENT; I would definitely go back because of the service, the quality of food, reasonable prices, the relaxed atmosphere and latin vibe.
Gracias a Alfredo y LATINADA TAPAS para una experiencia excepcional!
5 STAR RATING SYSTEM
Food Taste: 4.5
Quality and Presentation of Food: 4.5
Ambiance and Decor: 4 (remember: rustic and simple - I enjoy that)
Quality of Service: 5
Overall Product Rating: 4.5
Vegetarian Friendly? yes
Best Suited For: couples, families, groups, individuals, after work drink/bite
Recommend to a friend? yes
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