Former Spoke Club chef Ren Mercer brings vegetarian takeout to Dundas West

If you’re looking for a pulled pork sandwich, or a basket of fried chicken, or a $14 bourbon cocktail, you can’t beat Dundas West—which is nice for people who hang out there on weekends, and less nice for full-time residents, who sometimes find themselves combing the non-perishables section at 7-Eleven for vaguely healthy dinner options. (Just us?) Thankfully, the junk food tide may be turning, or at least recalibrating a little. Veghed, the latest addition to the strip, is a vegetarian “fresh bar” with some real culinary cred: the owner and chef, Ren Mercer, has over 20 years’ experience cooking at high-end restaurants and hotels, including the King Edward, the Windsor Arms and the members-only Spoke Club, where he was the executive chef for five years. Mercer’s new food business isn’t flashy, but the recipes are pretty complex for a place with Day-Glo walls—recent specials have included penne carbonara with lobster mushrooms and pad thai with hemp, chia seeds and organic herb salad.

1199 Dundas St. W., @MercerRen