Tavolino

* * * CLOSED FOR BUSINESS * * *
Tavolino has been closed for at least two months.
I’ve been there for lunch and had the pochetta sandwich, which was very tasty with juicy tender strips of pork with the tasty crunch of cracklins in a well baked ciabatta roll, however for $ 10 I expected a little something else with my sandwich like a side salad or some gourmet chips, not just a couple olives. Eating it there the sandwich was placed on a large plate which made the sandwich so much more sad looking.
Service was very friendly and couretous, however it took some time for my sandwich to come out considering the restaurant had only two other diners. The atmosphere is sparse, clean and modern which really emphasize how empty the restaurant really is.
There are a ton of sandwich and burger places in the area which offers just as tasty options for much more value, so I’m not surprised that Tavolino didn’t last.

Looking for the best meatball sandwich in Toronto? Why would you settle for anything less? Perhaps you have low self-​esteem? Will this entire review be questions? What is this an improv game? Let’s stop.
Tavolino is a Very Good sandwich shop at King St and Portland. Though the space is small, there are a few tables if you want to eat in. Compared to some of their neighbours, Tavolino has an airy and modern vibe. The kitchen and cash are at the back of the restaurant and the staff are inviting and friendly.
But let’s get down to beeswax. I really enjoyed their meatball sandwich, and it’s probably my favourite in the city. You know how sometimes when you eat a meatball sandwich and those ground-​up spheres of animal slide around (as though sentient) and spread out hither and thither sometimes falling right out of the sandwich and ruining your day? Not here. The soft delicious bun holds everything in place. I’d eat mountains of that bread solo, but when wrapped around perfectly-​cooked meat and savoury sauce it’s a winner.
Beats Reggie’s by a mile. Go to here.
Obligatory Title Pun: I don’t want nobody baby/​If I can’t TAV you.
Menu Readability: Someone here has a very interesting chalk printing technique.
Need to mention: Sandwiches are in the $ 8 – 10 range.
What this place teaches me about myself: Meatball sandwiches don’t have to be geometric conundrums.

I’ve eaten here twice now and definitely would return.
So far I have tried their Shrimp Po Boy, Meatball Sandwich, Steak Sandwich & Caprese Sandwich (based on sharing with friends). I would also rank the sandwiches in this order with the first two around the same. The sandwiches are great, but 50% of them are bread heavy. The sandwiches range from $ 7-​$ 10 afaik and come with no side unless you order the special of the day.
For sides I have tried the root salad which I am a huge fan of and their deep fried stuffed olives (kinda what you’d expect this dish to be /​taste like).
The restaurant is designed nicely with a great exposed brick look. The only downside to the look of the place is the washrooms in the basement which they clearly didn’t put any effort into, but who really cares for a sandwich shop.
At first I thought their prices were on the high end, but with the specials and by ordering one of the cheaper sandwiches, you can get out of here spending under $ 15 which is in line with the area. I put them as an excellent option if you are looking to get dinner somewhere and don’t want to break the bank.
They don’t have a liquor license yet but I asked the cashier who said they’ve been waiting on this since they opened.
I also wrote a more detailed review in my blog with pictures here:

Picked up a Chicken sandwich from here today. $ 10…
THE CHICKEN WASN’T UNDERCOOKED, IT WAS RAW.
Like bleeding raw. My coworker picked up a veal sandwich that was VERY overcooked.
You like consistency? Don’t eat here. You like overpriced, under/​overcooked meats on a mountain of bread? You’ll love this joint.
Pics up there ^^ take a look.

Dropped by and ordered a Po’boy sandwich to go back to the office. The flavors were all there, but I really wish they used a better bun for a sandwich that came out to be over $ 10.
The aioli, the battered shrimp, I did enjoy the flavors. It’s the salty side for me, but I didn’t mind it.
Too much bread or the wrong kind of bread with these ingredients, I tossed out a bit of the bread at the end.
Did you go to the bins at Metro or Loblaws to get your Kaiser Buns? At this price, you would think they would order a good batch of bread from the local bakery but they didn’t.
It almost made me want to go to Zoe’s for something more traditional or drive up to College to the fish store for a better sandwich.

A new addition to this busy king strip, Travolino’s serves up an array of sandwiches and salads sure to please all. A trendy décor and soft wood tables give the ambiance and set the mood for a lunch crowd pass You can come, eat and leave all without much hassle.
Now down to the food: my triple AAA beef was spicy and tender. Good choice. The root salad was spectacular, a cheesy explosion of flavored greens. The porkloin sandwich had a texture quite unique giving that sandwich a crunch which was delightful.
Would I come back? Yes.

Had the pleasure of enjoying a Tavolino sandwich last week.
I work in the area, and our office is always looking for new lunch options. We all decided to order something and give the new place a try. I got the chicken sandwich — the others chose the porchetta and the calabrese.
The chicken sandwich was pretty tasty. It looked and tasted fresh (and homemade)! The lemon aioli was a little tangy for my liking, but I thought it went nicely with the chicken & pea shoots. I would have liked the flavour to be a bit more balanced — next time I would probably order the porchetta or rib-​eye.
It may be pricier, but most places in the area are comparable. I’d like to try some of the non-​sandwich menu items… I’ll be back!

I unfortunately have to disagree with my fellow Unilocalers on this place. I found their sandwiches extremely pricey for what you get.
Yes, the bread is good and the ingredients fancy and fresh. But I was disappointed by the fact that the sandwich was all bread with a little sum of ingredients in the it and not a lot of flavour.
I ordered the famous Po’Boy. The shrimp were quite good, but other than this, there was not much excitement to report on. Furthermore, I decided to add some nice Fleur-​de-​Lis Cheese to it before I ordered, then realizing that if I had not, the sandwich would have been even more plain than it was. So, in sum, for a breaded shrimp sandwich with sauce, tomato, spinach and shrimp for $ 13.50, I would much rather spend my lunch money on something else.
Viviana.

obviously this place is brand new and not finished with the decore and all the little details, so no points deducted in that category
sandwiches were quite good, ordered porchetta .the texture, flavor, size and of course the ratio of bun-​meat– dressing.
no liquor license yet so no beer for me but def will check back again when i feel like yummy sandwiches

I’ve been waiting for Tavolino to open for what seems like a year now. Every day I pass by and kept wondering what was hiding behind the brown papered window. On the few days I could sneak a peek in there was nothing but bare brick so I was pleasantly surprised when I finally found it open two nights ago.
Tavolino is on the small side but all the shops along this strip are. I saw table seating for about 24 people which should be plenty since it seems like a lunch time grab and go kind of place. Their menu isn’t very large which I like because that means they can pay more attention to making things well instead of trying to appeal to everyone and being sloppy. I had the po’boy, greens and diced tomato with mayo and popcorn shrimp, which was surprisingly light and didn’t make me feel like I needed a nap afterward. My friend had the ribeye and was not only really happy with the size of the sandwich (he’s a big guy with a big appetite) but said it tasted great. I’ve heard their lamb is fantastic as well but I’ll have to find out for myself later this week.
There is a small selection of drinks available near the counter. I’m sure they will probably add to selection but for now you’re looking at water, Brio, Coke, limonata and one other drink that I’ve never heard of but is probably really tasty.
I’m going to suggest that we start calling this strip of King street «sandwich alley» because that seems to be the only thing opening in that block of stores. Big smoke, Reggie’s and The one that got away (yes they do sandwiches too) have all been doing well and Tavolino will make a fine addition to the group. Their prices are on par with the other shops and the ingredients are fresh and flavourful keeping with the theme of good somewhat fast food. I’d like to see them add a few more drink options and I’ll be interested to see if there are any more additions to the menu in the coming weeks.