Each noodle is deliciously stuffed with butternut squash, caramelized onion and brie cheese.Īlfredo sauce is generously poured on top, with a mix of spinach and cherry tomatoes. If you're looking for a creamy-based pasta, opt for the Factory Ravioli ($24.00). Its tossed with fresh egg yolks and parmesan cheese. Small cubes of pancetta are sorted on top, with black pepper and parsely to finish. Spaghetti Carbonara ($24.00) is one of the more simple versions of the restaurant's famous spaghetti noodles. Crispy breaded white shrimps are tossed in a Sriracha sauce and garnished with fresh green onion. The good thing is, all of Old Spaghetti's entrees include a soup, salad, bread, ice cream, and coffee or tea.īam Bam Shrimp ($11.00) is an addictive appetizer, easy to pop in your mouth, but beware of the spicy kick that comes along with it. You'll have lots to keep you distracted, even if you show up to the restaurant starving. The most picture-worthy antique inside is an old streetcar, that was remodelled after the version that ran near Yonge and King in 1900. It's sort of like one big vintage market, antiques, medieval art, an old telephone booth, and a carousel of 200-year-old horses, are just a few of the thousands of artifacts that surround you.Ĭhurch-stained windows encompass the walls and ceilings, designed with a mosaic of colours. The inside of the restaurant has remained almost identical to how it looked 50 years ago, before this, the building was an old blacksmith shop in the 1800's. Old Spaghetti Factory has hosted some historic legends back in the day, Terry Fox stopped in for meal while he was passing through Toronto on his Marathon of Hope in the 1980's. In the 80's and 90's, it was known as a party block, where Blue Jays players would come out and visit the notorious bar Brandy's which is now Bier Markt, and the Keg that sits on the left side of Old Spaghetti Factory. Nowadays, the Esplanade has a cascade of restaurants, but in the 70's, Toronto was mainly made up of cafes and hotel restaurants. Old Spaghetti Factory was one of the first stand-alone food places, which helped shape the strip into decades to come.
The old spaghetti factory windows#
Hnatiw says at one point, you could see the Gardiner Expressway from the front windows of the restaurant that has stood on the Esplanade for half a century. He would pay him $5.00 to scrape gum from underneath the same tables that sit inside the building today. He still remembers driving to the restaurant every weekend with his Dad.
![the old spaghetti factory the old spaghetti factory](https://c8.alamy.com/compfr/r8pjb4/le-restaurant-old-spaghetti-factory-gastown-vancouver-british-columbia-canada-r8pjb4.jpg)
Graham is the prodigal son who took over managing in 2008. The chain started in Portland, Oregan, however Toronto's location has been owned and ran by the Hnatiw family since August 1971. Old Spaghetti Factory is an institution for pasta in Toronto, being in the business since before the city was even known for restaurants.