I specifically avoid restaurants that participate in WL and SL. I have to agree with the other posters. The food typically isn't top-notch and often doesn't reflect the restaurant. The restaurants are trying to cobble together a menu that is low-cost and can be pushed out quickly. And $30/$40 a person isn't that cheap - I could go to one of my favourites (i.e non WL or SL) for that and just have a smaller meal.

One of my favourites is Fabricca. It is in a mall at the corner of Don Mills and Lawrence. I believe the exact address is on Karl Fraser Road. The chef is well know here - Mark McEwan and the food is outstanding. It is rustic Italian food. I have been there maybe 10 times and every time have loved the food and the service.

Some particular favorites: olives (I know - you think olives but they brine them in house and they are fabulous!), the crostini with mixed mushrooms, the pizza with truffle cream (they import some sort of special flour from Italy and the chef had to get certified on pizza-making in Napoli - plus they have a wood-burning stove for the bread and pizza). The pizza is absolutely outstanding and not to be missed. Their baked pasta is excellent. Their salads look great but I haven't had one. They have some sort of pork loin on the dinner menu that the waiter explained to me was just like 'bacon.' Obviously that sounds irresistable so that will be ordered next time. For desert they have cannelloni which I thought was pretty mediocre - obviously it broke my heart that I had to be critical of one of my favourite restaurants but the cannelloni was tough and doughy - just bad. However, their salted caramel gelato is FABULOUS. Plus their biscotti is fabulous. After lunch or dinner, you can go across the street to McEwan's grocery store and buy some of those biscotti to take home. Well worth it.

Was there last week for lunch. The menu is poorly designed - nothing really jumps out. I ordered a pizza with prosciotto. I asked the waitress if they could put spinach on it and she said - around the crust? And I said, no - all over it. And the pizza came out with a halo of uncooked spinach shrubbery.... Very peculiar. Pizza was very mediocre. I would give this restaurant a pass.