72Carisma

Dining here is like visiting your favourite aunt and uncle, who give you more food and lovin’ than you need, and make you feel like the most important person on their planet. Michael and Margi Pagliaro (ex-owners of Il Mulino on Eglinton) moved their brand downtown, where the uber-warmth feels slightly but happily out of place. Their Italian cooking is slightly old-fashioned, too, in the nicest way. They do the simple stuff really well: They roast chicken with veg, grill calamari, and do credit to huge hunks of classy meat. There are big servings of lovely pasta often fragrant with truffle oil or unctuous with duck confit. Who does veal scallop with tomato, mozzarella and eggplant anymore? Carisma does, and it comes with the sweetest welcome.