Ristorante Ferrovia - Markham

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this review. My friends and I have been frequenting this establishment for many, many years but always under the previous management and always leaving with a positive experience, review and desire to return. Sadly the new manager/owner has failed to learn from or emulate his predecessors’ experience with Service Excellence. The Service, ambiance and food were deplorable. 1) Seated more than 30 minutes before we were offered a choice of beverage. 2) Seated more than 90 minutes before our appetizers arrived, we were almost entirely through our wine and the complimentary serving of four small slices of bread and a dollop of hummus. We were never offered a refill or an apology for the delay. 3) Our appetizers were all simple salads, yet two of the four orders were delivered to our table 20 minutes ahead of the other 2 and only after 2 reminders. Needless to say, two diners at our table had finished their appetizers well before the others. 4) The Main Course arrived more than 60 minutes later. Once again, the orders were uncomplicated mains consisting of 3 orders of what I would consider a very basic penne pasta and the 4th, a one topping pizza. The 3 pasta dinners were served and completely consumed before the 4th diner had received the pizza and again after several reminders, including chasing down the waiter at the opposite end of the restaurant. 5) The pasta was tasty but not great. A request was made for grated parmesan and chilli pepper flakes, neither of which arrived. The goat cheese topping requested on the pizza was also missing, but magically grated parmesan was suddenly offered. Did I mention that the 3 pasta dinners were entirely consumed at this point. The waiter's excuse for the delays and errors was blamed on a new chef and a busy understaffed night. At no point in the evening did the owner ever come to our table to review our dining experience. He and the waiter knew we were long standing and well established customers and that one in our group was celebrating a birthday. When we finally, after 3 hours, complained to the owner about our horrible experience, instead of extending an apology, he invited us NEVER to return, saying he had a well established business, 22 years in the making, and could afford to lose a customer here and there. What? Really? Additionally, the owner spent a good portion of the evening entertaining a table of his friends, and their conversation and frequent dropping of the f bomb could be heard at the other end of the room. This is the first time I have ever written a bad review or paid a restaurant tab without leaving a tip, and I am a senior with lots of global dining experience, so that should tell the reader something. Terribly sad to lose what was once a great go to neighbourhood restaurant.

What a hidden gem! We happened to meet the chef by chance and made a date to visit wow. Far exceeded my expectations. I’ve never heard of this spot and I’m so glad we got introduced. Honestly, having travelled Europe, this food was equal or better to meals I’ve had there. The service was definitely faster and more attentive! We ordered cocktails and wine cocktails were great, super impressed. Proper glassware and ice cubes. Wine was perfect, great amarone. For starters we chose the black tiger shrimp, the beef carpaccio, antipasto platter and a short rib pizza. My favourite was the fresh burrata on the antipasto and the beef carpaccio…sooo melt in your mouth. Pizza was awesome, authentic wood oven style. For entrees two of us got the short rib that is a MUST. One of the best pieces of meat I’ve had. Others in our party very much enjoyed pasta dishes with fresh seafood. Portions were very generous as well. For dessert the banana bread pudding and tiramisu are your safe bets. So decadent yet light. The gelato was also super fresh and tasted homemade. I think we did our job testing this menu ; …special mention to the bartender who surprised us with the quality of cocktails and our warm, attentive, super helpful server Paola! She made great recommendations and was always checking in at the right times. Replacing plates, cutlery, 11/10 service. We cannot wait to go back and share this place with others. Thank you chef and team!

To some of you long standing foodie members, myself included. The mentioning of the names like Galileo, Herbs, JOV Bistro, JK Wine bar, Perigee, Truffles….etc will for sure bring back some culinary nostalgia and fond memories. At that time, their talented chefs and kitchen created some of the most memorable and delicious food in town, which in turn created some of the hottest and hard-to-come-by tables. Sadly, none of these ‘Culinary Superstars’ managed to survive! Roughly around the same period, ’Ferrovia‘, a small cosy Italian Trattoria, opened its doors to some lucky residents in Thornhill. Tucked inside an obscure strip plaza along Bayview and Steeles, this neighborhood gem was packed almost nightly……. offering some of the tastiest and ‘best value’ Italian comfort food in the area, if not the GTA! In particular, their ‘loaded with flavor, fork tender Lamb Shank’ paired with some perfectly cooked and wonderfully tasting…….’lentils and beans’! A ‘talk-of-the-town’ dish that was even mentioned and raved by Joanne Kates! Whilst shopping at Longo’s next door, I noticed and was surprised to see they are still in business after all these years! Out of curiosity, I decided to take a gamble and take a trip down memory lane by paying this ‘ageless ex-canteen’ a long overdue re-visit!! If my recollection is correct, most of the house-specialties and iconic dishes, featured way back when, still occupied a space in the current menu! A good sign and testament that indicates “ If the formula works, stick and don’t mess with it “!! For tonight’s dinner, without hesitation, the first thing I ordered was the Lamb Shank. Not only was it super-delish based on my recollection, I also recalled they were always in heavy demand but the kitchen somehow only made a small limited batch nightly!! To that, we ordered a grilled calamari and a spicy tomato based Penne pasta with Italian sausages and olives and finished off their ‘hard-to-find’, warm banana bread-pudding with caramel sauce and custard. First off, our appetiser of nicely charred and perfectly timed squid morsels were tender, juicy and engulfed with enticing char-broiled aroma! The slightly spicy and tangy dressing, an impeccable compliment. Next comes the star of the evening! Without doubt, the first thing that immediately stood out was the size of the lamb shank……it was humongous! Without missing a beat, the current kitchen managed to reproduce that wonderfully caramelized and off-the-bone tender characteristic, pairing this hunk of protein with a delightful, slightly sweet, savory jus. The creamy polenta, a perfect match to soak up the liquid! Whilst others in town, featuring lamb shank, charge over $40+ for this dish, Ferrovia’s $32 was more than reasonable and in fact, unbelievable in this day and age! My daughter’s Penne dish was flavourful and full of depth with the right amount of spiciness. The pasta cooked perfectly al-dente. Saving room for dessert, I brown-bagged half of my lamb shank entree. The Banana Bread Pudding was as good as before though the amount of custard sauce was a bit on the stingy side, rendering the final few bites a touch dry. Otherwise, it would have become another perfect addition to our list of marvellous and enjoyable dishes. For well executed, homey, comfort rustic Italian fare at a great price point, Ferrovia will for sure become my go-to place from now on! Michelin Bib Gourmand!....Are you listening?!

My husband and I had dinner at the restaurant on Saturday night. I had a special of halibut which wasn't terribly fresh. It was served with a soupy mixture of diced potato, peas and fried onion. It wasn't tasty nor typical of Italian cooking. My husband had mackerel and it was served with the same accompaniment.

Mmm, it's been quite a while since I've eaten at Ferrovia. Their food is so darn delicious and I'm never disappointed! On this visit, my friend had Shrimps to start and I had a delicious Warm Mushroom Salad. Our main course was Lamb Chops and Short Ribs. Both were tender and full of flavour. I was actually impressed with how tender the short ribs were without falling apart. Delicious! For dessert, we both had Pistachio Crusted Tartufo. It was a good finish to a great meal! The service, as always, was impeccable!