By Riva Soucie

The Place: Tucked away near the Parkdale Market, Credible Edibles is a pretty cafe and patio. The business is devoted to delivering its popular “laptop lunches” (packed in a reusable system of insulated plastic containers and snap-shut bags), perfect packages for little hands or bumpy road trips. But the cafe is open for business, too, and sit-down meals, served on stainless sectioned plates, are elevated to contemporary cuisine with fresh produce and whole grains, farm-fresh eggs, creative salads, and grown-up desserts.

The Deal/The Dish: The Trio is made up of three courses chosen from a short menu (that changes monthly). There’s also a duo with just two courses and two serving sizes (small or regular). The food is simple and fresh and the best dishes stay close to the basics, like the Mexican bean wrap, rolled up with fresh house salsa. Alongside is chewy whole wheat farfalle with roasted asparagus tips, tender black beans and bites of artichoke. Balanced and simple. There are always soups on the menu, too. The tomato gazpacho is thick and hearty, full of ripe red tomatoes, and has a subtle hint of heat at the end. Finish off with a piece of moist rhubarb cake, made from local barb with a lovely, baked sugar crust. The walk back to work will be hot these days. Keep cool on the way back to work with a sweet green iced tea (made with agave, a low-glycemic alternative to sugar that won’t make you sluggish later on).

The Price: $11.25 (Small Trio) or $14.95 (Regular Trio)

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11am-3pm

Credible Edibles, 78 Hinton Ave. North, 613-558-7569, www.credible-edibles.ca.