Top Six in the 6: Comfort Food Spots to Warm Your Soul

You don’t have to eat meat to enjoy the comforting effect of a hearty meal. As the name implies, this restaurant serves up vegan fare – including plant-based iterations of comfort food staples. Shredded soy drenched in homemade barbeque sauce makes for a delicious pulled “unpork” sandwich and beer battered tempeh allows for classic “phish” and chips. Several dishes feature the Hogtown Vegan’s “unchicken” whether in a Caesar wrap, on a bed of fluffy waffles or in the southern combo alongside their creamy vegan mac n’ cheese. Don't miss the deep-fried banana split with coconut milk ice-cream and chocolate sauce. 

Chica’s Nashville Hot Chicken serves its namesake with the addition of a few sides – waffle cut fries, coleslaw and bean salad. The chicken here is monstrous in size and comes in the form of wings, quarters and sandwiches. Platters of the crispy fried fowl come ready to share. For those who can’t handle the heat, the spice levels range from mild all the way to “hot af” for heat fiends. Brought in from a local farm in Milton, the chicken served at Chica’s is grain fed, free run and halal so you don’t have to feel guilty while you indulge in this comfort food.

In the Roncesvalles Village, this restaurant-cum-grocer offers simple Italian food and pantry staples. Their delicious, fresh-made pasta comes in an assortment of shapes and lengths from gnocchi and rigatoni to tagliatelle and spaghettoni. Take it home to cook at your leisure or enjoy something from their restaurant menu. For the ultimate comfort, dine-in items are also available for takeout at Alimentari so you can cozy up with their daily stuffed pasta or soup at home in your pyjamas.

While the menu at Petty Cash is split into two sections – the other half is Fresh and Familiar – you're probably going to want to chow down on the 'Down and Dirty" side of things this winter. Classic staples like their popcorn chicken, buttermilk wings and tacos are all there for your snacking needs when you need warming up from the inside. The Not-So-Petty Burger is made with house-ground beef, adorned with special sauce and a pickle, and a bun stamped with their mascot, "Piggy Smalls". Or order the Carne Asada Nachos, which comes with a tableside cheese pour, because you're worth it.

Spice up your life this winter with a trip to Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen to sample their menu full of Caribbean classics with a twist. A jerk oven was built into Chubby’s kitchen (its chimney actually runs through the second floor to the roof) so options from the Jerk Pit Grill section of the menu are a good bet. Start with the ackee and saltfish bites, set atop doughy dumplings, and move onto the jerk chicken, with juicy and tender chunks of meat inside a spicy marinade. Even side dishes, like the fried okra, with its sprinkling of scotch bonnet dust, is guaranteed to clear out your sinuses.