Amuse Today: Toronto Tequila and Pizza

What are two of the best man-made creations ever? Pizza and tequila of course! Ok, so maybe not together, but certainly they are each a delicious work of art when they are done right. And done right is exactly how they are made in Toronto's Reposado and Pizzeria Libretto.

Our adventure begins at Reposado, an ultra-hip tequila bar that serves up a wide variety of tequila for the novice drinker to the tequila connoisseur. Organized by type and age, the tequilas are listed with a brief description and are easy to choose from. I tried to order a certain blanco tequila, only to be told it was sold out, but was quickly given an alternative that was one of the the bartenders favorites. Always willing to take a chance, I gave the go ahead, and was soon after served up a shot in a Grappa style snifter. The tequila I was given was called Amate, and it was certainly worth the hype. A blanco tequila, Amate had notes of green melon, a little spice, and sea salt. Delicious by itself, and even better with the cheeses and pickled vegetables we ordered to snack on. The bar itself was very lively, with good music and a relaxed vibe. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful in choosing the right tequilas for every different taste.

After our tequila tasting, we headed over to Pizzeria Libretto. Libretto is a hip, eco-friendly super busy pizzeria that specializes in wood-fired traditional Italian style pizzas. We ordered a bottle of Primitivo, and some calamari for an appetizer. The wine showed up, and at first seemed like it would be un-drinkable. The nose was funky to say the least, but we decided to let it open up and then see what was really going on. It ended up being good in the end, but not as typical for a Primitivo as I was expecting.

Soon the calamari arrived and it was supremely light and delicious, some of the best fried calamari I have ever had. Our pizza's arrived just after that...and I have to say that they were good, but not great. Maybe its the cynical new yorker in me that just loves NYC style pizza, but I just didn't think that for the hype the pizza was as good as it could be. Our pizza margherita wasn't crispy enough, kind of mushy-doughy in the middle, and I just wanted more salt or flavor to the sauce. I know that traditional Italian custom dictates that they don't always salt their mozzarella, but this mozz could have used it. However, our prosciutto pizza was very good, with a crisp crust, and salty and rich prosciutto. Our waiter was very friendly, and so were the cooks making all the food.

Overall, it was a great way to start a winter trip to Toronto.