Where to eat in Downtown Hunstville: That Little Place by the Lights and Nutty Chocolatier

Before checking in at Deerhurst to celebrate Hubby’s birthday, we decided to grab some lunch. And what better place to try in downtown Huntsville than That Little Place by the Lights (yes, that’s the actual name of the resto), featured in You Gotta Eat Here. And indeed, you gotta try that yummy lasagna! But I am getting ahead of myself here…let me start from the beginning.

So finding parking downtown was not so bad. There were several green P parking areas which were free, though some lots were packed with snow. We walked to TLPBTL (whew, even the acronym is a mouthful!) which also had an entrance from the back. Once we were inside, we got the feeling of being in a cozy kitchen. Various paintings of Venice were also displayed along with works of local artists--lest you forget this is an Italian place in Muskoka!

DD#2 had a craving for pizza. So, we ordered half and half of pepperoni and Mamma Anna’s (their version of meatlovers with salami, bacon, ham and Italian sausage). The crust was thin and the sauce was delicious! The 12” is good for two, at least in our family. However, Hubby, the pizza lover, claimed that their pizza did not surpass the one we had at Port Hope.

I shared not only DD#2’s pizza but also an order of lasagna with DD#1. And boy, were we really happy with our order! The meat sauce was just the right amount of tang and sweet and was generously packed in between lasagna sheets. Chef Annie did an awesome job! This delicious comfort food went well with the focaccia on the side, which DD#1 wanted to order more of!

Hubby had the pasta special of the day—linguini with asparagus, which had a wonderful Alfredo sauce. Grandma had tuna melt sandwich which was also hearty.

Sadly, they didn’t have their homemade gelato available (not until Easter, they said) and I realized belatedly that I should have tried their Tiramisu! But then that just leaves me a good reason to come back! Yay!

The staff was very friendly and service was fast. Portions were also good, costing about $10 per person. So, I agree with John Catucci, you do have to try this place.

After lunch, we walked around downtown and checked out the quaint little shops. We also bought some goodies at the Nutty Chocolatier. They sold Muskoka Roastery Coffee which i had to try, and of course, I got some chocolate. The girls, however, were pretty content with their gummy kebabs. These were not necessarily what I would get for myself in a chocolate shop, but if they’re happy, then we’re good. 30-45 minutes was sufficient for us to browse the area. After that, we were ready to head for our winter get away.