Veggielicious is Toronto's newest dining festival

A little harsh... but still. Kind of like going to the Louvre and only wanting to see art that is blue.

don't see what anyone's problem with this is...if you aren't into vegetarian/vegan food it's simple, don't go. the city is full of places for meat-eaters.

i, for one, am excited to be able to actually have options at a food festival.

but, haters gonna hate.

veggies gonna veg yo

however, as an ex-veggie myself (we had a tough 6 year relationship, she thought she was giving, but I didn't feel the same, I felt empty inside several days a week), this is a nice surprise

hehe I get the AnthonyB and Jenny reference too! Good on you both!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-P2g7smQME

Crap quality, but I totally agree with the sentiment!

I'll wait for an actual food festival thanks very much. This could look a lot like the Toronto zombie walk with all those pasty faced vegans on the march.

Hey what did zombies ever do to you :p :p

Zombies love meat, your flesh or brains to be precise.

Veggielicious?
Great. Hippies and lesbians unite.

Why? because they feel guilty about consuming animals as part of their diet and feel better about themselves when they insult and degrade vegetarians.

Ignorant twits if you ask me.

I'm so excited most for the Live and Fressen menus!

It's rare I respond to other comments, but all of the negativity here is unfortunate. "Vegan" food is normal food. Everything I eat, those that eat an omnivorous diet could enjoy just as well. The vegetarian and vegan restaurants in this city offer a fantastic array of dishes that are beautiful, delicious and nutritious. Don't get me wrong, it's not impossible to find greasy vegan food either (Sadie's Diner and Hot Beans, anyone).

The thing about Veggielicious that makes me most happy, however, is that it is a response to the lack of diversity of the Winter and Summerlicious menus. Rarely are there options for vegans and vegetarians, no matter why they choose their diets, which is really unfortunate. This is an issue at many of the fine-dining restaurants in the city in general.

I just wish more people would inform themselves about the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, and that they would try our some of these delicious specials at great prices to see how great veg food can actually be, instead of making ridiculous assumptions about how vegans look, eat, act and live. We live in one of the greatest cities in the world to try this great food out.

-Luke.

People named Chad, Todd, Tanner, Sasha, and Hope "nosh" on "brekkie" which consists of roasted quinoa and gluten-free imitation cheddar corn bread. Upon returning home, they view this post and have no idea why they're being mocked.

Veg. Not beg.

Wow, meat certainly turns people into sour, hating miserable people. Am I ever glad I'm vegan! Wouldn't want to be like the haters. They're so yesterday.

Fantastic! Go veg Toronto!

His opinion of vegans is even more amusing, and I must say, he has a point. Vegetarians are generally tolerable though, as long as they don't push their views on others.

wonderful clip art! very appetizing!

I don't see the point of doing veggielicious if they don't have the set 3 course menu for 15, 25, 35 dollars like winterlicous and summerlicious does. I for one am a raw vegan and the only restaurant i've tried so far is rawlicious and the meal was decent, but would have to pay around 50 dollars for an appetizer, entree and desert which is a bit privacy. Isn't the whole point of having such a food festival setting a well put together meals at an affordable cost so people can try new things they wouldn't normally before? When I used to eat cooked foods that was what I enjoyed about them anyway.

Dear BlogTO,

Thanks for covering this upcoming event. Please ignore the truly bizarre and archaic responses to this article. Clearly anyone who makes the comment, "great, hippies and lesbians unite" has not emerged from a rock for the past forty years.
Good to know something as benign as a small food festival brings out the homophobe in some of us.

sweet. can't wait.

A great idea, on many levels. Cruelty-free, supports small restaurants, celebrates food, includes all. Thanks for posting BlogTO.

Awesome- thanks for blogging, Blogto. Delicious food and Toronto are 2 of my favourite things!

Not all meat eaters are ignorant, but those that are not ignorant have to accept that they are irresponsible. The resolve of their acceptance makes those people feel entitled to their opinion.

Luckily some irresponsible chatter hasn't prevented delicious vegetarian eateries from slowly opening across the city.

And lucky for moralists that reason spreads when information is accessible. It's really only a matter of time before the tables are turned.

Although there's no set Prix Fixe menus, each of the participating restaurants is offering some kind of a deal during the festival, usually on a combo like a meal with a drink or an appetizer and meal for a lower price than they would usually cost seperatly.

Wow, I'm surprised and saddened by the hostile posts. I would encourage those of you who are about to post something negative to do a little reading on the subject of veganism before writing the same ignorant "hippie" "I like my bacon" nonsense we always hear.

Better yet, I challenge you to actually go to one of the participating restaurants to try the food. You'll get a great deal on a healthful delicious meal.

Thanks, Derek, for highlighting this festival! I've eaten at some of these restaurants but not others, and I'm looking forward to taking full advantage of the specials during this festival.

Great! Looking forward to the festival.
Would be great if non-veg restaurants came on-board and expanded their vegetarian options during the festival. Maybe this will happen as the festival matures.

Hate on, haters :)

Too bad someone had to be a hater.

As a Chef who regularly serves FoieGras for dessert, nothing is more fun and exciting for me than making the vegetable the star of the dish. I don't do it often enough, and Veggielicious is one of those great times when I remember how awesome they can be.

I want everyone to eat awesome food, not just carnivores. Some chefs have very meat-driven menus and get annoyed by having to cook without it. Never understood that - I suppose they are just not good enough to make vegetables taste great.

I'm looking forward to doing a few events during this fest.

You actually believe that?

Did PETA tell you that?

To all those ridiculing vegetarianism/veganism - your intolerant, ill-informed and small-minded comments are reflections of your own ignorance (meaning lack of knowledge). Our current factory farming meat producing practices contribute to environmental degradation, global poverty, cancers and other health issues, let alone the inhumane treatment of the food animals. Perhaps you could educate yourselves before spewing off on things about which you aboviously know nothing, nor have taken the time to investigate, yet judmentally offer non-solicted commentary. It really reflects poorly on you.

Your poor use of correct punctuation "reflects poorly on you". You should really educate yourself about basic sentence structure.

Seriously surprised at the negativity flowing here! I love that Toronto offers such a wide variety of options and I will be checking out the fest. I have eaten at many of these restaurants but would love to try the places I have yet to experience.

Eating a veg or vegan meal does not make you a hippie or a lesbian! It makes you health conscious and earth conscious. I was a vegetarian for many years, I do eat meat on occasion however, I make very aware choices of the kind of meat I eat and where I purchase it from.You can eat a meal and obtains the need for balanced protein and it does not have to include animal.Veg and vegan meals can be delicious and filling. Perhaps you can try it!

If you have the opportunity,and choices available, why not eat clean? Your body will thank you, and be happy from having to digest all the chemicals and fillers that are in so much of the food we exposed to. Eat, enjoy life, try to be happy and focus on what you like instead of complaining about what you are against.
Cheers