Only one Toronto restaurant earned a Michelin star this year, but it is not a first for the chef who brought the establishment to stardom.
“It’s a very, very big emotion. It’s something that you can’t explain in words. I am so happy for the restaurant, for the team, and for me, because we worked very hard this year and I think we really deserved what we got,” executive chef, Daniele Corona, told CP24 on Thursday.
Corona was also part of the team that propelled Don Alfonso 1890 to being awarded its first Michelin star when the tire maker-turned-tastemaker launched its first-ever guide for Toronto.
DaNico, located inside a former bank building on College and Bathurst streets, is one of four establishments recently awarded a Michelin star.
The restaurant serves contemporary Italian food with Asian influence and technique and the highest quality ingredients, both Corona and the restaurant’s general manager, Marco Manzoni, said.
“I would say that we try to offer a 360-degree guest experience from the moment they book the reservation when they walk (through) the door until the very end,” Manzoni said. “We try to take very good care of our guests, not just through the food and not offering only service, but try to be hospitable as much as possible, making them feel seen is important.”
Besides being recognized as an exquisite establishment, Michelin awarded DaNico’s Ashleigh Foster as Toronto’s sommelier of the year. Foster explained to CP24 in an interview that the best way to fully experience DaNico is through its wine paring, as it elevates Corona’s “culinary adventure.”
“Because Chef Daniele is Italian and my heart lies in Italian wine, I’ve really had such a beautiful experience introducing guests to varietals that maybe they’ve never even tried or let alone heard of before,” Foster said.
Corona points to taking the utmost care of every one of your guests as the key to his success.
“Basically, we need to be real with the guests,” Corona said. “Take care of every single guest that comes in your restaurant. For me, it’s not just a job, it’s part of my life. When I talk with my guests, I talk with the heart and I try to give all (of) myself to them.”
Outside of DaNico, Michelin awarded Hexagon in Oakville, Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Niagara Region and The Pine in Creemore, Ont. with their first stars on Wednesday night.