Starving Foodie: Ricky + Oliva's in Leslieville

RICKY + OLIVIA - Restaurant Opening

A friend was looking at my blog and I realized that it had been a year since I had been inspired to write anything on this blog. I have been working on my other blog with some film reviews and realized that I hadn't had a lot of food inspiration in a while until I went to the newly opened Ricky + Olivia's in Leslieville.

This post is late. I intended to post it after my visit in May but got too busy.

I first encountered Chef Ricky Casipe at one of the many Food Events at Festivals I used to go to before the 2020 lockdowns. Ricky caught my attention for his friendly smile and his food always blew me away. It was perfectly cooked and always had some sort of twist you couldn't quite figure out. It always had great seasonings without drowning in salt, which my body appreciates.

I was invited with other food bloggers to the restaurant he was at called Hawthorne and I visited it a couple of times, always enjoying the food. I think the second time I encountered Olivia who also started working there. She was another friendly face. I also saw them together at Yonge and Dundas square for a Local pop-up that I checked out while I was on my lunch break from my office across the street.

I can't tell you how many times I saw them around town but I was happy to see them whenever I went to a food event. Their food was always my favourite.

Then the lockdowns hit and they moved to doing private events at a Winery in Niagara. I hadn't seen them for many years, but I knew they were doing some pop-ups here and there but nowhere near me.

I was excited when I found out they were finally opening their own restaurant in Leslieville. The unfortunate thing though it's way the other side of town for me but at least it's in Toronto.

I decided I wanted to go there for my Birthday dinner with my friend after they had just been open for a couple of weeks.

I was not disappointed and felt like the good old days seeing friends in new places. I think they were surprised to see me, it had been such a long time. Ricky was busy behind the open-concept kitchen so I got to say hi as I was being led to my seat.

We were seated at the back of the small narrow restaurant just before the patio entrance.

The even funnier thing was that about 20 minutes later a foodie friend came in with her partner and they were seated just next to us.

The first thing I saw at the table was a Birthday Card. It was signed by all the staff. I never saw that in all my time going for dinner on my Birthday and I mentioned to Olivia that it was very special.

They inherited a slushy machine when they got the place and they used it to make 2 boozy drink concoctions, one was coffee-based and the other cherry-based. We ordered both of them. I liked the coffee one the best.

I asked Olivia why they chose to open in Leslieville when most of the food biz people they knew were all in the Queen, King, and the Dundas West areas of Toronto. She said they lived there and liked the area. Also, the rent is much cheaper and there is a lot less traffic. I do feel that they are the ones that may get others to relocate and change the area. Chef Lynn Crawford used to be in the area and the block she was on shifted a bit to be more food-centric, so will see if their industry friends go east.

We ordered a bunch of things including:

Caesar Salad

R+O Burger