Time To Reap

On my way to Beast Bodega, I passed by record store Rotate This. After a quick chat I found out they were still handling refunds for cancelled shows. So I came back in the early evening to return tickets of concerts (Vagabon, Kate Davis, Austra) from March through May. With the afternoon heat still lingering, the patios on Dundas St. W and Ossington were hopping. I couldn't find a seat and vegan restaurant The Grow Op had shuttered.

But I spied that in a basement unit next to The Painted Lady, there was a new take-out spot called Season Six. Their sandwich board listed vegan dishes so I descended down to take a look. Apparently, they aimed to serve seasonal ingredients across "six seasons of vegetables" with a menu change every 2 months. Husband-and-wife duo Brett and Lara had the bad luck to open it in April at the height of the pandemic.

Being at the tail end of the Fall Harvest, I opted for The Oktoberfest ($13). It arrived as a warm and hearty semi-stew of white beans, kale, and big chunks of beet. I couldn't believe how "authentic" the smokey bratwurst tasted, though I had a niggling doubt. After I checked their menu online, it was a "real" sausage after all. Season Six had vegan-friendly dishes, but it wasn't a plant-based outfit. I had already eaten meat today with a Bolognese pasta, so that was all right.