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First Canadian Place -food court, King and Bay, 416-368-0100;

Compete catered vegetarian meals with many dairy and wheat-free options from $12 per person, including all taxes. Open Monday to Friday 8 am to 6:30 pm (Kingston Road: Monday to Thursday 10 am to 5 pm). Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free Rating: NNN

the tastiest takeout in the downtown underground PATH system. But especially at this time of year, its vegetarian vittles readily combine to make an alternative and festive feast - toothsome cabbage:rolls ($3.99), zucchini lasagna ($4.49), latkes (finely shredded potato, yam and root veg, $1.69 each/$17.99 dozen) and lactose- and wheat-free vegan pizza with nutty basil pesto and sun-dried tomato on crisp unleavened flatbread ($2.79/slice). No cheese, chilies or garlic, naturally, but very flavourful nevertheless.

Many will be surprised by the taste intensity of scary-sounding seaweed salad - slippery hijiki, crunchy almonds, red pepper, celery, black beans and sweet bell pepper in a zesty dressing spiked with wasabi, soy and turbinado sugar. Couscous Carnival packs both crunch and punch -finely diced mango, apple, Technicolour peppers and dried cranberries over grains in a wonderful apple cider vinaigrette. Super-grain quinoa comes mixed with cubes of meaty tofu in garlicky honey Dijon balsamic (all $1.69/100 grams) "Count me converted.

I later learn there'd been a spicing mix-up in the kitchen, which explains why vegetarian tourtiere ($12.99) looks exactly like the Quebecois Christmas pork pie but is so overloaded with cloves - cloves!? - that a slice could cure a toothache. Nice gothic touch: a cross in the top crust formed in fork prints. "

On the dessert front, gluten and dairy-free cheesecake topped with blueberries ($19.99) tastes almost as rich as the real thing. According to the fine print on the packaging, Cool Hemp organic non-dairy dessert ($5.99/500 ml) -think fake chocolate ice cream -is cholesterol-free. It also contains zero THC. (Damn.)

For more vegan and veggie-friendly options, check out the info-packed Web site (www.naturallyyours.ca) that allows you to arrange" catering online.

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