Here we go with another fabulous deal that allows you to go out to eat while on a budget. We all know things are crazy expensive right now. Eating out is such a luxury whether it be fine-dining (especially so) or even casual spots. However, at Italian Kitchen, you can visit them during Happy Hour from 3:00pm - 6:00pm everyday and have a delicious meal for a reasonable price. Considering they are located in Downtown and their Happy Hour menu features 11 food items and 19 drink specials, it makes the deal even better. Jackie and I were invited to try it out on a lovely May evening.
To start things off, we had the Mushroom Arancini as a amuse bouche of sorts. It is listed on the Happy Hour menu at $3.00 per piece or $12.00 for 3 of them. I've had these before and they are pretty solid. Inside, we found aborio rice that was still a bit chewy while bathed in an earthy mushroom cream. There was also the usual cheesiness while the outside was light and crispy. A little dollop of truffle aioli added a bit more woodiness to the bite.
Next, we moved onto the Olive Ascolane which consisted of beef-stuffed olives coated with the same crispy breading as the arancini. For me, I love olives, so anything olive-related would be tasty in my books. However, even Jackie found these delightful since the strong olive brine was nicely balanced by the generous amount of tender beef. Hence, the flavour of the olive was present, but just enough to make the little bite impactful without being salty.
One of the more surprising items was the Zeppole Prosciutto Cotto & Formaggio. At first, we were a bit skeptical at fried dough balls sitting in a tomato fondue. However, these were really good being fluffy with a good mouth feel. They were filled with fontina and prosciutto, which provided saltiness and cheesiness. Combined with the silky tomato fondue we had some light tang and sweetness.
Probably the best deal in the happy hour menu (in my mind), was the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio. It was well-executed and was ultimately tasty. Presented on a large platter, there was a good amount of tender slices of buttery beef. We could taste the natural beef flavour as well as the drops of mustard aioli. Nice creaminess with a slight tangy bite from the mustard where the crunch from the crispy shallots and fried capers provided aromatics and some more saltiness. Plenty of arugula to brighten things up while the parm was nutty. To compliment, the garlic toast was like a crouton being super crunchy, buttery and airy,
Another showstoper was the Bruschetta Trio with Macerated Heirloom Tomatoes and Pesto, Mortadella, Burrata and Pistachios & Roasted Mushrooms, Ricotta and Pine Nuts. This was $15.00 for 3 and $6.00 for 1. Really loved the toasted crostinis as they were appealingly crunchy while being light at the same time. It stood up to the wet ingredients, and stayed as such even after our picture-taking. My favourite was the tomatoes and pesto where the combination of brightness, tart and sweetness really came through. I loved how the pesto was not completely blended as it had real texture and impactful herbaceousness. The mortadella was meaty as expected but the creaminess of the burrata added a cold creaminess. The mushrooms were earthy and not squishy (on the drier side, but good for this application) while the ricotta added all the creamy moisture that was needed.
With a combination of calamari, prawns, salmon, cod and shishito peppers, the Fritto Misto came in a pretty large portion. I found that the salmon and cod to be perfectly fried where they were delicate and super moist. The batter was thin and crispy while not being greasy. I found the prawns to have the desirable snap texture with a completely edible shell at the tip of the tail. The calamari was slightly on the chewier side, but when dipped into the calabrian chili aioli, it was still quite good.
Of course we had to get their ever popular Baked Meatballs and we had 3 pieces for $11.00 (it is $4.00 for 1). Initial impressions, you wouldn't think these would be anything special, but upon digging in, they were tender, light and moist. Due to their size, the meatballs were able to retain quite a bit of juiciness where the texture was also rather light while still meaty. There was enough seasoning for the meatballs to stand on their own, but the combination of cheeses on top allowed for extra salty nuttiness. The tomato sauce helped provided some tangy brightness.
Another delicious small plate was the Ravioli Fritti. These large fried raviolis were crunchy on the outside without being too firm. There was a certain lightness to it, yet it still had a robust texture. Inside, there was a good amount of braised beef and mozzarella that helped vary both the flavours and texture of each bite. The beef was tender with natural meat flavour while the cheese provided the some stretchiness. On the side, we found a parmesan fondue which was creamy, rich and nutty.
One dish we were a bit indifferent about was the Mozzarella Fritta. These were essentially mozzarella bites that were fried in a herb breading. Nothing wrong with the breading as it was crunchy and flavourful. The issue was the size of each bite as they were far too small for the mozzarella to have any impact. All I got was crunchy breading. If these were just a bit bigger, I would've had more cheese in each bite. The rest of the dish with the fior di latte, basil aioli and tomato fondue were good providing creamy tanginess.
Lastly, we had the Garlic Prawns that were quite large. The picture doesn't do it justice, but believe me, they were super plump. It really helped that they were sauteed properly as the texture was meaty, but had a buttery sweet snap. The meat was light and not dense. In terms of the garlic butter, it was nutty with lots of garlickiness that was aromatic and not too sharp. There was also spot-on seasoning where it complimented the natural flavour of the prawns.
Of course we didn't have all this food without some beverages right? We ended up trying the Alba di Amalfi, Sogno Ross, Fizzy Amore and Negroni all Fragola. I know it is easy to say I loved them all, but I really did. Good portion size on the cocktails too! Overall, the happy hour at Italian Kitchen is happy hour done right. The menu is big enough that one can have an entire meal just on these dishes alone. They didn't skimp on the portion size nor the quality. It is a really affordable way to dine out right before a movie at Scotiabank Theatres or a show at the Orpheum. Hey, it is great just to go for no reason at all and enjoy the patio on a sunny day!
*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*
The Good:- Well-priced
- The dishes are appealing and well-portioned
- Love the patio
The Bad:
- The Mozzarella Fritta was my least favourite dish