Gluten Free Vegan Adventures in Leslieville & Riverside

On Saturday after my meetings, I asked Joey if he wanted to grab some lunch and offered a suggestion of a new restaurant to visit: Pulp Kitchen.

Pulp Kitchen used to live where Lady Marmalade now resides. I had always wanted to go when it was still there, but it was never open for dinner and it seemed we could never get there for breakfast on a weekend. I had noticed that they had been doing construction at a new location in the past couple months, and earlier in the week Lori had mentioned that it was their grand re-opening this weekend. Perfect timing!

We waited about 5 minutes for a table and were greeted by cheery flowers and the brunch menu.  They also have a lunch menu, but our server told us that for their opening weekend they were only giving brunch a go. I noticed some specials on the board and decided to inquire about a black bean burrito that sounded delicious. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Could you tell me what the black bean burrito is wrapped in?
Server: A wrap.
Me: What sort of wrap?
Server: Flour.
Me: Do you know what ki--
Server: Are you looking for something gluten free? Because we don’t have any for the wraps.
Me: Oh okay.

Super.

I opted for the egg-free omelette instead. An egg-free high-protein sensation stuffed w/ roasted portobello mushroom, soy cheese, caramelized onion, roasted red pepper & fresh baby spinach. I ditched the soy cheese and Joey and I decided to split an order of sweet potato fries.

Our food took a little bit long, but it was opening weekend so we didn’t really think too much of it. Everything looked quite yummy when it arrived, although the plating of my omelette left something to be desired. I feel like it should have been centered, or maybe just on a smaller plate? I really enjoyed the filling of the omelette and it was rather large so I let Joey finish it off after eating roughly 2/3 of it. The sweet potato fries were actually more like wedges and I have to say that they were pretty mediocre. They were pretty hit and miss as some were cooked perfectly and others were undercooked. Boo. Joey said his “gourmet” grilled cheese was just okay and nothing to write home about, especially since he missed having a non-vegan option on the menu.

I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t been eying the dessert menu from the minute we sat down. The coco-lime cake sounded right up my alley, so I decided to indulge. It did not disappoint. So while I doubt we’ll be going back to Pulp Kitchen for brunch anytime soon, I may very well go back for the cake on a rainy day. It was moist, flavourful and I loved how much the lime shone in the icing.

We’re happy that we went during opening weekend since it was 30% off (our bill was about $$25 with the discount including tax, tip and a root beer for Joey) Overall – great cake, good omelette, and iffy everything else. I think we’ll stick to Lady Marmalade for breakfast in that neighbourhood. Has anyone else in Toronto been and had a different experience?

After Pulp Kitchen, I decided I would take advantage of all the sunshine and take a nice walk through Leslieville and Riverside. There is some wonderful shopping in this neck of the woods! I stopped in at some of my favourite stores including Doll Factory by Damzels (amazing dresses), Common Sort (fantastic used and vintage clothing) and a great used book store, of which the name escapes me now.  When I was nearly ready to call it a day, I stopped in at LPK’s Culinary Groove.

I couldn’t help but notice that they were carrying even more gluten free and vegan goodies in their shop, which brought me a lot of joy!! There was a woman at the counter inquiring about some gluten free vegan focaccia and when I saw it, I knew I had to have it. The flavour of the day had roasted garlic baked into it and smelled absolutely divine. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with it, but I figured that I could figure something out. I was so excited to bring it home and share it with Joey and I was not disappointed. It was flaky and rich and tasted like bread!! We enjoyed it with some brown rice pasta, broccoli & tomato sauce on Sunday evening (after I had munched on little bits of it on Saturday night) I had talked to the chef about whether or not I could freeze it, but it actually didn’t make it that far. Between Joey and I, we consumed it over the last few days with various meals. I will definitely be picking that up again as a special treat and will perhaps indulge in some other gluten free vegan goodness.