Traditional Meets Contemporary at Cresta Toronto

This year I decided that I would venture out of my comfort zone and really fall in love with great food again. And while I’d love to fall in love with delicious donuts over and over again, I’m not (really) referring to that kind of good food.

What I’m talking about is the kind of food with fresh and delicious ingredients that are served at a beautiful restaurant with decor that makes you never want to leave. cresta happened to be the restaurant that I passed by at all the wrong times when in a rush to St.Lawrence Market or to pop by a friends house in the area. I always found myself sauntering past the front doors in hopes that I would have an ocassion to stop by and enjoy the food and surroundings like all the guests I see through their windows.

Finally, just the other week I was invited to taste the menu and enjoy the atmosphere at cresta, and clueless old me didn’t even put two and two together to realize that it was actually the beautiful restaurant I was always passing by.

Located in Toronto’s historic St. Lawrence Market area, cresta has created a menu that brings together both traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine alongside world-class Californian wines. Named after one of California’s most iconic vineyards, the Cresta Ridge Vineyard of Thomas George Estates, the new restaurant offers an Italian inspired, Californian cultivated experience.

I happen to love The Esplanade neighbourhood and if you’re like me, the second you spot the restaurant on the corner, your eyes instantly meet with the gorgeous 19th century heritage building which creates that unique and sophisticated atmosphere. Once you enter however, you are immediately drawn to to the circular bar with a 35-foot wine chandelier that displays 500 bottles of TGE wines. Gor-geous! The gold details and leather seating against the smooth wooden tables is the kind of setting that make for a perfect afternoon brunch or post-work dinner and cocktails.

I’m also a sucker for a pretty mustard shade! So, umm, where can I buy these chairs though?

If the setting won’t sway you to venture to cresta, then the food surely will. Learning to expand my palette, I was blown away by the delicious grilled octopus which I have never had before. Each plate was the perfect mix of traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine with a California flair. Executive Chef Tri Tran has created a beautifully styled menu made with a focus on fresh seasonal ingredients which were designed to pair seamlessly with the wines of Thomas George Estates, a highly respected winery in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County California.

Whether you are in it for wine, dishes or decor, cresta is a must when visiting The Esplanade area. Next up, brunch (which I hear is amazing).

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