A Toronto Italian restaurant brand is heading west to the Port Credit waterfront. Mercatto plans to open Mercatto Centrale at 230 Missinnihe Way, in the Brightwater community, on March 13, the company told INsauga on Wednesday.
Signs for the restaurant went up at the site last summer. It will be the brand's first location outside Toronto.
About the brand
Mercatto was founded in Toronto in 1998. Mercatto Hospitality runs four locations in downtown Toronto, each with its own take on the brand.
Rooted in Italian food culture as a place to gather, linger and connect, Mercatto balances classic flavours with a contemporary, welcoming dining experience,
— Mercatto
What to expect
The Port Credit building is about 8,500 square feet, with roughly 5,000 square feet for dining, a bar and private dining rooms. It will seat about 290 people: more than 200 indoors and more than 90 on the patio.
The company says the interior design takes its cue from Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, through subtle modern touches rather than literal references. It describes vaulted, sculptural ceilings and flowing linear patterns meant to echo the waterfront setting.
Executive chef Doug Neigel leads the kitchen. Menu items shared by the restaurant include fritto misto, arancini, a beet and ricotta dish, oysters and a seafood platter, as well as pizzas such as diavola and prosciutto. Pastas include orecchiette with fennel sausage, carbonara and a pan-seared lasagna, and the menu also lists a spicy chicken dish and a prime New York striploin.
Mercatto Centrale will be the only Mercatto location to serve brunch, with a menu designed for Port Credit.