toronto veg card

Vegetarian Discounts Around the GTA

TVA’s Toronto Veg Card gives Toronto Vegetarian Association members discounts at over 100 vegetarian and veg-friendly businesses across the GTA. Many are located downtown but there is also an ever-expanding list of places in the suburbs and beyond that offer discounts to TVA members. Check out some highlights below! West of Toronto Brar’s Bakery in Mississauga and Brar’s Indian Buffet in Brampton Arvinda’s Indian Cooking Classes in Mississauga Veggie Paradise in Mississauga Zen Gardens’ locations in London, Missisauga, Guelph and Cambridge North of Toronto Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine in Markham The Vegan Danish Bakery in Thornhill Wu Tai Vegetarian Restaurant in Markham Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant in Richmond Hill The Bleeding Carrot in Owen Sound East of Toronto Nourished on the Go in Oshawa… Read More

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Discount Profile: Vegetarian Haven

Care of Barbi Lazarus, Donor and Volunteer Resources Coordinator Since Grasslands closed last month, we have been getting many inquiries about where people can go for a nice vegetarian dinner with candlelight. Fear not! Vegetarian Haven checks all the boxes and then some. You can come by Vegetarian Haven for lunch Tuesday to Friday from 12-3 for a delicious and casual meal. But you can also come by for dinner Tuesday-Sunday from 5 pm onward when the lights are dimmed and the candles are lit. The atmosphere and decor is sleek enough for a romantic dinner or night on the town without being pretentious. Having worked at TVA, whose office is actually above Vegetarian Haven, for many years, I’ve had the joy of trying almost every dish on the menu such as the Singapore Seitan, the Curry Pad Thai, and their famous drumstick appetizer. But during my two most recent visits I discovered new favourites. The Toronto Veg Team who fundraised for TVA at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon recently met for the team’s post-run dinner. That evening I tried the Spicy Bali Stir-fried Rice Noodles and was blown away. There was a creamy sauce thickened with coconut… Read More

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Picnic in a Park

By Barbi Lazarus, Donor and Volunteer Resources Coordinator The TVA office can be a hectic and stressful place leading up to the Veg Food Fest, no doubt. Some days the office is abuzz with the chatter of meetings and volunteers helping out, and some days we are each zeroed in on our computers not uttering a word as we try to block out all distractions, forgetting to even eat lunch or go to the bathroom (well ok…we all know it’s a bit of a stretch that I would forget to eat lunch, but others do). But no matter what unexpected twists and turns come our way or how much work piles up, I always feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work at TVA and enjoy all the pleasures it brings. Like this week, when our manager Lucas and President Diane surprised us all with a staff appreciation picnic at Christie Pits Park! Can you guess based on the location what amazing culinary delights we were treated to? None other than Apiecalypse Now’s incredible pizza, mozzarella sticks and donuts. It was the perfect destination for a relaxing afternoon as we got ready to say goodbye to our Directory Assistant… Read More

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Discount Profile: Just Falafel

Care of Lisa Blonder-Ohlenkamp This newcomer on the Toronto vegetarian scene is a welcome alternative to the many non-veg falafel joints around the city. Head to Just Falafel at 831 Bay Street (just north of College) for a wide variety of meat-free choices. The space is clean and contemporary, and is welcoming despite its modest size. The name, Just Falafel, is actually misleading, as the menu features such items as quinoa salad, sweet potato fries, burgers, lentil soup, chick’n burgers, mezze, and potato and falafel bites with breakfast dip. In addition to a traditional falafel wrap, you can order wraps inspired by Mediterranean, Italian, Indian (I tried this one and really enjoyed it!), Mexican, or Canadian cuisines, or build your own wrap. Not in the mood for anything deep fried? You can order baked falafels instead. Not in the mood for a falafel at all but still want a wrap? Order one with vegan Chick’n Tenders. Vegan items are clearly marked with a (v), but many non-vegan items can be modified by leaving out cheese or certain sauces, so just ask when you’re ordering. Portions are generous, and most entree sized items are between $6… Read More

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Discount Profile: Greens Vegetarian Restaurant

  Care of Karin Thomas Got a craving for Chinese? Don’t walk, RUN straight to Greens Vegetarian Restaurant at 638 Dundas St W to get your fill of unbelievably delicious Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai food. The menu at Greens is extensive, with over 100 items to choose from. Spring Rolls and Mango Salad, Wonton Soup and Deep Fried Mock Chicken in Lemon Sauce, Pad Thai and Singapore Style Fried Rice… they’ve got it covered. Make sure you wear your stretchy pants though because these portions are HUGE! One bowl of Vermicelli Hot and Sour Soup (for under $5) will feed four people! Did I mention that the prices are phenomenal? You can easily feed a very hungry party of four for under $50, including leftovers to go. My famished group managed to work our way through the above mentioned soup, TWO Spring Rolls Platters, Sweet and Sour Mock Chicken (yes, it’s just like the famous dish you remember), Fried Rice Noodles with Garden Mushrooms and Vegetables, Mock Chicken Fried Rice with Cashew Nuts, PLUS an order of the Assorted Gluten of Bean Curd to go. This was really enough food for at least six. We were… Read More

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Discount Profile: Vegan Danish Bakery

Care of Barbi Lazarus I can’t believe it has taken me this long to make a stop at the Vegan Danish Bakery, just around the corner from my childhood home. This place may be small, but it will blow you away with it’s larger than life professional cakes and pastries. When I walked in, my jaw dropped. I should have known from their presentation plates at the Vegan Bake-Off that these people know how to decorate, but the beauty and variety of their cakes still blew me away. There were whole big cakes of various kinds, as well as both mini and regular cupcakes dressed to the nines. There were super gooey cinnamon sticky rolls and there were biscotti topped with colourful candies and chocolates. Of course there were their namesake: giant danishes in cherry, blueberry or lemon. Chocolate peanut butter cake, cookies ‘n cream cake, a chocolate cupcake and of course, a vegan cherry danish! For myself and my partner, I picked up a cherry danish which was incredibly soft and fresh and didn’t skimp on the cherry filling. We also shared two slices of cake: cookies ‘n cream and chocolate peanut… Read More

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Discount Profile: The Beet

BBQ Tofu Wrap with Side Salad Care of Barbi Lazarus When the Vegetarians of High Park recently visited the Beet for dinner, it was a great opportunity to see (and salivate over) almost all of their amazing vegetarian and vegan options. I decided for once I would try something other than my usual favourite, the vegan mac and cheese. The Beet’s dairy-free version of this classic dish is so creamy and topped with not only breadcrumbs but hemp hearts too, that it’s usually hard for me to resist ordering it. But this time, I opted for the kale ceasar salad and a side of vegan poutine. The kale ceasar was incredible and tasted just like how I remember the much more cruel version that usually includes lots of heavy cream and anchovies. It was topped with plenty of seeds and mixed with crunchy croutons. The poutine was made from a vegetarian gravy and dairy-free cheese on top of big, thick, fluffy potatoe wedges, a mix of both white and sweet potatoes. While I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, it was hard not to want a taste of what I watched my friends eat. The BBQ tempeh… Read More

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Discount Profile: Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine

We have profiled Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine in the past, shortly after they first opened, but with the new all-you-can-eat menu there is so much tasty news to share! The price for the all-you-can-eat menu is $20.99, but you will pay less with your Toronto Veg Card, which gets you 10% off. That price tag gets you unlimited orders of a wide variety of amazing dishes not found on their regular menu. My father and I each ordered the all-you-can-eat special so we were able to share and enjoy a wide range of dishes including sesame “chicken” (that was our favourite!) and orange “chicken”, seaweed salad, tofu with peanut sauce and mango salad. We also sampled a few different sushi dishes which were just as beautiful in presentation as they were in taste. Our favourite was the King Dragon sushi you see pictured here: it was coated with avocado and stuffed with sweet potato, cucumber and something crispy too! It was a difficult decision because Tenon’s regular menu also offers so many enticing Thai and Japanese dishes, including vegetarian shrimp in red curry and coconut milk, won tons with peanut sauce, thai basil “beef” and Bento boxes… Read More

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Discount Profile: Free Times Cafe

  How silly that I work so close to Free Times Cafe yet hadn’t in all these years taken the time to check out the amazing vegetarian food they have to offer. I suppose that is what Veggielicious is all about – inspiring people to try new restaurants that serve great vegetarian options. During Veggielicious I made it out to Free Times Cafe twice and both times I was absolutely floored by how delicious the food was. On day one, I had a delicious vegan shepard’s pie that came with soft, whole grain bread and a salad filled with tomatoes and red onions and a nice balsamic vinaigrette. The shepard’s pie was filled with bulgar, corn and carrots and was comfort food at it’s best. On day two, I had a mediterranean wrap packed with eggplant, hummus and other veggies, along with a side of ginger and sweet potato soup. It was perfect for one of the first cold days of winter. When it’s not Veggielicious, there’s still plenty of vegetarian options on Free Times Cafe’s menu, (including their house made veggie burger and a great falafel plate) that TVA members can take 15% off of with the Toronto… Read More

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Discount Profile: Magic Oven

When I set the October Vegetarians of High Park dinner for the new Junction location of Magic Oven, I told the group to look forward to a wonderful array of vegetarian pizza options, including both cheeseless vegan pizzas and ones topped with dairy-free cheese. I had already made up my mind I was probably going to order their delicious Tandoori Potato Magic pizza I had ordered before, topped with sweet potatoes and delicious Indian spices. But when we arrived at this more upscale-in-decor location, my fellow group members pointed out to me that as yummy as their pizza is, there is so much more to their menu! In addition to the wide range of vegetarian and vegan pizzas (either pre-set items or build-your-own from their endless list of toppings), there are pastas full of fresh veggies, kale-hummus wraps and numerous salads. I was tempted to order a number of different appetizers when I saw the many vegetarian options such as samosas, chickpea power soup and rosemary sweet potatoes. However after a very convincing recommendation, I opted for the stir-fry napa cabbage with chillis (which was served warm and super spicy) and the BBQ tofu sandwich. Read More

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