When opportunity knocks, it’s always smart to answer.
After spending more than 25 years growing its footprint in Toronto, it’s not surprising that Mercatto has become a well-known Italian mainstay in a city that’s certainly not short on pizza, pasta and chilled seafood.
But now, almost 28 years after opening its first Toronto location, Mercatto Hospitality–which owns Cantina Mercatto, Mercatto College and Elizabeth, Taverna Mercatto and Tratoria Mercatto–is just days away from officially opening Mercatto Centrale in Mississauga’s Port Credit neighbourhood.
And not only is the restaurant expanding into the GTA for the first time ever, but it has also moved into a highly anticipated new waterfront development.
“Why are we here? Why are we here in Port Credit? To be honest with you…we’re almost a little bit embarrassed because we’ve been in business now for over, almost approaching 28 years, and we’ve all been kind of hiding in Toronto, if you will,” Steve Christian, principal at Alter Ego Group (which operates Mercatto, Constantine, La Palma and other restaurants and retailers), told diners at a media launch.
“But [we realize] that along this Lakeshore corridor, all of our guests have been coming to us for years. From Mississauga, but all the way to Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, a lot of our guests have been frequenting our restaurants for years, and so it only seemed right to find a place outside of the core, expanding beyond that for the first time.”
Christian, who spoke alongside Mercatto founders and owners Jack and Domenic Scarangella, as well as chef Doug Neigel, confirmed that the newest Mercatto outpost, with its striking murals, high ceilings and expansive floor plan, is indeed its biggest (quite literally) resto yet.
“When we did it, we wanted to make sure that it wasn’t just something simple,” Christian told diners.
“This is, by far, our biggest restaurant.”
The new restaurant, one of the first big-name hotspots to open in the city’s much-discussed Brightwater development, spans 8,500 square feet, with approximately 5,000 square feet dedicated to the bar and dining areas. Mercatto Centrale can accommodate up to 290 people, offering 200 indoor and 90 patio seats.
Brightwater, taking shape along the shores of Lake Ontario, is a 72-acre development that will include 3,893 housing units upon completion. The community has also already welcomed a range of shops, including Farm Boy, an LCBO location, Cobs Bread, Pop On Nails, D Spot Dessert Cafe and more.
In a news release issued earlier this year, the brand said the new restaurant’s unique design “draws inspiration from The Birth of Venus and offers diners a luxe, coastal vibe that’s appropriate for the near-waterfront location.
The Birth of Venus inspiration is probably the restaurant’s most defining stylistic feature, as a sky-high mural that evokes the renowned Sandro Botticelli creation greets guests as soon as they walk in the door.
The restaurant was designed by Studio Munge and features arched passageways, limewashed walls, sculptural millwork, a fittingly coastal wavy ceiling and a cloud-like, almost tropical lighting installation in the main dining room.
Led by Neigel, Mercatto is known for offering a mix of classic and modern Italian fare, and at the dinner, operators showcased dishes that were elegant, hearty and luxurious. To start, meaty (in a good way) green olives mixed with bay leaves, lemon and pistachios, olive oil and sea salt house-made bread and a chic seafood platter with yellowfin tuna tartare, tiger shrimp and oysters.
The team followed the first course with antipasti, offering guests family-style servings of a creamy beet-and-ricotta dish, Caesar salad, fried calamari, polenta, zucchini, and shrimp.
The main event? Orecchiette pugliese with sausage, rapini and pine nut pesto, margherita pizza and a 32-ounce dry-aged porterhouse steak served with creamy fregola and rapini and a cauliflower and green bean mix.
Dessert was a tiramisu served like a sundae, with a generous serving of whipped cream.
Once the restaurant officially opens on March 13, it will also become the only Mercatto restaurant to serve brunch. Brunch, operators said, will pair Italian-inspired comfort dishes with familiar classics such as Eggs Benedict and French toast.
Other menu items that will available upon opening include pizzas such as the diavola (spicy soppressata, tomato, fior di latte, basil), speck (zucchini purée, caramelized onion, fior di latte, grana padano) and pepperoni (ezzo pepperoni, cracked coriander and fennel seed, tomato, mozzarella) and pasta dishes such as chitarra alla carbonara (guanciale, conestoga farms egg, black pepper, grana padano, pecorino), orecchiette pugliese (fennel sausage, rapini and pine mut pesto, peperoncini, pangrattato), and pan-seared lasagna (ricotta, mozzarella, besciamella, ragù bolognese).
There is also a full menu of traditional main courses, including chicken, fish, and steak, along with appetizers and antipasti.
Several traditional Italian desserts are also available.
The restaurant will also offer private dining space for parties and events of up to 18 guests.
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Dining and Cooking