Joso's

It is fine and dandy visiting some of the best restaurants in Toronto, in particular, the more recent ones.  However, we must not forget the classics as they helped shape the culinary scene.  One of which is Joso's in Yorkville.  They have been around since 1967 and was opened by Joso and his wife Angiolina.  It started off as a small cafe, but then transitioned into a spot that offered fresh and exotic seafood.  Now it is owned and operated by Leo and Shirley Spralja, who are the son and daughter-in-law of Joso.  We stopped by to check out the eclectic dining space and the freshest of seafood.

Really enjoyed the dining room as it was adorned with decor from years past.  Lots of ornate plates, sea-theme art and paintings of naked women (yah really).  Some would say things look tacky, but I loved it!  Before we even got down to ordering our food, they presented us with the Catches of the Day which included a selection of fish, shellfish and octopus.  Loved that we could pick what we wanted and have it prepared the way we wanted.

We did end up selecting the deep fried Calamari as well as some Grilled Prawns on the side.  Suffice to say, things were fresh and also prepared expertly.  The squid was tender with an appealingly chewy texture while coated in a properly-seasoned coating.  It was crispy without being greasy.  I really enjoyed pairing it with the fresh salsa.  Smoky and charred, the prawns were sweet and aromatic.  They were also still moist and had a nice snap texture.

We went for shellfish next with the Clams & Mussels Jadera.  This was also prepared well with all of the mollusks being open.  The mussels were buttery and intensely seafoody while the clams were tender and briny.  The classic tomato sauce with garlic, white wine and parsley was flavourful without being salty, allowing the natural sweetness of the shellfish to shine.  This was a simple but well-executed dish.

Since we were only a party of 2, we did not partake in the cuttlefish risotto (as it is for 4 people).  Rather, we went for the Spaghetti alla Sicilana instead.  With the nice black colour of sepia ink (aka cuttlefish), the pasta was the beneficiary of delicious umaminess.  There was also a good amount of garlic to further enhance the dish.  There was also a background seafoodiness that was not quite briny, but was pleasant.  The pasta itself was firmly al dente.

For our choice of fish, we went for the Branzino, simply grilled and served with lemon.  As you can see, it was beautifully charred with some portions of crispy skin.  It was nicely coated in olive oil and enough salt so that it would taste great with just a squeeze of lemon.  The fish itself was flaky and moist.  On the side, we had the Dalmatian Potato Salad.  Again, another simple dish, just done right.  Potatoes were soft and almost creamy, but not falling apart.  It was simply prepared with sweet onions and with a bit of salt and pepper.

Onto dessert, we went for the Housemade Tiramisu.  As much as I've had many versions of this, I felt that this one was quite solid.  The soaked ladyfingers were moist and the mascarpone cream was purposefully sweet.  This was a pretty light version of the dessert and it was the perfect ending to a great meal.  In the end, we thought the food at Joso's was well-prepared and not fussy.  It is actually rather simple, but that is what makes it good.  Fresh ingredients done right in a homey atmosphere with great service.

The Good:

- Lots of seafood options

- Not overly complex, but fresh ingredients done right

- Good service

The Bad:

- Wished they made smaller versions of the risotto, but I guess that is a lot of work for them