Our first visit to The Mercy Seat had acted as a kind of cruel taunt to our coeliac buddy K from In the Mood for Noodles so when she discovered they'd started providing some gluten-free options, she and Toby grabbed us for a quick weekend lunch (and turned around a blog quicker than we have!).Cindy and I had spent our first visit eyeing off the various dishes we hadn't ordered, so were happy to have another chance at the menu. Cindy went with the vegan BLT bagel (seasoned vegetarian bacon with sliced tomato, lettuce and house-made mayo on a savoury bagel, $8). The 'bacon' seemed to be a slightly tastier version than the standard Sanitarium fare (Redwood maybe) and the bagel was nicely toasted, but it turned out a little on the dry side. A heavier hand with the mayo would take this to a yummier place.
I decided to split two savoury dishes, thanks to Toby's enthusiasm for sharing. First up, the scrambled tofu I'd admired from afar on our first visit (pan-fried organic scrambled tofu, sautéed with sweet Spanish onion and sliced avocado on toasted rye, $10).
This was as good as it looks - turmeric and cayenne pepper were the most obvious spices in the tofu mix, but I reckon they might have snuck some cumin in as well. It's a generous serve for $10, especially with the avo on the side. Impressive.Our other split savoury was the Philly cheesesteak roll (torn vegetarian beef chunks, sauteed with chopped mushrooms, bell peppers and onion, covered with a melted cheese sauce on an organic baguette roll, $11/$11.50 with vegan cheese).
This is like the dapper little brother of the EBC's terrifyingly delicious cheesesteak roll with some pretty excellently flavoured mock-meat in a fresh, crusty. It's awkward to eat, especially with the thick layer of yellow sauce on top (the vegan version, possibly made using nooch, is pictured). A bit junkier than the scrambled tofu and not quite as great as the blackened tofu burger I had last time but still a success.Along with g-f bread, the Mercy Seat had added a homemade lemonade to their repertoire since our first trip - at $2 a glass this is a sweet and tangy treat that taunts you by looking just like a delicious mojito would.
Cindy was keen to sample one of the desserts (all vegan on our visit), opting for this cupcake ($4).
This was ordered in part to satisfy K's curiousity - she'd seen someone at another table get one and thought that it might have been vegan meringue. It was just prettily swirled two-tone vanilla icing though, on a tasty little vanilla cupcake.We're two wins from two attempts at The Mercy Seat - they've got a small menu of really well-priced vegan-friendly meals. They were doing a pretty good trade on Saturday, so the word is clearly getting out.
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Read about our first visit to The Mercy Seat here. Since then, Mapping the Peace have given it a good write-up.
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The Mercy Seat
31 Johnston Street, Collingwood
no phone
brekkies $7.5 - $10, lunches $10-$12
Facebook page
Accessibility: Flat entryway with a small step between the front room and the room with the counter (which is where you order and pay). It's fairly spacious and easy to get around, although we didn't suss out the bathroom situation.
31 Johnston Street, Collingwood
no phone
brekkies $7.5 - $10, lunches $10-$12
Facebook page
Accessibility: Flat entryway with a small step between the front room and the room with the counter (which is where you order and pay). It's fairly spacious and easy to get around, although we didn't suss out the bathroom situation.
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