Elevated Plant Forward Cuisine: The Acorn Restaurant

The Acorn hit the scene in 2012 with a noble (and delicious) mission: owner Shira Blustein wanted to open a restaurant that celebrated vegetables and didn’t just bury them on the plate. Thirteen years later, this zero-waste, Michelin-recommended restaurant with deep relationships with local farmers has become a neighbourhood staple in the heart of Mount Pleasant.

Under the leadership of Head Chef Matt Gostelow in the kitchen, the award-winning locavore restaurant has blossomed into a destination for diners seeking refined vegetable-forward meals made from ultra-fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Not familiar with the term “locavore”? Let’s break it down. This word embodies The Acorn’s entire philosophy. It means to have a diet consisting of only locally grown and produced food, but don’t confuse “local” for limited. Trust us, no one is doing locavore like The Acorn. Order the Yu Choy with flowering currant glaze and oyster mushroom, and you’ll see what we mean.

Whereas vegan and gluten free diners often get the short end of the stick when dining out, The Acorn has flipped the script and put these options centre-stage.

Working closely with the sustainable, two-acre farm Vive Le Veg in Ladner, BC, the produce used by this top organic restaurant is picked fresh at peak season and delivered to the restaurant without ever seeing the inside of a fridge. The outcome? 99% of everything served to diners at this restaurant was grown, harvested, or made in BC or Western Canada, including pantry staples like Vancouver Island Sea Salt and Flourist flour.

Plus, with a fully staff-run garden just outside the restaurant’s doors, you’ll be sure to find edible blossoms and herbs grown mere steps away right on your plate or in your cocktail.

All out of season ingredients are preserved and fermented in house at peak season, so they can be used throughout the year. This means that the top organic restaurant doesn’t bring in any out of season imports. At all! From bright greens in the Spring to comforting root vegetables in the Winter, there’s never a bad season to drop in and indulge in a meal that is truly from the earth under your feet.

Operating under a “from seed to stalk” philosophy, The Acorn’s zero-waste kitchen uses trimmings, skins, and pits that would traditionally be discarded, re-purposing them into the mind-blowing flavours that have won The Acorn its national awards for excellence, its features in the New York Times and Bon Appetit, and its first place ranking for best vegan restaurant in the world by Big Seven Travel.

And their commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop at being one of Vancouver’s top organic restaurants. The building itself was built using recycled BC plywood and lumber yard off-cuts. Next time you’re sharing a Blackberry and Chèvre Parfait over candlelight, check out the upcycled and repurposed décor, including reclaimed woodwork and locally made ceramics.

At The Acorn, you can actually taste a real passion for sustainability on your plate. And don’t be surprised if the plate itself is locally crafted, too.