Two years in the past this month, Greenhouse Canteen & Bar opened its doorways on the ever-expanding Fifth Avenue hall within the Grandview neighborhood. The all-vegan and gluten-free restaurant was—and nonetheless is—the primary stateside outpost of a small Australian chain.
The restaurant’s authentic location in Queensland opened in 2013, capitalizing on the ever-increasing demand for plant-based eating because the ethos of a restaurant, not merely an afterthought. In its residence nation, the restaurant is marketed as “ve-glam”—an upscale strategy to animal-free dishes.
The latter is the half that offers me pause. As a critic, my final purpose is to reply a easy, two-part query with each overview: What does this restaurant wish to be, and is it profitable?
Greenhouse Canteen, whose native menu is almost equivalent to that of its Australian sister places, units unfair expectations for itself by calling itself upscale. The vibe is far more of an informal café. Shiny and ethereal with emerald inexperienced accents and blond wooden tables and chairs, all lit by outsized Edison lightbulb pendants. Parts are nearly comically enormous. And dishes typically lack finesse and enhancing, with too many extras thrown onto the plate.
I’ll cease there, lest you start to suppose that I didn’t take pleasure in eating at Greenhouse Canteen. Regardless of its id disaster (and overstuffed plates), many of the dishes listed below are well-seasoned, well-prepared and addictingly scrumptious.
The steadfast menu is influenced by consolation food-style dishes from everywhere in the globe—from Mexico to Morocco to Korea—and is split into small plates and mains, although a meal could possibly be made out of both relying in your stage of starvation. A few of the most profitable dishes hail from the deep fryer.
Battered and fried with chickpea flour, the cauliflower wings ($12) are a full of life starter, particularly when doused with the really helpful Korean sauce that has an impeccable steadiness of sweetness and warmth. Served on the facet, the cooling cashew ranch is a pleasant contact, as is the ample facet salad with punchy French dressing. Add crackly shoestring fries and a Jackie O’s Mystic Mama IPA and also you’ve received a memorable, bar-food-esque meal.
The outer shell of the arancini balls ($14) satisfyingly cracks like an egg, exposing a creamy brown rice and caramelized mushroom heart. It’s a tasty dish however might have used a bit extra of the promised sage, and rather less of the cashew Parmesan that’s so heavy-handed on dietary yeast, it’s distracting.
The mushroom cheeseburger ($20) is without doubt one of the extra attention-grabbing dishes on the menu. It’s a towering fork-and-knife affair that replaces the bun with tempura-fried portabella mushrooms—a intelligent contact because the crackling of the tempura feels as satisfying as a well-toasted bun. The lentil and tofu patty is well-seasoned and holds its form properly.
Different profitable dishes embody the pumpkin Alfredo gnocchi ($15), a textbook fall dish. The gnocchi are smooth, pillowy. The intense orange pumpkin sauce is wealthy and nutty. Completely charred mushrooms lower by the richness. And a slight undercurrent of truffle oil offers it earthy dimension. In the meantime, the vermicelli pancake ($18) is a dense and crisp, dinner-plate-size noodle dish topped with fiery tofu scramble. The dish virtually vibrates with a chile jam that has caramelized onion sweetness and scorching pepper warmth.
Some dishes might have benefited from a little bit extra focus. The jackfruit within the enchiladas ($22) is tender and splendidly cumin-spiced, and each chew was made higher by the vegan bitter cream and sides of pickled onions and cabbage. If the dish had stopped there, it might be a house run. There was actually no want for the bitter chocolate mole drizzled on prime or the undressed facet of lettuce—sideshows that distracted from the principle occasion. The eggplant moussaka ($22) is an formidable dish trying a vegan béchamel to tie the roasted eggplant and lentil stew collectively. Nevertheless it misses the mark, too nutty and thick in consistency. The flavors are good, however there are higher dishes to be discovered right here.
Service is the brightest spot at Greenhouse Canteen. On two visits, the employees have been attentive and clear champions for the meals, describing dishes with such deftness and enthusiasm that I needed to order the whole lot. This additionally makes me consider there are extra plant-based gems but to be found and served at this stateside spot.
Greenhouse Canteen & Bar
1011 W. Fifth Ave., Fifth by Northwest, 614-525-0202
greenhousecanteen.com/columbus
Hours: 5 p.m. to shut Monday by Saturday
To not Miss: The spicy cauliflower wings doused in a Korean sauce, arancini balls and the vermicelli pancake
This story is from the October 2022 situation of Columbus Month-to-month.
