TORONTO — Ficoa, located at 585 College Street, in Toronto’s vibrant Little Italy neighbourhood, is an experiential fine-dining tasting-menu restaurant, designed for the epicurious. Helmed by chef Gerry Quintero, Ficoa incorporates flavours, techniques and influences that reflect the multicultural city of Toronto and the micro-seasons in Ontario.
Quintero has developed a constantly-evolving, zero-waste tasting menu that experiments with techniques such as fermentation, whole-animal butchery and dry-aging. His holistic approach incorporates high-quality local ingredients from sustainable farms, complemented by products sourced from around the globe.
Quintero has more than 15 years professional experience, but he started honing his cooking skills when he was growing up in Mexico. He now draws from a breadth of culinary inspirations from travelling the world — including staging in Thailand at BoLan when he was chef at Linda Modern Thai — to many years honing his skills at Toronto restaurants including Scarpetta, Yours Truly, Torito, and Rosalinda. A serial entrepreneur, he has also developed several successful food concepts through ALMA+GIL.
“I’m obsessed with food and have spent my career working at restaurants with a diverse range of cuisines while also experimenting with my own new food concepts,” says Quintero. “Ficoa is the next step in my journey, which allows me to bring together the best ingredients for a unique, elevated and unexpected sensory dining experience.”
Quintero develops striking, delicious and customized tasting menus that change with the seasons and are adapted based on guest preferences. The Tasting Menu is the star of the show at Ficoa, which features 16 plates over seven courses. Beverage pairings, including non-alcoholic options, are available as an additional offering. For a more casual and condensed experience, The Neighbourhood Menu features six plates over four courses and is served with a welcome cocktail designed around guest preferences.
The dining room is intimate, featuring six tables designed to provide each guest with an attentive bespoke experience. There’s also a small à la carte menu that can be enjoyed at the bar.
The restaurant also offers annual memberships, an uncommon practice in Toronto restaurants, but popular in parts of California. This will give people access to members-only events, such as wine and beer tastings, as well as an all-inclusive dining and beverage experience.
