THE RED TOMATO

Located in the heart of Toronto’s theatre district, The Red Tomato occupies the lower floor underneath their sister restaurant, Fred’s Not Here. With plenty of bar seats and booths, The Red Tomato was intimate and cozy. Earlier in September I was invited to a media event, Pie Tunes, showcasing their pizza menu. I then had the opportunity to return and check out their full dinner menu.

Disclaimer: All drinks and dishes were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

During the Pie Tunes event, I got to taste 6 of The Red Tomato’s 10 pizzas. Toppings ranged from classics like Margherita to fusion flavours like Peking Duck. Each pizza was 11″, cut into quarters and a hefty meal for one. My four favourite pies were The Hangover Cure with tomato, olives, double smoked bacon, fresh mozzarella, chillies and topped with fried quail eggs. Toppings were loaded on the crispy crust and each ingredient complimented each other. In general, I found all the pie creations at The Red Tomato to be well paired.

Another favourite was the Peking Duck Pizza with roasted duck breast, enoki mushrooms, shitaki mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, hoisin sauce and crispy duck crackling. That crackling was amazing! Crunchy, savoury and just bursts of flavour (seriously, this is why I can’t fit into any of my pants). After two pizzas with bold flavours, the potato pizza with slices of Yukon gold, caramelized onions, fennel, grana padano and fresh mozzarella was a nice mild break for my tastebuds. I did find my slice needed an added sprinkle of salt to brighten the natural potato taste. Lastly, I really enjoyed the garlic shrimp pizza that was the simplest with a walnut pesto and fresh mozzarella. Fresh, plump shrimp dotted each slice of pie.

In addition to pizza, The Red Tomato also offered a full dinner menu of salads, soups, starters and pasta. On my second visit with a few fellow bloggers, we chose to try the Caprese Salad, Coconut Shrimp and Fresh Steamed Clams as starters. All the dishes used fresh ingredients and I enjoyed the heat from the chorizo sausage with the steamed clams. From the pasta section, we tried the Mushroom Agnolotti and Meatball Gnocchi. The two meatballs that were served with the gnocchi were soft, juicy and pretty giant. Both dishes were ok, but I’d be back for their pizzas.

Dinner wrapped up with four desserts, espresso creme brulee, chocolate mousse, pecan tart and a cheesecake duo. Of the four my favourite was the espresso creme brulee. While the custard wasn’t firm, the flavour was rich with a hint of coffee and the top shell was delicious.

If you’re in the neighbourhood for a show, The Red Tomato offers a great Mirvish Package that can be booked online in addition to their own Pizza Special. 2 pizzas and a bottle of wine for $39.99 is a great deal.