Mustazzoli Ristorante Italiano, Ontario

It's often said that people have many different layers. In the most literal sense possible, the same applies to the Northern Italian cuisine at Mustazzoli Ristorante Italiano. Just look at the restaurant's signature appetizer: bruschetta crescenza. It starts with three pieces of crispy, homemade baguette, onto which is piled crescenza cheese, asparagus, prosciutto ham, and a drizzling of white truffle sauce. If complexity is what these chefs are going for, consider their goal achieved.

But the chefs bring this same attention to detail to every aspect of their menu, from pastas tossed with clams and New Zealand mussels to desserts of homemade white-chocolate cannolis. Once they've put on the finishing touches, they send these dishes off to two different dining rooms, in which guests trade bites with sips of wine and beer.

If you're curious about how to get the most out of your Mustazzoli experience, here are three of our favorite pro tips:

• Try a few slices of the complimentary cheesy bread, which has garnered favorable reviews on Yelp.
• Come here on game day: Mustazzoli shows sports (typically muted) on a few discretely placed televisions.
• Ask a server if there's an upcoming event; the restaurant frequently hosts wine dinners.