Thu Feb 14, 2013

Food Spy: Alimento closes for renovations

For the next three months, Italian grocery store Alimento (522 King St. W., at Brant), and its in-house restaurant Bar Mozza, will be getting a makeover. Joe Friday, Bar Mozza’s chef, says that the restaurant space will be expanded, but adds that the blueprints and other details for the reno are still being finalized. He does say, however, that everything will reopen May 1.

The giant corner food shop and restaurant first opened back in late 2011 after being in construction mode for more than a year. Their baker, Andrea Mastrandrea, is currently branching out to open a stand-alone bakery called Forno Cultura (it’s the same name as the bakery he operated out of Alimento) across the street under WVRST beer hall. —Karon Liu

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bisca

This place is a glorified Grande Cheese. You’d actually be better served going to one of those locations as you’re paying King West prices for the same stuff.

If they really want to serve the neighbourhood well, look to examples like Cheese Boutique. Or if you really want to shoot for the stars, what about a Dean and DeLuca setup or Murray’s Cheese.

Lots more products, displayed and presented in a more appealing way. The few times I’ve walked through it felt like someone just stuck some display cases in to a loft space. Empty and unwelcoming.

We’ll see what happens in May. With all the time they took for an initial setup and now this shut down, their only obstacle is themselves.
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12:49 pm on February 14, 2013

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danielle

I hate to dump on people’s efforts but have to agree with the above comment. I thought this place was going to blow me away but was pretty underwhelmed. A Dean and Deluca is exactly what a space like that in a neighbourhood like that demands. I mean, when Cheese Boutique moved to that out-of-the-way location everyone thought they were crazy, but they went all out and made themselves a fine food destination.
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2:33 pm on February 14, 2013