Carisma

Had my birthday dinner here with my fiance and it was amazing! They can accommodate gluten free which is one of the big reasons we picked this place because I’m celiac. My main course was the pasta del giorno, it was gf penne with butter, parm and shaved black truffle and it was one of the best things I have ever tasted. From the first bite, I was in heaven! Aside from the great food and wine, the service was outstanding! It was a busy Saturday night but we never felt it because he was so attentive. This is true Italian food and hospitality, we will be back! Also please put that truffle pasta on the menu!!!

Holy smokes this restaurant is good! Look, there are tons of options if you want to go out for Italian food, right? And many of them are good. After all, Italian food is delicious and so commonly done well. But Carisma is next level. No. That’s not it. They’re not even playing the same game. My wife and I had a 7:00 pm reservation. This was our first time there and it’s quite a drive for us (over an hour) so we were really hoping it would be worth it. There’s an underground parking garage next door, but we found easy street parking. We arrived and were seated immediately at a nice table for two. We were struck immediately by the ambience. Comfortable, clean, and roomy even though there are a lot of tables relatively close together. Our server showed up immediately and was friendly without being overbearing, informative without being condescending, and for the entire dinner was attentive to what we needed (ready to clear dishes, replace cutlery and clean the table between courses) and what we might want next, all without that sometimes “I’m too posh for you” vibe that you can get with that level of service at high end restaurants. In other words, the perfect server. Let’s talk about the food though. Wow. First they bring bread for the table. The bread seemed like a really nice pizza dough kind of bread that was crunchy on the outside but amazingly tender inside. The crunch was just right. Crunchy enough to satisfy but stopping just shy of shredding the top of your mouth. It’s topped with a garlic butter and rosemary combination that made it something we ate too quickly. But all is well. We ordered more! For our mains, my wife wanted the raviolini, which is stuffed with braised veal, but it comes in a tomato sauce which she doesn’t generally like. We fully expected the common “we don’t make substitutions” refrain you get, usually with disdain, at quality restaurants. Not here! Our server was quick to let us know that they can make any substitutions you want - different pasta, different sauce - and they are happy to do it. They want you to get your food the way you want it! Such a great attitude. So my wife went with the alfredo sauce. I chose the papardelle ragu, which is a wild boar ragu. First of all, the raviolini. The veal filling was so well seasoned, and so well ground. The texture and taste were perfect, and the pasta was delicious and perfectly cooked. The alfredo sauce was actually light while still holding full alfredo flavour. A trick that almost seems like magic because alfredo sauce is usually so heavy. My papardelle was also perfectly cooked. And that wild boar ragu had such deep flavour I wanted to devour it but ate slowly so I could savour it. Many really nice Italian restaurants we go to have not the greatest choices for dessert. But not here! I had an apple strudel that was fantastic, and my wife had strawberry sorbet. Perfect finish. They have gluten-free pasta as an option, so for people with that requirement, you’re covered! We will be returning with our kids at our earliest opportunity!