Dining Out: Whole Heart Provisions

One of my 2017 New Year's resolutions is to up my breakfast game. In fact, I set my sights on five places to try this year and I'm on a pretty good roll. So far I've hit Koko Bakery and Linda's Donuts, and last week I finally made it to Whole Heart Provisions in Allston. 

Whole Heart Provisions opened on September 28, 2015 (the day before my birthday), bringing vegan food to the wonderfully veg-friendly neighborhood of Allston. The restaurant is run by Roxy’s Grilled Cheese owner James DiSabatino and chef Becca Arnold, who has cooked at Alden & Harlow and Sarma, two of the best restaurants in Greater Boston. 

I specifically wanted to visit for Sunday brunch, as I had seen a few Instagram photos that looked rather enticing. Whole Heart Provisions opens at 10am on Sundays and we were the first to walk in! 

The space is small, but warm and inviting with copper table tops, potted succulents and natural sun light pouring in through the front windows. 

The brunch menu is a nice mix of both savory and sweet. As a person who normally opts for veggie omelettes or eggs benedict, I was curious what the vegan options would be. 

In true research mode, we decided to basically get one of everything. 

To start, I ordered the fresh watermelon juice. I was originally tempted by the horchata cold brew, but I'm so glad I went with the juice because it was amazingly refreshing. It's everything you love about biting into a juicy slice of watermelon, without the sticky fingers or the seeds! 

Our first dish to arrive was the Huevos Rancheros. Because the dish is vegan, there aren't any eggs (huevos) but instead a tofu scramble, topped with cured tomato, Korean black beans, pineapple salsa, creamy gochugang and two huge, crispy tortillas.

For me, the tofu scramble left me longing for eggs. I wanted to be into it, but I just couldn't quite get there. That being said, I love the texture of the crunchy tortilla with the soft eggs. The gochugang was nice and spicy. The tomatoes and black beans helped to balance out the heat from the sauce. 

Next, we sampled the seared avocado tacos with orange miso, crispy lentils, cilantro, red cabbage slaw and limed onion. The order comes with two tacos - perfect for sharing. 

After a few bites, I found the taco to be too mushy. The crispy lentils and the cabbage should have added a bit of crunch, but the softness of the flour tortilla and the avocado turned out to be the dominant texture. 

On the side we had ordered the patatas bravas. The Whole Heart version comes sprinkled with chives and a side of harissa aioli.

These reminded me of the texture of plantains. I really enjoyed the crispy outside and the taste of the harissa dipping sauce. 

A Whole Heart team member came over with our final dish, the pancakes, and said, "I thought you would like to have these as your dessert."

The pancakes are matcha (so hot right now) and banana with three seed granola. Let me tell you, this dish was far and away my favorite. I would come back just to eat these again. 

Each pancake was incredibly fluffy. The taste was sweet, but not overly so. Each bite had a hint of coconut. I also saw that you can order these a la mode with FoMu ice cream. I mean . . .  

My first trip to Whole Heart Provisions was a huge success. I learned that I love watermelon juice (who knew?) and that matcha and banana pancakes are outrageously delicious. If you are a vegetarian, a vegan or even a person who just loves veggie-centric food, this place is a must.