Opening an organic restaurant in Toronto is a true feat. Just ask Amy Chow who, along with husband Jackson Cheong, spent three years planning and sourcing to make their fresh, local, organic-themed eatery, True, a reality.

Yes, the demand for all things processed-, pesticide- and chemical-­free continues to grow apace as an increasingly sophisticated, health-conscious public becomes ever-more vigilant in its search for unadulterated foodstuffs — and now more so, in light of the recent listeriosis hysteria.

Yet ample supplies of healthier food remain elusive. “We’re at about 80 to 85 per cent of our menu being organic,” says Chow, who continues to dutifully search out organic products to fill in the blanks, from adding organic and bio-dynamic wines, to providing organic hand soap in the bathrooms. “It’s going to take the industry a few years to catch up [to the demand].”
But it shouldn’t take long for culinistas to get wind of True. Aside from being a design rhapsody in white, and a great backdrop for fake ’n’ baked Yorkvillians, the three-month old establishment certainly made True believers out of us.

One would expect that a carpaccio ($15) of tenderloin (source: The Butchers) would be served raw. Not so at True. And though it might peeve purists, gossamer slices of lightly seared beef are boosted by peppery accents with further flavouring from shaved Reggiano; ditto for a spicy Italian sausage ($10), its crumbly, saliva-inducing texture indicative of its all natural pedigree. But its side salad of organic greens, although fresh, reveals a laziness that could easily be remedied by a pairing of caramelized onions or fresh figs in a balsamic reduction.

A four mushroom pizza ($16) maintains the stellar quality of starters. Served on a crispy thin whole-wheat crust, and certainly big enough for two to share, it offers a tasty combo of shiitake, button, portabella and cremini, but we are confused as to why the kitchen doesn’t mix the earthy variety instead of segregating each into their own quarters.

Alas, mixing is not always the answer, especially in the case of an apple, pear and walnut salad ($10). While toasted nuts and currants provide a nice balance with a sweet and tangy, honey-laced red-wine vinaigrette, the presentation is far from artful, even messy, with overly large and fleshy fruits further curbing any culinary enthusiasm for what reads like a delightful dish. Of course, the addition of some fine blue cheese ($4) helps, but leaves a sour taste when one has to pay extra to improve a meal that should’ve been better-tested prior to serving.

A bowl of corn-flour penne ($16) also underwhelms. A smoky mélange of shiitake mushrooms, spinach, black olives and sun-dried-tomato pesto hits the taste buds bang on, but a somewhat rubbery pasta and limp pancetta ultimately drag this dish down into chain-restaurant mediocrity. A veal chop ($33), on the other hand, is a hefty 12 ounce, milk-fed portion of carnivore cloud nine. Cooked anD ordered medium-rare, each pink and silky slice requires only the daintiest of chews before swallowing.

Desserts, too, leave us in the clouds. The apple pie ($8) impresses with a super flaky, hand-moulded crust stuffed with currant-laced apple slices enhanced with tangy clove. And while one Globe and Mail food critic may not find the spongy, gorgeously dense and moist texture of True’s bread pudding ($8) pleasing, it’s guaranteed that traditionalists will not find it “vile.” Quite the opposite, in fact; we love this classic, studded with plump currants and topped with a miraculously crispy brown-sugar crust. It’s so perfect in fact, the only problem is a redundant crème anglaise.

Yes, it is a bit monotonous how many times the menu mentions the word “organic,” not to mention how many times the server utters it. At any moment, one of us was going to jump up and yell, “Yes, we know, it’s organic; if you mention it one more time, we’re going to devour a whole Maple Leaf deli ham right in front of your eyes.” Seriously, though, there are plenty of other restaurants proffering local, farm-fresh organics, but no one to date has been able to transform this hideous ’70s mini-mall walkup into a style oasis that serves some pretty fine fare. The owners of True are to be commended for that.