A cold February night in the Mt. Pleasant area set the stage for our latest TFLC adventure. Nine of us braved cold weather to try the Winterlicious menu at Pallucci. Located in Leaside, the fusion eatery specializes in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Owned and run by Chef Neil Siomra and his wife Michelle, Pallucci features a trendy atmosphere and a hefty menu full of home style pizzas.
Appetizer:
We started off our meals with appetizers, including a butternut squash soup, Mixed Organic Greens, or Hot Italian Sausage. I had the butternut squash soup which was very warm and hearty on a cold winter night. The salad was very fresh, but did not have the pizzaz that makes a salad special . The sausage was very flavourful and plated beautifully with sautéed onions.
Main Course:
The main courses selection was very diverse in variety and included choice of maple glazed salmon, steak frites or sweet potato agnolotti. I had steak frites. You could taste the freshness of the ingredients and the portions were very large. The steak was around 10oz and cooked to perfection while the frites were golden crispy and hot. One couple didn’t have their steak prepared the way they had requested but overall were satisfied with their meal. There were a few people who also has ordered the Salmon and had mentioned that there portions were a good size and that the food was flavourful.
Dessert:
We almost gave up on the dessert because we were so full. Luckily we didn’t as it was a perfect ending to our dinner. Both the tiramisu and strawberry coconut tartuffo were very fresh sweet. The biscotti were very crispy, tasty, and a great compliment to a strong espresso.
Overall it was a very good experience. The food and ambiance were great and the conversations around the table were interesting. I would give Palluccii 4 stars out of 5.
Written by Nadia and Naeem Alarakhia
