Mercatto on Bay

It is very cold day in Toronto today...the temperature is sitting at -5 and the windchill at -16. I bundled up in my wool coat, changed out of my blue suede 4 inch heels and into my mid thigh high boots and headed out with two other ladies in tow.

We had tried to eat at the new Bay street location a few weeks ago but when we arrived just after Noon, there was a huge crowd waiting for tables. We decided to try another place instead.

So today in spite of the cold air we headed to the Mercatto on Bay street. Since we arrived at 11:40 AM there was no crowd and many available tables.

We scored a seat right in front of the kitchen and were able to eye all of the delicious pizzas coming out of the oven.

I decided on the cavaletti: shrimp, olives, arugula, tomato, peperoncini. My lunch guests ordered the tagliatelle and the quattro stagione pizza...Our pasta dishes arrived in sequence but the pizza was damaged in the baking process. But koodos to the Mercatto management who brought over a complementary salad for her to enjoy while the pizza was re-made.

When I asked the Tagliatelle eater, how her pasta was...her first response was bland.
DAMN! I thought to myself, I knew I should ordered the rigatoni with meat sauce.

Anyway I took a bite of mine and it was pretty good because I had the olives which packed a lot of delightful flavour. However when I tasted the pasta and the sauce on its own, I too found it very bland. I mean did they even boil the pasta with salt, olive oil?

Hmmm I would definitely not order the same thing but may give it a second chance.

Not to mention the prices are pretty good and the did accommodate for the delayed pizza. BUT if they hadn't, I would not give it a second chance. So basically I would give them a second chance based on other reasons besides the food.