Is Le Bellissimo really closed?

All signs say yes, unfortunately.

A friend told me during my lunch hour today that the fancy French/Italian bistro is having its last night tonight. I called during business hours and got the machine telling me to call back during business hours. Then I went on its Web site and tried to make an online reservation, only to be told that the restaurant was offline. So like a gal who just doesn't get that he's not all that into you, I drove to the Masi Plaza eatery from my Ontario newsroom and found a darkened restaurant. There was no sign announcing a closure, no note thanking its customers. It was like being dumped through a mutual friend. No letter, not even a text message.

But Le Bellissimo and I weren't even dating. Wine expert Gino Filippi told me on several occasions that it was a swell restaurant. But with Kobe beef and coq au vin on the menu (the dish pictured is their venison), Le Bellissimo wasn't really a restaurant I would go to by myself. I kept hoping that a Prince Charming with a palate for expensive wines would fall from the sky and take me to Le Bellissimo. Sigh. I waited too long and now the restaurant has become the latest recession victim.