Contemporary

Big Mamma’s Boy

554 Parliament, at Amelia, 416-927-1593. Former Slack Alice and Looking Glass honcho Heather Mackenzie presents chef Michael Guenther’s health-conscious card in laid-back Cabbagetown digs. Count on comfort food, pub grub classics and pizza with pizzazz that are mostly organic, locally sourced and often gluten-free. Best: at dinner, slow-cooked Mennonite pork ribs braised Korean-style in tamari, honey and whiskey, sided with organic brown basmati and sautéed seasonal veg; gluten-free macaroni ’n’ cheese with chèvre and farmer’s sausage; portobello mushroom burgers stuffed with lemony lentils on toasted sourdough spread with house-made chipotle mayo; at brunch, $2 Morning Glories; rice-flour pancakes topped with fresh berries. Complete dinners for $45 per person (brunches $20), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $18/$10. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday 4:30 to 11 pm. Brunch Sunday 11 am to 3 pm, dinner till 11 pm. Bar nightly till close. Licensed. Delivery. Access: five steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN

Pizza

Magic Oven

6 Wellesley W, at Yonge, 416-929-7888. Tony Sabherwal’s east-side pizzeria has grown considerably since it first opened in Riverdale in 97. Now a six-outlet chain and counting, the Oven focuses on eco-conscious toppings and crusts that offer both health benefits and taste. Not only are several of the pies gluten-free, but so’s the beer! Other locations: magicoven.com. Best: salads of curried quinoa and lentils over mesclun; thin-crusted pies like Feel-Good Magic topped with tandoori chicken in gingery tomato sauce, green-tea-infused tofu, snow peas, roasted peppers, almonds and mozzarella; Bountiful Magic pizza with spinach, potato, artichoke, pecans, walnuts, blueberries, tomato sauce and lotsa mozza; at brunch, Tuscan Sunrise pizza with scrambled egg, Asiago, chorizo, ham and bacon. Complete dinners for $40 per person (lunches/brunches $25), including all taxes, tip and an organic beer. Average main $16/$10. Open Monday to Saturday 11 am to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 10 pm, holidays 3 to 10 pm. Licensed. Delivery. Access: two steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN

Thai Vegetarian

Jean’s Vegetarian Kitchen

1262 Danforth, at Greenwood, 416-778-1388. Jean and Harry Seow return from retirement – for the third time! – with their swankiest resto yet. This unexpectedly upscale 30-seat room, with caramel-coloured walls, sleek banquettes and beaming Buddha on the bar, also comes equipped for the first time with a Southeast Asian vegetarian card. Bonus: everything available in vegan versions. Best: rice-paper rolls packed with cellophane noodles, raw carrot threads and crunchy ribbons of cloud ear; Golden Baskets, a tiny quintet of brittle pastry shells brimming with garden-fresh peas, corn, carrots and diced organic tofu; pad kee mau, a ketchup-free take on pad thai thick with cauliflower, broccoli, basil and convincing faux shrimp; Japanese eggplant with sweet peppers; bitter mustard greens in garlic; deep-fried bananas in honeyed batter. Complete dinners for $25 per person, including all taxes, tip and a pot of jasmine green tea. Average main $9. Open Tuesday to Sunday 5 to 10 pm. Closed Monday, holidays. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN

Vegan

Camros Organic Eatery

25 Hayden, #6, at Yonge, 416-960-0723. Newly expanded, this low-key Persian-inspired vegetarian take-away specializes in nutritious, mostly organic grub that’s not only inexpensive but free of trans fats and preservatives. Bonus: 100 per cent vegan, and all takeout containers completely biodegradable! Best: from the buffet, veggie stews like yellow lentil with carrot and potato, red kidney bean in vibrant spinach purée, or garlicky zucchini with tomato; brown basmati rice balls stuffed with sultanas and walnuts; salads like beet with carrot, quinoa with broccoli, or black bean with red onion; to finish, massive almond spelt cookies; to drink, fair trade coffee in filtered water. Complete meals for $15 per person, including all taxes, tip and a bottled juice. Average main $10. Open Monday to Friday 11:30 am to 7:30 pm. Closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN

Green Earth

385 Broadview, at Gerrard, 416-778-9199. Located directly across the street from the Don Jail, this cheery vegan luncheonette gets little walk-in traffic other than the occasional escaped convict. But word of mouth has made this modest room a hit with local veg-heads. They can expect Southeast Asian mains filtered through Italian and Mexican sensibilities. Best: Paradise Sushi, loosely wrapped maki with veggie ham, lightly vinegared rice, carrot sticks, cucumber and avocado; Temple Green Garden salad of broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and zucchini in creamy dill dressing; Star Delight, a faux chicken breast stuffed with spinach in dairy-free alfredo; garden burgers, house-made soybean ’n’ chickpea patties on sesame seed buns dressed with vegan mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickles; to finish, tofu cheesecake. Complete dinners for $16 per person, including all taxes, tip and an iced tea. Average main $8. Open Monday, and Wednesday to Saturday 11 am to 9 pm, Sunday and holidays 2 to 8 pm. Closed Tuesday. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, short ramp at door. Rating: NNN

Live Organic Food Bar 

264 Dupont, at Spadina, 416-515-2002. Since launching her microscopic vegan take-away next door just five years ago, Jennifer Italiano has established herself as the diva of the local raw food scene. Now ensconced in far larger and much more stylish digs, Italiano offers an always inventive card that isn’t only eco-conscious, but tasty, to boot. Best: Live It Up Lasagna, raw zucchini ribbons dressed with basil pesto, garden veggies, cashew ricotta cheese, sun-dried tomato and kalamata olives in marinara sauce; sprouted-buckwheat crust pizza with sunflower-seed cheese, corn, red onion, spinach, tomato and fresh basil; at brunch, gluten-free pumpkin/buckwheat pancakes. Complete dinners for $45 per person (lunches/brunches $25), including all taxes, tip and an organic beer. Average main $14/$10. Open Monday to Wednesday 11 am to 10 pm, Thursday and Friday 11 am to 11 pm, Saturday 11 am to 10 pm. Brunch Sunday 11 am to 2:30 pm, dinner till 9 pm. No reservations. Licensed. Access: 11 steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNNN

Rainbow Tree

925 Yonge, at Belmont, 647-427-4758. An offshoot of Mississauga’s Veggie Paradise, Lucy Chou’s tiny take-away on an anonymous condo corridor specializes in meat-free meals that are mostly egg-free and vegan. Home cooks will want to check out the freezer for soy protein fashioned into prawns, meatloaf and roasted baby pig. Best: daily meal deals like General Tso-style “chicken” in tamari teriyaki sauce, spicy sweet ’n’ sour “spare ribs” with red and green peppers, or faux “roasted chicken” stuffed with nutty wild rice, apricots and cranberries and sided with steamed sweet potatoes in orange juice, all served with red rice and steamed broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, kale, cabbage and carrots; to finish, gluten-free spelt blueberry muffins. Complete meals for $10 per person, including all taxes, tip and a juice. Average main $6. Open Monday to Friday 11 am to 6:30 pm, Saturday 11 am to 5:30 pm. Closed Sunday, holidays. Unlicensed. Access: bump at door, no washrooms. Rating: NNN

Urban Herbivore

64 Oxford, at Augusta, 416-927-1231. Now three times larger with the addition of a wraparound porch with a living green roof, Fressen owner/chef Stephen Gardner’s completely vegan café at the top of the Market continues to offer a short card of salads, sandwiches and super takeout soups. Bonus: besides being dairy-free, most everything’s organic. Best: mighty muffins like raspberry with pineapple, or wheat-free spelt with almonds, dates and sweet potato; DIY salads like baby spinach in cranberry vinaigrette with shiitakes, grape tomatoes and broccoli; enormous veggie sandwiches like roasted red pepper and sliced yam on multigrain spread with spinach-walnut pesto and olive-date tapenade; fresh iced lemonade with wild raspberries or pucker-intensifying cucumber; hearty take-home soups like curried cauliflower with celery root, sweet potato and pineapple. Complete meals for $12, including all taxes, tip and a lemonade. Average main $8. Open daily 9 am to 7 pm. Closed some holidays. No reservations. Unlicensed. Access: four steps at door, no washrooms. Rating: NNN