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
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/veg-hed-dundas-west-toronto-restaurants/&title=Former Spoke Club chef Ren Mercer brings vegetarian takeout to Dundas West&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/P1040032-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_299319" align="aligncenter" width="656"] (Image: Caroline Youdan)[/caption]
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){kind=link}