"When plant-based restaurants first descended upon Toronto in the late ’90s, they primarily catered to a niche, healthy audience. Then, Planta founder Steven Salm quietly revolutionized vegetarian and vegan food in the city by making it enticing 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 is one additional location in the city, the Yorkville spot remains a favorite for its all-encompassing global menu, which includes vodka pizza topped with cashew mozzarella, basil pesto, and chile bomba; spaghetti carbonara riddled with crispy mushroom “bacon,” smoked tempeh, almond Parmesan, and coconut-miso-achiote sauce; and mammoth-sized, satisfyingly “buttery” chocolate chip cookies." - Tiffany Leigh
