Smoked Crispy Chicken Hearts with Cauliflower Purée, Ancho Chili Oil, Smoked Pecans

Recently opened in the Queen and Roncesvalles area, Mata Petisco Bar is run by of a team of 5 for the love of South American food.

One of the men behind it include Felipe Faccioli, who hails from Sao Paulo and has worked in various popular Toronto dining destinations including Copacabana, and senior positions at Chiado and Salt Wine Bar. Along the way, Faccioli met other friends to open Mata including Tulio Lessa from Brazil and Patrick Fraser from Muskoka.

Menu offerings at Mata are in the form of petisqueria (shared-plate dining) with prices ranging from $5 to $16 per dish.

My favourites included the grilled octopus and the fresh and zesty corvinha ceviche. The crispy chicken hearts (pictured above) were surprisingly good, too.

Grilled Octopus with Heart of Palm Purée, Raspberry & Balsamic Reduction, Taro Root Chips

Grilled Octopus with Heart of Palm Purée, Raspberry & Balsamic Reduction, Taro Root Chips

Corvina Ceviche - Maple Candied Sweet Potato, Celery & Lime Marinade, Cilantro, Cucumber, Red Onion - delicious!

Corvina Ceviche – Maple Candied Sweet Potato, Celery & Lime Marinade, Cilantro, Cucumber, Red Onion – delicious!

There’s also a selection of local draught beer, wine and South American cocktails including caipirinhas and pisco sours.

Caipirinha $12 - Cachaça, Lime, Simple Syrup, Sugar Cane. Classic Lime, Kiwi, Mango, Passion Fruit, Guava

Caipirinha $12 – Cachaça, Lime, Simple Syrup, Sugar Cane. Classic Lime, Kiwi, Mango, Passion Fruit, Guava

Mata Petisco Bar is located at 1690 Queen St West.

Closed Mondays
Tue, Wed, Thu: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri, Sat: 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sun: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

For more info visit www.matabar.ca

Pictured above:
Smoked Crispy Chicken Heart – cauliflower purée, ancho chili oil, and smoked pecans

Photos by Nick Lee

Guests taking photos of the avocado creme brulee dessert

Guests taking photos of the avocado crème_brûlée dessert

Shibui Robata Bar: Japanese hot charcoal dining
In Photos: Paddle Royale 2014 in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto

Nick Lee

Editor and Photos at BestOfToronto.net