The Peak

Tales of an Herbivore: Eat your art out

By Jenny Shutek

Location: 1046 Hamilton Street, Vancouver Vegetarian and vegan options: Yes. Omnivore options: Yes. Hours: Monday to Sunday, opens at 11:30 a.m., variable closing time

Yaletown’s Raw Canvas, the first stop of my vegetarian-friendly dining escapades in the Lower Mainland, is artistic and full of fresh culinary concoctions. However, Raw Canvas is not your average eatery. From its diverse menu options to its innovative setup, it creates a unique atmosphere and experience. This restaurant is also home to a union of culinary and visual arts: while the front section of the restaurant can accommodate both large parties and intimate gatherings of diners, the back is an art studio. Here, you can purchase a canvas, smock up, and get your Michelangelo on. The brainchild of owners, Paige Faraci and Steve Merkley, Raw Canvas was designed “to create a space where all can come to celebrate the finer things in life.”

What makes Raw Canvas particularly attractive is the diversity of the menu. Offerings vary from raw, vegan foods (foods not heated above 116°F are considered raw) to specialty meat and cheese platters. For the purposes of this review, of course, I will concentrate on the vegetarian-friendly aspects of the menu. As a first-time patron of Raw Canvas, I was unsure of what to expect, but was impressed by the availability of vegetarian and vegan food items. I decided to go big or go home, which in the vegetarian world translates into ordering exclusively raw, vegan food. Shortly after ordering, I received my jungle slaw salad and Thai wraps, which were plated beautifully on mini finished-wood trays.

The jungle slaw salad, a mix of cabbage, carrots, and sesame seeds smothered in a creamy avocado dressing, was a unique taste experience, albeit a rich one. This was nicely complemented by the clean-tasting Thai wraps (a combination of vegetable pâté and sprouted sunflower seeds wrapped in collard greens and served with delicious ginger and raisin chutney). This menu lends itself well to family-style ordering as the flavours are intense and the foods are rich. A range of other dishes, from vegetarian Lebanese mezze fare to wholesome soups, are also available. For patrons with a sweet tooth or those not strictly adhering to a raw or vegan diet, Raw Canvas serves up a tantalizing array of desserts and delicious coffee beverages (attention caffeine addicts: excellent lattes are to be had at Raw Canvas).

The extreme diversity of the menu presents a culinary paradox since the menu spans the vegan-carnivore gulf, offering everything from vegan salads to charcuterie fare and raw food to baked goods. Faraci, an omnivore herself, chose to include raw options because they are “an excellent way to get live enzymes,” as well as to offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options based on the belief that “all natural foods are good as long as they come from a healthy source and create a sustainable world.” Tantamount to the culinary experience, though, was the artistic ambiance of Raw Canvas.

Walking into Raw Canvas, I was immediately intrigued by the decor. As I settled into my oversized chair, I took in the flower-patterned wall paper, fanciful chairs, and diverse paintings that lined the wall and felt rather like a 1970s version of Alice at a tea party after she had consumed her bottle of shrinking potion. Raw Canvas’s relaxed atmosphere, complete with friendly, casual staff and patrons sipping lattes while working on laptops, allowed me to sit back and take in the culinary and artistic creativity.

If you are questing for vegetarian food (even if you will be accompanied by someone not walking with you down the strictly garden path), Raw Canvas offers a palate-challenging selection of legitimately vegetarian and vegan options in an artsy and imaginative setting that is entirely conducive to a lazy afternoon lunch or leisurely supper. I would advise ordering several dishes to share, checking out the art gallery nestled at the back of Raw Canvas, and saying hello to me when you see me at the next table.