Because of Rob’s food restrictions, we’re always on the lookout for good vegan restaurants. We have our usual Kelly’s Bakeshoppe and Lettuce Love in Burlington, Raw Aura in Port Credit and Plant Matter Kitchen in London (which is too far to go to on a whim). Recently we went to Hogtown Vegan in Toronto for the first time. An old friend of mine posted about it on Facebook about a year ago and we kept forgetting to check it out.

Hogtown Vegan has your basic tables and chairs, green walls and the only decoration in the whole restaurant were a few album covers lined up on the walls. The room is really nothing special to look at. The food, however, was beyond anything I ever expected. Firstly, everything everyone else ordered looked scrumptious. We honestly wished we could try the whole menu because it all looked so good. I narrowed down my decision to the Southern Combo – breaded, fried soy “pork” chunks, creamy mac ‘n “cheese” and sautéed garlic collard greens served with a side of house-made bbq sauce. It was the best meal I’ve ever had, and I’m not vegan. I love meat. Give me a rare steak or lamb and I’m in Heaven. But those “pork” chunks blew my mind. It’s now my mission to learn how to make them.

Rob ordered the “Bacon Cheeseburger” – Soy patty topped with melted Daiya cheese, tofu, “bacon”, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard and shredded lettuce on a sesame seed bun. Now my husband doesn’t like to share his food. It’s just one of his things. He’ll say “I’ll save you some at the end” but never does, so it took a lot of convincing to get him to give me a bite of his burger. When I got my chance, I took the biggest bite of life and blew any chance I ever had of getting some of his meal ever again. It was totally worth it though. I don’t know how they made that burger, but it tasted exactly like McDonald’s. EXACTLY like McDonald’s. Now I have two missions – find out how to make the “pork” and the “Bacon Cheeseburger”.

We will definitely be going back to Hogtown Vegan as often as possible.