Meat lovers feed proliferation of surprising vegan eateries
‘Curious’ foodies prompt restaurateurs to redefine offerings to attract masses
Foodies say Canada is in the midst of a renaissance in plant-based dining as vegan restaurants sprout up across the country and traditional establishments update their menus to make them more animalfriendly.
But restaurateurs say the proliferation of options is being driven not by observant vegans, but by dabbling omnivores looking for appealing meat-free fare.
“I think we’re living in kind of a boom of veganism,” said Eva Lampert, director of vegan operations at the 5700 Inc., an events and hospitality company. “People are more curious about it, and thankfully, that has meant there’s more demand for it.”
Lampert is part of the team pushing to rebrand a stretch of the Parkdale neighbourhood in Toronto’s west end as “Vegandale,” which she describes as a “little mecca” of vegan businesses that will help redefine plant-based dining as far more than just “rabbit food.”
Vegans go beyond vegetarians in banning meat from their plates by abstaining from animal products including eggs, dairy and honey.
The 5700 Inc. co-owns Doomie’s Toronto and Mythology Diner, restaurants that serve veganized classics made by two different chefs.
Mythology’s menu includes faux Reuben sandwiches, eggs Benedict, and polenta poutine, while Doomie’s serves imitation chicken sandwiches and mac ‘n’ cheese balls. Soy, wheat and vegetables are used as substitutes for meat and dairy.
By the end of the year, Lampert said “Vegandale” plans to expand to six storefronts from three, with restaurants offering a range of cuisines and price points including diner fare, desserts and meat-free fast food.
“With our business model, we’re looking to get the non-vegans in first and foremost,” she said. “We’re really looking to bring in the skeptics and the people who are unsure of vegan food so they can kind of have that ‘aha’ moment and realize a lot of the things they already are enjoying are vegan.”
At the soon-to-be-opened Rosalinda in Toronto, co-owners Max Rimaldi and Jamie Cook set out to create a Mexican vegan restaurant that could compete with any steakhouse.
Rosalinda was borne out of what Rimaldi and Cook had perceived to be a sparse and uninspired vegan dining scene. The partners behind the Pizzeria Libretto chain teamed up with restaurateur Grant van Gameren, whose portfolio of meatheavy establishments earned him a reputation as Toronto’s “charcuterie king,” said Rimaldi.
Rimaldi said van Gameren’s palate-pushing culinary approach was key to designing an eclectic menu that appeals to the meateating masses, not just “granola-eating people.”
“The people who come into the restaurant and say, ‘I typically eat at ... a meat-based restaurant, and I love coming here because I don’t miss the meat,’ that’s going to be the biggest compliment we can hear.”
Ottawa is home to more than 232 vegan-friendly restaurants and cafés, up from 186 last year, according to Ethical Tree, an online directory that tracks socially conscious businesses in a few Ontario cities.