Best Vegan Pizza Ever at Vella

There's a great little cafe named Vella just up the street from us on Western Ave., and I couldn't be happier that they've started serving a dinner menu of gourmet pizzas three nights a week. (You can see my review of them on UrbanSpoon.)

Their vegan Everything but Meat pizza is so fantastic, my husband brought home two of them yesterday and I spent time trying to figure out its magic. Here's what I think is on it:

• Caramelized onion - this makes up the richness of the flavor base, since there's no pasta sauce, cheese or meat on it. The onions are thick and gooey, smeared on the light crust.
• Roasted garlic - mixed into the onion base.
• Olive tapenade with basil - this is the most mysterious mix. It's heavy on the basil and light on the olives, and it's finely chopped and dotted all around the pizza.
• Cremini mushrooms - these are sliced really thin so that the edges get a little crispy under the heat of the oven.
• Roasted plum tomatoes - not sure where they're getting these, or if they make them ahead, but WOW are they packed with flavor and delicious.
• Spinach
• Basil leaves

So now I can start experimenting in the kitchen.