Conversations Cafe & Bistro - Beamsville

4995 King Street
289-566-9365

Conversations is a casual, comfortable space that has steadily grown in its offerings since it arrived in Beamsville. There are a variety of seating arrangements available including sunny tables in the front window, cozy armchairs surrounding the fireplace, big booths for larger groups, and small tables tucked into nooks. In nicer weather, there is a covered patio area beside the back entrance.

When I asked specifically about vegan options, the response was enthusiastic:  "if you ever want to order a personalized salad ahead of time (with / without certain items) we are happy to accommodate that–if you call, we could make it for you ahead of time and have it ready for you when you arrive."

They offer almond milk that can be used in any of the tea or coffee beverages listed. For breakfast, they have a vegan fruit cup. For lunch or dinner, they have an assortment of salads available that are anything but your regular greens and a cherry tomato, including:

- The Classic Chef Salad
- The Spinach & Walnut Salad
- Greek Salad (without feta)
- Asian Chicken Salad (without chicken)
- Roasted beet salad (without feta)
- Arugula salad (without feta)
- Quinoa Salad (seasonal)

They were unable to guarantee that all of the salad dressings were vegan, but suggested, "if you wanted to bring your own confirmed-vegan dressing in, we would just need to know your name ahead of time so that we can record the "outside food's" entry into the restaurant, due to health & safety regulations."

They do seem eager to accommodate as best they can. Further, they said, "Always let our staff know your dietary needs; we will be happy to do our best to make salads without cross contamination, and also will know not include any cheese or chicken
."

Here is their full menu.

The bathrooms are clean and spacious.

There is a parking lot at the back entrance with additional street parking on King Street and a city lot 100 metres up North Lane.

Hours:
Monday to Saturday - 7am to 10pm
Sunday - 8am to 6pm

How to Connect:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Phone: 289-566-9365

Fiddler's Pour House - St. Catharines

149 St. Paul Street
St. Catharines
905-345-1225

Though some in our party weren't as happy with the ambience as I was (college kids were playing euchre at the table,...gasp, said the curmudgeons),.....we all agreed that the food was fabulous.

I helped with the samosas for a starter with some awesome peanutty dipping sauce,...then followed up with roasted cauliflower and fries. Delish. The roasted cauliflower came with vegan cheese, dried cranberries and almonds. I thought this sounded like a strange combo, but it totally worked. The cauliflower would have been equally good without the cheese.

Fiddlers has a menu with many specific vegan-option available items, including:

Appetizers:
Samosas
Kettle Chips
Battered Pickle Fries
Sweet Potato Fries

Mains:
Chicken Wings
Nachos
Chicken Tenders
Fiddlers Salad`
Garden Salad
Roast Cauliflower
Grilled Cheese

There are also many gluten-free options and vegan chicken and pulled pork can be added to most dishes, if desired. I asked about non-dairy options for coffee or tea and was told that although they do not have them usually, if I were to call ahead, they would make a point of picking some up and having it on hand. Pretty cool.

Parking is street parking with a somewhat pricey lot two doors down.

Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 11:30am to 11pm
Monday: 3pm to 11pm
(last call 2am)

Ways to Connect:
Website
Facebook
Twitter