A vegavore place with fresh fixings?!
Opening in the Bloordale neighbourhood in June 2009, Calico Cafe is a vegan and vegetarian eatery with a bent on local and seasonal food. Although that shouldn’t be too surprising (a vegavore place with fresh fixings!), Calico Cafe proffers a small and ever-changing menu that is eclectic and creative, with beautifully presented fare that will make carnivores consider losing the meat.

As local as it gets
A quaint room of earthy tones, Calico features a cosy space with an open kitchen, green painted walls, seating along the street side front window, and banquettes upholstered with leafy decals. The real gem is the backyard patio, a veritable Edenic paradise. Although quite petite (with only five tables), the majority of the outdoor space is allotted to the raised garden. Nothing could be so local as growing your own vegetables, and Calico’s red and green leaf lettuce, kale, herbs, and beyond are grown in bountiful rows. Even some aesthetically pleasing flowers are planted just for a good show.

The seasonal flux
Specializing in fresh juice and smoothies, fair trade coffees, seasonal salads, sandwiches, weekend brunches, and homemade desserts, the menu at Calico Cafe is in constant flux. The daily chalkboard menu is short but sweet, usually bearing a trio of appetizers, two mains, and a couple dessert options. On any given day, you may see the red leaf salad (with walnuts, pears, shredded carrots, cucumber and red onion, drizzled with apple and parsley dressing), barbequed fruit skewers, grilled portobello sandwiches with zucchini and avocado mayo, tomato-walnut-avocado tarts, and pear-mint avocado gazpacho. Brunches bear witness to spelt waffles with blueberry- strawberry compote and coconut cream, as well as egg or vegan omelettes with roasted red pepper miso pesto.