Restaurant Review: FRESH

If you’re the type of person that is not satisfied unless your meal comes complete with a hunk of oozing meat, keep moving…nothing to see here.

The hustle and bustle in anyone of the three Fresh locations throughout the city of Toronto can make even the most die-hard carnivore believe that their meat frenzied world could soon be taken over by vegetarians/vegans/lacto-ovo's or whatever you choose to call the herbivores that range in the confines of these restaurants.

At first glance, the atmosphere gives of a metropolis deli-style vibe. Bells signal waiters to the back to grab plates of food, the familiar rumble of conversations in a busy restaurant is there but the conversations from adjacent tables often break the mold of what you might expect to eavesdrop in any other restaurant. The close proximity of tables allows the hipster clientele conversations to break their table boundaries and spill onto the group next to them creating a fruit salad medley of topics ranging from whose hemp bracelet smells the best or who has gone the longest without eating from a package that states “may have come in contact with milk or dairy products.”

Ok. So maybe I am “eggs”haturating, but I tell no lie when I say these restaurants make even the most malnourished vegan feel like a clumsy nitwit trying to navigate through a mine field.

Once at the table and shoulder to shoulder with the table next to you, a server will appear. The servers at Fresh are quick to explain what a grass root shot is and how it can change your life or chat about the tattoos on their arms…and hands…and chest…and how they can almost stick a banana through their stretched ear. They are au courant though which adds a sense of credibility to what this restaurant truly serves up which is more than just a vegetarian meal. They serve up a vegetarian experience that includes the sometimes fun-to-gawk-at visitors complete with dreadlocks, weird clothes that I didn't even know existed and a plethora of Converse shoes tapping under the tiny tables.

Originally titled Juice for Life, Fresh has three locations ranging from the heart of downtown Toronto to the outskirts of the Annex on Bloor to the West end of Queen Street. Each restaurant carries the same menu and selections and are presented in much of the same way surrendering a familiar taste no matter what location you dine at.

The narrow spaces that these restaurants find themselves in is sometimes a bit congested. Perhaps it fits those that frequent Fresh but the tight tables are a little disconcerning. The tables fit the meatless meals, but don’t encourage a private encounter with a dining partner. The overall look of the restaurant is trendy to say the least. Chandeliers shed light on the miscellaneous wallpapers that bleed into each other on the walls.

The menu is full of items from burritos to meatless burgers, salads to sweet potato fries. It’s not hard to find something on the menu no matter how much meat you may consume. The items on the menu may seem hard to digest but a quick glance at your plate will make your eyebrows raise and think to yourself, “if I could make this, I would have been a vegetarian for years.”

A popular choice among the frequent Fresher’s would be the sweet potato fries. The narrow cut potatoes have a bit of a healthy twang to them. Almost a little too sweet to be true, these fries are served up with a cup of vegan mayonnaise that would have Mr. Hellman tossing in his grave if he knew that mayonnaise so delicious could be made without eggs.

The wraps are meatless but are the type of vegetarian wrap you would order even if you would bite into the rib cage of a cow that tried to escape your K-9 teeth grip. There is something that manages to call out to even the most stubborn people that think a meatless meal is like a Facebook profile without pictures…what’s the point?

To wash all those vegetables down, be brave and try a smoothie-type drink blended from fruits and veggies. They are actually not that bad. And don't take my word for it; the adoration for this beverage was shared by my non vegetarian counterpart.

Whether it’s a quick bite you are after, which are available at the counter without having to spend to much time being bumped around by those entering or exiting the restaurant or a sit down herbivore charge, Fresh hits the nail on the head for serving up some of the most tantalizing meat-free meals. If you can over come the often eccentric crowd that fills the seats of Fresh, you are in for some of the finest vegetarian cuisine in the city.

If you leave this restaurant feeling bloated or full, you did it wrong. Fresh is a health oriented place that should leave you feeling energized and ready to run a marathon against the other lanky vegetarians that frequent this spot.

With a menu that won’t punch your wallet in it’s wallet face, it is definitely worth trying it once with the possibility of conversion to a herbivore lifestyle resulting in more frequent visits. (And if those frequent visits are in your peripherals, try the Fresh charge card, available at all Fresh outlets)