Fine Vegan Dining in Toronto

We spent this past weekend in the Canadian metropolis....  Toronto.  And what do I love to do when I hit the city??  Eat of course!!  Fressen, owned by chef Stephen Gardner, was named one of North America's 14 hippest vegetarian eateries by VegNews magazine.  The decor is simple and elegant, the service was very friendly and fast, and the food was fantastic.  Gardner is also the mastermind behind the more casual vegan bistros, Urban Herbivore, which are popping up around the city.  Rumor has it there is one in the works for the Eaton Centre.

We arrived early since we had tickets for the theater at 8.  They open their doors at 5:30 and the place filled up quickly, so make a reservation! 

We started with a trio of tapas which included a beet and mandarin orange salad, an avocado and chick pea salad and an amazing 'bean smash' which was a warm white bean tapanade.  This was served with homemade bread fresh from the oven.  We followed the tapas with an appetizer; a mushroom, cashew cream and pesto stuffed phyllo pastry purse in a spinach puree.  It was edible art.  Just look at that!!

As an entree, I ordered the Corn Penne.  The creamy celery root sauce had a unique tangy salty taste. My date ordered the Moroccan stew which was served with black rice (the photos really don't do it justice).  Also delicious.

They also have an impressive selection of organic wines.My only regret was that we didn't have time or room for dessert.  Next time I guess.

Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 11:00 to 3:30.  I will be sure to give that a try next time I'm in town.

Unfortunately the full menu does not appear on their web site, but you can get the feel for it and check out the prices which I thought were very reasonable.  http://www.fressenrestaurant.com/fressen/menu.html

After dinner we walked down to the harbor and took in a play entitled 'Floating'; a comedy  written and acted by Hugh Hughes in which a small island off the coast of Whales breaks free and floats around in the North Atlantic Ocean.  It was creative and hilarious!  One word of advice...  be on time.  Late comers were thoroughly interrogated at this show where the audience participation was encouraged, and ad libbing obviously came easily to these actors.  This was the final of 5 shows in Toronto unfortunately, so you'll have to go oversees to see it now.