Where We Eatin': Vegetarian Haven

Vegetarian Haven

17 Baldwin Street, Toronto, ON

http://www.vegetarianhaven.com/

Kreck here.  My mum made the trip to Toronto to visit me today, and we went for lunch at Vegetarian Haven in Baldwin Village.  It boasts a wide selection of vegan appetizers, entrees and desserts, and has several wheat-free and wheat-optional items.  There is also a daily lunch and dinner special, which the staff will bring to the table and describe.  The wait staff were incredibly nice and friendly.  Veg-Haven offers a roomy front patio (for taking in the bustle of Baldwin St.) and a cozy interior.

Let's just say, Mary (my mum) has a new favourite restaurant in Toronto...

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I ordered the avocado salad ($12) with maple syrup dijon mustard dressing on the side.  The presentation itself was beautiful -- it was hard to take the first bite of this salad!  It wasn't hard to keep eatin' it though, because the salad was so tasty.  It was an interesting mix of avocado, corn, cucumbers, apple, sprouts, lettuce, shaved carrot, apple, nuts and raisins.  The salad was a smidge bland, but with the dressing it was a-mazing.  I'd love to try this salad with all of the other dressings on the menu (ginger sesame vinaigrette, creamy miso tahini, olive oil rosemary balsamic vinaigrette...).  Yum.

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My mum opted for the lunch special ($10) -- a salad with oil and herbs, lo mein noodles (with tamari?) and three baked sweet potato and taro root pieces with a savory sesame sauce.  The noodles could definitely be switched for rice noodles or rice to make this gluten-free. 

In Mary's words:

• it was good "comfort food"
• there was a "good assortment" and "nice arrangement" of flavours
• it was "pleasant" to eat
• it was "good to the last morsel"
• she "would recommend"
• (she could have kept going, but I stopped her)

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The verdict:  Vegetarian Haven is quite possibly my fave vegetarian restaurant in Toronto.  Added points for the vast menu, amazing service and switchin' it up with the daily specials.

Vegetarian Haven:  It where my mum's eatin'!
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(We also went to High Park!)

Where We Eatin': Montreal!

I went to Montreal a little while ago and decided to share what I managed to find to eat in Montreal.  I think I'm a little spoiled living in such a vegetarian-friendly city because I couldn't find as much to eat in Montreal as I could here.  I did find a couple of good restaurants, though!

Zero8

First up, I went to Zero8.  Zero8 is a restaurant that is entirely gluten-free.  They make all of their foods free from the main allergens, which includes not only wheat, but also shellfish, eggs, dairy etc.  The menu itself had a lot of non-veggie friendly items, but all of the vegetarian items but one were vegan.

I got a gluten-free beer called La Messagere. It was "ok," but it tasted kind of like a cross between 50 and 

champaign to me.

For my main, I ordered a tomato and basil pasta. It tasted really good! There wasn't anything really fancy about it, but the pasta tasted like real fresh pasta!

I also got a side of bread. The bread was also pretty good. It tasted like the inside of a bagel. Yum!

I opted to wait a while before getting dessert and came across and ice cream store that sold Tofutti! I think the 

flavour I got was espresso.

Aux Vivres

Next up, I went to a vegetarian restaurant called Aux Vivres. I originally wanted to go because they had vegan 

poutine, but when we went, they were serving brunch. They kind of reminded me of Fresh here in Toronto, but withsome extra items that you might not find on a Fresh menu.

I got a mexican-inspired dish, with polenta wedges, tofu scramble and salad. The beans were a little bland, but 

overall, it was pretty good! The polenta wedges were crispy on the outside, yet still moist on the inside.  

My boyfriend Greg got a tofu scramble with sweet potato slices, a salad and tempeh bacon. They both came with a coffee or chai latte, so I went for the chai latte!

I also decided to try their veggie lox because I was curious to know how it tasted. Lesson learned: I don't like veggie lox! It seemed to be the leftover carrot pulp from a juicer mixed with way too much liquid smoke. I guess it is a flavour hard to replicate out of vegetables, but still, it could have been made to taste way better!

My experience at this restaurant ended on a happy note, when I got a ginger cookie for the road. Most of the cookies they had for sale were made with spelt flour, but none seemed to be gluten-free. This cookie was huge! And I think it was one of the best cookies I've ever had!

Aux Vivres, you aiight!

Carlos and Pepe's

Finally, I must end this voyage of culinary delight with a sad tale. This tale involves the restaurant that will remain nameless, although I'm sure you can figure it out by noting the pretty purple font up above. We were just looking for a close place to eat by our hotel and came across this hidden "gem." We had to line up to get a table and it was packed! I don't know if everyone else was also in our situation or what, but this was one of the worst meals I have ever eaten. I also felt extremely ill after. :(  

At least the margaritas were big and cheap....

Overall, I found the food in Montreal to be good when I could find something that was both vegan and wheat-free, 
but it wasn't always easy!

--Jen

Where We Eatin' Again: Fresh

Fresh

894 Queen Street West, Toronto

326 Bloor Street West, Toronto

147 Spadina Avenue, Toronto

http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/main.asp

Kreck here.  In my last post I mentioned that Fresh was the go-to restaurant for vegans and vegetarians in Toronto.  I should have also mentioned that as a result of that, sometimes you end up visiting Fresh more than once a week.  This morning Jen and I and our roommate Liz went for brunch at Fresh on Bloor.  Along with their regular menu, Fresh also offers a weekend brunch menu (pancakes, granola and yogurt bowls, and tofu scramble) from 10:30 am - 3:00 pm.

We all opted for the tofu scramble special ($9) sans wrap.  Liz and I had pita on the side.  I ordered a side of regular fries, Liz ordered a side of sweet potato fries and miso gravy, and Jen got a side salad with Fresh's green dressing (ginger, garlic, cilantro, rice vinegar and sunflower oil).

Tofu scramble with rosemary-seasoned fries, steamed spinach, greens and roasted red peppers.

Tofu scramble with steamed spinach, roasted red peppers, greens and salad.

Miso gravy and vegan mayo

How did it measure up, you ask?

• We all enjoyed our meals and thought the vegan mayo was really good (in the words of Liz, "this vegan mayo ain't too bad").  
• I'm glad that I ordered the special without the wrap -- this way you can taste the different ingredients of the wrap better, and it seems like they give you more food.
• I thought the tofu scramble special was awesome, especially if you like a giant breakfast (which I do).  On the other hand, Liz thought the breakfast was a tad generous and would have preferred a smaller serving. 
• Jen loved the green salad dressing and said that she always orders it when she is at Fresh.  
• Liz and Jen both thought that the tofu scramble was a little on the bland side and could have used more seasoning and less onion.  According to Jen, Sadie's Diner still has the best tofu scramble in the city (after her own, of course).

I had never been to Fresh for breakfast, but I enjoyed my meal and would recommend it.  That said, I think the regular menu at Fresh is for the most part better and more interesting than the brunch offerings, so you may want to go for the Ninja bowl instead.

Where We Eatin': Fresh

Fresh

894 Queen Street West, Toronto

326 Bloor Street West, Toronto

147 Spadina Avenue, Toronto

http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/main.asp

Kreck here.  Today I went for lunch with my friends Adam and Lee.  After a few failed attempts at finding a restaurant that was both vegan-friendly and open in Little Portugal, we ended up at Fresh on Queen Street.  Fresh has been the go-to restaurant for vegans and vegetarians in Toronto for over a decade.  It has a huge selection, reasonable prices and a juice bar at each of its locations.  

I'll be honest.  I'm the kind of person whose ideal meal is pie with a side of fries, so it is really hard for me to order a salad when I go out to eat.  However, I've never tried a salad from Fresh, so I ordered the Tangled Thai Salad ($8) with a side of crispy tofu cubes ($2).  You have no idea how hard it was for me to pass up the Thai burger and fries!  I was amazed by how satisfying this salad was.  It consisted of strings of carrot and beet on a bed of Napa cabbage with ginger lime dressing, as well as Fresh's "salad topper," a mix of puffed quinoa, dried goji berries, currants, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds and sea salt, which apparently is a good source of protein and omega.  Very tasty and filling!  I also ordered a tea ($3? Come on...)

Adam ordered the Kathmandu wrap, ($9) which could be made gluten-free by having it without the wrap, or wrapping it in a leafy green.  This wrap was chock full of chickpea curry with tahini sauce, lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, onion and cucumber.  According to Adam, it was "tasty."

Finally, Lee ordered the small corn bread, salad  and soup combo ($8 for small, $10 for large).  The corn bread is wheat-free but not gluten-free, and is made using spelt flour.  Lee's verdict:  It was "good."





As usual, Fresh delivered the goods today.  It may not be as new and exciting as other vegan restaurants around Toronto, but it will always be there for you when the other two vegan restaurants in Little Portugal are closed.

Where We Eatin': Sadie's Diner

Sadie's Diner

504 Adelaide Street West, Toronto

http://www.myspace.com/sadiesdiner

Kreck here. There are few things I enjoy more than going for breakfast, but it can be hard to find a breakfast place where everyone (vegans, gluten-frees, normal people) can go. Sadie's Diner has been a godsend for many a vegan and vegetarian in Toronto. Sadie's boasts many vegetarian and vegan breakfast and dinner options, and also has a juice bar (if you're into that kind of thing).

I ordered the vegan breakfast burrito with home fries ($8), which is not gluten-free, but could be if you got it without the tortilla. The burrito consisted of tofu scramble, soy cheddar, lettuce and refried beans. It was hearty, if a little bland (the hot sauce did wonders). I enjoyed the burrito but I probably wouldn't order it again -- the tofu club sandwich is still my fave Sadie's fare.

I regretted not ordering what Jen and her boyfriend had...

Huevos rancheros! ($10)

This was pretty much the same

as the breakfast burrito, except that it was served on crispy corn tortillas and came with guacamole (!). It looked a lot more exciting than the burrito. Greg thought it was "good" and he would rate it 7 out of 10. Jen thought it was really good, although she thought that it would be tastier if the tofu had been seasoned.

The service could be better and it was really warm, but Sadie's is still one of my favourite breakfast places in Toronto. AND, we all noticed that our hangovers were cured / lessened after eating here. Take from that what you will.

Sadie's Diner: It's where we eatin' breakfast.

Where We Eatin': Rancho Relaxo

I have wanted to try out Rancho Relaxo for a long time! They have tons of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

I always seem to get overwhelmed when I have more than one or two options on a menu. Eventually I narrowed it down to Potato Enchiladas (which I ordered with vegan sour cream and cheese).

To start off, we needed to do things right by getting tequila shots!


Next, I decided to go for a frozen lime margarita. It was pretty good, although next time I might go for a margarita on the rocks because the lime taste was watered down by the ice.


While we waited for our meal, we were served homemade tortilla chips and salsa. We also had time to enjoy the decor:


Next our meals arrived!


I had the potato enchiladas. They were good and very filling. It came with rice, beans and a salad. The only disappointment for me was that I didn't seem to have any of the vegan cheese and there was only a little of the soy sour cream. Other than that, the meal was great!



For "dessert" I had a mango margarita. It was very good and was almost like a smoothie. I kind of regret not getting the deep fried soy icecream on offer, but I would assume it would have a wheat-based batter of some sort.

I would definitely recommend this place!

Rancho Relaxo: It's What We Eatin'!

--Jen

Rancho Relaxo's website.

Where We Eatin': Rawlicious

Rawlicious: 3093 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Kreck here.  My friend Fiona recently moved to the Junction and tried out Rawlicious, a restaurant featuring raw, vegan and gluten-free food and smoothies, which she has been recommending to me ever since.  Today I finally went, and she was right.  It ruled.

I ordered the taco wrap ($9) and a side salad ($3).  The wrap consisted of nut patty, salsa, soy cheese, tomato, lettuce and guacamole assembled inside a collard leaf.  The wrap was really fresh and savory, and the collard added some extra crunch and nutrients (...and guarded against leaking).  The salad was a mix of greens, peppers and green onions, with ginger-date dressing.  Tasty and unique!

Fiona ordered the special -- a mock chicken sandwich on onion bread ($9) with a side salad ($3).  The bread was made of onions, flax seeds and seasoning and was gluten-free.  She thought the bread was especially good, and said the sandwich tasted just like chicken salad.

 

For dessert, we had hot chocolate ($4) which was raw chocolate sweetened with agave nectar.  The hot chocolate was the perfect finish for a meal at Rawlicious -- it was thick and just the right amount of sweetness.  Fiona had warned me that the first time she and her boyfriend had visited Rawlicious, they made the mistake of ordering appetizers, a meal and dessert, which was delicious but super filling.  Even though the pecan pie and cookies looked amazing, the hot chocolate hit the spot and didn't leave us too too full.

I would definitely recommend Rawlicious to vegans and non-vegans alike.  The food is reasonably priced, especially considering how healthy and filling it is.  I need to head back to sample the raw lasagna and pecan pie.  Very soon.