Gold Winner il Mercato Trattoria, Halifax

Silver Winner Vinnie’s Pasta Bar

Bronze Winner Ristorante a Mano

Collecting its second gold of 2013, downtown’s recently departed il Mercato wins for Best Pasta. Its true-Italian-inspired dishes included handmade ravioli, seafood linguine with garlic in white wine cream sauce, pesto penne with sundried tomatoes and arugula…yep, our mouths are watering too. But where will readers direct their pasta cravings now? “Il Mercato lives on,” says Stephanie Bertossi, the restaurant’s co-owner. “We have our great restaurant in Bedford and I wouldn’t be surprised if il Mercato comes back to Halifax one day.” Never say never (just say “favoloso”).