Juice for Life

[aether]

my personal experience with other vegie/vegan restaurants:

fressen - bland, overpriced
le commensal - boring
cafe 668 - enjoy it very much. really damned tasty and inexpensive. their deep-fried bananas in coconut/tapioca dessert is worth going for on it's own
buddha's - not bad, basically a vegeterian chinese diner. amazing value for money

(if you're into fake meat, buddha's and cafe 668 have some really amazing simulations..)

 

[fightingskurvy]

i like fresh and i go there often.. but i do think that there are better places that might be a bit cheaper..altho not as trendy.

 

[geminigirl]

Originally posted by JMan
I especially like the fake meats in the morning... faux bacon sandwiches, faux sausage mcmuffins... it's great to eat a meat substitute knowing you are actually eating healthy. I don't do dairy either, so I get the same feeling eating cookies, muffins, cakes etc. made with tofu... lots o' protein, low on fat.

J

Yes, faux bacon sandwiches...mmmmmmmm

 

[fightingskurvy]

Originally posted by aether
my personal experience with other vegie/vegan restaurants:

fressen - bland, overpriced
le commensal - boring
cafe 668 - enjoy it very much. really damned tasty and inexpensive. their deep-fried bananas in coconut/tapioca dessert is worth going for on it's own
buddha's - not bad, basically a vegeterian chinese diner. amazing value for money

(if you're into fake meat, buddha's and cafe 668 have some really amazing simulations..)

I'm pretty much on the same page as you.

i'd like to hear your thoughts on vegetarian haven if you get the chance to try it.

 

[alexd]

I sat on the patio one early afternoon last summer at the one just west of Bathurst (its called something else but owned by them) for a full hour without getting served. I had been on a 4 hour bike ride and was ravenous. Meanwhile the staff were stting around by the entrance meditating or reading Popular Vegan or whatever the fuck they were doing and the place was only a quarter full anyway at best.

I was really hungry too and would have dropped large $$$. I went in initially because it looked sort of nice and inviting as I cycled by. WHAT A MISTAKE.

I will never go back to that snotty-veg-yuppie-brunch-hangout excuse for a restaurant again.

 

[sk8]

Originally posted by fightingskurvy
I am not a vegetarian by any stretch, but I am guessing it's just a food variety thinng. and fake meats are often healthier. I agree, the idea of it does seem strange..maybe it's helpful for ppl that are making the lifestyle change with transition. regardless, I aplaud anyone who is trying to make healthier eating choices, fake meats or otherwise.

i guess. but there is so much you can do with vegetables. there are many cultures that are predominantly vegetarian and have tons of variety in food without needing fake meat. I guess it's just the north american convenience factor kicking in again....

i just don't see them as healthier still though. maybe some of the higher end ones are....

I have tried quite a few because, as you may or may not know, I have crohn's disease. I am always looking for alternatives that might be better for me and more nutritious. I actually found many of them harder to digest than the meat it was trying to emulate and the "hot dogs" actually made me ill.

that being said - I love vegetarian food, just don't get the whole fake meat concept.

 

[kmac]

Originally posted by sk8
i guess. but there is so much you can do with vegetables. there are many cultures that are predominantly vegetarian and have tons of variety in food without needing fake meat. I guess it's just the north american convenience factor kicking in again....

The only time I eat fake meat is when, lets say, I'm going out to lunch with co-workers and my only choices on a menu are salad and a veggie burger. So it's out of convenience, like you said.

 

[Subsonic Chronic]

Originally posted by fightingskurvy
i like fresh and i go there often.. but i do think that there are better places that might be a bit cheaper..altho not as trendy.

Totally. Fresh/JFL is the foodie equivalent of Lululemon.

 

[mingster]

i agree that fresh is a little pricey.

but the way i feel after eating is totally worth it. the food is good, quality and all, it's fresh, and guiltless (mostly). every bit worth the occasional splurge IMO.

 

[geminigirl]

Originally posted by mingster
i agree that fresh is a little pricey.

but the way i feel after eating is totally worth it. the food is good, quality and all, it's fresh, and guiltless (mostly). every bit worth the occasional splurge IMO.

ditto.

 

[fightingskurvy]

Originally posted by mingster
i agree that fresh is a little pricey.

but the way i feel after eating is totally worth it. the food is good, quality and all, it's fresh, and guiltless (mostly). every bit worth the occasional splurge IMO.

that's pretty much why i still go there. they have marketed themselves pretty well. that shade of green, the look of the restaurant w/ the woods, the green chopsticks, the lighting... I go to a yoga studio right around there and we always go there afterwards, it truly makes me feel like i am doing something good for myself...but at the same time, there are some other great little places run by families (usually budhists) that also have delcious healthy food, and it's usually less costly.

for me, its also a nice feeling to support the 'mom and pop' type veggie restaurants..

 

[JMan]

Originally posted by sk8
I have tried quite a few because, as you may or may not know, I have crohn's disease. I am always looking for alternatives that might be better for me and more nutritious. I actually found many of them harder to digest than the meat it was trying to emulate and the "hot dogs" actually made me ill.

Wow, that's interesting. I have crohn's also, and used to have to take lots o' meds, prednisone etc. The doc's all told me, "low on fiber, low on veggies & fruits". Now I'm vegan, eat only high-fiber and predominently veggies & fruits and I've been 100% off meds for going on 6 years. Never had a problem with the fakey meats at all.

J

 

[JMan]

Originally posted by sk8
that being said - I love vegetarian food, just don't get the whole fake meat concept.

I really think it's for allot of the recent converts. I do like allot of the products though... the PC fake-chicken drummettes are freakin' delicious.

 

[sk8]

Originally posted by JMan
Wow, that's interesting. I have crohn's also, and used to have to take lots o' meds, prednisone etc. The doc's all told me, "low on fiber, low on veggies & fruits". Now I'm vegan, eat only high-fiber and predominently veggies & fruits and I've been 100% off meds for going on 6 years. Never had a problem with the fakey meats at all.

J

i don't have a problem with fiber or veggies that much really. I eat whole grain foods fine and I eat tons of veggies, but i know they don't digest that well.

I think it more the "processed food" problem. I have trouble with anything with chemicals or preservatives in it. and the fake meat products are full of that stuff.

I eat ridiculously healthy - pretty much everything from scratch. only boneless, skinless chicken, ground turkey and lean pork as meat. which to me is healthier than just subbing processed soy products in place of meat.

but i can't become vegetarian because i have severe anemia and B12 deficiencies already and my body just doesn't process the veggies, nuts and stuff well enough to depend on them for protein.

 

[JMan]

Originally posted by sk8
i don't have a problem with fiber or veggies that much really. I eat whole grain foods fine and I eat tons of veggies, but i know they don't digest that well.

I think it more the "processed food" problem. I have trouble with anything with chemicals or preservatives in it. and the fake meat products are full of that stuff.

I eat ridiculously healthy - pretty much everything from scratch. only boneless, skinless chicken, ground turkey and lean pork as meat. which to me is healthier than just subbing processed soy products in place of meat.

but i can't become vegetarian because i have severe anemia and B12 deficiencies already and my body just doesn't process the veggies, nuts and stuff well enough to depend on them for protein.

I didn't have those issues... especially the B12 one is pretty dangerous.

 

[sk8]

Originally posted by JMan
I didn't have those issues... especially the B12 one is pretty dangerous.

funny how it affects everyone a little differently.

i've heard of people not being able to eat veggies at all and nothing but white bread cause of fiber problems

now THAT would suck!

 

[aether]

Originally posted by fightingskurvy
I'm pretty much on the same page as you.

i'd like to hear your thoughts on vegetarian haven if you get the chance to try it.

I've never even heard of it. My friends will be thrilled. We were worried we were running out of interesting vegie restaurants.

(incidentally, i'm not even close to being vegeterian either)

 

[starr]

i hate juice for life or fresh or whatever
i don't know exactly what it is, but i've eaten there enough times to know that it's not my thing
and i'm vegetarian (and i used to have crohn's)

i like utopia on college, they substitute soy chicken in sandwiches
and cafe 668 on dundas
new generation sushi on bloor is good too, but not much selection
momo's for falafels/middle eastern food on harbord

i'm sure there are tons of other places i just can't think of all of them
i don't really go to "exclusive" vegetarian restaurants though, and there really aren't that many in toronto

fressen is okay and the ambience is nice, but the food is definitely overrated and overpriced
but i'm a picky eater

 

[R4V4G3D_SKU11S]

Originally posted by starr
and i used to have crohn's

Isn't Crohns something that once you develop it, you always retain, like diabetes or something?

I've also never really been impressed with JfL, especially considering how expensive it is.

 

[starr]

yes, well i guess i should say i have crohn's, but it's been in remission for 8 years

so yeah

 

[R4V4G3D_SKU11S]

Right on - I knew that you could kindof control it with, but didn't know it could actually go into remission.

 

[starr]

Originally posted by R4V4G3D_SKU11S
I've also never really been impressed with JfL, especially considering how expensive it is.

for me the food is too raw
sorry to offend all the raw foodies on the board, but it upsets my tummy

i always feel like i can walk over to the bloor supermarket and buy a whole bunch of veggies for the same inflated price as juice for life

as for the crohn's it can go away, but there's no reason for it really, no "cure"
one day i just stopped taking meds and my stomach didn't hurt - yay for surprises

 

[JMan]

Originally posted by starr
one day i just stopped taking meds and my stomach didn't hurt - yay for surprises

Ditto... I weant from hardcore pain if I was 1 hour late with meds, to no problems... I think better stress management and lifestyle adjustments helped me.

 

[starr]

it's because we became veggie eaters

as for fake meat, i'm fairly indifferent towards it

some of it's good, but most of it is bad
i generally stick to things like peanut butter, and tofu, and nuts, and beans, and protein bars (as a last resort)