#Urbanhour with @UrbanspoonTO at @GanziToronto

For most of you the follow me, you might have noticed that I link my posts to Urbanspoon. I find that it as a useful tool to pacify my bottomless appetite and it is also my thinking that it gives you, my readers, more reviews to help you pick where next to indulge. Last Thursday, I attended an appreciation dinner at Osteria Dei Ganzi for the top bloggers of Urbanspoon Toronto. I am still in awe that I get to attend this kind of gatherings. It is quite a foodie treat that I get to write, eat and spend time with people who share the same passion as I do.

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A little past 6:30pm, my EyeCandyTO partner, Abe, and I arrived at the restaurant. It was hard to miss Osteria Dei Ganzi as they took up a historic mansion by Jarvis, north of Wellesley. Mother nature cooperated too as the skies didn’t seem to show any sign of rain as what was previously predicted. We walked in and found that all the invitees were seated in a long table at their patio. I found free seats at one end and found myself dining with co-blogger The Food Files, a.k.a Jacqueline Yau and later was joined by Foodies Inked, a.k.a Viviana Machado. Countless times I have divulged that I read many reviews before I try a place. These two blogs I follow and it was more than one occasion where they have compelled me to get out and try a new place.

As it was food bloggers night, I felt more relaxed with the company as we all had the same intent: take notes, take pics, taste and enjoy. It was a generous amount of food that started with a charcuterie platter of cured meats, variety of cheeses, fruit slices and crustinis. This was then on followed by arancini balls and deep-fried breaded olives. My heart melted with the eggplant parmigiana that followed suit. I could never resist this dish. And what a treat it was!

At this point, I could feel that satisfied heaviness in my tummy. I thought then it was going to start slowing down but when our server came back, he started reciting what were the specials for the night. Abe and I agreed to have different dishes, as we normally do. I went for the Osso Buco and he chose Lamb Shank. It sure did help I was in the company of bloggers that we shared plates and we sampled different dishes. Happy with my choice of Osso Buco as the tender meat was pliant to gentle nudging of my fork. Accompanied with black peppercorns, gremolata and risotto alla Milanese, I could not stop myself from enjoying it despite being full. Abe’s lamb shank was just as good but I was most happy with my choice.

As they have us enjoyed full entrees, I half-expected dessert was to follow and they certainly did not disappoint. We were given a trio of tira misu, cannoli and berry compote cheesecake. With the three sweet treats I most opted for the tart one that is the berry compote cheesecake. Abe was perfectly fine that I was hugging that end of the platter as he was most taken with the tira misu. I could always count on him to leave the tart desserts for me and he can always count on me to give him majority of any chocolatey ones. Good partnership don’t you think?

Thank you so much Urbanspoon Toronto and Osteria Dei Ganzi for getting us bloggers together to share exemplary food and enjoyable company. You can definitely count on this blogger to write more posts of food trips I find in Toronto.