What’s on the menu at Away Kitchen and Cafe, Awai Restaurant’s (also) vegan sibling in Little Italy
Name: Away
Contact: 680 College St., 416-536-0195, @awaykitchencafe
Neighbourhood: Little Italy
Previously: Starbucks
Owner: Roger Yang (Awai)
The food
At Little Italy’s new vegan cafe, the concise menu includes breakfast (bagels, granola), salads and sandwiches, and snacks (seed crackers, cookies, mini empanadas). The dishes don’t stay true to any cuisine, and the only common denominator is that everything is vegan and made from scratch, right down to the bagels and seitan. Away’s atypical kitchen hierarchy drives the peripatetic menu. “We’re a peer-managed team,” says pastry chef Megan Walsh. “The food really is a collaborative effort,” adds baker Eli Erickson.
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The drinks
Away is currently applying for a liquor license. Until that goes through, they’re serving refreshing spritzers, kombuchas and sparkling water–diluted shrubs. There are also espresso-based drinks (including cold brew) made from De Mello Palheta. Coming soon: house-made nut milks.
The space
Lush plant- and ivy-covered walls animate the narrow 30-seat space, previously a Starbucks. They’re hoping to open the patio soon, which will wrap around the front and up Beatrice Street.
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
