Stormy Outside + Inside at Il Fornello

On my infrequent jogging around town, Il Fornello on Queen's Quay is generally packed with the after work crowd. So we thought we'd check it out.

Dinner started off poorly with some slow service off the top. I ordered a $7 glass of Merlot. It was quite a puny portion and not worth it! Water was somewhat hard to come by too.

Bread was the next ordeal - we waited quite awhile and were somewhat jealous of the people all around us munching on bread. Finally, our waiter asks if we'd like some. Ian of course worries about if this is going to cost us etc etc. In the end, we gave it a yes. Seems kind of awkward - why not just bring us the bread and skip the awkward-ness??? Then, I spy the olive oil and vinegar on other tables, so I ask our waiter for some. Again, why not just give it to us and spare me having to flag him down?

Main courses were extremely quick - they came in about 5 minutes! Ian likes his seafood linguine with tomato sauce. My pasta with mushrooms and sirloin tips was only so so. It was supposed to be cream sauce and cheese - but it was more like runny beef broth. A distinct meaty flavour permeated the whole dish and the cream-y-ness was nowhere to be found. Even Ian, the dedicated carnivore, had to agree that it was too much meaty flavor.

For $56 (including tax and tip) for 2 entrees and 1 glass of wine, I would expect better. I'm not sure why this joint is so popular and why it's a mini-empire in the T.