We got a first-hand look at Alimento’s communal dining setup on Tuesday, July 26, and were treated to five impressive courses of house-made Italian delicacies, ranging from an extravagant wood board display of meats, cheeses and appropriate accents to a mixed platter of mouth-watering pastries.
Alimento is a fine food emporium on the corner of King Street West and Brant catering to those with a refined palette towards traditionally prepared and meticulously selected European (though predominantly Italian) rare finds. Much more than just a grocery store, the recently launched space features a mercato, bakery, catering and private dining options.
The vast selection of fresh and salt-cured creations (including over 10 olive varieties) distracted us from the cocktail reception as we found ourselves perusing the aisles of the grocery section. Ultimately, though, we were here to experience what happens in the kitchen at the emporium’s front room BarMozza.
Following an incredible display of prosciutto, speck, salami and various cheeses mixed with glazed almonds, plums, and sun-dried tomatoes, we started the indulgence with a pesce crudo mixed raw fish platter. A perfect appetizer to get us in the mood, to say the least.
We then opted to follow up with a plate of four expertly crafted crostinis, with a potato and onion pairing our favourite over a close second place duo of apples and prosciutto.
Our third course was a risotto nella ruota, which translates to Arborio rice with cream, Parmigiano and tartufo nero (black truffle). Most notable of all was not the perfect blend of these fine ingredients, but rather being served out of a giant cheese wheel.
Our main course of choice was an ambitious one given its size and what we had already consumed at this point. Nonetheless, the Il Crudo arrived with a perfect balance of tomato sauce, fiore de latte, prosciutto and arugula – an excellent mid-day or evening pizza pie that could rival some of the city’s best.
We capped off the evening with an array of dessert options fresh from Alimento’s in-house bakery, our favourite here being a thick and rich dark chocolate pie sprinkled with pistachios and accompanied by a shot of grappa.
Alimento offers young professionals on the King West strip a perfect place to stop in for fresh, hard-to-find delicacies to liven up any mid-week dinner, along with a sit down dining option that’s casual yet refined in terms of offering a menu chalk full of high quality options. Chances are you’ll meet a few people, too.
Bon appetite.