I hope you’re hungry, because this week is packed with good food.

Summerlicious wraps up on Sunday and I squeezed in a patio dinner at Bellona to scope things out—worth it for the Mushroom Ravioli alone.

If you’d rather picnic, Saturday’s vegan potluck at Christie Pits should do the trick (don’t forget a blanket and those ingredient labels). Tuesday brings a Cube of Truth action in High Park for anyone keen on outreach.

In between, there’s still time to catch Il Fornello’s plant-based prix fixe before it ends on July 24, and west-enders can now grab sugar-free cheesecakes at the new Fit Cake on Bloor.

Week of July 17 - 23:

News:

• IL FORNELLO Danforth’s summer plant-based prix fixe menu with chef Lauren Toyota is still available until July 24. The $40 three-course menu runs Tuesday through Sunday and features dishes like Caprese Salad, Pizza Funghi with tofu ricotta, plant-based Chicken Parmigiana, and Pappardelle Salsiccia. For dessert, choose between Banana Lava Cake or Strawberry Sorbet.

• Polish dessert chain Fit Cake quietly opened its first Canadian shop yesterday at 3367 Bloor St. W. near Islington. Everything on offer is vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free, positioning the bakery as a rare option for people managing diabetes, celiac disease or keto lifestyles while still craving cheesecake and tortes.

Events:

• Summerlicious
  📅 Date: Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 20
  📍 Location: Various participating restaurants across the city

  Summerlicious is still on until this Sunday, with both Avelo and Bellona Kitchen taking part. We tried Bellona over the weekend—it’s a great deal, and if you go, try to snag a seat on their patio.

• Vegan Potluck at Christie Pits
  📅 Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025
  🕒 Time: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
  📍 Location: Christie Pits Park, 750 Bloor St W

  Celebrate summer with a casual vegan potluck at Christie Pits. Bring a fully plant-based dish to share (or just for yourself), along with reusable plates, cutlery, and a picnic blanket. Ingredient labels are encouraged to help others navigate allergies and dietary preferences. After lunch, stick around to socialize or join in on games, music, and conversation. Alcohol isn’t permitted, and all attendees are asked to help clean up to keep the park tidy. Look for the group near the central pavilion, space permitting—updates will be posted on the event page the day of.

Activism:

• Cube of Truth: Toronto
  📅 Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
  🕒 Time: 5:30 PM
  📍 Location: High Park

  Organized by Anonymous for the Voiceless, this Cube of Truth action uses street outreach and standard animal agriculture footage to spark conversations with the public about animal exploitation. Volunteers must follow AV’s outreach protocol, wear plain black clothing (no logos or graphics), and are encouraged to bring a fully charged laptop or tablet preloaded with AV footage. Masks, signs, and outreach materials will be provided. Participants must watch the AV Masterclass and review the outreach flowchart before attending. For ongoing updates, volunteers can join the AV Toronto Facebook group.

The Toronto Vegan Restaurants Guide 2025

World Vegan News:

• This week in vegan food news, PLNT Burger is marking National Hot Dog Day (July 16) with two limited-edition vegan hot dogs. Revo Foods is re-releasing its popular vegan octopus, The Kraken, in select European markets. Next Level Burger and Veggie Grill, now operating under a shared brand, have debuted an “All American” menu featuring Beyond’s Whole Cut Steak and Oshi’s vegan salmon.

  Malk Organics launched a four-ingredient shelf-stable vanilla almond milk, and Catalina Crunch introduced protein granola to major U.S. grocery stores. Meanwhile, Tofurky’s new carne asada and teriyaki steak bites are hitting shelves, and Alpro debuted a kid-focused line of vegan milk and yogurt in the UK.

In the Near Future:

*(more info will come closer to the dates)

• Vegan Drinks at Thien Tam Asia
  📅 Date: Friday, July 25, 2025
  🕒 Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
  📍 Location: Thien Tam Asia, 2907 Dundas St W

  This month’s Vegan Drinks meetup lands at Thien Tam Asia in the Junction. Expect a relaxed evening of conversation, summery floral outfits, and fully vegan pan-Asian food and drinks. The event is open to everyone—vegans, veg-curious, and allies alike—with no cover charge (though guests are encouraged to support the venue by purchasing food or drinks). Name tags will be provided to help break the ice. Just show up and join in.

• Vegan Potluck & Nature Walk
  📅 Date: Sunday, July 27, 2025
  🕒 Time: 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM
  📍 Location: Sylvan Park, 55 Sylvan Ave, Scarborough
  📝 Note: In case of bad weather, the event will move to Scarborough Village Recreation Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd

  This casual summer meetup begins with a vegan potluck at 12:30 PM (meal starts at 1 PM sharp), followed by a relaxed group walk along the Doris McCarthy Trail to Gates Gully around 3 PM. Attendees are asked to bring their own reusable dishes and utensils, and all food shared must be vegan. Swimming in the lake is possible at your own risk. Everyone is welcome, including veg-curious and vegetarians, as long as contributions to the potluck are fully plant-based.

• Toronto Black Vegan Festival
  📅 Date: Sunday, August 3, 2025
  🕒 Time: 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
  📍 Location: STACKT Market, 28 Bathurst Street
  🎟️ Admission: Free

  Organized by Black Vegans of Toronto, this annual festival is a celebration of plant-based living through a Black cultural lens. The event features a diverse lineup of Black-owned vegan food vendors, offering dishes inspired by African and Caribbean traditions. Attendees can also explore a variety of plant-based products, including skincare, wellness items, and fresh produce from Black farmers. The festival aims to promote health, sustainability, and community empowerment within the Black community.

• A Fundraiser for Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary: MONKEY MAGIC
  📅 Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025
  🕒 Time: 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
  📍 Location: GLB Brewpub, 11 Lower Jarvis St. Units 5-8
  🎟️ Tickets: $110 – includes two 11oz pours of beer, vegan and vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, live music by Big Night Out, and access to a monkey art auction (It is unclear how to buy tickets though…)

  GLB Brewpub is hosting a special fundraiser in support of Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, home to 23 rescued primates including the artistic Pockets Warhol. Guests can expect fresh beer, plant-based bites, live tunes, and the chance to bid on original monkey-made art. All proceeds go toward sanctuary care and operations.

• Vegandale Toronto 2025
  📅 Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
  📍 Location: Woodbine Park
  🎟️ Tickets available: Here ($$ increase after today)
  Vegandale returns to Toronto for another full day of food, music, art, and ethical consumerism—all 100% vegan. While specific vendors and performers have yet to be announced, past events have featured global plant-based brands, bold branding, and an unapologetically vegan atmosphere.

• VegTO Fest 2025
  📅 Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025 (11:00 AM – 7:00 PM) & Sunday, September 21, 2025 (11:00 AM – 6:00 PM)
  📍 Location: Nathan Phillips Square.
  🎟️ Free admission
  🌱 VegTO Fest announced it will return for its 40th anniversary with the theme Eat. Innovate. Transform. Expect two full days of plant-based food vendors, guest speakers, and community-driven experiences focused on the future of sustainable and compassionate living. More details to come closer to the date.

• Animal Law & Advocacy Conference 2025
  📅 Date: Friday to Sunday, September 26–28, 2025
  🕒 Time: Full-day programming; Friday includes a student conference and evening reception
  📍 Location: Toronto Metropolitan University
  🎟️ Tickets: Available at alaconference.ca
  The 7th annual Animal Law & Advocacy Conference, hosted by Animal Justice, returns to Toronto this fall with three days of sessions, networking, and plant-based catering. Formerly known as the Canadian Animal Law Conference, the event has broadened its focus to include advocates and community leaders beyond the legal profession. Programming kicks off Friday with a dedicated student day and a welcome reception, followed by two days of workshops and panels featuring Canadian and international experts in animal law and advocacy. Early bird tickets are now available online.
  

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