Good Italian take-out?

[duckdown]

Greets!

What I am craving tonight is some good Italian take-out

I don't neccessarily mean "authentic" Italian take-out, where every pasta has 10 kinds of seafood and 3 kinds of wine in it, but even Americanized Italian take-out (Chicken Parmesean dinner w/spaghetti and a caesar salad sounds just fine to me)

Just wondering what your favorite locations are... Without having to eat-in

I'm open to suggestions in Brampton, Mississauga, Etobicoke, and my last choice would be Toronto

Thanks folks! Will be trying one of your suggestions tonight hopefully...

Cheers!

[calgarystampede]

Osso Bucco's (aka Vito's) in Brampton is a must try. My favorite is their lobster linguine.

[Toronto Fastfoodie]

Try Comisso brothers at the Eglinton/Caledonia area. Awesome veal sandwiches, pasta, everything. Including an italian bakery. But strictly takeout.

[latoya]

Marcello's on St. Clair W

[duckdown]

Went by Rocco's last night since I had to drop off a DVD for a buddy at parklawn & lakeshore and tried the chicken parm. sandwich with a salad

The kitchen there was kind of a mess in the take-out zone, the main chef guy seemed pissed off with everyone else and was throwing his pots and pans around while making a mean and nasty face like he really didn't want to be there.

There was a person in front of me also ordering a chicken sandwich (but was out of the store at the time), and his chicken was completely raw in the middle. I guess this must happen alot here, because they actually cut every single fried cutlet in half before putting it on the bun to check for done-ness.. The woman gave it back to the "angry" chef and he simply threw it in the deep frier and gave it back... Kind of worrying

They cut mine in half also before serving it, and luckily it looked OK, but it still stayed in the back of my head the whole time so I looked at every bite before taking it :/

Caesar salad had a decent dressing, lettuce wasn't wilted, but the croutons were stale as hell and the dressing was way too light on the salad.

Overall, kind of a boring sandwich. I don't even think the breading on the chicken had any seasonings.. And they're not cheap at $8 before taxes with no additional toppings

If I'm in that area again I'd get it again, but not worth going out of the way for

Tony & Jim's reigns supreme still...

The quest continues....

[Googs]

If you're in that area again, Pazzia is only 1km away from Rocco's. I've eaten at both. I'd only return to one.

[go4sherri]

What about Mama Martino's? They used to have great pasta, but I have not been in several years.

[craigger]

I would only suggest MM's for kid birthdays and team parties.

[Sui_Mai]

I'm forced to go there quite often because the inlaws like it for some reason and I have had cold food there on more than one occaision. I would suggest only ordering the pizza if you get stuck there like me.

[duckdown]

good advice... i haven't really gone back since my first visit anyways, luckily.. cold food is inexcusable

[Ginsugirl]

Might be too far into TO fo you, but Eden Tratoria (on St Clair, just west of Landsdowne) has the best and cheapest wood-oven baked pizzas going. Unlike most other pizza-centric places, their pastas are really great, and the tiramisu is perfect.

[duckdown]

Oh and I didn't try Camarra's yet -- because I don't see a chicken parmesean on the menu :(

I'm a creature of habit, what can I say -- I like my chicken :)

Next on my list, from many suggestions on another food forum: Rocco's Plum Tomato on the Queensway at Parklawn

Matter of fact, think I'll go today

[Googs]

Now I haven't been in a loooong time, but if you're looking for Italian in that neighbourhood I'd skip Rocco's and try Pazzia Osteria. Small, family run place with decent homemade food. Not production line like Rocco's. Hopefully it's still as good as ever.

-----
Pazzia Osteria
848 The Queensway, Toronto, ON M8Z1N7, CA

[duckdown]

Clicked the link and read the few past posts there are about it -- sounds like dining-in kind of place

any idea on the takeout situation

[Hippo55]

dante's is pretty good and they deliver basically all over toronto - a bit pricey though, however their portions are huge

[miranda]

Cannot beat Bologna Pastifico at Glencairn and Dufferin...Mama`s in the Kitchen...excellent Italian ...take away only...cash or cheque...Miranda

[duckdown]

Sounds great

Thanks!

[go4sherri]

I second Bologna Pastifico, had the lasagna and sweet potato manicotti from there and it was perfect. Worth the drive there.

[JamieK]

What's the parking situation like at Bologna Pastifico?

[miranda]

Bologna Pastifico...lots of street parking ...I park on Glen Park...always get a spot...melt in your mouth pasta..very clean busy kitchen.. right beside Camarra's and I sometimes park in their lot.....Miranda

[JamieK]

thanks miranda. Been meaning to check this place out for ages but it's out of my way. Wasn't looking forward to parking hassles on top of making a special trip.

[mikeb]

You could also park in the Lady York parking lot and kill two or three birds with one stone.

[Googs]

Wow. Tremendously handy to know that there are two good places next door to each other in that neighbourhood. Hubby & I are knee-deep into reno shopping. Perfect. Thanks Miranda.

[duckdown]

Holy crap, pricey is right

If I'm judging the website prices properly, $19.99 for a chicken parmesean and $12.99 for a caesar salad??? (Dante's)

tell me im hallucinating

[Pincus]

Dante's is all about "oh our portions are so large they feed 2-3 easily". I wouldn't know, haven't had food from there for a long time.

[Googs]

Pazzia Osteria IS a dining in kinda place. However, I've doggy-bagged my way out of there in the past. If they can wrap a portion, they can wrap the whole thing. Don't know if they have your beloved pollo alla parmigiana so I would suggest calling in advance.

Many true Italian places will make it for you whether it's on the menu or not. That's one of the many reasons I love Fusilli in Corktown. If I'm in the mood for something Giuseppe's always ready, willing, and able to deliciously provide. Good luck.

BTW $19.99?!?!? You'd have to be hallucinating to pay that.

[duckdown]

Tried Jolly 2

It was a hot-table type setup where the food was already cooked and sitting there, wasn't made to order.. Not that thats neccessarilly a bad thing, but the chicken was a bit soggy and the pasta was cold.

I just got a piece of chicken parmesean, with the pasta that came with it (just penne in a tomato sauce)

i mean there was definitely nothing bad about it but i don't think it's as good as Pomodoro's or Tony & Jim's, or Tonino's (My 3 local take-out places in Brampton)..

Also got the caesar salad but already knew kind of what to expect when I saw the lady refill the dressing with kraft :( Didn't eat most of the salad, but no worries

Thanks for the suggestion, would go back if I was in the area again but would pass on the caesar salad

Then, as per reccomendations, I also tried Thyme 4 on the Queensway... Now this place, I really like. I've already been back a few times.

Excellent caesar salad, portions are somewhat small and no bacon on the salads, but definitely tastes like a homemade dressing. Get it every time.

the chicken parmesean is cooked to order, comes smothered with cheese laying on a huge bed of pasta. It seems maybe a bit expensive at $15 or something for the dinner alone but when you lift the bag, you know theres alot of food inside

I've tried a couple of the pasta's there now, and I just prefer the spaghetti with the homemade tomato sauce -- because the focaccia is great for dipping in it.

I don't use their powdered parmesean cheese though, and load it up with the real stuff at home

average bill (chicken parm w/spaghetti and focaccia bread, caesar salad) is like $22 or $23

this was a great tip, thanks for whoever reccomended it

you're really making me earn my postcount today, eh googs ;)

I still say after all the places I've tried, Tony & Jim's has the best actual chicken parmesean.. It's got the really nice crispy browned edges around the breaded chicken that tastes so good, and the portion of cheese on top is good and super stringy... Their pasta is boring though

cheers!

[Googs]

Ditto dd. What's the scoop?

[Googs]

For west end Toronto kinda highway friendly location you might want to try Camarra's. Haven't been in a looooong time, but from what I read it sounds like they still got it goin' on. Excellent pizzas too. There's a separate take-out menu on their website.
http://www.camarra.com/

[sylvrgirl]

We love getting our take-out from Jolly II. It's located in the back section of the big plaza at Weston & 401. Between the Bulk Foods and LCBO.
Great Veal & Chicken Parm...among the vast choices offered! Call ahead and they'll have it prepped for you for your arrival.
http://www.jolly2.ca/