Trattoria Mercatto is a casual-fare Italian restaurant located inside of the Eaton's Centre. I was invited to attend the "Antipasti With Us" event in late August along with several local food bloggers. This was a collaborated event between Trattoria Mercatto and Toronto Eaton Centre. We enjoyed an afternoon of delicious antipasti and cocktails at Trattoria Mercatto.

** All photography taken by Mauricio Jose Calero courtesy of Toronto Eaton Centre. **

Trattoria Mercatto's contemporary decor with its high ceiling, large bar, and spacious seating provided a very welcoming atmosphere. The space was bright with the natural lighting shining brightly into the restaurant which was a nice change from the trend of dimly lit establishments even during lunch time hours. 

 We started the afternoon with a refreshing glass of Nonna's Little Secret - vodka, hibiscus, rosehip, house-made peace tea, lime. The sweet tasting cocktail was good to start the meal off with, and compliment both the Barbabietole Arrosto and Carpaccio Di Manzo dishes.

 Next up was the Barbabietole Arrosto ($11.95) - beets, burrata, arugula, almonds, aged balsamic. The roasted beets were topped off with fresh burrata cheese to create a surprisingly good contrast of sweet and zesty.

 The Carpaccio Di Manzo ($13.50) - beef tenderloin crudo, brandy crema, pickled onions, grana padano, arugula, was a well presented dish and the thinly sliced crudo went well together with the tanginess of the pickled onions, and arugula

My personal favorite dish from Trattoria Mercatto was the Calamari Fritti ($12.95) - fried calamari, fennel and garlic crema. The calamari were perfectly deep fried without being overly oily, and the portion was rather large for an appetizer dish. Additionally, the garlic crema was creamy in texture and delicious with the calamari. I could actually eat the entire plate by myself; it was that good. I thought that this particular dish complimented well with the chilled Prosecco Serenissima - Italian bubbles.

The Frutti Di Mare ($11.50) - marinated shrimp, bay scallops, calamari, red onion, crostini, was the second seafood antipasti dish that was served. The overall presentation of the seafood in the jar served on a wooden board was seemingly creative.

The dish was also served alongside with a large cup of Estrella Damm - Spanish lager. It definitely complemented the two seafood dishes that were served especially the Frutti Di Mare as the light and smoothness of the lager balanced out the dish. Trattoria Mercatto offers various kinds of alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages to go with your meal, so there's something for everyone.

The Polpette - veal and pork meatballs, roasted eggplant and tomato caponata, grana padano, was served in a small pan, and contained three large meatballs. 

The last dish of the day was the Diver Scallops ($13.50) - fennel, orange, pine nuts, chili, agrodolce, which was wonderfully seared and seasoned. It's always nice when the dish is also aesthetically pleasing in addition to it being tasty.

Overall, I had an enjoyable afternoon at Trattoria Mercatto with my fellow bloggers. This is a great place to eat when you're in the mood for some tasty Italian comfort food made with fresh ingredients. The staff and owners were all friendly, and attentive. They also have a few communal styled tables so it's very accommodating for larger parties or you could pop in after a long day of shopping. A big thanks to everyone who made the wonderful afternoon of antipasti possible.

Address: 220 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2H1 (inside of Eaton Centre)
Website:  Trattoria Mercatto and Toronto Eaton Centre
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mercattoTO and https://twitter.com/toeatoncentre

** All photography taken by Mauricio Jose Calero courtesy of Toronto Eaton Centre. **

Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.