CoverStory 28. Best business lunch
36. Best salad
1. In Common
1. Rebel Salad*
2. Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar
2. The Growing Season Juice Collective
3. Daytona’s Kitchen & Creative Catering*
29. Best sushi
3. In Common
1. Wasabi Japanese Restaurant*
37. Best vegetarian/ vegan restaurant
2. Tokyo House
1. Bonobo’s Foods
3. Sushi Station
2. The Growing Season Juice Collective*
30. Best pasta
3. Rebel Salad
1. Bar Italia Restaurant 2. Nook* 3. Giorg Cucina é barra
31. Best bon bons 1. Mr. Chinese* 2. Oriental Garden 3. Fort William Curling Club Kitchen
32. Best noodle bowl 1. Thai Kitchen* 2. Golden Wok Chinese & Vietnamese Restaurant 3. Oriental Garden
33. Best Indian restaurant (new category) 1. Masala Grille 2. Monsoon Thunder Bay 3. Indian Bistro
34. Best Middle Eastern restaurant (new category) 1. Damascus Donair
38. Best kid-friendly restaurant 1. Wacky’s* 2. Montana’s BBQ & Bar 3. Neebing Roadhouse
39. Best restaurant 1. Tomlin Restaurant* 2. Daytona’s Kitchen & Creative Catering 3. Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar
Morgan Zimmer
40. Best fine dining
Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant
1. Tomlin Restaurant* 2. Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar 3. Lot 66 Restaurant and Wine Bar
41. Best buffet 1. Prospector Steak House 2. Masala Grille 3. Tokyo House
42. Best pub food 1. The Sovereign Room* 2. Madhouse 3. The Foundry
43. Best food truck/trailer 1. Local Motion
2. Best Bite Shawarma 3. Famous Tandoor Restaurant
35. Best smoothie 1. The Growing Season Juice Collective* 2. Booster Juice 3. Kelly’s Nutrition Centre & Juice Bar
Since 2013, Pinetree Catering’s Chef Nikos Mantis and Shawna Deagle
Bonobo’s Foods Story by Michelle McChristie, Photo by Adrian Lysenko
W
e first introduced our readers to Bonobo’s Foods in the fall of 2010. Back then, the unassuming little restaurant on Oliver Road was brand-spanking-new and one of the few local establishments to offer plant-based take-out and groceries. Bonobo’s was founded by Tony and Sacha Vande Weghe, who were motivated by their passion for a sustainable lifestyle and ethical treatment of animals; they quickly earned a reputation for fresh and delicious vegetarian fare. When the Vande Weghes decided to retire from the restaurant biz in 2018, long-term employee Morgan Zimmer was keen to take the reins. She purchased the business last January and leads a team of six employees who cook up classics, such as six varieties of veggie burgers, poutine, sandwiches,
salads, and more. Zimmer says the restaurant is “guided by the simple Buddhist philosophy of kindness to all living things.” She has made a few changes in the past year, such as featuring weekly specials to introduce new menu items, and is contemplating expanding beyond take-out and dine-in services to include catering. Zimmer says Bonobo’s appeals to a mixed clientele—i.e., not just vegans and vegetarians—and attributes this to a general increase in awareness of health issues. A year into her career as a restaurateur, she is confident she made the right decision and is thankful for the ongoing mentorship and guidance from the Vande Weghes. Most of all, Zimmer finds it rewarding to work with amazing employees that she learns from every day and produce quality products people enjoy.
*2018 winner
The Walleye
11