Best New Restaurants 2012: No. 7 F’Amelia

Torontonians will bid themselves into bankruptcy to live in a neighbourhood with a good school, a dog park and a relaxed little restaurant just up the street. Todd Vestby and John Dawson, best friends since high school, may well have upped Cabbage­town housing prices by opening the quintessential trattoria around the corner from their homes. Warmed by the rosy glow of the clay pizza oven, the charming three-room space feels like a farmhouse in Tuscany. Gracious servers answer questions (yes, guanciale is cured pig’s face) and ask regulars about their weekend at the cottage. Vestby (a former stockbroker) and Dawson (a former tour guide) gave the kitchen to Bergamo-born chef Maurizio Verga, who jumped ship from Splendido for the job and devised a pitch-perfect northern Italian menu. In Verga’s hands, familiar dishes taste extraordinary: delectable chestnut tagliatelle with brussels sprouts and chanterelles; pizzas charred to perfection from 90 seconds in 650-degree heat; luscious oxtail smothered in porcinis on incredibly buttery polenta. It’s all expertly handled and blessedly affordable. Open only since September, F’Amelia is already an essential part of the neighbourhood. 12 Amelia St., 416-323-0666. See our listing for more information »

(Images: Raina and Wilson)