Bio boost

>> Bonnys organic veggie friendly
menu is a herbivore’s dream

by MATHILDE RABBAT

Ever ordered a salad or fresh fruit and wondered what chemical products are lacing your greens besides the dressing, or where and how that fist-size strawberry was spawned?

These are disturbing thoughts you needn’t entertain at Bonnys on Notre-Dame tucked betwixt a foray of cute antique shops. The eatery’s popularity has recently prompted a move from a tinier space a stone’s throw away to a new cozy location, as punters seem to appreciate its vegetarian leanings and the mostly organic food served therein.

The menu card is a far cry from the so-called “rabbit food” I’ve sampled in other veg establishments. One gets the sense that not only have wholesome quality ingredients been selected, but a measure of thought and creativity has gone into the prepping of dishes.

That having been said, dishes don’t clobber you over the head with any sudden or unexpected bursts of flavour. That isn’t to say that meals fall flat but they play it safe—subtlety seems to be the rule of thumb.

Specials vary daily ($11.95) and include a choice of soup or salad. You may arrive on a day when the soupe du jour, served in a teacup and saucer, is of the hearty split pea and vegetable variety, incorporating even doses of barley, carrot, celery, onion and potato, topped with fresh parsley and cracked black pepper. The potage makes for a suitable way to whet the appetite for the veggie treats to come, like the eggplant roulade.

This wholesome daily main doesn’t disappoint with its slices of tender eggplant, braised in a spicy tomato sauce, snuggling a nutty interior thanks to a good measure of chopped, peeled almonds, interwoven amidst deep green kale leaves with a bit of bite, cooked just right. Quinoa also participated in the mix, though it was not all that detectable, save a bit of a grainy hint here and there. I very much appreciated the feta crumble topping, especially when melted overtop hot roulade sauce. On the topic of cheese, the resto caters to vegans—staff, or Bonny herself, check with patrons whether vegetarian (but not vegan) ingredients such as this are permissible in dishes.

Make no mistake, this is not one of those vegetarian establishments that pride themselves on having mastered the uncanny ability to mimic non-veg flavours using nothing but vegetarian ingredients. It’s all about finding comparable alternatives, by replacing beef with chickpeas or lentils, and cow’s milk with soy milk, for example.

Thus, for neo-vegetarians who miss their burgers, offerings include black bean and lentil, and chickpea burgers, with or without cheese ($7.25–$11.50) depending on the variety and platter selection.

The lentil burger platter features a crushed lentil patty on a bun drizzled with a welcome hint of tahini, the usual suspects as toppings (lettuce, tomato and pickle), plantain chips, and a colourful shredded carrot, red cabbage and curly lettuce salad, dressed in a tangy and enjoyable Japanese-style sesame vinaigrette ($11.50).

Neither this dish, nor the eggplant’s modest portion, entirely satisfied our hungry appetites and left both my dinner pal and I wanting more. Dessert to the rescue.

The way I see it, there are two groups of people, those who L.O.V.E. chocolate, and the rest of the lot. As a card-carrying member of the former group, I highly recommend the highlight of the meal for moi: a brownie wedge duo, to die for, made with soy milk and heavily dusted with cocoa. Dark gooey dough, chocolate chunks and the full-bodied viscosity of a lava flow, these puppies had it all.

For the other group, I propose a worthy alternative in the form of a delightful and well-balanced coconut rice pudding. Both treats will set you back no more than five bucks for a little piece of heaven.

Church benches for banquettes, dim lighting, a red brick wall and one composed entirely of stacked wooden logs, all adequately play their parts in creating a soothing yin atmosphere in which to enjoy pesticide and GMO-free quality nourishment.