What’s on the menu at Mandy’s, Toronto’s first location of the Montreal-based salad chain with a cult following
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Name: Mandy’s
Contact: 52 Ossington Ave., mandys.ca, @mandysalads
Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Owners: Mandy and Rebecca Wolfe
Chef: Mandy Wolfe
Seating: 25 indoor, 25 on the soon-to-open patio
Accessibility: Not fully accessible
The food
The first Toronto outpost for Montreal’s sister-owned salad sensation is a destination for unrestrainedly decked-out greens and grains. Piled high in colourful, mismatched bowls and accompanied with gold-plated forks, these cheerful medleys are as strong a pro-salad argument as has ever been made. Each is a vibrant mix of colour, texture and pleasantly contrasting flavours, like the popular Crunchy Sesame salad with avocado, mandarin and toasted ramen noodles.
House dressings, like the vibrant Turmeric Tahini or herbaceous Green Goddess, are also available for purchase. Icons indicating things like the inclusion of pork, dairy products, nuts and gluten help diners with dietary restrictions navigate the menu, which is also endlessly customizable. You can choose from tried-and-true signature salads or build your own, priced per ingredient with no upper or lower bounds on mix-ins.
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The drinks
Alongside a selection of soft drinks that lean strongly in the direction of “healthy” (local soda, kombucha, sparkling water), there are a few house juices, like a tangy blueberry aloe vera and refreshing watermelon pineapple. Espresso-based beverages and tea are also on offer. Coming soon: flavoured lemonades and made-to-order smoothies.
The space
Decorated like a pleasant fever dream, it’s hard to find a blank space in this candy-coloured room. Knick-knacks—decorative hanging plates, hand-mirrors, mushroom figurines, and even a fuzzy wall-hanging—line walls of pale pink and mint. A gallery of gold-framed family photos covers a tropical mural framed by faux ferns and novelty lights in the shape half-peeled bananas. Between the pink-upholstered booths, marble accents and giant salads, it’s a sort of bubbly wonderland. If you can tear your eyes away from the dizzying decor, check out the selection of products on the shelves, a mix of Mandy’s-branded goods and other stuff, like Smoke Show hot sauce and Rainbo mushroom extract.
