where jess ate

Serving up delicious house-made pastas with an incredible selection of wine, Cafe Bar Pasta (@CAFEBARPASTA) recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.

Located on Dundas, just west of Dufferin, this 81-seat restaurant features five different dining areas: the Café table, the main dining room, private dining room downstairs, the Chef’s Table and Dine-on-the-line.

The spaces are beautifully designed by co-owner Christine Vieira herself, who is a trained interior designer and fashion stylist. I loved the warmth and coziness in each different area. There’s no doubt that she has amazing taste!

Cafe Bar Pasta is brought to us by the husband-and-wife team Christine Vieira and Tom Bielecki. With Executive Chef Jay Scaife  (@chefjayscaife) working the kitchen and Master Sommelier John Szabo pouring the wine (he’s only one of two Master Sommeliers in Canada), they have a winning equation. Speaking of winning, Chef Scaife just won the title of Best Chef in the 2014 edition of NOW Magazine’s Best of Toronto Reader’s Choice issue.

They recently launched a new 16-dish fall menu which is inspired by Chef Scaife’s formal training in French, Italian and Japanese cuisines. You’ll find dishes such as lobster & corn lollipops, chicken liver-stuffed bone marrow, and of course a mouth-watering selection of pastas. Each day Chef Scaife spins a selection of homemade pasta from a state-of-the-art pasta machine, the Italia Mini.

To complement the food, Master Sommelier John Szabo has curated a 40+ bottle wine list along with five wines on tap, served in 3oz, 5oz, 8oz, ½ litre and 1 litre pours. The wines on tap are a great affordable option – they really pride themselves on offering locally-sourced premium estate wines at an affordable price.

I recently attended Cafe Bar Pasta’s first year anniversary celebration and had the opportunity to try some of their new menu items:

Buffalo Mozzarella – arugula aioli, heirloom tomato, black garlic vinaigrette

Sweetbread Saltimbocca – roast plum, mustard salad

Agnolotti “Pillows” – bufala-rosemary ricotta, roast chanterelle, white truffle oil

Ravioli – grilled beef cheek, butter roasted lobster, parsnip puree, red wine reduction

Chiffon Cake – pumpkin chai, chocolate

Their buffalo mozzarella is a fantastic way to start off any meal – a great piece of cheese with a delicious black garlic vinaigrette and arugula aioli. Such a great combination! On a previous visit to Cafe Bar Pasta, I fell in love with their pasta. The love is still burning strong! The agnolotti pillows encased a light, fluffy ricotta filling topped with earthy chanterelles – perfect little bites. As for the beef cheek ravioli, the decadent lobster topping made this a wonderful take on surf-and-turf.

This little taste of their new menu has already got me wanting more. With great food, a cozy space and excellent wine selection, make Cafe Bar Pasta your next date night destination!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*