heyo! time for another vegan field report from barcelona, spain by dadatamonkey! this one is pretty awesome, if i do say so myself. not only does the food sound amazing, but this post will give you some serious ethiopian food education. read up!

Having spent some time here in BCN (Barcelona) I was getting a tad bored of the usual vegan places here, and decided to try out a few non-vegan places and see how I got on. The power of google led me to Abissínia. Which is cool as I spent time in Ethiopia as a kid! I had not found it reviewed on any of the usual suspects (yes it’s there now!) etc, but know Ethiopian food fairly well so knew I would be able to eat there. A number of traditional review sites seemed to rave about it so I popped along! It’s to be found within a 5min stroll of the metro in the Bohemian area of BCN, Gracia. This area used to be the main place for the large anarchist community here but less so now.

This tiny frontage is like the opening to the Doctors Tardis. With foodie heaven hidden inside!

Abissínia opened in 2006 I think, and is headed up by the brothers Behe. Ethiopian food is often vegan by default, due to the Coptic and Orthodox religions practiced by most people requiring avoidance of animal products at certain times of the year. Be aware though that butter is also widely used in cooking so check first in any other place. Meat is prepared and cooked totally separately so you have no issues with cross contamination in this kitchen!

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hey, friends! time for yet another vegan field report from barcelona, spain (often referred to as BCN in this post). this comes to us from our resident operative in europe, dadatamonkey. so sit back, relax, and enjoy his review of pizza paco…

Out on a little adventure in Barcelona, my esfuerzos took me to a pizza joint. Having asked at numerous pizza joints in BCN for vegan pizza – and found they all add milk powder to the bread base – I’d given up all hope of finding a half decent pizza to eat in BCN. How wrong can this old man be!! You know those nights where you go with the flow, trust the man, and end up doing something you never expected but will always remember? Yup. Pizza Paco was one of those. A massive thanks to Baba for this blessing. Believe me, it is a blessing. REAL pizza that’s vegan by nature and fucking gorgeous too!

Barcelona always has hidden gems on each turn it seems. This ones a tiny place hidden away in a small square in El Born. But as is so often the case, the tiny ones pack the best punch! I cannot speak highly enough about this place. When we got there (my friend Baba knows the owners, which helps!) I was “no worries I’ll have a BEER.” But… Asked the waiter about the various ingredients.. And yes…vegan was an option without cheese!!. They have one pizza on the menu that is vegan by its very nature, and a couple of others that without the cheese are too. I went inside and had a quick look just to make sure. OMFG. 00 flour. Proper stone oven. OK, lets do it. And… Boy did they do it.

La Marinara: Tomato, oregano, olive oil… AND.. Shedloads of fresh GARLIC! Simples. But the best pizza ever! As it should be. 7Euro for 13inches of heaven!

The first thing I noticed was the only instant vegan pizza on the small menu. The Marinara IS the original pizza. No cheese. But fuck me, this went beyond the normal level. Either they read minds or they love garlic. It was loaded. I am in love with this pizza. The base is perfect (a handmade stone oven at circa 500C really helps too), the sauce was made with fresh tomatoes, the oregano fresh and tasty and the garlic. Well. If you don’t like garlic. You are mad, but avoid this. Seriously. This is my new love.

La Vegetariana: Red Pepper (shush now QG), fresh mushrooms, spinach, onions, roasted baby aubergines with the tomato sauce. 9 Euro

So could the Veggie pizza from the menu be that good too you say? Oh yeah. Oh freakin yeah! To be honest I placed it second. But I’m just an old traditionalist at heart. Suffice to say the veg were cooked to pefection. This is the kind of pizza you can lift a whole slice and it stays as it should. That crust is sooo good. 00 flour and the stone oven work their magic. Also massive respect to chef because its how you work the dough that makes a pizza like this possible.

As ever, we come to my conclusion. Lets just say. Pizza Pan. As in I’m like a kid in a toy shop here… I am now PIzza Paco’d up and will be a fan as long as I live, or they are open, which I suspect will both be a very, very long time. Points out of 10? 00. 😉 Simples. Get yer ass there ass sooon ass possible, you don’t need Daiya or whatever with this quality of pizza. Just a mouth with an ever windening smile. But I’d love to try it with cheese… Let it be so.

Ps They also do a takeaway service for those lazy nights on the sofa… Just sayin..

Paco Pizza
Allada Vermell, 11, Barcelona, 08003
Open: 13:00 a 03:00
Metro: L4 Jaume I
Tel@ 93 268 2514

Like most places here, no website!

tube in portland will always have a special place in my heart. the grungy dive bar has so much personality, plus offers loads of vegan items from white russians to happy hour snacks. we hit up tube just about a year ago and instantly fell in love; so imagine how excited we were when we went back recently and found they had expanded their menu. we are talking 3 pages of vegan-friendly goodness; we knew we had to get comfy and stay for a while.

professor nanotear muffin: a slice of grilled vegan ham and vegan cheese between an english muffin and our homemade spicy chipotle veganaise. $3 or 2 for $5

we started out with some “professor nanotear muffins” from the bar snacks menu, which are basically little vegan mcmuffins topped with faux ham and vegan cheese. you can get one for 3 bucks, or two for 5…so we went ahead and splurged. these muffins are so simple and would be really easy to make at home, but i just love them. i don’t know of anywhere else you can get such cheap and tasty little vegan snacks at such a cool bar.

hamm's. $2 each.

it was happy hour, so we pounded a couple of hamm’s for 2 bucks a piece. not the best beer in the world, but definitely the best beer for this situation.

as you can see, tube was pretty empty when we were there. we arrived at around 5pm and it was deserted, but i hear it gets PACKED by the nighttime. and there is dancing and stuff, if you are into that.

vegan white russian!

after munching on snacks and drinking weak beer, we decided to kick it up a notch with some real food and hard liquor. i REALLY wanted to try one of the new alcoholic milkshakes, but alas the bartender said they had run out of ice cream. so sad. instead i went a vegan white russian, probably my favorite mixed drink out there, and was cheered up immediately.

vegan mac and chez: a creamy soy cheese/nutritional yeast blend and vegan hot dog bits. served with chips. $6

foodwise, we split an entree and a sandwich off the new dinner menu, and were quite pleased with our order. first up, the vegan mac and chez—a bowl of spirally noodles all mixed up in creamy sauce with nutritional yeast and hot dog chunks. downright delicious comfort food. it was 8 bucks, but the bowl was big and it tasted damn good.

vegan fried bologna sandwich: vegan grilled bologna and vegan cheese with ketchup on two pieces of white bread slathered in vegan butter and grilled again. served with chips. $5

we also got the vegan fried bologna sandwich, which was double grilled and stuffed with fake meat and cheese. again, this meal was solid. the soy bologna was awesome, and the fluffy bread was moist and flavorful. the chips tasted like ruffles straight out the bag, and i would expect nothing less (or more) from a dive bar like tube.

i honestly hope to visit tube every single time i go to portland. not because the food is so out of this world amazing, but because it’s damn good and the atmosphere is excellent. it’s so much fun to eat junk food in a trashy little bar, the kind of experience that omnivores get to enjoy all the time.

tube
18 NW 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 241-8823
open 7 days a week 5pm – 2am
happy hour 5pm – 10pm
brunch saturday and sunday 11am – 4pm

here are some shots of the menu. i want to eat all the vegan stuff on it. please note TUBE ALSO DOES BRUNCH ON WEEKENDS, check out that menu here.

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ask any seattle local, and they’ll tell you cafe flora is a “must hit spot” for visiting vegans. while the restaurant is merely vegetarian and admittedly very dairy and eggs heavy, much of the menu can be veganized, and the food is bloody fantastic.

the fancy schmancy establishment has been around since ’91 and specializes in meatless cuisine using local, organic, and sustainable produce. the care they put into the dining experience really shows—not only are the dishes top notch, but the ambiance incredible. we visited cafe flora for brunch 2 years ago, and were completely floored. our experience last month was no different.

vegan breakfast torta: scrambled tofu on a warm ciabatta roll with roasted poblano strips and grilled red onions. served with a smokey tomato relish and black beans. $10.50

even some of my omnivore friends consider cafe flora to be the ultimate brunch spot in seattle, and i think they’re right. the regular menu has some great vegan options including waffles, scrambles, and cinnamon rolls…but on our last trip, we ordered a couple of the seasonal specials.

i went with the vegan version of the breakfast torta (pictured above), and was pleased beyond belief. this dish is vegetarian and made with eggs by default—but just ask your server, and the yucky stuff can easily be swapped out for tofu, and the cheese can be omitted. and i can personally testify that the vegan version is THEBOMB.COM. we are talking a rich and delicately greasy tofu scramble heaped onto a soft warm ciabatta roll with grilled peppers. not to mention a massive side of black beans and crazy-good pot of smokey tomato salsa.

vegan summer mushroom scramble: scrambled tofu with spring onions, grilled cremini mushrooms, fresh tarragon and chives. served with fruit garnish and roasted potatoes. $10

the “summer mushroom scramble” special was just as astounding. the same magical tofu scramble (immensely flavorful and decadent, yet somehow not too heavy), was mixed with mushrooms, onions, chives, and tarragon. on our last trip, we were wowed by 2 different tofu scrambles at cafe flora, and this one was every bit as delicious. i am gonna go ahead and say that cafe flora has THE BEST tofu scrambles i’ve ever eaten. after 3 home runs, this must be much more than chance.

we also ordered a side of spicy collard greens for $3.50, which was excellent. you can see it in the background of the pictures above. basically it was a tiny pot of tasty greens with a wonderfully spicy sauce on top. i’d highly recommend it.

inside, cafe flora is just lovely. you feel like you are eating outdoors in the huge dining room, which is decorated with several plants and a trickling fountain. the place fills up pretty fast on weekends, so my advice would be to get there early. we arrived at 9am to open them up, and we weren’t the first ones there.

next time you are in seattle, be sure to pay cafe flore a visit. the food is incredible, and the setting is beautiful. i really think you’ll love it. this is so the kind of place i would take my parents, i don’t know why, it just has that vibe.

cafe flora
2901 East Madison Street
Seattle, WA 98112-4213
(206) 325-9100

portland, i love you with all my heart! you are a city of decadent vegan goodness, yet even the bastion of healthy eating in your land is better than most spots here in los angeles. i’m talking about prasad, a cafe that would be entirely animal-free were it not for honey on the menu and half & half by request.

prasad is located downtown in blossoming lotus‘ former space—it’s a small eatery attached to the entrance of a sleek yoga studio. it opens early for the pre-work breakfast crew, yet stays open through dinnertime, so already the hours are impressive. the menu is on the lighter side, focusing on raw and cooked wholesome eats including salads, soups, wraps, bowls, and smoothies.

at first glance, the food options may sound a bit simple…but i can assure that after indulging in portland’s crazy vegan meal scene, you will be all about prasad. we were. we ate there twice in two days. here’s how it went:

mighty bowl: choice of bhutanese red rice or quinoa, steamed greens, beans. $7

on the first day we were bowlin’. BOWLS ARE FUCKING AWESOME, why does nowhere carry bowls in LA?! i went with the most basic option, the mighty bowl. it comes with red rice or quinoa, steamed greens, beans, and choice of two sauces. i went with the red rice option, along with green chili and garlic tahini sauce. the sauces come on the side, so you can choose how much you wanna dump on…and i can tell you, this food is so good, it doesn’t even need sauce! the vegetables are fresh, the rice is perfectly steamed, and the beans are plump and hearty. so simple, but so damn delicious.

dragon bowl: choice of bhutanese red rice or quinoa, beans, arame, wakame and dulse sea vegetables, avocado, steamed greens, sesame seeds, scallions and sprouts. $8.50

my husband went with the dragon bowl, which was equally impressive. this dish came with red rice, beans, arame, wakame, and dulse sea vegetables, avocado, and steamed greens. just like my bowl, everything was fresh and tasty…and the addition of flavorful sea vegetables and creamy avocado made it even better.

we enjoyed our meal at prasad so much, that we decided to return before the end of our trip for breakfast. although the scrambles sounded amazing, we decided to share a wrap off of the lunch menu (which is served from 9am on).

gaucho wrap: chipotle marinated tempeh, slow roasted tomatoes, spinach, black beans, smashed avocado and lime in a whole wheat tortilla. $8

the gaucho wrap was great—marinated tempeh, roasted tomatoes, spinach, black beans, smashed avocado, and lime all rolled up in a huge tortilla. overall it had a pretty sweet and smokey taste, and the tempeh and beans made it extra hearty and filling. while i loved this thing, i am still kind of wishing we went with one of the scrambles. i saw another customer eating one, and it looked insane.

toast: new cascadia teff bread (gluten-free) with zucchini hummus, cucumber and tomato. $3.50

we also split an order or toast, topped with zucchini hummus, tomatoes, and cucumber. the hummus was rich and creamy, the vegetables were crisp, and the bread was soft and spongey. seriously, the perfect light breakfast.

the prasad space itself is rather cozy, a few little tables and one communal table to the right of the yoga reception area. you order at the counter and pay, then food is brought to where you are sitting. the service is friendly and attentive, and the wait time is pretty low. overall, prasad is just a sweet and wonderful little place with damn good vegan food. no wonder we went there twice, and i can’t wait to go back.

prasad
925 NW Davis,
Portland OR 97209
within Yoga Pearl
503.224.3993
Monday – Friday 7:30am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday 9am to 8pm

there’s no place quite like cyber dogs. the small and quirky seattle internet cafe has been around since 2002, and sells an entirely vegetarian menu of hot dogs—all of which can be made vegan! we stopped by recently and were huge fans of the funky atmosphere and delicious food.

Vegan Mama Tatianaon: Tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh basil & garlic with Vegan Cheese… Baked to perfection! $7.80

we split the vegan version of the “mama tatianaon” (the original comes with parmasean cheese), which was an italian sausage smothered in sauce, tomatoes, green onions, artichoke hearts, fresh basil, garlic, and vegan cheese. the picture isn’t much to look at, but i can promise you this thing was freaking amazing. cyber dog’s homemade vegan cheese is incredible, and the whole thing was just oozing with awesome flavor. it was pretty messy, as you can see, so we had to eat it with a knife and fork. good times!

inside, cyber dogs is pretty crazy. there are a few small tables, and even a pacman game that has been converted into a table! this is definitely the coolest place to sit…

there are movie posters and pictures of celebrities everywhere, and when we were there they were even playing dazed and confused on the television. haha, the perfect 90s movie to watch in an internet cafe.

cyber dogs is definitely worth checking out if you are in seattle. i know i’ll be back!

cyber dogs
909 Pike St.
Seattle , WA.
(on the corner of 9th and Pike).
11am – Midnight Every Day
(206) 405 – DOGS.

i love hungry tiger too so freakin’ much. it looks and feels like a typical bar with a great beer selection, but it’s also got an absolutely massive vegan menu and some of the best food i’ve ever eaten.

we hit up hungry tiger too on our first trip to portland, and were so blown away that we new we had to return on our next. let’s just say, i’m glad we did…because it was just as good the second time around.

portobello scramble: fresh portobello mushrooms with tofu, garlic, spinach, onion and nutritional yeast. with a house made biscuit and vegan gravy. $6.75

the vegan biscuits and gravy at this place are unmatched as far as i’m concerned, so i knew i had to work them into my meal somehow. i spotted a tasty-sounding portobello scramble on the menu, and noticed that for an extra buck, i could get a biscuit and gravy on the side. the biscuits are so enormous and the gravy is so thick, that eating 2 of them is enough to send me into a food coma, so i knew one would be plenty. the scramble came in 2 sizes (large and small), so i got the little one with a side of biscuit for $6.75…and boy, it was a lot of food!

the scramble was simple but quite delicious—fresh portobello mushrooms with tofu and vegetables, all stirred up with nutritional yeast. as you can see, hungry tiger too’s idea of “one biscuit” is HUGE. this was definitely the highlight of the meal; the biscuits and gravy here are so good that no words do them justice. the biscuits are big and fluffy, like pieces of cake and the gravy all kinds of creamy, rich, and clumpy. i could seriously drink a vat of this stuff. honestly, if you ever go to hungry tiger too, you MUST at least try the biscuits and gravy. your tummy will thank you forever.

next up, we got the southeast club. the menu is filled with appetizing vegan sandwiches (including a reuben!), but we walked in knowing we had to try the club, after reading on vegtastic voyage that it was so big it had to be “dismantled” to be eaten. yep, it lived up to its reputation—the sandwich was gigantic.

southeast club: 3 slices of sour dough piled high with tofurky, tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, avocado and vegenaise. $10.50

the southeast club was awesome, layer after layer of hearty fake meatiness. every thing about it rocked from the soft bread, to the fresh vegetables, to the crispy bacon and creamy vegenaise. one of the best vegan clubs i’ve ever tasted. we ordered it with a side of potato chips, which were top notch as well. i’m talking thick, warm, and FRESHLY MADE. yes!

in addition to having an epic vegan menu, hungry tiger too has a damn good beer selection. local brews like rogue and deschutes are lined up next to classics like pbr.

i have never been to portland on a wednesday, which is unfortunate because hungry tiger too celebrates the middle of the week with $1.25 VEGAN CORN DOGS! i just may have to plan my next trip around that one.

next time you are in pdx, don’t miss your chance to visit hungry tiger too. great beer, amazing food, and biscuits & gravy that will blow your mind.

hungry tiger too
207 SE 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 238-4321

PS: they also play great music at this place. when we were there it was smiths and t. rex album cuts. yeaaaaaah!

this chocolate creme filled treat is by far the best donut i’ve ever had, and it’s from the 100% vegan mighty-o in seattle.

i know i have gone on and on about mighty-o the past, and about ronald’s in vegas and so on…but this donut officially takes the cake (no pun intended).

creme filled donut $1.95 and mini donut 40¢

we stopped by mighty-o one morning on our recent trip to seattle, and i was planning on just ordering a couple of minis. when i saw the vanilla cake/chocolate creme filled donut staring up from me at the case though, i knew i had to have it…

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we ate a lot of food on our recent trip to portland, and some of the best was the simple nutritious fare from laughing planet. the quick serve restaurant has a few locations around portland, and offers a very vegan-friendly menu of burritos, bowls, soups, and salads.

steamed veggies, rice, and beans: a medley of fresh veggies on a bed of pinto beans and brown rice, topped with pico de gallo. $4.75

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so during my recent trip to visit my parents, my mom, being this awesome mom she is, drove me 2 hours through the glades to have dinner at sublime. i’ve told you about it. BUT i didn’t tell you about how we spent some time earlier that day in miami. i’d never been and i wanted to experience south beach, so our dinner trip turned in to a day trip.

by the time we got to south beach we were both ready do jump out the window, having chugged water the entire drive over, & south beach is CROWDED and full of confusing one-way streets. my mom wanted to see where they shot the movie “birdcage” (don’t ask) so we navigated to the art deco district and found the first available parking spot. i then used my handy-dandy VegOut app on my iphone to find the nearest vegan-friendly food joint. we’d lucked out and parked about two blocks away from juice & java, so we quickly headed over.

ok, before i talk about the food, i must say the bathrooms were absolutely gross. GROSS. the womens’ room was backed up with paper towels and there was piss all over the seat, so i went in to the mens’ room which was surprisingly cleaner. although not much.

i was a bit skeptical at this point but the food areas seemed to be more clean and i was hungry. my mom and i skimmed the menu, which was huge. my mom squealed with delight when she saw they had seaweed salad. it went like this: “OOH! OOH! BRITTANY! THEY HAVE SEEEAWEEEEED SALAD!!!!!” so we had to get that.

seaweed salad: a rich source of calcium, zinc andiron. $4.95

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if you are looking for the ultimate meat-free dining experience in seattle, plum bistro is definitely your place. the gourmet restaurant is located on capitol hill and serves amazing all vegan cuisine for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. the food can be a bit pricey (think $14-$18 for an entree), but it’s fantastic and well worth it. one little secret that you can’t find on plum’s website though, is that they have a HAPPY HOUR sundays from 4-10pm and monday thru friday from 3-6pm, where food and drinks are super cheap. we hit up plum for the happy hour deals a couple weeks ago with a friend, and ate enough food to feed a small country for under 60 bucks. it was an excellent time.

spicy mac n yease: our signature mac n cheese $5 happy hour special (normally $7)

we started with a plate of the “mac n yease” which was down from $7 to five bucks for the happy hour special. i have been wanting to try this ever since this.charming.man raved about it back in january, and i must say it did not disappoint! it was spicy, creamy, flavorful, and honestly the best vegan mac and cheese i’ve ever eaten. there were mushy globs of cheese in between the noodles, just like the real thing, and little burned bits around the edges. i’d say plum is worth visiting for the mac n yease alone—it blows all other mac and cheeses out of the water.

sweet tea white russian: firefly sweet tea, soy milk, orange spice and cane sugar. $5

one catch about the happy hour menu is, you can’t order from it without buying a drink…but don’t worry, they have non-alcoholic stuff for all you xpeoplex. i went with the white russian because it’s my favorite mixed drink, and it’s impossible to find a vegan version at bars here in los angeles. the only other place i’ve had a vegan white russian outside of my house was at tube in portland, and plum’s was a million times better. the sweet tea vodka/soy milk mixture came in a sugar-rimmed glass, complete with a cherry on top. i absolutely loved it.

mini burgers $2 each.

we got a couple of mini burgers from the happy hour menu, because come on, who can resist vegan sliders?! plum has several to choose from including the crazy jamaican, tofu bbq seitan, quinoa, and el basito caliente. i am pretty sure the ones we ordered were the crazy jamaican and el basito caliente, and they were delicious. they were pretty big as well, you could fill up on a few of these and have dinner for 6 bucks.

quinoa nachos. $4

we also got a plate of quinoa nachos, which were a great deal for $4. this dish of blue chips came topped with an amazing creamy sauce, pico de gallo, guacamole and melted cheese. i am pretty sure the cheese on the nachos was follow your heart, which i am not a big fan of, but they were still pretty good.

gourmet garlic fries with jalapeno sauce. $4

next up was an order of gourmet garlic fries with jalapeno sauce, and they were super tasty. plum has a huge list of fries and sauces to choose from, and we originally ordered the “cheese w/ seitan bits” option. unfortunately/fortunately, they messed up our order and brought us the garlic fries, which wound up being great. the jalapeno sauce was to die for—rich gooey, and spicy—it went perfectly with the thick crispy fries.

vegan hot dog. $4

we also got a “vegan hot dog,” which to our surprise wound up being a high-quality field roast sausage! man i love field roast, so this was a nice treat. it came smothered in crazy good sauces and topped with sauerkraut. amazing!

orange-balsamic glazed tempeh with thai-spiced mashed yams and bitter greens. $17

we had our fill of cheap junk food snacks, but our friend wanted to be a little bit highbrow, and order something from the dinner menu as well. she got the orange-balsamic glazed tempeh with thai-spiced mashed yams and bitter greens. she let me try it and, WOWZA….it was awesome! the yams especially were not to be believed, such amazing flavor. i have a feeling that this is the kind of gourmet fine-dining food most people visit plum for, and plum knows how to do it well.

completely gratuitous

this was by far one of our best meals in seattle, and one of the best i’ve had in a long time. plum really has everything going for it: they are an all vegan restaurant with excellent food, they serve mixed drinks as well as beer and wine, and they have a nice fancyish yet comfy atmosphere where you can relax and hang for awhile. if you are in seattle, i would put this at the top of your “must visit” list, because plum is simply amazing. i can’t wait to return and try out their brunch!

plum bistro
1429 12th Ave E Ste B
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 838-5333

PS: the happy hour menu isn’t posted plum’s website, so i’ve uploaded it here for your enjoyment…

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a trip to pdx just wouldn’t be complete without visiting the bye and bye. the all vegan pub located in northeast portland has great food, an impressive beer selection, and is the perfect place to sit and unwind for a few hours. just ask our friend little vegan planet, who has a very awesome story about this place in his latest blog post.

the menu at the bye and bye is simple yet delicious. a decent selection of bowls, sandwiches, and entrees—like spaghetti or chili pie—are all available for under ten bucks. on our recent visit, we decided to split a sandwich as well as a bowl of 3 sides…

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it’s no secret that we like to head up to santa barbara every now and then just to grab some vegan pizza. we’ve taken a few trips up north for that reason—we have pizza for dinner, spend the night in a hotel, and before returning home, grab a couple sandwiches from lazy acres and head out for a winery picnic.

our favorite winery in the area to set up for lunch would have to be fess parker, just north of santa barbara in the san ynez valley. it’s a beautiful place with tasty wine and lots of outdoor space to sit and chill. in fact, we aren’t the only vegan bloggers who who like to picnic there—check out c’est la vegan’s post from last summer!

anyways, let’s talk about the food…

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i have eaten my way through most of portland oregon, and one of my favorite restaurants there would have to be vita cafe.

i have been to vita cafe twice (both times for breakfast), and after my first visit, my expectations were VERY high. i gotta say though, vita cafe delivered and their food was just as exceptional in round 2. yep, best breakfast ever…again!

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UPDATE 07/20/10: since the time i ate at red dog, chickette has changed their recipe and is no longer vegan. 🙁 red dog carries GARDEIN now though, so ask for that if you want a vegan option. also, someone left a comment saying the buffalo sauce is not vegan. i don’t know if they changed that as well, but double check and ask to see the ingredients.

red dog saloon. beer, bar food, and the best vegan pizza i’ve ever eaten.

a couple months ago, i was hanging in norfolk virginia and scoping out the meatless offerings. you wouldn’t think that such a small town would be so vegan-friendly, but i must say norfolk holds its own against other massive cities i’ve visited. the main stretch of restaurants i’d wanna visit runs along colley avenue, and within walking distance i found vegan sushi, vegan middle eastern food, 3 spots for vegan pizza, 2 vegan-friendly bars, and vegan tex mex. i can honestly say i’ve never seen so many options in such a small radius…it even rivaled the vegan strip mall.

today though, i’m here to talk about red dog saloon. located on colley avenue, it has a huge tap beer selection, comfy seating, good music, and most importantly an impressive vegan menu. there is nothing pretentious about this place, and it’s definitely the most “normal” bar that i’ve ever eaten vegan food at…maybe that’s why i love it so much. there is absolutely nowhere like red dog in LA: a typical bar where shit gets rowdy at night and locals hang out for hours, plus a wide selection of delicious vegan food that is readily available.

i spent less than a week in norfolk, but i wound up eating (and drinking) at red dog twice. both times i was kicking it with my friend and fellow vegan blogger sunny, and although we had complaints about some dishes, overall we agreed that red dog was super awesome.

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