Gusto 501 | TasteToronto

Corktown

Italian

Gusto 501

Written By

Nadia Boachie

Toronto’s east end continues to receive an influx of new restaurants and bars. Joining that assemblage is the opening of Gusto 501, by the owner's of Gusto 101 . The new east end location has, without a doubt, exceeded our wildest expectations. “Gusto 501 is taking the roots from Trattoria Nervosa and the innovation from Gusto 101", says Janet Zuccarini, CEO and owner of the Gusto 54 Restaurant Group. The new location officially opened on February 4. The ambitious project succeeds at providing the perfect balance between an innovative, yet crowd-pleasing menu -- all in an artfully nuanced ambiance -- through its alluring architectural design.

Located at 501 King St. East, Gusto 501 is a multi-level, 280 seat restaurant, serving up contemporary Italian dishes with a focus on farm fresh ingredients and local produce. The all-new menu by Executive Chef Elio Zannoni and Chef Michael Magliano will feature some classics from Gusto 101, complemented by unique menu items exclusive to the King Street location. The drinks menu will have an extensive list of Italian wines, liqueurs and cocktails carefully crafted by Head sommelier Mariano Gonzalez Altamura and Bar Manager Jorge Yarce.

The Menu:

While brunch has its own menu, lunch and dinner is derived from Gusto 501 Trattoria’s menu. In keeping with the Southern Italian influence, the Trattoria menu preserves some of the classic dishes from Gusto 101 and Nervosa like Mafalde ai Funghi and Calamarata. 501 still brings its own innovative additions like Cavoletti Di Bruxelles, Risotto Verde, saucy mussels and lasagna (which goes incredibly fast).

Sgroppino 501- galliano vanilla, canti prosecco, gusto limoncello sorbetto 4.5 oz.

The cocktails at Gusto 501 are nuanced, carefully curated and delicious. Most importantly, keeping with Gusto tradition, they serve a $1 per ounce house wine.

The Space:

Gusto 501 is a five "floating-level" restaurant with a glass facade (a garage door) that lifts exposing the interior of the restaurant. Walk in and you will immediately notice the walls constructed of terracotta bricks -- a traditional Italian building material. The restaurant was designed by award-winning architecture firm PARTISANS and the energy that the space creates is vibrantly electric. It is a modern and open-concept space but manages to still maintain a warm and intimate feeling.

Gusto 501 is a place of both culinary and architectural artistry that will get everyone running to Corktown for an exciting addition of Italian fare to the city.