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Vegan Field Report: Seva in Ann Arbor, Michigan
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November 21st, 2010quarrygirlmichigan, more restaurants (not LA)

time for another field report from i dream of greenie! this one comes to us from across the country…seva vegetarian restaurant way over in michigan. if you are ever in ann arbor in search of some vegan food, hopefully this will come in handy. 🙂

While on a recent trip to Michigan, I dined at Seva, in Ann Arbor on the recommendation of Noelle of An Opera Singer in the Kitchen.

I really liked the rustic décor, complete with plants on the ceiling and wood panels (reminded me a bit of a Napa winery).

After a long flight, we were in dire need of a cocktail so we asked our waitress if any of the wines were vegan. She was initially a little shocked, explaining that we were the first person to ask her that question in the 2 years she’d been working there but would look into it that second. She came back a few minutes later with the sad news that none of the wines are vegan.

I drowned my sorrows in a the harder stuff with great margarita and my companion opted for a local beer from Bell’s brewery (also good).

Drinks in hand, we attempted to navigate the giant menu. Seva is a vegetarian restaurant, with the majority of the items vegan or easily veganized. I contemplated ordering breakfast (Noelle raves about their huevos rancheros), a Morroccan couscous dish or their riff on a quesadilla, but I was in a sandwich mood so decided to go with a create your own burger: pick a patty, cheese and sauce.

Tempeh burger with Daiya cheese and basil-cashew pesto. $10.25

My tempeh burger was topped with wonderful melty crack, I mean cheddar Daiya and served with the most succulent basil cashew pesto…I even contemplated asking if I could buy a pint to take home with me! For my side, I was torn between a cup of one of their soups of the day: roasted butternut squash chili and the yam fries but since I was chilly, the soup won out.

While chock full of veggies, the chili was a little bland but I quickly remedied it with a generous spoonful of the pesto of all pestos.

My companion ordered the exact same burger (we both wolfed them down), though opted for a different soup: a much more flavorful white bean kale soup with rosemary and thyme.

white bean and kale soup

I perused the dessert menu, and while the vegan spice cake and the cocoa cake were both screaming “eat me”, there simply wasn’t room in my belly.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Seva as I enjoyed my food as well as the range of items on the extensive menu and the price was right. I just wish they served some vegan wines!

Seva
314 E. Liberty
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-662-1111
Tags: burger, field report, michigan

13 responses to “Vegan Field Report: Seva in Ann Arbor, Michigan”

Noelle November 21st, 2010 at 18:32

YAY! I am so glad that you liked the restaurant! Now I am craving those tofu rancheros! Nice review.
Gregalor November 21st, 2010 at 19:07

I was there a couple months ago! I think my sandwich had something like 3 types of cold cuts on it. Pretty epic.
Gauri Radha गौरी राधा November 21st, 2010 at 19:20

Vegan basil-cashew pesto sauce sounds terrific!!
christina November 21st, 2010 at 19:24

My parents used to go here in college! I always try to go when visiting family.
Eileen November 21st, 2010 at 19:38

I was a full-on omni when I was a student at Michigan and never tried Seva. I definitely need to check it out next time I visit the family. Thanks for sharing your experience there!
VeganHeartDoc November 21st, 2010 at 20:07

Mmmmm, I’m from Michigan, and Seva was always a special treat when we visited Ann Arbor. Glad to hear they’re still serving up great stuff.
Bess @ I Dream of Greenie November 21st, 2010 at 22:33

The breakfast offerings looked awesome too. It was a struggle on what to order, but I absolutely wanted to bathe in that pesto.

And wish I had room for dessert.
Megan November 22nd, 2010 at 08:42

Next time, try the yam fries! They’re REALLY GOOD, and the dip is also delicious. Some of the best yam fries in Ann Arbor.
Suzanne November 22nd, 2010 at 08:46

I know Ann Arbor has a few great vegan options, but I keep going back to Seva because I love it so much. Besides great food, I like that it is pretty upscale and they serve alcohol (though the wine issue is a disappointment). It’s a rare combination, at least in Michigan.
natasha November 22nd, 2010 at 15:22

I am from Michigan and always felt like Seva was the vegetarian restaurant that makes omnivores hate vegetarian restaurants. Maybe I’ll have to give it another shot when I’m home for Christmas.
Aj November 22nd, 2010 at 21:53

R went to University of Michigan and while I’ve never been to Ann Arbor, I know her parents go a lot for football games (that’s the one with the touchdowns, right?). If I’m ever dragged along, sounds like Seva is going to be part of the bargaining agreement for not complaining wildly about attending a sports event. Go Blue, right?
Spencer November 29th, 2010 at 21:52

I’m an Ann Arbor native now going to school in the LA area and I make sure to visit Seva whenever I go home. Their grilled tempeh is the best I’ve ever had. I’m not sure what they do to it but whatever it is, they’re doing it right! I also second the recommendation for the yam fries.
L. April 18th, 2011 at 04:42

I live ten minutes from Ann Arbor and when I was an omnivore, this was my thought exactly about the restaurant…now that I’ve eaten there though…the food is so incredible it more than compensates for any previous judgements! It’s my favorite restaurant 🙂 And I love the crazy decorations 🙂 I get so tired of all the places I go to looking the same.