Anton's

Lastnight, Jamie and I went to one of our favorite restaurants... Anton's Pasta Bar. This has long been our go-to restaurant when we can't decide where to go. It's located on Hastings Street a couple blocks from Boundary Road so it's a little out of the way but we happened to be in the area. They close at 10pm and we got there around 9, so we had just enough time to eat. Unlike some other restaurants, if you walk in Anton's a few minutes before closing time they will still happily seat you and you won't be rushed to leave.

When our waitress, Jennifer gave us our menus we didn't even touch them. We knew exactly what to get. It's a little funny because I love to try new things everywhere I go yet the dishes I usually order at Anton's are so delicious that I can't order anything else. As usual, we started with the Calamari Alla Marinara. I'm sure as soon as you read Calamari, you are probably thinking about the battered and fried version but they do it much differently. Bite-sized calamari pieces are cooked and served in a chunky tomato sauce with basil, garlic and fresh slices of tomatoes. A squeeze of lemon on top gives it a nice refreshing flavor. I strongly recommend saving some of the bread they give you to start for dipping in the sauce.

For our pasta dish, we had to order the Penne All'Emiliana. It has italian sausage, bacon, fresh tomatoes, basil, black olives and feta cheese cooked in a light extra virgin olive oil. It's so delicious that it's hard to describe how good it is so I won't try. For those of you who haven't been to Anton's you should know that not only is the food great and the prices very good ($15 for our pasta) but the portions are large. You are guaranteed to have enough leftover for maybe two meals (unless you have a HUGE appetite).

If you have room for a drink or two, they have daily drink specials. I usually prefer a caesar to wash everything down. If you plan to head there I must caution you not to go between 6 and 9pm as there is usually a line-up along the outside of the building since this place is well known for its portions and quality. If you end up having to line-up, rest assured that Anton's is well worth the wait to have a sip and a bite.