L'atelier De Monsieur Truffe Iii

07/03/2013: The management squad hither has changed together with the cafe is immediately known equally East Elevation.

April 14, 2012

Michael together with I psyched ourselves upwards for some Sat errands alongside breakfast at Monsieur Truffe's Brunswick outpost, L'atelier. While they were doing a adept trade, nosotros were a footling surprised to encounter them at less than amount capacity - nosotros slipped guide into a tabular array for two.

There's adept intelligence on the card front! Vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan adaptable options are all marked on the menu. These include tapioca together with poached quince alongside fruit together with nut crumble, a distich of hearty salads together with the 'full vegie' breakfast that Michael ordered ($16.50).

Since Michael's non i for tomato, he requested that it survive replaced alongside some extra avocado. Either the chef didn't follow through, or the commons serving of avocado is truely meagre! There wasn't a lot to larn or hence here. This was good, though seasoned unevenly - Michael flora himself spearing some of the super-salty spinach onto every forkful to smoothen it out.

I tried the granola ($12), a chewy, toasted concoction alongside great depth of flavour from hazelnuts, dried figs, cocoa nibs (!) together with a sprinkling of nighttime chocolate chips (!!!). Boy, it gave my jaw a work-out though.

While the front end of delineate of piece of occupation solid staff were terrific, the most notable characteristic of this see was the waaaaiiiiiting. Our nutrient took a real long fourth dimension to arrive, together with our hot drinks fifty-fifty longer! I ended upwards cancelling my tea entirely. I can't imagine how they grapple when every spot is occupied. Hopefully they'll travel out a to a greater extent than efficient groove, but nosotros couldn't assistance wishing we'd simply stuck to Monsieur Truffe's superlative together with quick-to-the-table croissants.

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You tin read almost our previous visits to L'atelier here together with here. Since hence it's received high praise on Ballroom Blintz, Köstlich, fitzroyalty together with foodwithfrank. Reviews are to a greater extent than mixed at lunchosaurus together with Fresh Bread.

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L'atelier de Monsieur Truffe
351 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
9380 4915
veg brekkies $6-16
http://monsieurtruffe.wordpress.com/

Accessibility: Excellent. H5N1 ramp on entry, great light, lots of infinite together with a dedicated disabled toilet. Ordering happens at the tabular array together with payment at a reasonably depression counter.

Wild Mushroom Tacos & Summertime Corn Salad

April 16, 2012

Cindy together with I had planned a Lord's Day cooking extravaganza amongst Lisa, Lucy together with Gill making delicious treats from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day, but everyone else savage sick or double-booked themselves, together with therefore nosotros were on our own. We'd done our shopping already, together with therefore on Mon nighttime nosotros went ahead amongst a cut-down version, making wild mushroom tacos from the cookbook together with a corn salad from Heidi's blog.

The mushroom tacos are super uncomplicated (especially if you lot lazily purpose parcel tortillas). Just purchase yourself around fancy wild mushrooms (we got around slippery jacks together with pino mushrooms from the markets, addition around basic plain mushrooms) together with youngster them upward amongst onion, garlic together with chilli. Sprinkle them amongst Mexican oregano together with serve inwards the tortillas amongst a sprinkle of parmesan on top. Earthy together with delicious.

The corn salad is similarly straightforward, together with its crunchy tartness worked perfectly amongst the heartier mushrooms. These were both first-class recipes - uncomplicated combinations of a few ingredients together with flavours that you lot tin whip upward later on operate without likewise much trouble.

Summer corn salad
(adapted slightly from a recipe from 101 Cookbooks)

iv cobs corn, shucked amongst the kernels shaved off the cob
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 small-scale handful of chives, sliced finely
1 1/2 cups of toasted pepitas together with sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano

dressing
1/3 loving cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
two tablespoons chocolate-brown sugar
three tablespoons sunflower oil

Stir the corn kernels together with chives together inwards a bowl.

Mix the lemon juice, tabular array salt together with saccharide together inwards a course bowl. Drizzle inwards the sunflower oil, whisking similar crazy until everything all comes together.

Add the seeds together with the dressing to the corn together with toss, making certain everything is nicely coated.

Sprinkle the oregano over the top, toss together with serve.

Herb Crumbed Pumpkin Wedges

April 18, 2012

When a pumpkin turned upwards inward our vege box, I got a hankering for my grandmother's scones. Once that was dealt amongst nosotros yet had three-quarters of the orangish creature to eat! Ottolenghi's Plenty came to the rescue, amongst a relatively unproblematic embellishment on roast pumpkin that cleared upwards our provide inward only 2 meals. Breadcrumbs, chopped herbs together with grated cheese pressed into the surface add together a flake of texture together with savouriness to a vegetable that tin reach the sack otherwise disintegrate to sugariness mush inward the oven.

With the recommended dollop of dill sour cream on top, I intend these would brand a lovely spill entrée (does anyone out at that spot brand entrées at home?). We heaped upwards a big side salad together with called it dinner, though I intend these would fare fifty-fifty ameliorate every bit a primary amongst or then couscous or quinoa.

Herb crumbed pumpkin wedges
(a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty)

Preheat an oven to 190°C. Slice a pumpkin (or fraction thereof!) into sparse wedges (keep the pare on) together with prevarication them across a paper-lined baking dish. Spray or brush them lightly amongst vegetable oil.

In a small-medium bowl, mix together grated parmesan, breadcrumbs, lots of finely chopped parsley together with a piffling finely chopped thyme, or then crushed garlic together with grated lemon zest. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the pumpkin wedges, pressing it inward gently, together with bake the wedges for almost thirty minutes, until the pumpkin is tender.

While the pumpkin is baking, finely chop a piffling dill together with stir it into or then sour cream, adding salt together with pepper to taste. Spoon the sour cream onto or adjacent to the pumpkin wedges, to serve.

Casa Ciuccio

Edit 11/04/2017: Fitzroyalty reports that Casa Ciuccio is straightaway closed.

Gertrude St grub
April 20, 2012

Michael keeps a non bad optic on the Gertrude St goings-on, including the structure too opening of Casa Ciuccio. After a calendar week or thus of negotiation, nosotros gear upward a completely unnecessary too rather extravagant Fri dejeuner in that place amongst Mike too Jo.

Casa Ciuccio comes from the people behind Bar Lourinha too boasts its ain coal pit. It's hardly surprising, then, that the menu's non actually designed for vegos - three of the xiii snack-sized items are flesh free, earlier things instruct actually meaty amongst ix dishes from the grill or coal pit; in that place are 4 farther vegetable plates equally good equally cheese too desserts.

We started off amongst cheese-stuffed figs ($5 each), which I'd spied at a neighbouring tabular array too envied. They were fresh, sweetness too fabulous.

The zucchini, eggplant too labneh ($15) similarly offered a pleasing combination of tender fresh hit too complementary curd.

The cos leaves, sweetness lime too radish ($16) had a overnice bittersweet crunch.

Marginally heartier were the dark-green beans inwards sugo ($15).

I was non leaving without dessert(s). The wide, shallow dulce de leche cream pot ($12) allowed for a maximum sprinkling of peanut praline, which I appreciated.

The stars, though, were these buñuelos ($12), warm doughnuts studded amongst melting chocolate sitting atop a hazelnut sauce.

We received flawless service throughout our take in too the forepart room was a lovely house to transcend a yoke of (!) weekday hours. And land nosotros enjoyed everything nosotros ate, I don't squall upward this was worth $40pp. It's clear that the veg-friendly dishes are intended to accompany the meats too they don't actually transcend equally a repast themselves. The 1 lentil dish on the carte du jour includes morcilla - that's in all likelihood a dot that I should seek my legumes too meat-free fine dining elsewhere.

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Casa Ciuccio
fifteen Gertrude St, Fitzroy
8488 8150
veg morsels $4-16
www.casaciuccio.com.au

Accessibility: From memory, I squall upward there's a minor measuring on entry. Tables inwards the forepart room are quite good spaced, some at criterion elevation too some at bar elevation amongst stools (we didn't instruct a proficient await at the dorsum room or courtyard). There's total tabular array service. We didn't take in the toilets.

Phat Brats

12/12/2014: Two Munch, Elle Bambi Diaries in addition to Peach Water (sponsored) were fans, patch Grandstand in addition to Two Munch, Elle Bambi Diaries in addition to Peach Water (sponsored) were fans, patch Walkers bring been around for a while, but Two Munch, Elle Bambi Diaries in addition to Peach Water (sponsored) were fans, patch Snag Stand, Two Munch, Elle Bambi Diaries in addition to Peach Water (sponsored) were fans, patch Lord of the Fries bring lately joined the political party (Broadsheet bring a fancy snag rundown amongst a few other places I've never heard of). And directly there's Phat Brats, lately opened inward the premises of the one-time Kebab Factory. They're shooting for a similar up-market vibe equally Snag Stand - all organic ingredients in addition to fancy fillings. It's a big carte du jour - well-nigh a dozen dissimilar combos, addition fries in addition to trimmings. There are a a pair of veggie dogs (although neither are vegan or gluten free) in addition to they're happy for you lot to sub the veggie sausages into whatsoever of the other flavor combos. We decided to endeavour 1 of each in addition to split upward a serve of the veggie chilli fries betwixt us.

The chilli fries ($7) came out start - a bowl of perfectly crispy spuds, slathered inward beans, chilli sauce, jalapenos in addition to sour cream. The chips themselves were amazing - some of the best I've had - but the toppings were a flake on the hot side. Cindy was completely overpowered yesteryear the sauce and, patch I could swallow it, I idea it detracted a flake from the delciousness of the fries. Be warned.

The start hot-dog was the pumpkin ricotta & tarragon veggie domestic dog amongst mild mustard, shaved fennel, sour cream in addition to jump onions ($8.50). This is no replication of a typical hot domestic dog - the sausage itself was okay, but the whole bundle was a flake on the bland side.

The 2nd domestic dog made upward for it though - a dark bean, lentil & veggie domestic dog amongst raw slaw, shredded beetroot, cheese sauce in addition to dark-green pickle savor ($8.50).

This was to a greater extent than similar it  - the domestic dog was hearty in addition to flavourful in addition to the toppings were an first-class combination of junky in addition to delicious. Still, I consider adjacent fourth dimension nosotros instruct at that spot I'll purpose this sausage to brand a classic hot-dog - sometimes you lot only desire mustard, onions, in addition to love apple tree sauce rather than fancy relishes in addition to grated beetroot. 

Phat Brats does the gourmet hot domestic dog pretty well, but its lack of vegan options in addition to our to a greater extent than frequently than non low-class tastes hateful that we're likely to a greater extent than probable to honour ourselves across the route at LotF having 1 of their unashamedly straightforward dogs.

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Two Munch, Elle Bambi Diaries in addition to Peach Water (sponsored) were fans, patch Gourmet Chick tried them out at The People's Market in addition to was a flake unenthused.

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Phat Brats

320 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

9384 1303

veg snacks in addition to dogs $5-8.50

http://phatbrats.com.au/ (coming shortly evidently - at this phase it doesn't fifty-fifty bring the address/phone release on it)

Accessibility: Phat Brats has a step-free entryway in addition to is pretty spacious inside. You social club in addition to pay at a middling counter. The toilets are on the same degree in addition to non also cramped.

Country Quincefest

April 21-22, 2012

While I'm non envious of her commute, it's non hard to endure out why my friend J moved out to the country - she has a lovely domicile together with an fifty-fifty lovelier garden. Her quince tree's been bearing (some) fruit together with she invited a few of us over for a weekend of preparing, eating together with celebrating them. Many quince recipes postulate involve gentle cooking over the class of hours, together with thus nosotros lolled contently inwards her kitchen expanse for most of our visit, ascent occasionally to banking concern jibe the oven or stove, chop or shaver a piffling something.

 

The quince eating began amongst quince glue cooked final yr teamed amongst cheese together with crackers.

My major contribution was this Ottolenghi salad featuring poached quinces - I'll postal service to a greater extent than almost it tomorrow.

We used the leftover poaching liquid every bit a syrup for a piffling haloumi. 'Twas a terrific combination of sweet, sour together with salty.

For a vegetarian primary J dug upwards a tagine recipe amongst eggplant, chickpeas together with quinces. Here the quinces weren't sweetened together with they lent a pleasing hint of sourness.

We finished upwards amongst a baking triumph from GG. Cooked upside down, it used leftover poached quince from final year's harvest together with paired it amongst a lemon zest-spiked, super-tender butter cake from Annie's Garden to Table.

... Except that nosotros weren't quite finished! Amongst it all we'd poached 3 to a greater extent than small-scale quinces inwards anticipation of breakfast. I intend these were the most complex together with interesting quinces of all. Their poaching liquid simmered downward to a sugariness jelly glaze, together with within the coloring shifted from crimson through a sunset of orange, sugariness together with velvety through to tangy together with pear-gritty. We ate them amongst French toast.

While J's quince harvest was far smaller than final year's nosotros actually made the most of it. If you lot tin rails about of these fruits downward I'd highly recommend a meditative or social afternoon inwards your kitchen, simmering together with stirring something sweet, sour together with special.

Quince & Gorgonzola Salad

April 21, 2012

This is definitely a sis salad to the fig & goat's curd one I made before this calendar month - Ottolenghi expertly teams a limited-time-only fruit alongside fancy cheese too lots of greenish leaves. Truth survive told, I'd been secretly waiting for J to denote quince time for a span of months. Just for this salad.

Quinces typically larn poached piece of cake inwards lots of saccharide but hither also peppercorns, bay leaves, orangish zest, lemon juice too cherry-red vino - lovely. This ensures the quince segments retain a petty seize alongside teeth too they're beautifully teamed alongside a pungent, creamy gorgonzola. Lots of greens too closed to pistachios choke along it all from existence also rich.

The poaching juices are ingeniously used inwards the salad dressing, but at that spot are enough to a greater extent than to relish later on this salad's finished. I withal haven't decided what to create alongside mine - whatever suggestions?

Quince & gorgonzola salad
(very slightly adapted from a recipe inwards Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty)

400mL water
300g castor sugar
xv dark peppercorns
four strips of orangish zest
two bay leaves
juice of 1/2 lemon
200mL cherry-red wine
two medium quinces
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
two teaspoons cider vinegar
four tablespoons olive oil
80g mixed leaves
120g gorgonzola
60g pistachios
tabular array salt too pepper

Preheat the oven to 140°C.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the water, castor sugar, peppercorns, orangish zest, bay leaves, lemon juice too cherry-red wine. Gently warm them until the saccharide has dissolved, too then accept them off the heat.

Peel too heart the quinces, adding these scraps to the saucepan of syrup. Slice the quince into segments too add together them to the syrup. Transfer the quinces too syrup to a casserole dish, comprehend it upward too bake for virtually two hours. When the quince segments are completely tender, take away them from the oven too fix them aside to cool.

To brand the salad's dressing, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, oil, four tablespoons of the cooking liquid too tabular array salt too pepper to taste.

Set upward the salad past times layering the greens too quinces on a plate, interspersing them alongside teaspoons of gorgonzola too sprinklings of pistachios. Spoon the dressing over the top.

Fressen

April 21, 2012

Eight years ago, Cindy in addition to I spent about fourth dimension inward the States of America living amongst a vegetarian couplet - I decided to cash inward one's chips veg for the duration of the trip to run into whether I was upwardly to it and, earlier nosotros knew it, Cindy in addition to I were both enjoying the smugness of beingness meat-free. One of the telephone substitution moments that tipped us into sticking amongst it happened inward Toronto, when nosotros stumbled onto high-end veg house Fressen. It was veg nutrient similar we'd never realised it could survive in addition to has instruct ane of our fondest nutrient memories. So it was amongst a mixture of excitement in addition to trepidation that I used about gratuitous fourth dimension on a function trip inward Toronto to revisit. Could Fressen maybe survive every bit skilful every bit nosotros remembered? Was it exclusively in addition to hence impressive because nosotros were such naive vegos? Or is it really a veg dining Mecca?

Well, skilful intelligence everybody: it's even in addition to hence great! To survive fair, we've definitely eaten fancier food, but Fressen does a similar affair to Shakahari inward Melbourne or (the sadly departed) Sirens inward Hobart - high quality, well-presented, slightly pricey veg meals.

It's a pretty pop house - all the tables were booked or full. Luckily they squeezed me inward at the bar in addition to left me amongst the menu. Which. is. massive. Seventeen appetisers in addition to 10 mains, around of which are gluten-free in addition to all of which are vegan. I had a tough fourth dimension trying to figure out what to swallow - this is the form of house where y'all desire a biggish grouping in addition to hence y'all tin instruct a sense of savor of heaps of dishes. Alas I was forced to select only ane appetiser in addition to ane main.

I kicked things off amongst the spinach blini (warm avocado in addition to corn salsa sandwiched betwixt fluffy herbed poppy seed in addition to spinach blinis, $9).

What a start! The blinis were puffy, soft in addition to delicious in addition to the salsa mix was a fight tangy in addition to a fight sweetness in addition to rich amongst charred corn pieces in addition to creamy avocado chunks. Amazing.

For my primary I was tempted past times the grilled dark edible bean seitan but eventually settled on the battered tempeh (herb battered in addition to fried tempeh, topped amongst a mango coriander salsa in addition to served amongst fresh sautéed vegetables in addition to roasted potatoes, $16).

This didn't quite stair out upwardly to the blinis but it was even in addition to hence a massive in addition to delicious meal. The mango/coriander salsa tasted pretty peachy but was a fight besides liquidy. The tempeh crust was perfect though - crispy in addition to lightly flavoured, housing about first-class tempeh chunks. The veggies were skilful besides in addition to in that place were loads of them. It was a large repast - way besides much on move past times of the starter for me to cheque out the dessert carte (which is a shame, because dessert was ane of our favourite 2004 Fressen memories).

Fressen is wonderful. The service is lovely - friendly in addition to helpful but happy to instruct out me quietly reading my volume at the bar. The vibe is prissy besides - moody lighting, polished woods tables in addition to a buzzy (but non deafening) atmosphere. I've got a tough alternative for the residuum of this calendar week - produce I cash inward one's chips dorsum or produce I explore all the other options that Toronto has to offer? I'm non certain I tin facial expression about other 8 years for to a greater extent than Fressen.

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Fressen's been around forever, in addition to I don't actually know the Toronto spider web log scene, but a quick search turned upwardly a bunch of really positive reviews inward the final twelvemonth - cheque out Vegan Band Dude, One Healthy Munchkin in addition to short review of their (sadly no longer operational) weekend brunch.

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Fressen
478 Queen Street West, Toronto
416 504 5127 (if you're going on a weekend it's likely wise to book)
Cold tapas iii dishes for $15, Appetisers $9, Mains $16 (although the combination of GST in addition to tipping way y'all destination upwardly paying a fair fight to a greater extent than than those prices - I've no thought why they listing pre-tax prices everywhere, but they do)

http://www.fressenrestaurant.com/

Accessibility: Fressen has a pocket-sized pace every bit y'all cash inward one's chips inward in addition to is dim in addition to fairly crowded. There's about other couplet of steps betwixt the bar surface area in addition to the forepart room. I didn't cheque out the toilets, but I think they're somewhere inward a higher house these steps (see MeShell's comment below). Ordering in addition to payment happens at the tabular array (or bar inward my case).

Toronto 24-Hour Interval 2

April 22, 2012

Toronto skyline behind a massive double-crested cormorant colony

I'd arranged my flights so that I had a total twenty-four hours spare inward Toronto earlier function obligations kicked off. This served 2 purposes: eating equally much corking veg nutrient equally I could notice as well as heading out to produce a fleck of birding. I woke upwardly obscenely early on as well as decided to start wandering to Tommy Thompson Park, hoping that I'd stumble across a bakery or something that opened earlier 8am on a Sunday. Queen Street East is loaded alongside hip-looking cafes, bars as well as restaurants, all of which looked similar they'd survive unlikely to opened upwardly earlier 11. And as well as so at that spot was Lady Marmalade - already opened upwardly as well as alongside a card inward the window that looked real promising indeed. When I got abode I discovered it's on a bunch of 'best breakfast inward Toronto' lists - goodness fortune indeed!

Lady Marmalade is a cute picayune identify - a mix of old-fashioned diner stylings as well as trendiness. At 7:30 on a Lord's Day it's pretty empty but past times the fourth dimension I left at 8:15 at that spot was a queue forming. The card (pdf is here) is to a greater extent than oft than non savoury - lots of egg dishes, a (slightly terrifying sounding) breakfast poutine as well as savoury waffles. There are a few sweetness options - the crepes inward item sounded promising. I considered the tofu scramble but inward the terminate couldn't become past times the vegan adaptation of heuvos rancheritos (scrambled organic tofu alongside chilli, smashed beans, guacamole, chipotle salsa as well as wholewheat tortillas, $12.50).

What a delicious start to the day! The beans (hidden behind the coriander pile) were a teeny fleck smoky as well as were soft as well as smushy - perfect for smearing on the tortilla. The scrambled tofu was rich alongside what seemed similar a role tomato, role chipotle sauce as well as were dotted through alongside picayune (mild) chilli pieces. Shake on some hot sauce (as I did) as well as you're inward Mex-breakfast heaven. The service was lovely (although things were starting to larn a fleck slower equally the room filled up) as well as the setting was a warm as well as serenity oasis from the windy streets.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 brusk walk afterwards I was at the park, which solely opens on the weekends as well as was total of joggers, bike-riders as well as swain bird-nerds. The icy winds meant that this wasn't my most enjoyable birding sense ever, as well as I cry back I was a few weeks early on for the total arrive at of migratory birds that plow upwardly here, but I nonetheless managed a few hours racking upwardly lots of novel birds. It's a pretty lovely commons anyway as well as is good worth a wander if yous notice yourself at a loose terminate over a Toronto weekend.

A vocal sparrow doing what it does best

By the fourth dimension I'd walked all the agency to the terminate of the commons as well as dorsum I had numb fingers as well as was starting to larn hungry again. So I pulled out my veg map (The Toronto Vegetarian Association leaves piles of vegetarian directories around the identify - I constitute mine inward a bookstore - which include corking picayune maps of most of the veg restaurants inward the inner city) as well as headed for Sadie's Diner simply off Queen Street West.

This identify fully embraced the diner aesthetic as well as had a welcoming as well as relaxed atmosphere (this was belike due to the lateness of my luncheon - past times 2:30pm at that spot weren't also many other customers about). The weekend card hither is all well-nigh brunch as well as is a mix of vegetarian as well as vegan dishes. I went for the vegan brekkie burrito, which seems similar their signature dish ($10 + $3 for a side of guacamole).

The chunky abode fries were completely unmentioned on the card - I larn the impression that inward North America you're simply supposed to assume that your breakfast volition come upwardly alongside a side of fried potato. I wasn't complaining. The burrito itself was a enterprise attempt - a mix of rice, vegan cheese, tofu as well as chilli packed expertly into a tortilla. It was a much less messy suggestion than the Trippy Taco alternative, but was a fleck milder inward season equally good - luckily hot sauce seems to survive a staple condiment, so I could arrive at it the picayune boot I idea it needed. This identify seemed similar a pretty reliable veggie brunch selection - they offering vegan French toast, to a greater extent than huevos as well as vegan-huevos dishes as well as a few other bits as well as pieces. The service was efficient if a picayune stand-offish, as well as they were happy to move out me sitting reading piece I rested my feet for the walk home. Plus they've got a corking wall of Pez dispensers!

 

The jet-lag was kicking inward pretty difficult past times now, so I slunk dorsum to the hotel to crash out for a while. By the fourth dimension dinner rolled around I was nonetheless stuffed from all the spuds as well as also tuckered out to venture real far away from the hotel. Luckily, there's a veg eatery correct side past times side door! 

Commensal is a real evidently buffet-style place, where yous charge your plate upwardly as well as pay based on weight. There are viii or so hot dishes, heaps of salads as well as some soups to select from. 

For well-nigh $10 I got a decent sized plate filled alongside salad as well as a few pieces of the ginger tofu. 

I had high hopes for the tofu, but it was a fleck lacking inward flavour. Still, the salads were simply what my torso needed after a twenty-four hours of airline nutrient followed past times 2 big beany breakfasts. They were fresh as well as tasty as well as were a salubrious agency to terminate the day. Commensal has absolutely no atmosphere to utter of - yous become at that spot to charge upwardly on nutrient as well as and so yous leave. But if that's what you're after (and it was for me) as well as so it does a goodness project of it - I wouldn't pose it on my must-visit listing for Toronto but it'll fulfil a demand for a lazy, salubrious luncheon or dinner around the middle of town. They convey enough of clearly labelled vegan as well as gluten-free options equally well.

So my start total twenty-four hours inward Toronto was a success - some corking birding as well as 3 pretty decent meals. Toronto has loads of vegetarian as well as veg-friendly restaurants as well as I managed to sneak a few to a greater extent than meals around meetings, so rest tuned for to a greater extent than soon!

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Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick poke around the spider web turned upwardly lots of bloggers raving well-nigh Lady Marmalade - banking concern jibe out some recent reviews at lace as well as lemondrops, Eat Here Next, Relish as well as Quaff, Run Eat Read. /L/ was a fleck less impressed.

Similarly, there's much honey for Sadie's Diner. See: Vegan Butthole Explosion, Veggie Tales, Vegan Band Dude, Iliana's Palette as well as Drawn as well as Devoured were all a fleck disappointed past times the lack of season inward some of the dishes.

Commensal has less blogger enthusiasm - I could solely notice a fairly mixed review from Eat Here Next as well as a to a greater extent than positive write-up from yuzulife.

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Lady Marmalade
898 Queen Street East, Leslieville
647 351 7645
Veggie breakfasts: $7.50 - $11.50 (plus taxation as well as tips)
http://www.ladymarmalade.ca

Sadie's Diner
504 Adelaide Street West, Fashion District
416 777 2343
Veggie brunch dishes: $5 - $12 (plus taxation as well as tips)
http://www.myspace.com/sadiesdiner

Commensal
655 Bay Street, Toronto

416 596 9364

Pay past times weight - $10 - $15 gets yous a goodness sized meal

http://www.commensal.ca/

Accessibility: All 3 of these places had reasonable accessibility - no to a greater extent than than a pocket-size measuring on entry as well as reasonably spacious interiors (although Lady Marmalade gets a fleck tight equally it fills up). At Lady Marmalade as well as Sadie's yous produce all your ordering as well as payment at the table, piece Commensal yous pay at a depression counter. The buffet at Commensal is well-nigh waist high. 

Toronto Twenty-Four Hours 4

April 24, 2011

There's no post for Toronto Day iii - it was my 1 completely total travel day, together with I didn't bother taking pictures of the catering for the blog. But Tuesday was alone a one-half solar daytime of meetings pregnant I could sneak off for tiffin together with a dinner. Toronto has a lot of vegetarian restaurants. H5N1 lot. So I was taking every peril I could to banking concern tally them out. High on my priority listing was Hot Beans, an all vegan, Mexican-themed house inwards the midst of Kensington Market. 

It's basically a take-out articulation - there's merely the small-scale counter y'all tin see inwards the photograph higher upward for people similar me who desire to sit down together with eat. The bill of fare is pretty exciting: there's TVP together with seitan burritos, jackfruit pulled pork tacos together with more. I was tempted into the fairly straightforward dark edible bean burritos ($8.50), generally because they included shredded smoky kokosnoot along amongst the spicy edible bean mix.

This was a pretty fantabulous burrito - the edible bean mix had an intriguing combo of sweetness, smokiness together with spice. The kokosnoot didn't smooth through texturally, but it clearly kicked inwards a the smoky flavour, spell the vegan cheese together with guacamole provided a chip of contrast to the edible bean together with rice mix. Not bad at all. Someone else ordered the jackfruit tacos spell I was in that place together with I had a chip of guild envy - hopefully Hot Beans is yet to a greater extent than or less whenever I side past times side instruct inwards to Toronto!

After an afternoon wandering to a greater extent than or less a few of Toronto's west-side neighbourhoods, I striking upward vegan chain Fresh for dinner. The branch on Bloor that I injure upward at was heaving amongst people at most 8pm. In some ways the vibe was reminiscent of rabbit food, The Keen Kitchen, Not Your Parents' Granola, Vegan Backpacker, The Vegie Bar inwards Melbourne - it seems similar the sort of house non-vegos caput to for dinner when they're feeling adventurous. The menu is large together with broken downward into 4 wide categories: snacks, burgers, wraps together with bowls. At K's insistence I sampled the quinoa onion rings (made from scratch together with coated amongst breadcrumbs together with puffed quinoa, $5.50).

These were merely most the crunchiest onion rings I've always eaten - the puffed quinoa genuinely made a difference. They were perfectly cooked together with very, real moreish. Recommended!

After 2 days of eating far also many morn tea pastries I was feeling similar a salubrious principal repast together with Fresh had enough of options. In the halt I settled on the powerhouse bowl (avocado, chickpeas together with grilled tofu amongst sunflower sprouts, toasted nut & seed mix, tomato, blood-red onion & spicy tahini sauce served on brownish rice, $14). 

It may receive got been made upward of salubrious components, but it was means also much nutrient - I ended upward leaving some inwards the bowl (although to last fair, that was belike because I'd merely scarfed a serve of onion rings). The tofu had a prissy savoury marinade (based on soy sauce I think, but amongst a few other flavours inwards in that place equally well), spell the greens, chickpeas, nuts together with seeds were a prissy mix of textures. The spicy tahini didn't receive got quite the punch I was hoping for, but this was yet a pretty satisfying bowl of goodness - a chip on the bland side maybe, but salubrious together with (as you'd hope) fresh.Once y'all add together inwards the taxes together with the tip, Fresh isn't peculiarly inexpensive - my repast toll to a greater extent than or less $30 all up. Still, there's together with then much to assay at Fresh that I'd dear to come upward dorsum for. One day. Fresh had a handful of vegan desserts to select from but I'd eaten myself into the Earth together with staggered off towards the hotel to slumber it off.

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Hot Beans has had generally positive reviews, see: rabbit food, The Keen Kitchen, Not Your Parents' Granola, Vegan Backpacker, Vegan Band Dude together with rabbit food, The Keen Kitchen, Not Your Parents' Granola, Vegan Backpacker, Drawn together with Devoured. Having genuinely read them all now, I'm a chip miffed I didn't guild the TVP burrito. Maybe they'll opened upward a Melbourne branch?

Like the rabbit food, The Keen Kitchen, Not Your Parents' Granola, Vegan Backpacker, Vegie Bar, Fresh divides opinions - rabbit food, The Keen Kitchen, Not Your Parents' Granola, Vegan Backpacker, Where the Veggies Are, rabbit food, The Keen Kitchen, Not Your Parents' Granola, Vegan Backpacker, Food Junkie Chronicles, Healthy Veg together with baystreat loved it, spell In Kensington They Annexed My Heart, another amateur nutrient blog, Where Jess Ate, Food With Legs together with Air Eater (who study that y'all can't genuinely trust Fresh's GF dishes to last GF) were all much less impressed.

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Hot Beans

160 Baldwin Street, Kensington Market

647 352 7581

http://hotbeansvegan.wordpress.com/

Fresh

326 Bloor Street West, The Annex (they also receive got branches on Spadina together with Crawford)

416 599 4442

Starters $3-$10, Mains $10-$16

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

Accessibility: Hot Beans is pretty inaccessible - the counter y'all guild at is downward a flying of one-half a dozen steps together with the venue equally a whole is a chip small-scale together with cramped. Fresh is much bigger together with doesn't receive got the steps, but the tables are pretty jam-packed together with things instruct quite crowded. Ordering together with payment is at the table.

Kentucky Fried Tofu Goes Gleegan

April 24-25, 2012

While Michael was galavanting around Toronto, I returned from the quincefest as well as generally only hung out amongst the truthful cat as well as a crisper total of cabbage. I did grapple to intermission upwardly the calendar week as well as the cabbage yesteryear inviting KFC spice mix the nighttime earlier as well as then divided Wed betwixt my figurer as well as the kitchen - running simulations as well as ruining vegan meringues, cutting upwardly cabbage as well as pasting summary stats into spreadsheets, parsing graphs as well as par-boiling potatoes.

The of import bits worked - my code converged as well as dinner was pretty great. My successful sides were a Veganomicon coleslaw as well as purple-and-plain white patato salad dressed amongst lemon juice as well as parsley. Then I deglutenised my recent Kentucky fried crumbing yesteryear replacing the wheat flour amongst equal parts Orgran mix as well as chickpea flour. Chickpea flour actually has a agency amongst frying - something exceptional happens to the crust of vegan omelettes, vegan French toast, pakoras as well as forthwith this hither crumbing when it's involved. I'm going to choke on supplementing my obviously flour amongst unopen to besan fifty-fifty when I'm non serving a coeliac.

The secondary tasks were ameliorate left to experts - K saved dessert yesteryear bringing PB&J chocolates, as well as I'm calling on a colleague to straighten out my curlier covariates.

Toronto 24-Hour Interval 5

April 25, 2012

Midweek was to a greater extent than or less other one-half day, giving me to a greater extent than or less other 2 complimentary meals. I was inwards the mood for a trendy Melbourne-style cafe repast for breakfast. H5N1 lot of places inwards Toronto appear to alone produce brunch, important either they're alone opened upward pre-lunch on the weekends or they don't actually larn started until eleven or so. The breakfast-focussed places that are opened upward early on appear to live on largely diner-style places that materials you lot total of eggs as well as potatoes, as well as then it wasn't equally slow equally I'd hoped. Still, after a flake of spider web research, I decided to endeavour out Saving Grace - it was close the identify I had to become later for work, had excellent reviews, drew long weekend queues, as well as seemed to offering to a greater extent than or less master copy brekkie dishes.

The fit-out is rattling familiar - Saving Grace wouldn't expect out of identify at all inwards Collingwood or Brunswick. And, similar cafes inwards those suburbs that describe large weekend crowds, Saving Grace is slow to larn a tabular array at on a run day. I turned upward close 9am as well as at that spot was alone ane other occupied tabular array - past times 10:30 or as well as then when I headed off things had got a flake to a greater extent than lively equally the local hipster population started to rouse themselves.

I agonised over the bill of fare for a piece - the polenta/caramelised apple/walnuts/maple syrup combo sounded pretty wonderful, equally did the rajistani eggs (scrambled amongst spicy ruby-red onion, chickpea masala as well as spicy paratha). Unable to guide betwixt sweetness as well as savoury, I settled on something sort of inwards the middle - savoury French toast (stuffed amongst gruyere, caramelised apples as well as ruby-red onions amongst greens, $9.75). Vegans beware - there's non much on offering for you lot here.

The side salad was a flake of an strange jibe amongst the French toast - something wilted would guide maintain worked amend than only a right away lettuce pile. The toast all the same hitting the spot perfectly - the apple tree as well as onion were both soft as well as sweetly caramelised, piece the gruyere added a rich savoury layer without existence overwhelmingly strong. 

I was inwards no urgent rush to larn to my run rendezvous, as well as then I was happy to only sit, potable java as well as read. I fifty-fifty decided to live on brave as well as club a latte seeing equally I was somewhere that did such practiced food. It was a mistake.

This was at to the lowest degree 50% foam, had chocolate sprinkles on hand as well as tasted of nix much except milk. Very disappointing. Luckily, the nearby Ezra's Pound does proper java as well as does it good - I grabbed a takeaway latte at that spot as well as wandered off happy.

The residuum of the twenty-four hr menses was work-related, including a pretty decent (and ridiculously large) felafel plate luncheon at Free Times Cafe. After giving what sure as shooting must live on my final PhD-related seminar at CAMH, I had a few spare hours to kill earlier dinner fourth dimension as well as decided to pass them at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It's had to a greater extent than or less stunning Frank Gehry-designed renovations since nosotros visited inwards 2004 as well as is a beautiful infinite to only wander through. Their Canadian collection is very, rattling impressive - there's almost a whole flooring of the Group of Seven, addition peachy (temporary?) exhibitions of Jack Chambers as well as David Milne's work. Lots to enjoy.

Next stop: dinner! I was inwards the mood for vegan junk-food, as well as then I jumped on the Subway upward to Bloor Street West to banking concern check out The Gasometer. It's run past times the Hot Beans people as well as is to a greater extent than eating seat than pub - they produce a flake of take-away, but their principal draw of piece of job organization is feeding the hordes of comfort-food hungry vegans who fill upward their tables.

I snuck the final complimentary tabular array inwards the identify as well as settled inwards amongst the menu. Unfortunately, I'm sort of an idiot - after scanning the half dozen starters, iii salads, iii sandwich/burgers as well as the specials board I made my choices as well as ordered. It was alone when I heard the adjacent tabular array talking close tempeh ribs that I realised the bill of fare was double-sided! I'd missed out on 12 options, including po' boys, chicken as well as waffles, fish as well as chips, the aforementioned ribs as well as something called a Southern combo.Ah well, to a greater extent than or less other identify to revisit on to a greater extent than or less hereafter visit.

Even amongst only the front-page of the bill of fare I struggled to brand decisions. The tofu-based buffalo wings sounded delicious, but I figured I actually needed to sample poutine piece I was inwards Canada. The vegan poutine (fries amongst Daiya cheddar as well as house-made mushroom gravy, $7) was a delicious mushy mess.

The Daiya cheese managed a reasonable simulacrum of melted cheddar as well as the mushroom gravy had a rich, deep flavour. The alone slight disappointment was the fries - those that were cooked good were great, but quite a few of them were a flake underdone, which was a shame.

For my principal repast I decided to run into how their Reuben (house-made seitan, sauerkraut, mayo as well as sprouts on pumpernickel rye, $11) measured up. I almost doubled downwards as well as had fries on the side, but decided I should endeavour their sauteed garlic collared greens instead.

The greens were okay, but I wanted a much stronger garlic flavour. As it was they didn't gustation similar much at all. Luckily, the sandwich brought the flavour. The slices of seitan were seasoned upward nicely, as well as the sauerkraut as well as mayo were a peachy condiment combo. It was a tidier version than that offered up locally, as well as in all likelihood fifty-fifty a fiddling amend - it was all close the seitan-based pastrami, which actually was excellent.

So my Hogtown Vegan experience was a flake mixed. I recollect it's a identify amongst a lot of potential - the bill of fare is peachy (especially if you lot read it all!) as well as I tin imagine heading dorsum fourth dimension as well as ane time to a greater extent than to endeavour everything if I was a local. As it was, I in all likelihood made to a greater extent than or less ordering mistakes (next time: Buffalo wings followed past times mushroom po' boy) as well as left feeling a tad disappointed. Although the disappointment was tempered past times the takeaway dessert I took amongst me!

I was likewise total to confront to dessert right away away, but figured I couldn't larn out Toronto without at to the lowest degree trying something sweet. So I grabbed a fried apple tree pie amongst soy H2O ice cream ($8.50) to wander dwelling menage with.

The ice-cream suffered a flake over the trip home, but the apple tree pie was soundless fantastic - wonderful vegan pastry stuffed amongst sweetness as well as spicy apple tree mush. Not bad at all.

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Saving Grace is ane of Toronto's best-reviewed brekkie places. Michele Wong, Drawn as well as Devoured, dancing through life, Amanda Factor, The Tofu Princess, Vegan Victuals, Candy Penny.

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Saving Grace

907 Dundas Street West, Little Italy

416 703 7368

Vegie  breakfasts $6 - $9.75 (plus revenue enhancement as well as tips)

Hogtown Vegan

834 Bloor Street West (near Ossington)

416 901 9779

Starters $7 - $9, Mains $11 - $12 (plus revenue enhancement as well as tips)

Accessibility: Saving Grace is rattling accessible amongst a apartment entryway as well as a pretty spacious interior. Hogtown Vegan has a small-scale stair equally you lot come upward up to the doorway but is also reasonably spread out inside. Ordering as well as payment is at the tabular array inwards both places. I didn't see the toilets inwards either.