La Veranda Osteria

By Annabelle Goodman –

It was a very emotional meting. I had lost track of a dear friend of long standing. This reunion meant a great deal to me. Even though La Veranda is in Etobicoke I knew I could take the subway across the road from my apartment and get off at the Royal York stop. La Veranda is right across the road from the subway. Very convenient. I had dined here in the past and was very impressed.

I learned a good lesson on this evening. Don’t let time pass without keeping in touch with dear ones. When you do celebrate go for the best so that the experience is totally positive.

I enjoyed seeing the restaurant all dolled up for the holiday season. The warm greeting at the door and the continued excellent service all evening made us both feel so special. It is a remarkable menu and we both pondered it for a while. We had difficult choices to make because everything seemed so fantastic.

We shared an Insalata di Caesare.($7.95) It was enough to feed the whole restaurant (which was full) Fresh romaine lettuce was served with tasty toasted croutons. The homemade dressing was flavorful. We demolished it all and enjoyed every bite. I loved the large white bowls. It made the presentation so inviting.

We did consider the Insalata di Arugula e Pomodoro. ($9.85) Baby organic arugula is served with fresh sliced tomatoes in a homemade Italian dressing.

Caprese Alia Veranda is a specialty of the house offering vine ripened tomatoes, boccancino cheese and black olives.($10.95)

The pasta offerings are so numerous and everything seemed so appealing. We both chose the Tagliatelle Alla Veranda. In fact our server was kind enough to allow us the linguine instead of the house made tagliatelle. Asparagus, grilled red peppers, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil and garlic sauce were combined to make this a very exciting choice bursting with flavor. We added 5 giant tiger shrimp to the dish. The total cost was $24.95

Fresh pasta with basil and tomatoes can be ordered with your choice of pasta. ($17.95)

Gnocchi ai Pesto is prepared with potato dumplings served in a pesto cream sauce.($17.95)

Pollo alla Osteria is just one of the chicken dishes on this lengthy menu. Chicken breast is served with mushrooms in a rose sauce with linguine on the side.($10.95)

Carne lovers can choose a gourmet entrée from a lengthy list. The Filetto di Vitello ai Limone is prepared with a white wine, butter and a herb sauce.($22.95)

I was also tempted with the fish selections. Filet of Grouper is pan seared, deglazed and served with a white wine sauce. Fresh vegetables and potatoes are part of the presentation but the diner may opt for pasta as a side.

The portions are very generous. The presentation is exquisite. It is hard not to finish such delicious food. At the front of the restaurant you are faced with a cooler housing the most tantalizing mouth watering desserts. I dare you to save room.

This is the festive season. Give yourself a treat. It is also a great way to entertain friends or family.

We had a wonderful reunion and a gourmet experience. Next time we shouldn’t wait so long.