It was a girlfriend's birthday and she said she wanted to "try something different" so I told her to meet me at Pure Kitchen. I knew she'd never been. This is a vegetarian and vegan paradise. Being a carnivore, she was taken off guard and not quite sure she'd like it. I told her to keep an open mind and give it a shot. As they say, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always got." Here was an opportunity for her to step outside the box and explore something new.
She was impressed by the menu. They have a great selection. I love meat too, but I'll try just about anything and I love vegetables. Fruit I can live without, but veggies are a staple in our house.
It was late and we weren't starving, so we decided not to have appetizers and stick to the mains.
My girlfriend couldn't decide. She definitely didn't want a soup or salad. I suggested a burger. You have the choice of the "Royale with Cheese" which is a mushroom and walnut patty or the "Summer Fun Time" made with a sweet potato patty. After what seemed like an eternity, she went with the "Summer Fun Time" with a side of fries. The burger is trimmed with a chipotle lime sauce, coconut bacon, tomato and sunflower sprouts. If this wasn't different and adventurous for her, I don't know what is. I really hoped she'd like it.
Interestingly enough I've never been crazy about falafel. Tried it many times, but didn't enjoy it. Not sure why, but on this menu it sounded so much more appealing. It is served on a flour tortilla with tomato, cucumber, mixed greens, pickled turnips, pickles, garlic sauce and a lemon tahini sauce.
Perhaps it was the name "Peaceful." Being a Mom of 4, I don't get many moments of peace so maybe this would help? Can't hurt to try! Lol With my "Peaceful" I ordered the kale caesar for the side. Their sandwiches and burgers come with a side. You have the option of fries, salad, half and half, soup or you can upgrade to a poutine.
I'll draw your attention to the coconut bacon. OMG, it's amazing. Who would have know that you can make coconut look and taste like bacon. I'm always very amused at how vegetarians have to make things look similar to meat products. I don't think I'll ever understand it, but these guys are magicians and everything tastes amazing.
I added cheese to my "Peaceful" and I'll tell you this is the best falafel sandwich I have ever had. Even with not one, but two sauces the bread wasn't all soggy. I think that's usually what turns me off. Texture is huge for me and there's nothing worse than eating wet bread. The vegetables were crunchy and the sauces were the perfect consistency. When I'm in the mood for falafel, this is where I'll be going. The kale caesar was delicious. I love the crunch of the kale and again the coconut bacon is awesome. For croutons they use crispy corn tortillas. I liked that the salad was lightly dressed, I hate soggy lettuce too!
My girlfriend loved her burger. It was so much more than she had expected. She enjoys a bit of spice so the chipotle lime sauce gave it a slight punch and really complimented all the flavors. The fries were amazing too. They are shoestring style and really crispy.
Our dinners were delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed everything. I had mentioned to the waitress when I arrived that we were celebrating a birthday so shortly after she'd taken away our clean plates, she reappeared with a huge slice of cake. It was a vanilla frosted chocolate cake. OMG, it was huge! Good thing we were sharing. There were layers of moist decadent chocolate cake with this beautiful fluffy mint green vanilla frosting. It wasn't too sweet nor was the cake overly rich. Perfect way to end such a great meal. We had to force ourselves to finish it because there was no way we were going to waste a single bite!
All of their desserts are vegan and gluten free so don't worry if you have allergies. My sister is gluten intolerant and most of the baking I had tried previously was kind of blah and dry. Not this cake. It's incredible how far we've come and improved ingredients so everyone can indulge.
The service was great. It was a busy night so we had to wait a bit for a table, but the food came out reasonably quickly and everything was delicious. Our waitress was extremely pleasant and attentive. Bringing the cake was a nice touch to celebrate the birthday. It's little things like this that stand out and make you want to go back.
The price was very reasonable. For both of us with drinks, the mains and coffee the total came to around $60.00 with taxes and tip. The ingredients are fresh and most items are prepared in house. Very unique items with interesting combinations that work really well. I look forward to going back and trying other items.
In the warmer months, ask to sit on the roof top patio. It's nice to be able to enjoy the beautiful weather and you can people watch as you look over the main strip in Westboro.
Even if you're a meat lover, you'll like the food here. We all need veggies and this restaurant certainly knows how to make them look and taste incredible. Give it a try, you'll love it too!
Carm the Foodie
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