Healthy Eats in the City of Toronto

The days begin to lengthen and slowly but surely the summer beckons. Like every year, it’s time to prepare for the return of spring.

This year, festive meals were plentiful, or you were simply lazy during the winter, and are wondering how to get into your spring and summer outfits. You want to remove the love handles before you put on your swimsuit. Don' t panic - nothing is lost...There is still time. It’s the right time to prepare a dream silhouette for sunny days. The best idea, of course, is to work out and eat healthy.

Here, Venue offers you 4 healthy restaurants in the city.

Hogtown Vegan restaurant, ideal for a classic dinner for vegan sensibilities and comfort food in a very cozy atmosphere located on Bloor Street.Not vegetarian? No problem, you could eat at Hogtown Vegan - you won’t believe their food is vegan. 100% plant-based, they don’t use any dairy, meat, honey, eggs or animal products of any sort. The signature dish is the Unchicken & Waffles and for the foodies who want to top things up with a dessert, try the delicious fried apple pie or the brownie. And if you don’t have time during weekdays; they also have a Brunch Menu on weekends.

Hibiscus Café: In the heart of Kensington Market, this little vegetarian cafe restaurant offers delicious salads, soups and all-fresh buckwheat crepes for a really good price. The menu options are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan cuisine.Want to try something new and fresh? Have a famous homemade non-dairy ice cream in gluten-free cones with different flavors - strawberry, pistachio and more.Open 6 days a week - if you’re looking for a nice, low priced vegan place, try them out.

Grasslands: A bistro and bar on Queen West area is one-of-a-kind in Toronto. A warm and comfortable place serving gourmet vegan food, Grasslands offers a small but delicious menu of forward-thinking mains and smaller shareable plates.Something new? The Asparagus & Watercress Salad grilled asparagus, julienned apple, watercress, candied walnuts, cashew-ginger dressing.In addition to their great cocktails, try their Original Scrambled Tofu for a mind-blowing experience.

Grasshopper: A “Vegetarian Restaurant focusing on Taste”, Grasshopper is located on College Street. In a casual and cozy atmosphere, it offers lunch or dinner, with the menu boasting a broad selection of meatless meals, snacks, sides and fresh juices. In this place they offer an ever-changing array of food like vegan burgers, quinoa mac 'n' cheese, banh mi and soups. True comfort food – with a healthy kick!

The Venue Team.

Photos courtesy of BlogTO.

Bloordale: Area on the Rise

In similar fashion to Queen West and Dundas West, Bloor West is quickly becoming an area populated with new restaurants, bars and coffee shops. Now that Queen West is no longer a ‘new’ area to expand in (not to mention the expensive real estate), and that Dundas West is officially a “known” area for bars and a lot of established and great restaurants, it’s now Bloor Street’s turn to get some attention. In the past few years a lot of great restaurants and bars have popped up in this area making what is often referred to as ‘Bloordale’ (from roughly Christie Pits to Dufferin) a new and slightly less crowded hotspot. 

In an effort to explain this phenomenon further, we are going to cover a few bars, restaurants and cafes. However, keep in mind that these are only a few of the many great spots now populating this up and coming area.

The first is Northwood. The bar and cafe located at Bloor and Crawford (815 Bloor St.), which is a popular spot for both late night drinks with friends, as well as studying in style during the day. The vibe is easy-going and the owners (Richard Pope and Ang Reynolds) have created a neighborhood bar that is equal parts convenient (for those in the area) and interesting (for those not and looking for a cool and new-ish bar). The space is beautifully designed, with exposed brick along one wall, cozy tables, and a calm yet buzzing atmosphere at night. They have also recently added a food menu to their already successful drink menu, boasting sandwiches during the day, brunch on the weekends, and dinner and snacks at night (Wednesday - Saturday). This bar is a great spot not only for a casual drink, but also a great dinner spot, lunch location or place to relax and hangout in.

Next up is the cafe Saving Gigi, located at Bloor and Ossington (859 Bloor St.). Already a well known spot for those living in the area, this community oriented cafe has coffee, ‘daytime food’, ‘nighttime food,’ and a great selection of craft beers. The small space instantly makes you feel at home upon entering and with an equally balanced food and beer menu and eclectic decorations which you always seem to notice more of, you feel like you could spend an entire day there without getting bored.

If you walk a little past Dufferin, towards Lansdowne, you’ll come across two restaurants: The Emerson and Whippoorwill, both within a few doors of each other. The Emerson (1279 Bloor St.) is a mostly open space (including the kitchen), with an elegant but very relaxed feel. The dining room is large and resultantly easily accommodating, even on busier nights. The decor includes multiple city bikes hung up on the walls, and the menu has a number of interesting sides that can be added to any main. They have a good cocktail list and a number of craft beers. You can find both 20 somethings and families dining here on the reg.

Whippoorwill (1285 Bloor St.) appears as a diner turned restaurant complete with red vinyl booths, a black and white tiled floor and vintage inspired bar. They are well known for their brunch, but also have an interesting dinner menu and cocktail list. The Whippoorwill burger, listed on both the brunch and dinner menu is a great staple, and paired with some oysters, and one of their cleverly named cocktails (“Silk Sky,” “This LIttle Piggy”) this is truly a fun and all encompassing place. Although they are so close to each other, both restaurants are worth checking out because they each provide something different and unique.

Finally, last but not least is 3 speed. Located just past Dufferin this bar’s menu is broken up into three different speeds (hence the name). Your options are high, medium, or low dividing up the menu based on price and quantity. The exposed brick, hap hazard decorations and dim lighting give this place an old-watering-hole meets trendy kind of vibe. They have a long list of beers and wines and few special cocktails available. They also serve food and have a fairly large back patio in the summer.

In conclusion, this list is living proof of the up and coming status of ‘Bloordale’ and we are convinced that this area is only beginning its rise to the top. This is only a short list of the many great places on the strip, and we’re sure a few have already opened up in the time it took to write this. With the fast paced gentrification of Toronto we hope that this area can continue to grow but retain its slightly better priced real estate options than other popular areas like Queen and Dundas West.

The Venue Team.

Photos Courtesy of BlogTO and Toronto Life.