Favorite Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant in Your Hometown
Posted by veganzrule on Feb 23, 2006 · Member since Dec 2005 · 3 posts
Hi Everyone,
My husband and I are trying to compile a list of vegetarian/vegan restaurants to keep handy for when we are travelling. We tend to visit many different cities on business and for pleasure, so I thought I'd ask around for everyone's favorite eateries. I know this stuff is available through various websites, but I'm inclined to trust word of mouth more! So please let me know, and hopefully we'll get to check them out at some point or another. Thanks!!
Seattle WA
Araya's - Vegan Thai
Hillside Quickies- Vegan Soul Food
Bamboo Garden - Vegan Chinese
The Globe - huge diner style vegan breakfasts
Carmeltia - Vegan fine dining
Cyber Dogs - vegan hogdog/cyber cafe
There are about 15 more that are good restaurants - all these are full vegetarian/vegan. Seattle is a great place to be Vegan.
A few more good New York City places:
Souen
13th St between University and 5th Ave
This is one of the first macrobiotic restautants in New York and has lots of vegan items although they do also serve fish. Very good food and nice atmosphere (lots of plants!)
Ozu
Amsterdam Avenue between 86th and 87th
The Almost Perfect (fried tofu, hijiki, and a carrot sauce) is very good here.
Quantum Leap
A few blocks south of Washington Square, (not sure of the exact address).
This is more vegan/vegetarian diner style food although they serve a wide range of other things also. They have great veggie burgers with fries and soy milk shakes.
Portland, OR:
Blossoming Lotus is all vegan and has lots of raw options in the Pearl District. Also has a big restaurant in Hawaii. Veganopolis - cafeteria style with lots of fake meat kinda stuff and downtown. India Chaat House- vegetarian cart with some seating and anything can be veganized and best indian food in Portland (located downtown). Paradox and Vita cafe - owned by the same people, all different kinds of food and great breakfast (NE Alberta and SE Belmont). Vegetarian House in Chinatown is yummy, the lunch buffet is a little sad, though. Also, I hear Vege Thai and Kalga Kafe are great but haven't tried yet. Don't forget to check out Food Fight, our all vegan grocery store on SE Division! :D
I went to a nice restaurant last night in north Cambridge,
so I thought I would add to this list. All the people in
the Boston area might want to check out the Elephant Walk
on Mass Ave. It has a section of the menu just for vegans.
the food was tasty and the veggies were nice and fresh.
Thanks, Brad. I'll have to check that out. I'm in Cambridge one day a week for my internship, and I've been looking for dinner places on that side of the river.
wow thanks everyone! i can't wait to try all of these delicious-sounding restaurants! i just realized that i never told you my faves....i'm in LA and i LOVE LOVE LOVE the newsroom cafe! no, it's not all vegan, it's not even all vegetarian (so it's nice when the in-laws are in town....), but the Vegan Spinadilla is GREAT and the Fire Roasted Artichoke (vegan) is to die for! omnis LOVE it! even my mother who is skeptical of ANYTHING labeled vegan! They also have a daily vegan special, so there's always something new and exciting on the menu!
Also, Real Foods Daily (RFD) is great! last time i was there i sat back to back with Alicia Silverstone 8)
In Ohio, the Mustard Seed Market and Cafe is great! There is a location in Akron and Solon (both are near Cleveland)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ecopolitan(Raw, Vegan) -- Minnesota's only raw vegan restaurant. Strawberry marinara, macadamia alfredo, 'living' pizzas- all delicious. This restaurant also boasts Minnesota's largest selection of organic, vegan, no-sulfites-added wine.
Galactic Pizza (not all vegetarian, but many vegan options) -- VEGAN PIZZAS WITH VEGAN GOURMET "CHEESE"!! They have many delicious specialty pizzas that can be made vegan, if requested- and many delicious organic (usually local) veggies that can be used on their pizzas. They also have seitan as a topping! Need I say more? Yes, I think that I should. All of the power purchased to run their restaurant is renewable wind energy. They have the Second Harvest Heartland pizza- $1 is donanted to that hunger relief organization every time that the pizza is ordered. Five percent of their after tax profits are donated to charity. If you order their pizza for delivery it will be delievered to your house via an electric vehicle by a person in a superhero uniform! This business rocks.
Pizza Luce (not all vegetarian, but many vegan options available) -- Also has vegan pizzas made with vegan gourmet 'cheese'. I must also note their sandwich section. Their Vegan "Mock Muffeleta" is a MUST TRY food item. I adore it.
Hard Times Cafe(Vegetarian) -- It's open 23 hours a day and serves organic, free-trade coffee. The crowd that hangs out here is unique- but don't let that discourage you! The entire menu is vegetarian and most things can be prepared vegan if requested. The entire menu is served the entire day- so you can have vegan pancakes for dinner or tofu chili with a tempeh reuben for breakfast if you so choose. It's also very reasonably priced. I love this place, it's one of my all time favorites.
French Meadow Bakery(Not all vegetarian- but many veg options) -- Vegan pastries, cookies, cakes, and even cheesecakes are served here daily, along with their regular menu of tofu scramble, vegan pancakes, tempeh reubens, veggie burgers, etc. The crowd is more Euro than that of Hard Times, and the prices reflect that. It's a good place for Sunday coffee (or tea) with the family, too.
Cafe Brenda (Not all vegetarian, but usually has many veg options) -- The menu changes with the seasons and with what's available locally that day. They have wonderful seitan tacos (which are almost always on the menu and vegan). There is always at least one vegan item on their small entree menu, usually more than that, though. They always have many vegan appetizers and salads, also). Average entree cost is around $20. They also have a great organic wine selection.
I love love love Dharma's in Santa Cruz, Ca. Everything is vegetarian and most things can be vegan. Wonderful stuff.
In Los Angeles California, I love RAW, in Santa Monica near the Promenade. It is totally Vegan, and totally Raw AND totally delicious. In Orange County, I love Native Foods in Costa Mesa, on Bristol, just south of the 405 fwy in The Camp shopping center. They have great, great all vegan food at good prices!
For Toronto Canada:
Here is a list of restaurants - some with my comments.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2003-10-02/goods_foodstory.php
Bo De Duyen which is number 16 on this list is my favorite.
It is very inexpensive. Their Beef Brisket Soup is fabulous. Their hot and sour soup is amazing. It tastes like it has orange juice in it and it's full of large pieces of dried shredded mushrooms.
One drawback is the decor. It is always kind of a mess and the ladies bathroom has had some temporary plumbing for as long as I can remember. If they cleaned up and spiffed up I bet they could charge twice as much.
Be aware that Lotus Garden (number 14) is closed.
I can also greatly recommend Simon's Wok (number 6 on the list).
I used to go to Buddha's Vegetarian Foods (number 11). My experience of ordering spring rolls: I would order 3 spring rolls. At 80 cents each this is a $2.40 order. The lady behind the counter starts barking orders in chinese (or possibly vietnamese) and a small army of elderly chefs springs into action chopping and frying the rolls - making them completely from scratch. You receive the rolls so fresh and hot they take 45 minutes to cool down in their takout container. They are incredibly good. I don't live near there anymore so I don't go and I don't like to trouble them!
Portland, OR
Old Wives Tales -- vegan and vegetarian. Yum food, family atmosphere.
Calendula -- more upscale, all vegan, all excellent (check out those desserts!)
I forgot to mention that in San Francisco, Golden Era is AMAY!!! it is 100% vegetarian, and almost all of that is vegan (i think there is one fake shrimp dish that is not vegan and you can order thai iced tea in both vegan and regular varieties). Anyway, it's really really good and there are tons of interesting meat analogs to try. the appetizers are all really delicious.
I know Seattle was already mentioned but I have add Cafe Flora. The Portabella Wellington is AMAZING! And I love the Globe. And Teapot. Come to Seattle, it's delicoius!!
I also live in DC, and I second sharway's recommendation of Udupi Palace. Delicious, all-vegetarian, Indian food.
Java Green, in downtown DC, by the Farragut North metro, is my favorite. It is completely 100% vegetarian, and about 98% vegan.
Sticky Fingers Bakery is amazing, though dangerous. haha. So delicious. Java Green carries a lot of their baked goods.
I have been to Vegetate. sharway mentioned it. It was good, though fancy and thus a little pricey. I almost never get any drink besides water, but I had to try their pomegranate lemonade. Delicious.
Another favorite is Thyme Square, in Bethesda, MD, which is a few minutes outside of the city. It is not all veg, but they have many, clearly marked vegan and vegetarian options.
Happy travelling.
When I was in Seattle I thought Hillside Quickie Sandwich Shop was AMAZING!!! Also, Mighty-O donuts was GREAT (all vegan, organic, and trans-fat free!), and Araya Thai was absolutely delish. My friend who had lived in Seattle for 5 years had never been to any of these places! If you're in Seattle, definitely check out these eateries.
If ever you visit Rockford, Il., which, I don't know why anyone would, there is NOTHING for vegans. Only places to make due with...cafes, bistro's, ugh...the grocery store?
If there is anyone else from Rockford reading this, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I have been to Vegetate. sharway mentioned it. It was good, though fancy and thus a little pricey. I almost never get any drink besides water, but I had to try their pomegranate lemonade. Delicious.
Tried to get there on Monday night with my parents (not vegetarian, but they love to eat vegetarian often and are willing to accommodate myself and my vegetarian fiance)... but they aren't open on Mondays... Doh!
sharway- Oh no! I hope you can make it back there. Definitely worth it for a fancy night out.
I just got my Vegetarian Times for May/June today , and their question of the month is this very subject! Everyone check it out for more good veg restaurants.
Sadly there are a very scan't number of vegan-friendly restaurants in the local area, howe'ver, there is a seemingly nice bakery an hour or so from here that specializes in vegan goodies, and there are potentially veg-friendly items on every other menu at each typical diner. And though I don't agree with the logic (Logic? What logic? The place is a breathing contradiction and a disturbing one at that), The Rainforest Cafe in Kansas City, Kansas offers possibly the best veggie burger I've ever had.
Mad Mex, also, offers a variety of different Mexican-esque vegan items, conveniently marked on the menu and well worth the bread.
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