5 Mississauga Restaurants with a Toronto Equivalent
Published August 6, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Whether it’s the traffic, parking or the sometimes arrogant attitude of restaurants in Toronto (not all but many of them), there are reasons to just stay in Mississauga for food and drinks.
It’s still sometimes fun to take the trek to Toronto for the experience, but there are good, Toronto-equivalent restaurants in Mississauga.
Here are 5 Mississauga restaurants that have that Toronto feel but you don’t have to travel as far and you save on parking and time:
Door FiftyFive
Imagine you’ve been whisked away to a Queen West bar. Every aspect of this place — including the space and menu — has been designed with the utmost thought to detail. Although the food menu is only about five per cent of entire menu (there are only 13 items), you will find interesting takes on southern classics, such as chicken and waffles, Rub Me the Right Way beef brisket, Boars Gone Wild smoked sausage, bison chipotle frank, blackened shrimp and gumbo cheddar grits, and the boss platter (BBQ sampler platter). All of the meat is smoked with SmokinLicious’ cherry wood and sugar maple wood chips, which “gives a nice sweetness to meat.”
The Toronto equivalent: SpiritHouse
This place definitely has the vibe of a Toronto Mexican restaurant with a gorgeous patio overlooking a massive mural. It’s one of only three full-service Mexican restaurants in Mississauga and it’s called El Jefe, which translates to “the boss” or “the chief” in Spanish. The menu is described by Pablo as having many layers to it. For example, the chicken chimichanga is “sweet, spicy and crunchy. It has a three-pepper roasted tomatillo (Mexican green tomato) that is seared off with olive oil and spices mixed with roasted garlic, roasted poblano and chipotle peppers that are pureed down to serve as the base of the dish. It is stuffed with seared chicken breast, spinach, roasted corn and cheese, deep fried and covered in a mango Pico de Gallo,” says Pablo. The menu also features table-side made guacamole and house-made flour tortillas, sauces and salsas. Pablo has incorporated three main cheeses throughout the menu, including Mexican queso fresco, Spanish manchego and American Monterey jack cheeses. The diverse, mouth-watering menu includes dishes such as ceviche, Corona-battered blooming onions, taquitos, baked empanadas, seven different tacos (chicken, fish, steak, calamari and more), burritos, carnitas, a signature beavertail taco and a classic Mexican sweet favourite –churros.
The Toronto equivalent: Grand Electric
I would put this steakhouse up against any of the top steakhouses in Canada. Millions were spent redesigning the majestic 32,000 sq. ft. space filled with over the top features such as a gorgeous oversized fresh water aquarium, filled with a colourful array of African cichlid fish that’s visible from both the main bar and one of the two private dining rooms. The menu includes a number of U.S., Ontario and Alberta prime cuts of beef, including the tenderloin, strip loin, prime T-bone, porterhouse and tomahawk. You will also find Japanese A5 wagyu and a reasonably priced American flat iron wagyu at $40 for 8 oz. Other options include oysters, ahi tuna, seared scallops, tempura shrimp, fish options, salads, duck confit, bison tenderloin, risotto, chicken, braised back ribs, charcuterie board, calamari and a seafood tower.
The Toronto equivalent: Jacobs & CO Steakhouse
US Prime T-Bone 25 oz topped with seared foie gras
Located in the heart of Port Credit is a restaurant called Raw Aura Organic Cuisine. Raw Aura describes their menu as “familiar, delicious, nutritious and environmentally friendly”. Everything on the menu is raw, which means nothing is heated above 43degC. The theory behind raw cuisine is that plant foods, which are natural, are the most wholesome for the body because it retains the digestive enzymes, vitamins and mineral content. You will even find a list of organic wines and, upon request, organic cocktails.
The Toronto equivalent: Live
Once you walk in, you can tell this place did not spare a dime. It looks like you are walking into a rustic Italian home to have some authentic Italian grub. Goodfellas In Streetsville is Mississauga’s very first restaurant offering authentic Neapolitan wood oven pizza. The menu offers authentic Romano pizza and homemade pastas which are all freshly made in-house. The Maccheroni alla Carbonara pasta dish includes pancetta, egg yolks, pecorino romano, and black pepper. The menu also includes appetizers, salads, fish and meat entrees and desserts. The mozzarealla di bufala and parmigiano-reggiano cheeses are some of the ingredients they use that are directly imported from Italy. Goodfellas boasts an extensive Italian wine selection which was specifically chosen to pair beautifully with the dishes on the menu. This place has a small patio that overlooks the new Streetsville Square, so if you are lucky enough you can catch a free show from your seat. Check out the new oyster bar while you are there.
The Toronto equivalent: Pizzeria Libretto
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