I've mentioned it earlier in this thread but went again last weekend for a proper meal at Bar Raval in Toronto. Tapas came up and apparently this is as close to Barcelona as you can get in Canada. If on a visit to Toronto I would HIGHLY recommend it. Not really a sit down place and unless you are lucky you will probably be standing at a counter. It's still worth it though.
Didn't take as many pics as I should have in retrospect but oh well.
Starting off with some cocktails - I honestly forget what this is but it was bourbon based and amazing. They don't charge $14 for nothing…
This was octopus fried in pork fat. Very simple but I can't stress how amazing it was. I don't think I've ever had better octopus, including at Bar Isabel by the same owner (Grant Van Gameron) which is renowned for their octopus.
Next up was one of the several Pinxtos dishes we had. I guess this is pretty standard Barcelona fare and I wish I had pics of the others. This one is quail egg, chorizo and some sort of sweet pepper. We also had shrimp and creme, and some sardine like fish on cheese. Highly recommended and relatively affordable.
Finished off with some Basque cheesecake. It's extremely simple, light and flavourful. Charred on the outside and moist just below. It reminds me of the Japanese cheesecake trend that has spurned 2 hour long lines in Toronto, except this is better.
Also checked out a new place near me this weekend which is a collaboration by some of my favourite places - Porchetta and Co, and Libretto Pizza teamed up to do a Napolese street food restaurant called A3 Napoli. The menu is pretty limited so far and it's either fried food or pizza. The fried food is surprisingly light as they do it at very high temperatures apparently. The highlight was the Pizza Fritta which is kind of like a panzerotti but with ricotta and cured meat.
Here's the BlogTO article with pics:
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/a3-napoli-toronto
I will be making this a takeout staple when I want something unhealthy, or after a bike ride!