TIFF 14 Hot Spot: Montecito Restaurant

Last week we had an amazing opportunity to discover Montecito, a new restaurant partnership between Hollywood director Ivan Reitman, world-renowned New York chef Jonathan Waxman, and local restauranteurs Tom and Jordan Bitove from Innov8 Hospitality.

Located in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District and just steps away from film festival headquarters, Montecito’s decor (inspired by Reitman’s expert eye) combines a casual elegance with effortless sophistication. The menu, which changes daily, marries the simplicity of California cuisine (that Waxman pioneered) with ingredients that pay homage to the best of Canada coast-to-coast.

Montecito welcomed 50 of Toronto’s top foodies to sample a specially curated menu with some of the best signature dishes served family-style from Jonathan Waxman and exec chef Matt Robertson.

From cocktails to homemade pizza, see our favourite moments from the night here.