Mela Italian Café $30 (1*) dishes up delicious and hearty veggie fare.

The awning of this tiny Yorkville gem boasts the words “vegetarian magic”, and chef/owner Roberto Granata’s wizardry at conjuring hearty southern-Italian fare has been known to transform even devote carnivores into regular customers.

Onions and garlic get checked at the door with the flesh delivery and yet Granata’s ability to summon flavour from few ingredients, like a fluffy and fragrant wedge of saffron risotto pie, astounds. Its stringy layer of melted mozzarella, chunks of red pepper and a pool of perfect marinara simply enchant. Other daily features might include breaded eggplant Panini; a good effort of thin and crisp whole wheat flatbread with mozza, fresh basil and more delicious marinara but the aubergine ends up tasteless and mushy. Better is a kitchen-sink roasted salad of kale, black cabbage and crunchy whole bean spouts (garbanzo, French lentil and yellow pea), among a pile of other smoky veg.

Desserts, some made in-house like a thick and cinnamon-y wild blueberry pie or gooey and flaky butter tarts offer further appeal. Vegan options and organic ingredients feature heavily.

Cooking classes available.

• 7a Yorkville Ave., Toronto
• 416-916-0619