12 Tables: The Winterlicious Experience 2024

Italian Food
A variation on the standard Gnocchi

The first day of Winterlicious begins with 12 Tables, an Italian restaurant. Do they literally have 12 tables? I believe so or are close to it given the relatively small size of the restaurant. They certainly deliver on the food being produced here.

The menu is as follows

$65 Dinner (Plus taxes and gratuity)

Appetizer

Complimentary amuse bouche and house-made focaccia bread served before appetizer course
Mussels (in a basil, white wine, and tomato sauce)
Soup of the Day (Freshly made vegetarian soup; ask your server for details, vegetarian, gluten free)
Roasted Beet and Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Warm goat cheese with mixed seasonal greens, house roasted beets, candied pumpkin seeds and house balsamic dressing, vegetarian, gluten free)
Wagyu Meatballs (Wagyu meatballs sauteed in house tomato sauce, homemade ricotta cheese and fresh parmesan)
Steak Tartare (Hand cut steak tartare, shallots, pickles, egg yolk served with house crostini, gluten free)
Mussels (in a basil, white wine, and tomato sauce)
Soup of the Day (Freshly made vegetarian soup; ask your server for details, vegetarian, gluten free)
Roasted Beet and Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Warm goat cheese with mixed seasonal greens, house roasted beets, candied pumpkin seeds and house balsamic dressing, vegetarian, gluten free)
Wagyu Meatballs (Wagyu meatballs sauteed in house tomato sauce, homemade ricotta cheese and fresh parmesan)
Steak Tartare (Hand cut steak tartare, shallots, pickles, egg yolk served with house crostini, gluten free)

Main Dish

House sorbet served as palate cleanser before main course, All pastas can be made gluten free
Fish of the Day (Daily fish served with seasonal vegetables and crispy baked potatoes; ask your server for details, gluten free)
Goulash (Slow cooked beef stew with carrots and celery served over house made gnocchi )
Porcini Pasta (Tagliatelle with sauteed porcini mushrooms in a rich creamy sauce, vegetarian, gluten free)
Lobster Pasta (Tagliatelle with half lobster tail, sauteed tiger shrimp and asparagus in a saffron cream sauce, gluten free)

Dessert

All desserts made in-house
Dark Chocolate Belgian Brownie (Served with vanilla ice cream, vegetarian)
Key Lime Pie (Served with raspberry coulis, vegetarian)
Brown Butter Apple Pie (Served with vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle, vegetarian)

I ordered the following:

Wagyu Meatballs (Wagyu meatballs sauteed in house tomato sauce, homemade ricotta cheese and fresh parmesan)
Goulash (Slow cooked beef stew with carrots and celery served over house made gnocchi )
Dark Chocolate Belgian Brownie (Served with vanilla ice cream, vegetarian)

My guest ordered:

Steak Tartare (Hand cut steak tartare, shallots, pickles, egg yolk served with house crostini, gluten free)
Porcini Pasta (Tagliatelle with sauteed porcini mushrooms in a rich creamy sauce, vegetarian, gluten free)
Brown Butter Apple Pie (Served with vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle, vegetarian)

Reservations were made and found by the host upon arrival while being seated promptly. This is a small place and you will feel it as most tables are very close to each other. The lighting and atmosphere is intimate with the background chatter being quite loud. You’ll need to speak up once this restaurant fills up.

A half-litre of white wine was ordered to go with the meal and that worked out nicely.

The Wagyu Meatballs were incredibly tender given the main ingredient while sitting in a nice, flavourful sauce. I’ve never had it in this form before and was pleased. The Goulash along with gnocchi piqued my interest and it turned out very nicely. Tender and hearty all at the same time. The dessert brownie was decadent and almost too much to handle. Each bite being a slice of chocolate heaven if you can manage to finish it all off.

I heard high praises on the Steak Tartare too, a must try.

This restaurant tends to be on the pricier side but the quality of food commands that price. The initial pre-appetizer of focaccia bread along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is a nice touch. The addition of the palate cleansing sorbet before the main dish really does what it is supposed to. Once you start the mains your taste buds are completely ready. They go the extra mile here.

The portions themselves may seem small upon initial viewing but are extremely filling and tasty. I was very full at the time while it sat well too; usually a rare occurrence for me.

The only downside was during a meal clearing by the server and the knife fell off my plate onto my shirt. Red sauce all over my sleeve was disappointing but noted.

This place is definitely worth the price and experience.