Over the years, I’ve walked by Noce a gazillion times, little did I know that this Italian restaurant has been on Queen Street West for more than 20 years. After its recent renovation, its décor is chic, yet charming. The space has lots of natural light shining through, a gorgeous bar and a large, glass vault for wine storage.
This summer, I was at Noce for a tasting with Jojoinstameets. As usual, we had the chance to taste a variety of dishes from Noce. One of my favourite dishes was definitely the Tuna Crudo. Cubes of buttery tuna and creamy avocado; beautiful grape tomatoes, toasted fennel and a runny egg. There were also some crispy bits on this Crudo that I couldn’t figure out what it was. Regardless, every bite was packed with flavour and contrasting textures. I loved it.
Next on the list was their wood-fired pizzas. When you head to the front of the restaurant, you will see Noce’s wood-fired oven, and charcoal grill. The pizzas that came out of the that oven was so delicious. My fav was the classic Margherita Pizza, which is a pizza that consists of tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. Though, simple, it was just done well, and I still remember the taste today.
Another interesting thing to try at Noce is their Eggplant fries! It was oh so yummy! Crunchy on the outside and creamy inside. These eggplant fries came drizzled with fennel honey, dusted with chillies and shaved pecorino cheese. So upset I didn’t get a picture of these things! Well, you can’t blame me because these fries looked so beige and uninteresting, I didn’t think it would taste so good. I am clearly wrong here lmao.
Besides delicious food, we also got a chance for a little wine tasting. I am no wine connoisseur, but amongst the bottles that were brought to our table, my favourite was the Barolo. Barolo is a dry wine, rich in tannins. It was not my first time tasting that wine and I was so happy that Noce had it there.
Finally, I have to share my favourite dessert dish at Noce with you. It’s called Sex in a Pan. This dessert is one of the best desserts I’ve had (no joke). Trust me, you’d want to be the fork that slices through the layers of luscious whipped cream and mascarpone, velvety Nutella and vanilla pudding, then find yourself land on the final layer of pecan crust. Oh, I can’t forget the golden, sponge toffee that gets sprinkled on top! This dessert is so decadent, I couldn’t stop saying “YES” to it!
I really enjoyed my time at Noce, I hope you get a chance to check it out and experience it for yourself.
NOCE
875 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M6J 1G5
416.504.3463
