Gold Winner enVie - A Vegan Kitchen
Silver Winner Wild Leek
Bronze Winner Heartwood, Quinpool Road
“It’s our staff. I know that’s cliche but it’s just the truth,” says Cory Urquhart, explaining why the Agricola Street eatery has once again nabbed gold in the realm of meat-free eats. “A lot of them are friends outside of work. We’re a small team and people who don’t fit with the vibe tend to weed themselves out.” That vibe—of hard work, attention to detail and focusing on building an experience for vegans and carnivores alike—has been of the utmost importance for the restaurant’s co-owner/operator. “A lot of places when they start getting this popular, they expand or open a second location,” he explains. Rather than risk losing the magic in the air at enVie by going too big too soon or spreading themselves too thin, Urquhart says he and his staff continue to focus on making things better all the time where they’re at. “It’s just great that we all love coming into work every day.”