Sorelle and Co. is in its own restored historical house in Vaughan, near Rutherford and Bathurst. They “mix refined elegance with healthy, worry-free ingredients and a family-friendly style”. The biggest reason to visit this restaurant is their commitment to be free of gluten, soy, and nuts – three of the most common allergens! All of their food and desserts are vegan as well, so anyone with almost any kind of dietary restriction, lifestyle choice, or allergy should be able to eat here happily and with confidence!
The first impression I got when driving up to the restaurant was one of a beautiful home that stood out among the other buildings and strip malls in the area. There is a big painted sign in front with “Sorelle and Co.” on it – you can’t miss it when driving by and it looks like it’s a quaint little bakery in the middle of the country, not in a big city suburb! As we walked in, a dazzling display of desserts greeted us, and my little brother immediately started trying to decide which ones he was going to eat (he wanted “more than one”!). We sat down at a table with ornate and comfortable chairs that followed the same colour scheme as the rest of the building (turquoise, white, and gold). Each place setting had a placemat with the Sorelle and Co. logo on it and a reusable coaster.
After looking at the small menu for a few minutes, I decided to order the Caprese Panini, which includes kale pesto, onion jam, tomato, arugula and vegan mozzarella. It was good, but not amazing, it could be upgraded easily if it has more filling or less bread, but the bread was delicious. My sister ordered the Mediterranean Panini, which had roasted vegetables and roasted red pepper hummus on it. She enjoyed it a lot, but same comment about filling. My sister is the one in our family with severe food allergies and sensitivities, and being able to order ANYTHING off the menu was so exciting, she could not stop smiling, and I think she even clapped a few times. My mom got the Baby Kale and Romaine Caesar, which was mediocre for a salad of its kind, but again was so happy to be watching my sister happy, and eating with confidence that she had no complaints. My brother got a grilled cheese sandwich, which was a classic treat, and he really enjoyed it with a side salad. My siblings both enjoyed smoothies, while I opted for a kombucha from Live.
After we finished our main meal and spent a while debating over desserts, which all look beautiful in the pristine display cases across the counter, we finally decided on their cookies and cream donut, a lemon meringue tart, and a nanaimo bar. They were pretty good, and my brother did ask for another donut (which is typical of him :). The lemon meringue tart was the favourite. We didn’t have a cupcake, even though they had chocolate medallions in the top of the icing, made by Stacey from Live on Chocolate, who raved about the space to my mom. Her chocolate is organic and fair trade and melts in your mouth.
A really unique part of Sorelle and Co. is their upstairs party room. It’s really nice, bright and you can rent it for a party or a special event at Sorelle and Co., they have a special functions room upstairs that seats 10-12, and they have the option to rent out all of their upper level, which seats around 20. I didn’t get all of the information, as they were very busy and not able to speak, but it’s worth exploring if you, or your family have allergies, as it is a treat to eat without worry in a beautiful space.
Even though this cute little space is a little bit distant from the core of Toronto, it is a great spot to take friends and family for a quick, allergen-free meal or pick-up allergy-friendly, gluten-free, vegan dessert, great for school-safe treats, too! I think it’s important to support a business doing so much good and trying to appeal to many, and while enjoying, ask for what you want more of. In my case, I would love to have them use and sell organic ingredients instead of conventional ones, and add a bit more excitement to their menu, but I look forward to our return, we intend to go back soon!
