What’s on the menu at Fresh on Front, the popular plant-based brand’s new licensed restaurant

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | August 7, 2018

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | 08/07/2018

More on Ruth Tal

A look inside Fresh founder Ruth Tal’s kitchen (and her fridge)

Name: Fresh on Front
Contact: 47 Front St. E., 416-599-4442, freshrestaurants.ca, @freshrestaurants
Neighbourhood: St. Lawrence
Previously: Europe Bound
Owners: Ruth Tal, Jennifer Houston and Barry Alper

The food

A vegan menu of superfood-packed, plant-based dishes that include burgers, tacos and weekend brunch. Fans of the brand can expect favourites like the quinoa onion rings, the Buddha bowl and the BBQ burger mingling with new items including Nashville hot cauliflower and nachos.

The battered cauliflower is coated in a spicy sauce and comes with vegan ranch dressing, hemp seeds and celery sticks. $10.

The Detox Caesar tops power greens with Brazil nut parmesan, grilled tempeh bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, edible flowers and caesar dressing. $13.

For the squash tacos, two grilled whole wheat tortillas are filled with crispy panko squash, power greens, jalapeño-lime sauce, tomato, onions and cilantro. $11.

Fresh’s take on poutine tops fries with mushroom gravy and cashew-based “cheese.” $9.50.

The gluten-free Flatiron Nachos are one of the monthly specials. Crispy corn tortillas come topped with cashew-based queso, mushroom and artichoke chorizo, jalapeño-lime sauce, pico de gallo, avocado, shredded lettuce, red pepper, cilantro and pickled jalapeños. $17.

The Ultimate Falafel Salad loads a bowl with green falafel, crispy onions, heirloom grape tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, mint, parsley, cranberries, lettuce, tahini, zhug, and amba (a mango-based sauce). $16.

This macrobiotic bowl includes brown basmati rice (shown here) or soba noodles, steamed greens, broccoli, sweet potato, beet sauerkraut, nori, marinated adzuki beans, microgreens, and watermelon seeds. It comes with a choice of house-made dressing. $14.50-$20.50.

Fresh’s BBQ Burger dresses a high-protein, homemade almond-grain patty with BBQ sauce, two quinoa-coated onion rings, garlic mayo, napa cabbage, banana chilies, tomatoes and lettuce. $14.

Here’s another angle. (A side of sweet potato fries is $4.25.)

Baked goods from Tori’s Bakeshop and Sweets from the Earth—including gluten-free vanilla or salted dark chocolate doughnuts ($4), cinnamon buns ($6) and vanilla butter crunch cupcakes ($4)—are available at the take-out counter.

There are also slices of lemon or gluten-free chocolate fudge cake ($8 a slice).

Tal started Fresh as a pop-up juice bar when she was just 25. There are now five locations, and one more in the works in L.A.

The drinks

Made-to-order fruit smoothies, fresh juice, shakes made with coconut or almond milk, immunity elixirs, caffeine-free botanical lattes, tea, coffee and matcha drinks. In addition to these and a rainbow of organic cold-pressed juices, there’s a new line of boozy (but kind of healthy?) cocktails, including cold-pressed margaritas and kombucha spritzers.

The Insight Tonic is meant to help your ability to focus. It’s made with peppermint chlorophyll, reishi mushroom, organic cold-pressed apple and lemon juices, mineral water and kombucha. $8.75.

The Julia Caesar is made with Beattie’s sweet potato vodka, vegan Clamato, horseradish and hot sauce, and garnished with peperoncini, crispy cauliflower and celery. $13.

Fresh’s Aperol Spritz is made with Aperol, La Delizia prosecco and organic kombucha. $13.

Gin + Flowers is made with Dillon’s rose gin, elderflower liqueur, Pluck herbal iced tea, mineral water and edible flowers. $12.

The Bulldog power shake is made with cold brew coffee, dates, MCT coconut oil, bananas, almond butter, coconut milk and dark chocolate syrup. $8.50.

The Banana Split superfood shake blends strawberries with pineapple, coconut milk, maca root, banana, house-made dark chocolate syrup and Coconut Bliss ice cream. $10.

Fresh’s line of 100 per cent organic, raw, small-batch cold-pressed juices are purported to contain three pounds of fresh produce in each bottle. $11 and up.

The space

Working with the heritage building’s original hardwood floors, 18-foot ceilings and exposed brick, Tal created a 100-seat room with three distinct areas: a takeout counter near the entrance, a bar accented with terrariums and trinkets, and a back dining room filled with banquettes.