"When plant-based restaurants first descended upon Toronto in the late ’90s, they primarily catered to a niche, healthy audience. Planta founder Steven Salm quietly revolutionized vegetarian and vegan food in the city by making it appealing to staunch carnivores. David Lee, co-founder and executive chef, worked in numerous Michelin-starred restaurants before applying his culinary know-how to the diverse menu, often eliciting counterintuitive praise for how “meaty” dishes taste. While there are two additional locations in the city, the Yorkville spot remains a favorite for its all-encompassing global menu, which includes leek bianca pizza featuring a creamy canvas of garlic cream, cashew mozzarella, basil pesto, and chile; spaghetti carbonara teeming with crispy mushroom bacon, smoked tempeh, pepper, and almond Parmesan, all bound together by a rich coconut-miso-achiote sauce; and whipped ricotta (pureed tofu) served with steamy truffle- and agave-laced pita." - Tiffany Leigh
