oh, the knish! i can’t believe i went through life for so long before trying one. the popular new york foodstuff was brought to america by jewish immigrants in the 1800s, and consists usually of mashed potatoes and vegetables encased in a thin layer of dough. of all the places to buy a knish in manhattan, yonah schimmel’s is known as the best, and by default their vegetable knishes are vegan.

we popped by the knishery on our recent trip to NYC, and the food was so good that i know we’ll be back every time we’re in the city. the moment we walked in, i knew we were entering somewhere special…

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cinnaholic is an all vegan cinnamon roll bakery (yeah, you heard me right) that opened in berkeley earlier this year. they have gotten rave reviews from many trusted blogs…and i can finally confirm that this place is WORTH THE HYPE!

just think about it. an all vegan cinnamon roll parlor with “build-your-own” options that range from root beer flavored frosting, to pie-inspired rolls, to toppings like cookie dough and vegan marshmallows. there is just one word for it: INSANITY! i can’t even believe that a place as wonderful as cinnaholic exists.

while it’s sad that cinnaholic is located a whopping 6 hours away from los angeles, i’m happy to report that they can ship cinnamon rolls to hungry vegans around the nation! recently on twitter, i was tweeting bummed out messages about how i hadn’t tried cinnaholic yet. within like 30 minutes, they replied to me and offered to send me some of their goodies. of course i said yes!!! damn, i was so excited to try these rolls, and they ended up being even better than i imagined.

cinnaholic sent me two rolls with two different frosting flavors, maple and caramel. they came with easy to use instructions, and after just a few minutes in the oven they turned into warm mounds of gooey goodness.

seriously, i have never had cinnamon rolls this delicious…vegan or not. the frosting was so sweet and melty and the rolls were moist and flaky. i can only imagine how wonderful these things would be right out of the oven. and if plain rolls with just frosting are this good, they must be crazy delicious with added toppings! i am contemplating taking a trip to berkeley soon just so i can eat a vegan cinnamon roll drenched in vanilla frosting and covered in cookie dough and brownie chunks.

if you are anywhere near northern california, get over to cinnaholic ASAP. if you live far away, you can order cinnamon rolls by the dozen as well as frosting shots online. 12 may seem like a lot of cinnamon rolls, but trust me, i could get through a dozen of these in a couple days. oh, and they freeze well too!

i am still getting over the fact that an entirely vegan cinnamon roll bakery even exists. damn, this is such an exciting time to be alive! thank you, cinnaholic!

cinnaholic
2132 Oxford Street, Berkeley, CA
(510) 647-8684 ‎

the baked potato shop in edinburgh scotland would have to be one of my favorite places on the planet. the all vegetarian establishment is more of a hole in the wall than an actual restaurant, and with a small ordering counter and just one booth to sit at, most of their business is take-out. as their name would suggest, they specialize in baked potatoes with various fillings, but also have several other menu items including vegan sausage rolls, samosas, soups, salads and cakes.

we arrived to a wet and dreary edinburgh in late september via the caledonian sleeper, and walked uphill in the pouring rain to open the baked potato shop at 9am. now please be warned: even though the shop opens at 9, baked potatoes are not available until 11am. since the weather was awful and most places were closed at that hour, we set up fort in a nearby shopping mall and decided to just wait until the potatoes were ready. 2 hours in a mall may not sound that bad, but the time we spent sitting in that food court under florescent lights with loud 80s music blasting felt like an eternity. anyways, i am happy to report that when we got back to the baked potato shop at around 10:50am, the potatoes were ready and well worth the wait.

vegan haggis medium baked potato. ₤3.95

we had a hard time deciding what to order, with the whole shop being vegetarian and over half the menu being vegan. there were cold fillings like hummus, cous cous, and pasta as well as hot fillings like beans, chilli, and curry. but when we saw that vegan haggis was an option, we knew we had to try it. haggis is a traditional scottish dish made from all kinds of disgusting sheep parts, but the vegan version was a quite delicious blend of kidney beans, lentils, nuts, vegetables, oatmeal and seasonings. i’ve never had the real thing so i can’t tell if it tasted “authentic”, but it sure was good. i really wish vegetarian haggis was available here in los angeles.

there are 3 sizes of potatoes available at the baked potato shop, and i highly suggest you get a small or a medium. the medium size is pictured above, and is more than enough for one person. if you look closely, i think it’s actually 3 smaller potatoes split in half. whatever it was, it was incredible. perfectly warm and soft on the inside and slightly tough on the outside.

vegan curry medium baked potato. ₤3.85

we also got a medium potato filled with curry, and it was fantastic as well. the filling was a mix of chickpeas, carrots, and cauliflower in a tomatoey-indian sauce. honestly, the perfect food for a cold and rainy day. like the haggis potato, this one was massive even though we ordered the “medium”. so much food, and a damn good deal at under ₤4.

hot sausage roll. ₤1.40

even though we were stuffed to the brim with baked potato, we couldn’t resist ordering some items off the “savouries” menu as well. first up we tried the vegan sausage roll, a long flaky pastry filled up with what i think was soy sausage. i could eat about a million of these things, and like baked potatoes, i think vegan sausage rolls need to become widely available here in the states.

vegan samosa. ₤1.15

there are also two vegan samosa options on the shop’s menu—one is filled with haggis, and one with traditional vegetables. after trying the vegan haggis on a potato, we went with the traditional samosa option and it really hit the spot. the enormous stuffed pastry was filled up with warm mushy potatoes, indian spices, and peas. so tasty, we couldn’t get enough.

while the food is amazing at the baked potato shop, the atmosphere and service are wonderful as well. the walls are lined with colorful gig posters and as i mentioned earlier, there one cozy booth if you are lucky enough to snag it. we were there early on a weekday and the place was empty, so we were able to sit in and eat. thank goodness, because the weather outside was awful and we had nowhere else to go!

as we were enjoying our meal and ordering item after item, the vegetarian shop owner struck up a conversation with us about everything from fake meat, to our travels, to black licorice. he was so genuinely nice and friendly, not something i’m used to here in los angeles. after we’d shared stories about visiting places around the world, he made us a special cup of tea with hibiscus he’d gotten in egypt!

it tasted so good, and on top of that, what a kind gesture. i will always remember this sweet little shop for its delicious animal-free food, and also for its friendly owner, charles.

seriously if you are ever in edinburgh, you absolutely MUST visit the baked potato shop. its such a charming little place, with such wonderful healthy food. i promise you will fall in love with it like we did. my advice: get there early so it’s not crowded, but not so early that they aren’t serving potatoes yet.

the baked potato shop
56 Cockburn Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1PB
0131 225 7572
Open Mon-Sun 9:00 (11:00 if you actually want potatoes) – 21:00

zilli green is an all vegetarian restaurant with a very vegan-friendly menu that opened in london earlier this year. it was started by aldo zilli, an italian celebrity chef who holds the world record for the most times a pancake has been flipped in one minute—117 times! of course we had to check this place out. i must say that after having some incredible meals at other vegetarian restaurants in london, this one left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

organic bread, extra virgin olive oil and hummus. ₤2.50

we started with an order of bread, which was lovely. the appetizer came with 3 types of bread, olive oil, and hummus. no complaints!

tofu sausage with spring onion mash, mushroom gravy, and mushy peas. ₤11.90

my husband and i decided to order 2 entrees and share them, beginning with zilli green’s vegan version of the british classic bangers and mash. this came with two tofu sausages, spring onion mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, and mushy peas. i just gotta say, it sounded a lot better than it tasted…and wasn’t really worth nearly ₤12! the sausages tasted like store-bought redwood foods variety (which is great, but not at a fancy restaurant). the mash was really good, but the gravy was way too sweet. overall, this dish was just kind of meh.

our next entree was a seasonal item which isn’t on the zilli green menu at the moment: a tofu cake with greens, crostini and sauteed vegetables. i’m pretty sure this was around ₤12 as well, and i must say it was way better than the sausages. it was covered in a super creamy and delicious sauce, and the tofu cake itself was wonderful. my only complaint is that the vegetables were limp and tasted as though they’d been frozen and reheated. at these prices, i want fresh vegetables, dammit!

inside, zilli green is like most upper scale restaurants in london…packed! the tables are little and close together, and if you go in the evening, you should definitely make a reservation. it’s got a great location in soho, but with mildred’s so close by…i don’t think i’ll ever go back to zilli green as a tourist. maybe when i live in london someday, i’ll give it another shot!

zilli green
41 Dean Street, Soho
London W1D 4PY
Tel: 020 7734 3924
Monday – Saturday
12 noon – 11:00pm
Sunday
1.00 – 10pm

PS: don’t get zilli green mixed up with the other zilli restaurants. i’d hate for you to wind up at zilli fish by mistake!

dublin may be known for its pubs, but it certainly isn’t known for its vegan-friendly cuisine. ireland’s capital city has only 5 restaurants listed on happycow, and none of them are vegan. in fact, all of the vegetarian restaurants are within walking distance of one another. about a month ago, we spent a couple days in dublin and completely exhausted its vegan offerings…i’m happy to report though, that what we did eat was quite good. especially at blazing salads.

i’m gonna work backwards, and post about what we ate for breakfast on our last day before we left town. after being turned away from 2 other local restaurants because food wasn’t ready yet (WTF, that would never fly during opening hours in LA) we settled on blazing salads…an all vegetarian establishment with a vegan salad bar, lots of pre-packaged foods, and a bakery case. we arrived at around 10am on a friday, and not much was ready yet. the salad bar was in full swing, and the pre-packaged foods were still leftover in the case from the previous day, but none of the baked goods were available (including the vegan pizza we were hoping for). we settled on a couple of salad boxes and a ready made sandwich. we ended up having to eat while standing against the window, because blazing saddles has absolutely no seating. welcome to europe!

the pay-by-weight salad bar had a pretty good selection (ALL OF IT WAS VEGAN, weee!) including leaves, sprouts, hummus, pickled vegetables, cous cous, and beans. yum!

when it came to sandwiches, there were several to choose from in the deli case…

we went with the tofu option—a pita stuffed with loads of vegetables and thick tofu chunks for €3.90. to be honest, this thing was AT LEAST a day old and a bit soggy, but that didn’t stop us from inhaling it. while it filled the void, i would advise only eating the fresh options from blazing salads. who needs a day-old sandwich?

as we were leaving (about 15 minutes after we arrived), a fresh tray of vegan pastys and vegan pizzas were loaded into the pastry case…

i almost died, because upon our arrival i asked the cashier if i could order some of their vegan pizza and she nonchalantly told me it wouldn’t be ready for “quite awhile.” WTF?????? IT WAS READY AS I WAS LEAVING. dude, if i wasn’t so full of day-old tofu and salad things, i would have ordered some pastys and pizzas for sure. 🙁 next time.

overall, blazing salads is worth a visit for their great hours and entirely vegan salad bar. points off though, for not letting us know that hot items would be available soon….and also for having stale-ish shit in the prepackaged case.

i will back. and if you are in dublin, you could do a lot worse!

blazing salads
42 Drury St
Dublin 2
(01) 6719552

field report time, and this one comes to us from a new operative located way over on the other side of the country! check out christina’s review of baladi, a middle eastern restaurant in virginia beach. this post seriously had me drooling. it’s got vegan baklava, turkish delights, and the best looking plate of hummus i’ve ever seen. enjoy!

Attention all military families, beach travelers, those visiting PETA in Norfolk, or anyone else mysteriously finding themselves in Hampton Roads, VA: I have found a gem in the seven-cities.

By chance one morning, I bumped into Khaled, the owner of the Mediterranean restaurant Baladi in Virginia Beach as he was delivering food to my workplace for lunch. You don’t have to pull my arm to get me to try a new Mediterranean restaurant—by the end of the workday I was dying to take that thirty-minute drive to his restaurant to scope out the falafel.

Needless to say, Baladi has become a restaurant that I frequent—due to the superb customer service, the vegan-friendly menu, and the drool-worthy dishes. Each vegan item on the menu has a “VV” next to it, which makes me want to high-five everyone around me.

The word “baladi” in Arabic means “local,” and the restaurant most definitely has a local vibe. The owner is ALWAYS there—taking orders, preparing food, delivering food to tables, learning customer’s names and humoring you if you try to speak mediocre Arabic with him (so what? At least I try). Baladi’s ambiance also happens to be refreshingly unique. I feel like it would have been a nice place to study during college—if there were more seating.

The pastry case at Baladi regularly contains vegan mamool, vegan baklava, and Turkish delights. I’m the sucker that ends up purchasing so many sweets that I have leftovers for days (if you’re wondering: yes, these treats still taste amazing three days later). There is even a deal for people like me: six sweets for $7.50.

The Jalapeno Hummus with spicy garnish is hands-down the best hummus I have ever eaten. I have no idea what “spicy garnish” is—but it is bangin’.

Both the tabbouleh (above) and the couscous (below) are part of the mezze menu, and are affordably priced ($4.95 each!). The tabbouleh is fresh, not too lemony. The couscous is joist moist enough and has some tiny bits of green onion and tomato mixed in. A little lady, such as myself, could purchase one of these and be perfectly satisfied.

Seriously—Baladi consistently crafts the perfect falafel. Above is the Falafel Supreme wrap (crunchy lettuce, warm falafel, hummus, tahini, and Lebanese olives on the side. Mmmm). This baby is only $7.50, too.

This dish is a dream … thick pita bread covered in lentil soup and topped with that wonderful spicy garnish. The lentil soup here is spectacular by itself, but there is something about eating thick, soup-soaked pita bread that makes me drool a little.

These Turkish delights turn me in to an American delight—all I’m sayin’. They’re coated with just enough confectioners’ sugar and they’re not so chewy that they stick in your teeth (in case you want to talk later).

I grew up on this stuff as a kid. Until I was 14, I thought baklava was a staple at everybody’s Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, thanks to my Arab-American family. After transitioning to veganism I really missed baklava, so this is a great find for baklava fiends—or anyone wanting to have their taste buds tantalized with phyllo dough, rosewater, and pistachios.

No one should ever leave here without getting a Turkish coffee. It’s always made fresh, and it’s served in the most elegant of demitasse cups and saucers. They’re so fancy that I take them up to the counter after I bus my table so they don’t get broken. I know, I know. I’m a sweetheart.

Cute, yeah?

If you’re ever in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, Baladi is definitely worth a visit (or five). Say hi to me when you go, I’m sure I’ll be sitting in the corner scarfing down dish, after dish, after dish …

Baladi Mediterranean Café
640 Hilltop West Shopping Center
Virginia Beach, VA 23451-6139
(757) 425-8877
Monday through Saturday, 11am-8pm

are you gonna be in england over thanksgiving? if you are, i highly suggest you get over to manna for their holiday meal. not only is manna the oldest vegetarian restaurant in london, but it’s the probably the best. as you already know, we are huge fans of the place and i’m considering booking a trip to the uk in november just to eat this.

more details on manna’s thanksgiving after the jump.

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as far as i’m concerned, when in london, inspiral lounge in camden town is a MUST VISIT.

the all vegetarian cafe is almost entirely vegan (they have normal milk available for coffee), and offers a huge selection of entrees, sides, and desserts. we have dined out on their main courses before (the tofu tarragon parcel and vegan lasagna were to die for!), but this time we decided to go with the “pick & mix” option. pick & mix is great because you choose a dish size for a set price, and then pick out as many sides as you want and tell the inspiral employee to keep filling up your bowl until nothing else will fit.

full disclosure: we actually didn’t plan on eating a meal during this trip to inspiral. we’ve heard people go on and on about their famous tiramisu, and since that’s mr. meaner’s favorite dessert, we had to check it out. on our recent trip to london we went to inspiral 4 (yes FOUR) times in search of vegan tiramisu with no success. we were always just missing it, it had “JUST sold out”. argh. on our last failed attempt we thought we should at least get some food, and even though we had eaten recently, we decided to share a small “pick & mix” bowl for £3.95. there was lots of stuff to choose from…

not only was there a full on hot bar with ALL VEGAN items (potatoes, curries, vegetables!), but also a salad case with lots of appetizing dishes.

in the end, we settled on a little bowl filled to the brim with steamed quinoa, roasted potatoes, cabbage salad, and chickpea curry. it was nothing short of divine. the potatoes and curry especially were so perfectly cooked and seasoned.

i could eat this kind of food 7 days a week, no problem. simple ingredients, but so well executed and beyond tasty. the more intricate entrees at inspiral are just as good, but sometimes it’s nice to get back to basics.

on top of having fantastic food, inspiral’s view is the dog’s bollocks! you sit overlooking regent’s canal and camden market…so lovely!

honestly, i think i will visit inspiral every time i go to london. it’s just so comfy, delicious, and charming…not to mention, in a great part of town. i wish we had somewhere like this in los angeles—a cute little cafe with a mix of healthy and decadent food, killer desserts, alcohol, and coffee. all vegan.

i fucking love inspiral!

inspiral lounge
250 Camden High Street
Camden, London NW1 8QS, United Kingdom
020 7428 5875
Mon-Thu 10:00 – 22:00
Fri-Sat 10:00 – 2:00
Sun 10:00 – 23:30

there are tons of vegan buffets popping up all over london, but let it be known that 222 veggie vegan’s is the best as far as we’re concerned. the latest craze in england’s capital city seems to be vegan asian buffets…they are ubiquitous, in the same kind of way vegan thai food is here in los angeles. anyways, if you are looking for an all you can eat feast in london, skip the mock meaty chinese-inspired cuisine and opt for 222’s lunch special: a fresh and healthy buffet for only £7.50 (or £5.50 per takeaway box).

we have been to the 222 veggie vegan lunch buffet twice, and i can safely say that their clean and tasty dishes are like a breath of fresh air. everything is well prepared and flavorful, and the restaurant promises that all dishes are low-fat and never fried or microwaved. a typical lunch consists of several hot dishes as well as a salad bar. hot dishes include chickpea curry, grilled potatoes, eggless quiche, and sauteed vegetables (all pictured above).

the salad bar is impressive as well…with everything from mixed greens, to chopped vegetables, as well as marinated beets. and make no mistake, it’s all ridiculously crisp and fresh.

inside 222 is extremely comfy and spacious, in fact, it’s a crime that the restaurant wasn’t more busy when we were there.

you see, WE HAVE NO VEGAN BUFFETS IN LOS ANGELES. the fact that london has one with insanely fresh and delicious foods offered EVERY DAY makes me overwhelmed with jealousy and pretty insulted that more people aren’t takin’ advantage of it! if you go to london, DO NOT MISS THIS.

222 veggie vegan
222 North End Road
London W14 9NU
Neighbourhood: Earls Court
020 7381 2322
Lunch buffet 12:00-15:30
222 also offers a la carte dinner in the evening times. 17:30-22:30

a couple weeks ago we told you about ten must-eat food items in the LA vegan bucket list…and today i am gonna tell you about a dish you need to add to your lifetime vegan bucket list: the open-faced turkey sandwich at curly’s vegetarian lunch in nyc.

open faced turkey sandwich: sage and garlic rubbed soy fillet over corn bread stuffing and toasted rye, napped with gravy and served with cranberry dressing and greens. $11.95

we have written about this sandwich before, and after eating it for a second time recently, i can without a doubt say that it’s one of the best (if not the best) dishes i’ve ever had. if i could choose one last meal on the planet, this would definitely be it.

curly’s vegetarian lunch is a great little new york diner with an entirely meat-free, all-american menu on which every item can be made vegan. i have heard from friends that some of the dishes can be hit or miss, but i will never know if that’s true because i intend to order the open-faced turkey sandwich EVERY TIME i eat there. to call this thing a “sandwich” doesn’t do it justice. it’s more like a sandwich on steroids with it’s greasy fried bread and mounds of thick seitan covered in deliciously creamy gravy. i’d say it’s enough to feed about 3 people, so be sure to arrive hungry.

size isn’t all that makes this sandwich special though…every component of it is pretty much perfect. the seitan and gravy are both the best i’ve ever had, and the mock meat comes all mixed up with an incredibly rich and juicy stuffing. the bread it’s on is cooked and seasoned specially as well, and it’s served with an enormous side of sauteed greens and squash. mix all the ingredients up together for the best taste….i promise you, one bite of this thing and you will be hooked.

next time you are in NYC, you MUST VISIT CURLY’S, and YOU MUST order the open-faced turkey sandwich. and if you don’t have plans to be in NYC anytime soon, this meal alone is worth the plane fare.

curly’s vegetarian lunch
328 e. 14th st.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 598-9998

PS: curly’s totally has healthy stuff too! and it’s great! look:

vegetable plate: five steamed or grilled vegetables with grain, beans and mushroom gravy and a side salad. $11.95

oh god, i love NYC. it’s freaking vegan paradise, lemme tell you. i have that happycow app on my iphone…you know, vegout? it’s this cool little thing you fire up and no matter where you are, it uses GPS to tell you which vegan-friendly restaurants are nearby. in LA, it usually results in a few pages of restaurants, depending on where you are in the city. in manhattan though, the app almost crashes…there are SO MANY VEGAN OPTIONS. it’s crazy. there are more vegetarian places per square foot in nyc than anywhere i’ve ever visited. anyways, this post isn’t supposed to be a vegan love letter to NYC…i am here to talk about kate’s joint!

kate’s is an all vegetarian spot that our friends have been recommending to us for quite awhile. i’d heard nothing but good things about the restaurant, so when they showed up on the vegout app as “less than a mile away” while we were drinking in the east village, i knew it was gonna happen.

lemme preface: kate’s has an enormous menu, but it feels more like a bar than a restaurant. they’ve got tap beer, cocktails, and a huge bar lined with stools in the main area; dining tables are lined up along the windows. this actually got me pretty excited, because i love bars much more than real restaurants. so the fact that i can think of this place as a bar with an all vegetarian menu makes me love it even more.

we hit up kate’s on a friday at around 5pm, and it was pretty slow. i had heard they made vegan white russians (my favorite drink ever), so i ordered one right away. the waitress had no idea what i was talking about, but she went to check with the bar and immediately came back with one. SCORE! it was so good.

vegan disco fries: covered with mama's vegan gravy and daiya cheese. $6.25

next up, we decided to order some appetizers. we started with the decadent “disco fries,” another legend i have been hearing about from several peeps. disco fries are ridiculous: french fries topped with GRAVY AND CHEESE. WTF, why didn’t i think of this?!?! these have been at kate’s forever, but are only recently vegan-friendly. not long ago, kate switched from a casein-containing soy cheese to daiya! thank goodness, because why would a VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT have a real cheese option, AS WELL AS a non-vegan cheese option?  that makes no sense. anyways, the disco fries are available vegan now and they are amazing. by far the best thing i tried at kate’s.

hummus rolls filled with spinach, roasted garlic, tomatoes, tahini and lemon. $6.95

after that deep-fried, cheesy, creamy starter, we were in the mood for something lighter and shared the hummus rolls. these babies were basically little tortilla pockets filled with hummus and vegetables including spinach, garlic, and tomato. nothing earth-shattering, but damn good.

vegan un-turkey club: un-turkey, fakin bacon, lettuce, tomato, and vegan mayo. $9.95

we had such honorable intentions of ordering like 5 entrees from kate’s, but after the two appetizers, we could only manage to share one main course. we went with the un-turkey club, another popular item that we’d heard people rave about. the club was delicious, but IMO we have better clubs here in LA. what took this sandwich over the edge was the side of mashed potatoes, served with kate’s deadly homemade gravy (the same stuff that was on the fries). it was phenomenal.

next time i go to kate’s, i am gonna starve myself in advance and arrive completely sober. the menu is way too drool-worthy, and the drink selection is too tempting. to say that we have unfinished business with kate’s would be an understatement.

kate’s joint
#58 Avenue B, New York NY 10009
(At 4th St)
(212) 777-7059

we visited a lot of restaurants last month when we were in the bay area, and one of the highlights was cafe gratitude in san francisco. the small eclectic eatery specializes in mainly raw healthy food and is almost entirely vegan, with only a few dishes that contain honey. i’d heard mixed reviews about the place, from people saying they were wonderful to people calling them a cult, and i’m just glad we decided to check it out for ourselves because the food was absolutely delicious.

as i said earlier, the cuisine at cafe gratitude is mostly raw….but we were in the mood for something cooked. we tried to order a couple of the cooked entrees off the menu, but the waitress informed us that they weren’t available at this location (there are a few other cafe gratitudes in the bay area). she then quickly pointed to a “grain bowl” section on the menu and said that they were cooked and available to order. BOWLS! yes, i fucking love bowls, so i knew we were in business.

i am graceful indian biryani bowl: Steamed brown rice or quinoa tossed with seasonal veggies, basil, cilantro, mint & cashews in an Indian coconut-curry sauce. $15

one thing you gotta get past right away at cafe gratitude are the menu descriptions, which i will admit made me giggle a bit. they are all worded as affirmations, stuff like the “i am insightful spring rolls” and “i am fabulous lasagna”. we decided to get a couple bowls, starting with the “i am graceful indian biryani bowl,” which came with steamed brown rice, vegetables, basil, cilantro, mint and cashews in a coconut curry sauce. each bowl is available in a half size for $10, or a full size for $15. because we were hungry and wanted to get the most for our money, we ordered full-sized bowls, and they were HUGE. i mean MASSIVE. enough to feed 2 people each for sure. anyways, the indian bowl was actually my husbands meal, and he assured me it was amazing. i didn’t try it because it had bell peppers in it (which i hate), but the creamy sauce looked and smelled really good.

i am whole macrobiotic bowl: Shredded kale, sea vegetables, choice of grain, house-made kim chee & sprouts with garlic-tahini sauce & teriyaki almonds. $15

for my lunch, i went with the “i am whole macrobiotic bowl,” which was absolutely fantastic! it came with brown rice, shredded kale, sea vegetables, house-made kim chee, and sprouts with garlic-tahini sauce and teriyaki almonds. i got mine with no nuts and the sauce on the side, and i just couldn’t believe how flavorful all the fresh and pickled vegetables were. i did eat a little bit of the sauce (which was phenomenal), but the bowl honestly didn’t even need it. it’s a shame the photo doesn’t do this dish justice, hidden underneath those carrots is a whole array of greens and vegetables. i would definitely order this again.

we went with every intention of sharing a piece of raw vegan tiramisu, but after eating 2 entire rice bowls that were bigger than my head, we had absolutely no room for any more food. i hear the desserts at cafe gratitude are awesome though, and i can’t wait to return.

inside, cafe gratitude has a sort of hippie vibe going on. it’s light and airy with a long bar, huge communal tables, and extremely friendly staff. they’ve even got this inspirational and spiritual board game available to play at your table. whaa??!! definitely unlike any restaurant i’ve ever visited before.

the atmosphere and affirmations may not appeal to everyone, but i can promise you cafe gratitude has insanely tasty food. that alone is worth the trip. i know i will be back whenever i am up north.

check out cafe gratitude’s website for hours and locations.

georgetown liquor company is a must visit vegetarian bar in seattle, and being fairly close to the airport, it’s the perfect stop for visitors on the way in and out of town. the rugged little boozer serves up a large menu of meat-free sandwiches and entrees, most of which can be veganized, as well as a killer brunch on the weekends. georgetown was the both the first and last place we ate on our recent trip to seattle, and both of our meals there were delicious. let’s start off with brunch…

Skits n Gravy: Our very own vegan biscuits covered with country gravy. Served with fresh herb roasted potatoes and fruit. $8

after landing at seatac at around 9:30am on a saturday, we headed straight to georgetown to open them up for brunch. i was excited to hear that their biscuits and gravy were vegan, because we all know that i’m a huge fan of the old b&g. the skits n gravy, as the menu called them, were damn good. for 8 bucks i got a plate stacked with 3 biscuits and loads of herb roasted breakfast potatoes smothered in white country gravy with a fruit garnish. the biscuits were a tad hard for my liking, but i couldn’t fault the gravy—it was excellent. surprisingly, my favorite thing on the plate was the breakfast potatoes; they were deliciously seasoned with the perfect amount of oil.

it being the start of my vacation and all, i also ordered a brunch cocktail—the clockwork orange.

Clockwork Orange Martini: "Viddy well brothers, viddy well." Stoli Oranj vodka with muddled oranges and a dash of Cassis. $8

georgetown pours their drinks pretty strong, and after this $8 mix of vodka and oranges, i was sufficiently liquored up. the cocktail was tasty as well, lots of pulpy fruit and the perfect blend of alcohol. i highly recommend it.

Chicken Fried Steak: House made seitan steak, breaded fried and smothered in our delicious country gravy. Served with fresh herb roasted potatoes and choice of toast. $10

although the skits n gravy were great, the other brunch entree we ordered was WAY BETTER. i’m talking about the chicken fried steak! it came with the same awesome breakfast potatoes and gravy as well as a huge hunk of breaded and fried seitan. there aren’t many things better in this world then a fat chunk of vegan fried wheat meat drenched in creamy gravy, lemme tell you! this was actually my husband’s meal, but i ended up stealing tons of it and wishing i had ordered it myself.

our next trip to georgetown was on our way out of seattle, right before we headed back to the airport. this time it was a week day at around 2pm, so it was time for lunch and beer rather than brunch and cocktails. we got two sandwiches to share, both of which were phenomenal.

Picard: Lentil-sage Field Roast, roasted red onions, Tofutti cream cheese and roasted garlic spread, toasted on ciabatta. Served with vegan au jus dipping sauce. $10

we started with a vegan version of the picard, which came with lentil-sage field roast, roasted onions, tofu cream cheese and garlic spread on a toasted ciabatta and swerved with au jus for dipping. it was insane!

the bread was warm and crunchy, the field roast was hearty, and the cream cheese/garlic combo was smooth and tangy. this has really got to be one of the best vegan sandwiches known to man. it was served with a choice of side, and we opted for the house salad which was very fresh and healthy tasting. no complaints!

Darth Reuben: Roasted-tomato Field Roast, sauerkraut and remoulade toasted on marbled rye. $10

we also split a vegan version of the “darth reuben” because if i see a vegan reuben on a menu, i pretty much have to order it. this sandwich was amazing and i can’t fault it, but it just wasn’t as special as the picard. it came with roasted tomato field roast and sauerkraut on toasted marbled rye. field roast is probably the best vegan meat substitute out there, so it worked really well as pastrami in the reuben. for this sandwich, we got the soup of the day as our side, which turned out to be split pea. it was fantastic—very comforting and satisfying, plus it worked great as a dip for the sandwich!

overall, georgetown liquor company gets an A+. it’s an all vegetarian establishment, a great little bar, and it’s got delicious vegan options for brunch, lunch, and dinner. with GLC being located so conveniently between downtown and the airport, i don’t see why i wouldn’t hit it up AT LEAST twice on every trip to seattle.

georgetown liquor company
5501 B Airport Way South
Seattle, WA 98108
206-763-6764
mon-fri 11am-2am
sat-sun 10am-2am

oh yes, a vegan cake batter and chocolate sundae from lula’s sweet apothecary in nyc.

we’ve raved about lula’s before, and anyone who has eaten there knows it’s the most amazing ice cream parlor on the planet. it’s all vegan, and it sells the best vegan ice cream known to man. new york egg creams, flurries, cones, banana splits…they’ve got it all. my recent visit consisted of a sundae with soft serve cake batter and chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, cookies, and whipped cream. heaven.

lula’s sweet apothecary
516 east 6th street
ny ny 10009
646-481-5852
sunday 3pm – 10pm
monday closed
tues-weds 3pm – 10pm
thurs, fri, sat 3pm – 11:30pm

heyo, time for another field report from dadatamonkey! though his recent posts have been from barcelona, this one is about benito’s hat, a mexican restaurant in london. for a little back story, you may wanna check out his quite negative review of london’s chipotle. let’s see how this place measures up!

The branch in Covent Garden. Very, very cool!

On a quick visit back to London, I went to my fave places.. And was either disappointed or they had closed. Didn’t realise I spent that much money on eating out in London! Which meant I had to find new places to munch! Well, through twitter I’d heard good things about Benito’s Hat, and despite my reservations (largely due to my experience with Chipotle) I decided to give it a go. Now I know my Chipotle review caused a little bit of consternation over the pond, so I also know this one may too. So the UK cannot do decent Mexican food yeah? Dream on. This place blows Chipotle out of the water! Read on and see why people…

Simple menu system but much clearer than the others.

The menu is the classic multi-choice/stage type, but is really clear as to what’s veggie (actually vegan unless its cheese or sour cream). Instead of being over the serving area it was MASSIVE on the wall upon entry, which helps if long queues build up I guess. I like this. Style. Not sure why but I got to add in as much as I wanted from all the selections vegans can eat, but more on that shortly.

Wow. This is uber cool. Beetles heaven. As in VW, not music!

So first things first. It was a dead night in London, and I needed cheering up coz it was raining cats and dogs (virtually the whole time I was there). Walking in I just went “OK, this is cool. I feel at home.” Perhaps it was the fact the ladies working there were all speaking Spanish (Barcelona ladies are the best), but mainly the massive mural at the end of the restaurant with my first love. The VDub Beetle!

Watch you don’t prick yourself now! These little cacti are cute as and a great touch!

Now I am a bit of an aesthetic (I blame it on Alexander Baumgarten), and they’ve got this joint spot on. The high seats have tables that fold out, so if you need to fit on more food you can. They also have these cute cacti dotted about all over the place. Sad, but true. I love Cacti! You can probs guess by now I was slightly taken with Benito’s. But the important thing is the food. And as a very long serving vegan (30yrs), how it was served. i.e. Was cross contamination an issue?

The serving area is really well designed, and keeps things totally separate so no cross contamination at all. I like this.

Well, compared to Chipotle, someone had obviously put some thought into how the serving area was arranged. The meat and veg are totally separated. New gloves were used without asking (doubt this would happen at peak times, but the ladies said they will always change gloves if asked, and said it very, very nicely too). I went for the classic burrito, with loads of fresh coriander (cilantro) and lime rice (yup, I’ve been turned, me like now), refried beans (the black beans are also vegan), Guac, and grilled veg. I kinda noticed that they were really packing in the choices here. This was gonna be one big boy of a burrito. The smile was widening as I smelt everything…

Here’s the Big Boy of Burrito’s (my name for this beast). Truly MASSIVE ATTACK! £5 Negra Modello £3-50

As they rolled my BBB I noticed it was never going to form the traditional shape and totally enclose. Gotta say, I didn’t care. The smell of the grilled peppers, courgette in parsley, olive oil and garlic was getting the juices flowing so sod the shape. The menu online says it contains Chayote, but I didn’t see hide nor hair. Not that I was worrying by this stage. Add in the Salsa Brava with fresh habanero and I was away with the pixies. I ordered a Negra to go with it and thought.. Yup, I am gonna be very happy. Then the young lady started filling up my tray with freshly fried tortilla chips.. OK, my mouth was as wide as the moon by this stage. Time to pig out!

Now that’s what I call a Burrito. OK, I’m a rice man now too.

Biting into this baby just confirmed everything I had suspected, The tastes were superb. The courgette was pretty chunky, but cooked to perfection. Still crunchy, but not to much bite. The peppers were juicy and slightly smoky. Rice? Oh yeah. Fresh, limey (no Brits were harmed in it’s cooking ok!) and just the right bite back. Now I love coriander, and wow did they stuff it full of really fresh coriander for me.

This was by far the biggest burrito I’ve seen, and the best I’ve ever eaten in London. OK, maybe I was lucky that night (I was), but something tells me this place is about customers. While I was munching one of the owners came in, and was obviously interested to see how the place was going as it had only just opened recently. I was pleasantly surprised by his attitude. I was even happier about the burrito. I ate the whole thing in minutes, and most of the vast number of tortilla chips too. If an American ever says to me that the UK cannot “do,” Mexican food again, I’ll happily take them to both Chipotle, then here. I know who will win. Benito’s hands down. I take my hat off to these guys, well actually, gals! This is near on as good good as my version of Mexican food, and I am not being big headed there. Just honest.

So. Do I really need to summarise? Oh yes. And this is where I guess I’ll get a mouthfull of not food. Please, America, keep Chipotle. We do not need ya. The combination of Spanish staff and really good, fresh ingredients cooked to almost perfection means I will never walk through Chipotle’s doors in London again. Sorry if I offend any Americans. But I say it as I see, well, eat, it! Marks out of 10? Err.. Love to give you a ten, but mine is a 10/10. So, 9.5/10. I’m mean like that. That’s chefs for you!! If you are in London pop in and enjoy. You will, I reckon. ☺

Benito’s Hat
19 New Row,
London
WC2N 4LA
Tel:020 7240 5815
Opening times: Sun – Wed 11:30-22:00, Thurs – Sat 11:30-23:00