Far Niente

The interior of Far Niente. 

There are two floors (and sitting on the top floor is a treat since it's a prime people-watching spot and a good spot to check out what other diners are eating). The service here was really good - the waitress was honest with her recommendations which proved to be helpful in deciding what to eat.

Grilled Shrimp
Buttered Corn, Basil Sprout and Scallion Salad, Red Pepper Sauce

I thought this tasted like Mexican flavour inspired shrimp. My shrimp was cold and not very appetizing, but when put together with the red pepper sauce and grilled corn -it was better.

My coworkers had the Artichoke soup and they couldn't stop raving about it - I think that would have been a better choice than the shrimp. 

Grilled Flatiron Steak
With Frites, Lemon Pepper Aioli and California Slaw

I found the steak good despite the fact that the waitress didn't ask how I wanted it cooked. It was medium rare and juicy. I loved the Lemon Pepper Aioli - it added just the right touch to the each bite of steak. I also upgraded my frites to the poutine (extra $4) and it was SO WORTH IT! The poutine is amazing if you love poutine - there were 3 types of cheeses (shredded and curds) and the fries had enough gravy (the bottom ones were soaked - but that's exactly how I love my poutine). The one downside of the meal was the vinegary coleslaw. I didn't like it at all. 

The Gnocchi was also delicious; there were two types: soft and crispy and both were amazing!

Dark Chocolate Sin Cake
With White Chocolate Almond Meringue Crumble and Raspberry Glaze 
(vegetarian)

It felt like the sin cake wasn't particulary sinful. It was a nice cake and it wasn't too rich, but it just didn't have the same decadence that I would have expected from a title like "sin cake". I found the toasted meringue good, but the meringue was way to granular for my liking and it was difficult to eat with a dessert fork. I also found that there wasn't enough raspberry sauce so I wasn't too happy with the dessert. 

Overall, Far Niente had certain aspects that were good for a $20 Winterlicious lunch, but I didn't get the "wow that was an amazing meal" factor after the lunch. I can't say I was that impressed, but it was a decent $20 lunch. I think some of my co-workers chose some better items and enjoyed their lunch more than I enjoyed mine. 

Website: http://www.farnienterestaurant.com/