REVIEW | Destingo for Winterlicious 2014 - quaint & casual trattoria on Queen West

Queen West is one of those neighbourhoods where you're bound to find a great place to eat.. on every corner! I have yet to visit Destingo so Winterlicious was a good excuse for me to see what they're all about.  Yes, it's hard to judge a restaurant during this time as service may be compromised, but my dinner at Destingo was close to perfect.

This Italian trattoria is located at the corner of Queen St. West and Palmerston Ave./Tecumseth St., easily accessible by the TTC street car or by car.  It's large space that is open concept with a trendy bar on one side and an open kitchen at the back of the restaurant.  Even though the space is large and open, the tables have a good space between each other for that privacy and it didn't get too loud with it being pretty full that night.

The servers were knowledgeable, prompt and friendly.  The drinks and food arrived at a good interval between each course as well.

Complimentary bread with butter - loved the sun-dried tomato loaf.. totally delicious!

The Grilled Calamari with caramelized onions, kalamata olives, capers, local grape tomatoes and roasted garlic was tender and bursting of flavours. The acid from grape tomatoes balanced everything out well.  I order 'calamari' often at different restaurant for appetizers and this has to be one of my favourites.  The olives made it unique.

 

 Destingo's Verde Salad is made of arugula, Ontario granny smith apples, toasted walnuts and Parmesan in a champagne-pear vinaigrette was absolutely delightful.  The arugula leaves were fresh and I loved the crunch from the apple slices and toasted walnuts.

New Zealand Lamb – tender lamb in a fresh mint sauce, served with roasted vegetables came with 3 chops. The lamb was tender and went really well with the mint sauce!

Chicken Parmigiana – breaded chicken breast with a spiced tomato sauce and fresh Parmesan cheese was probably my favourite of the night, even though it was my sister's entree. Crispy breading with soft melted cheese under the tomato sauce was super comforting!  The veggies on the side were tasty and seasoned well.

Molten Chocolate Cake was a simple and sweet finish to our meal.  It wasn't too chocolatey or sweet, which I liked as I find many molten chocolates to be overly rich.  Blueberries on the side was a nice touch.

The Tiramisu was light, spongy and creamy! I couldn't get enough of this!  It wasn't overwhelming with coffee at all but with just a hint, which I liked.

Overall, I had a great experience at Destingo for Winterlicious this year.  Great food, great space and great servers made it a memorable dinner and I will be suggesting this spot to my friends and probably going back for a visit soon for the Chicken Parmigiana.