photo from Bonus Bakery

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: www.vrg.org/restaurant

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Bellis, 423 W. Main St., Visalia, CA 93291

Sourcing from local farms, Bellis’ menu varies seasonally. Brunch brings seasonal Frittata, Biscuits with Mushroom gravy, French Toast with Crème Anglaise and Candied Calamansi (sweet tart citrus), Waffles, and more. Lunch offers Barbecue Mushroom Sandwich and Focaccia Roasted Vegetable Sandwich, to note a couple of options. Besides Cheese or Caprese Pizza, there’s Tapenade Roasted Eggplant, Walnut and Greens Pesto, Fig Arugula Candied Walnut Balsamic Pizza, and more. Dinner dishes up Cactus Parmigiana, Tagliatelle with Shiitake Mushroom and Gremolata, Burmese Tofu and Jasmine Rice Tapenade, Gnocchi with Seasonal Vegetables and Carrot Soubise, and more. Dessert anyone? A couple of choices are Dessert Raviolo with sweet cashew cream, strawberry coulis, bruléed fig and fruit plate or Pumpkin Mousse with pumpkin seed “graham” crust and mascarpone.

Bonus Bakery, 401 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC V6C 3R2 Canada

A plant-based bakery offering an assortment of coffee drinks and decadent, elaborately made confections. Some choices with popular crowd appeal include the Bonus Cookie, Cookies n Cream Cookie, Sprinkles Cookie, Cinnamon Roll Cookie, Lava Cake Cookie, Tiramisu Cookie, Birthday Confetti Cookie, Crème Brûlée Cookie, Cinnamon Bun, and Almond Croissant. Gluten-free options include the GF lava cookie, GF sprinkle cake, and GF carrot cake. Bonus Bakery also offers some specialty items on a rotating basis. Please note that online orders can be picked up at 407 Industrial Avenue (kitchen only; this is not a storefront); be sure to check their website for the latest information about pickup and delivery windows.

Mila Plant-Based, 185 Keefer St., Vancouver, BC V6A 1X3 Canada

With environmental concern, MILA strives to create innovative cuisine served with “comfort” and “warmth” in an “elevated” and “approachable” way. Some Brunch offerings are wild Mushroom Crepe with cauliflower feta, caramelized onions, labneh, and parsley; Tiramisu Pancakes with whipped cream, chocolate espresso ganache, sour cherry glaze, and chocolate espresso soil; and Shakshuka smoky pepper tomato stew with seasonal beans, smashed potatoes, miso garlic, and sourdough. There are Brunch Cocktails too. Lunch/Dinner Starters include Feta Stuffed Date with pistachio, olive oil, and maldon salt and smashed Kare Potatoes in Japanese curry sauce with furikake, nori, and green onion, as well as several Vegan Sushi options. Some Mains are Cold Pho Salad of udon noodles, pho sauce, Asian pear, cucumber, radish and birds eye chili, Mushroom and Sausage Tagliatelle with Alfredo, pesto, parmesan and miso garlic sourdough, plus several other choices. Happy Hour possibilities abound like Tuna Crispy Rice with watermelon akami tuna, sushi rice, lime kewpie mayo, green onion and sesame seeds, Cacio e Pepe with cashew miso cheese, tagliatelle, parmesan, and lemon and many more selections. Desserts include coconut custard Key Lime Pie with an espresso crust and whipped cream, orange butter Crepes Suzette with Cointreau, brandy, whipped cream, and seasonal fruit, and Peanut Butter Cup Pie with puffed crisps, chocolate ganache, maldon salt, and gold flakes.

Plant City Barrington, 188 County Rd., Barrington, RI 02806

Plant City Barrington, located in Barrington Shopping Center, is an eclectic café that also offers a mini-market with items including plant-based dairy, snacks, dressings and condiments, and ice cream. If you’ve come to let someone else do the cooking, however, you can take your pick from hearty burgers like the Truffle Burger made with blue oyster mushrooms and a truffle aioli; pizzas including the margherita made with cashew mozzarella, almond parmesan, and fresh basil; and vibrant salads including the farro arugula pesto salad with farro, sweet potato, and soybeans, topped with a Green Goddess dressing. Grab a Nitro coffee if you need a pick-me-up, or for a refreshing sip try one of their smoothies or shakes, which include seasonal specials like the blueberry cheesecake shake with a graham cracker cookie crumble. If you’re looking for breakfast or for dinner, for a filling meal or a quick snack, for a caffeinated boost or a hydrating smoothie, this vegan city has it all.

Shangrila Buddha Organic Vegan Restaurant, 755 San Pablo Ave., Albany, CA 94706

Decision fatigue? No such worries in Shangrila. The menu is Chef’s choice. Diners receive a plate (choose Moderate or Full) containing each of the day’s offerings. Like variety? Shangrila Buddha changes their menu daily. One example of a day’s menu is: Green Lentil Mixed Veggie Soup, Long Grain Brown Rice, Baked Yam, Green Babocha Butternut Squash, Mung Bean w/ Onion and Carrot, Steamed Collard Greens and Kale with Mushroom Beet Onion Sauce and Green Mixed Salad with Lemon Juice Tahini Mint Dressing. While bean, veggie, grain, dressing, sauce, and preparation varieties rotate daily, the meals follow a similar structure. If you enjoy being decision-free, yet would still like a bit of agency, let loose a little by choosing your own WildDessert and Drink. Choices might include Key Lime, Coconut or Chocolate Pie. Drinks mean Kamboucha in flavors like Mango, Ginger Berry, Strawberry Mint, and Black Currant.

Sushi Momo, 1122 Queen St W., Toronto, ON M6J 1H9 Canada

Sushi MoMo has a wide variety of creative and unique vegan sushi rolls. Options include the Umami Roll (shiitake mushroom, chimichurri, sauce, arugula, avocado, cucumber, oshinko) and the Melitzana (eggplant, arugula, sundried-tomato, cheese panko, basil sauce, truffle sauce, flambe). Some appetizers include Miso Soup, Soba Salad, Gyoza, and more. They also have a variety of tempura dishes.

Tsuchi Café, 688 College St., Toronto, ON M6G 1C1, Canada

Tsuchi Café is a Japanese-inspired vegan café offering both sweet and savory menu items. Popular tarts include the pistachio matcha tart topped with matcha ganache and pistachio matcha whipped cream, the hazelnut chocolate mille feuille with layers of puff pastry and hazelnut chocolate cream, and the yuzu citron tart filled with yuzu custard and topped with cream cheese whip. Tiramisu flavors come in matcha and espresso. The savory kitchen menu offers classic cheeseburgers made with the Impossible burger and fries. Japanese-inspired savory options include onigiri with shiitake tsukudani, 12-spice beef curry, and rice; katsu sando made with house-made Japanese milk bread; and chili hiyashi chuka (noodles, JustEgg omelet, and chili oil).