Eatdrink #67 September/October 2017 "The Decade Issue"

More documents

Info

20 | September/October 2017 Restaurants eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag A Root-to-Stalk Revolution Ten Plant-Focused London Hotspots By BRYAN LAVERY It has been a year since I wrote about the rise of plant-based cuisine. In that time the scene has exploded. Besides exclusively vegan and vegetarian restaurants, many establishments (especially the hybrid, part coffee shop, part bakery) now offer an innovative array of plant-based and dairy-free options. Until recently vegans, vegetarians, and patrons adopting quasi-vegetarian diets in an effort to eat more healthily, routinely faced uninspiring, predictable meat-free dishes. We all remember restaurants Plant Matter Kitchen Deluxe Thin-Crust Pizza with mushrooms, tomatoes, baby spinach, sweet potatoes & pesto, on flatbread finished with truffle oil & balsamic reduction. serving the ubiquitous, poorly-executed mushroom risotto, token vegetable pasta or baked Portobello mushroom stack. The “V” symbol seldom, if ever, appeared on a menu, and more often than not you had to make do with a salad that was nothing more than a listless afterthought. Today you can frequent almost any respectable independent restaurant or café and find a menu adorned with those helpful “V” symbols that denote vegan. As the market for non-dairy products increases, so does the diversity of options, including a variety of innovative non-dairy cheeses, ice creams and yogurts, along with a selection of nut and plant-based milks that are used to make them. Hazelnut, macadamia, cashew, hemp, flax, oat and quinoa varieties have joined the ranks of soy, almond and coconut milks. Fortunately, non-dairy cheese has made tremendous strides in terms of texture, taste and the ability to be melted. Good local examples of food artisans making vegan cheese are Helen Drummond of Main Vegan Deli in Glencoe, Nuts for Cheese founder Margaret Coon at the Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market at Western Fair, and Amarjit Singh at Local Dairy in Ingersoll. Speaking of culinary innovation check out zen’Za Pizzeria (formerly Rico’s Pizzeria Downtown). It’s known for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free thin-crust pizzas. In no particular order, here are the ten plantfocused hotspots that deserve your attention. The Boombox Bakeshop, with its bright pink facade and entry doors flanked by two decorative lions, is situated in new premises at the corner of Adelaide Street and Princess Avenue. The bakeshop is a popular veg-friendly bakery and café specializing in vegan and gluten-free goods. The offerings include delicious (and stunning) pies, tarts, cupcakes, popovers, mini pies and other mouthwatering seasonal treats. There is a deluxe state-of-the-art Elektra espresso machine, a selection of teas, kombucha, The Boombox Bakeshop on Adelaide at Princess
The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine Ground up Organic Café is open all day serving not just coffee, but breakfast, lunch and dinner. and Patrick’s Beans coffee. There is a seating area to enjoy your treats in-house. Alexandra Connon creates purposeful partnerships with other local businesses that have a similar mindset. theboomboxbakeshop.com Glassroots, led by Chef Yoda Olinyk and Sommelier Mike Fish, recently decided to close. In a statement posted on Facebook they said, “The last 16 months have been the best months of our lives but we have decided to choose our mental and physical health over 90-hour work weeks and everything that goes into running such a successful restaurant. We have new opportunities on the horizon and the timing is right to move on.” Chef curated a weekly list of what’s available from local farmers and then created a seasonal made-from-scratch menu based on those ingredients. Fish curated an all-Canadian wine list and innovative cocktails. Fish and Chef Olinyk will undoubtedly continue to be tireless and dedicated proponents of London’s vegan scene. Expect to see them at events and pop-ups this fall. www.glassrootslondon.com Globally Local, billed as Canada’s first vegan fast food restaurant, opened last year at 252 Dundas Street in downtown London, right across from the Central Public Library. James McInnes had success earlier when he developed the “Big McInnes,” a vegan interpretation of McDonald’s Big Mac, which he offered on the menu of his McVegans food truck at local festivals. McInnes recently launched the “World’s First” 24-hour Vegan FALL FOOD FEST Saturday, September 30, 10am–1 pm Our Fall Food Fest is your Thanksgiving primer! Celebrate all the local food that is available now at our market, and join us for: • Free Cooking Demonstrations • Tasty Samplings • A Stuffing Cook-off • Live Music • Fun Kid's Activities All activities are in the support of Growing Chefs! Ontario. FREE PARKING With Validation 2 Hours Saturday & Sunday Half Hour Weekdays Market Hours Monday to Saturday 8am – 7pm Sunday 11am – 5pm
Page 1 and 2: Has French Food Found Its Groove Ag
Page 3 and 4: FALL EVENTS AT THE IDLEWYLD Sunday,
Page 5 and 6: JOIN US For Our Famous All-You-Can-
Page 7 and 8: Alternate Grounds Dockside, Sarnia
Page 9 and 10: October 11-13 See Centre Spread wor
Page 11 and 12: The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine to
Page 13 and 14: Join us for a cocktail! The Prune a
Page 15 and 16: By BRYAN LAVERY | Photography by ST
Page 17 and 18: a step closer to Italy... The LOCAL
Page 19: Pure Ingredients Chef-Prepared Take
Page 23 and 24: The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine Sep
Page 25 and 26: The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine Lon
Page 33 and 34: The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine Cow
Page 39 and 40: 519.238.6224 42 Ontario St. S., Gra
Page 41 and 42: The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine goo
Page 43 and 44: D in anada The LOCAL Food & Drink M
Page 45 and 46: Quality & Freshness Since 1991 Visi
Page 47 and 48: The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine tim
Page 53 and 54: col·lab·o·ra·tion noun. the act
Page 55 and 56: The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine 30
Page 63 and 64: &WIN! RECIPE CONTEST ONE Recipe fro
Page 67 and 68: Become a local for the day! See the

Eatdrink #67 September/October 2017 "The Decade Issue"

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?