New Opening: Marco Polo Restobar
Published January 12, 2016 at 5:50 am
It looks like 2016 is the year of tapas-style menus, with a number of recently opened restaurants in Mississauga boasting smaller plates.
Marco Polo Restobar is another new restaurant in the Clarkson neighbourhood – a welcome addition to the oldest community in Mississauga.
Proprietors Kyle Oliveira and Brian Capin have taken over the old Katerina’s Greek Cuisine located on 1971 Lakeshore in Clarkson. It took about a month to renovate the space which involved gutting it completely. The building property manager claims the building formerly served as an army barrack.
They hired Chef Frank Mazzonetto, co-owner of the popular Frankie Fettuccine Food Truck Co., who is onboard as the executive chef to assist in menu development and back of house details for the family-run business that opened its doors today.
Marco Polo Restobar will cater to, “a younger crowd [and have] a lounge-like vibe, cool menu and sharing plates… and it will be open late,” says Oliveira.
The menu focuses on North American gastropub food with a Mediterranean twist. The plates are smaller which makes it ideal for sharing and getting a taste of what the creative and innovative menu has to offer.
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The menu will include fun takes on classic North American dishes with a twist, such as mini beer-battered chorizo corn dogs (as seen in the cover shot).
The name of the restaurant was chosen to represent the cuisine Marco Polo experienced in his travels around the Mediterranean and the menu concept is built on rotating and seasonal Mediterranean flavours.
Oliveira and Capin built the restaurant in Mississauga to give people the option of staying in the city and avoiding the trek to Toronto for a night out. Oliveira explains that they wanted to create a sense of community and a neighbourhood go-to.
Food Menu: The menu includes a sharable section, big plates, greens and leafy things, in between the buns and grilled flatbreads. They even have a dish named after both Oliveira’s and Capin’s moms called Anna Maria. Other menu items include wings, layered nachos, piri piri shrimp tacos, charcuterie for two, mac & cheese, steak frites, porchetta burger and a variety of flatbreads.
Signature Dishes: Chorizo corn dogs (cured and smoked chorizo, bubble bath batter, deep fried spicy aioli); Marco Polo flatbread as seen above (prosciutto, triple crème brie, fresh pears, arugula, candied nuts, balsamic syrup); tater tot poutine as seen below (crispy tater tots, braised short rib, Quebec cheese curds, gremolata, natural gravy; 8 hour short rib (braised short ribs, cheesy mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, gremolata, natural jus).
Ian Somerville is the front-of-house face and mixologist behind the carefully crafted beverage menu which currently has only a few cocktails but one that will evolve and grow. Somerville brings over 12 years of global bartending and serving experience and even makes his own bitters (grapefruit and rosemary and fennel, key lime and anise), pickled and candied garnishes and smoked ice. That’s right, he makes smoked ice!
Drink Menu: Smoking Ceasar (vodka, chilli pepper bitters, worcestershire, S&P, mustard seeds, fresh lime, smoked ice, smoked salt rim, pickled whatnots and pancetta); The Decadent Sour (Glenfiddich single malt 12 year, egg whites, lemon zest, truffle honey, crushed walnuts); Flaming Gin & Juice (fresh pear, fresh lime, rosemary & Asian pear syrup, with burning rosemary); and Canadian Insult to a Negroni (their signature drink includes campari, Crown Royal, dry vermouth, maple syrup, candied peameal bacon, flamed orange zest).
What’s Up and Coming? Seasonal menu changes, additional cocktails, patio opening in summer and a discovery sharable platter where diners will have the option to choose a few sharable dishes to share as a group.
Clarkson is stepping up their game and seem to be an up and coming area for independent restaurants. While the area might be one of the oldest in the city, it’s picking up a ton of new and exciting places. Good for them (and good for us!).
Resto Seats: 85
Patio Seats: 65
Licensed: Yes
Website: www.marcopolorestobar.com
