Burgers and Brew in Davis, CA: Video Review

During a road trip to ski in Tahoe I was put in charge of finding a restaurant on the way (big surprise). By the time we were ready to eat it was past 10pm, but thanks to the Yelp app I found the perfect place in Davis: Burgers and Brew.

Video Review: Grilla Bites Ashland, OR - Organic, Vegan Food Made with Passion

Last year on my West Coast trip with Robert Cheeke during his book tour we stopped in Ashland, OR to grab some food for the road from their local coop. The town was so beautiful that we decided to crash there for the night - it's Shakespearian, organic, vegan-friendly vibe completely won me over. We sought out a place with WiFi so we could book a place to stay and update our websites, which is how we stumbled upon GrillaBites. The green certifications on the windows and vegan items on their menu lured us in, but we had no idea how much of a treat we were in for.

Video: Vegan Tour of Portland, OR with Robert Cheeke

I really should have posted this last week before Portland was flooded with vegans from Vida Vegan Con...oh well. This is a video I taped a year and a half ago when I visited PDX for the first time thanks to vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke - been meaning to edit it ever since but life got in the way until now. We went to so many restaurants and vegan shops in just 4 days, and each place is summarized in about 1 minute in this video. Here's where we went:

Ultimate Vida Vegan Conference Roundup: Saturday

image from It's A Cookbook!

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it out to Vida Vegan Con (click here to find out why) so I'm living vicariously through all the tweets and blogs posts, which are actually making me feel like I'm there (check out these 9 ways to enjoy it without being there). Twitter is such a fantastic way to connect with people and have conversations, and all the vegan bloggers and tweeters there are doing a great job at posting every detail! First of all, you must check out these live interviews NOW (but don't worry, they're all being recorded):

Calculating Long Distance: The Green Way to Travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco

My boyfriend lives in San Francisco, and he's totally worth doing the long distance. But every time we travel to see each other some things cross my mind:

1. It takes a lot of time out of my day if I'm traveling (3 - 9 hours each way)
2. It is expensive ($100-$150 round trip)
3. Traveling isn't very eco-friendly

For now, this is what we have to do to be with each other. So I decided to figure out the way to travel with the smallest carbon footprint.

Back to Nature - a vacation from L.A.

When anyone in L.A. asks me where I'm from I say, "about 30 miles West of Boston". Then, when they ask, "what town?", I say, "a small town near Acton and Concord," because no one has heard of Harvard, MA.

Vegetarian in Sierra Leone

This may seem like an odd post, but it stems from a friend who wants to know how her friend can be vegetarian while living in Sierra Leone. She asked if I could recommend a simple cookbook, but before I could answer I had to look up what food is available in the country.

Portland summary, part 1

I have only been in Portland for a day, but I have already done so much and I'm having a blast! I'm making videos of it all, but it may take me some time to get them up, so here's a summary in the meantime. 

My first stop was Food Fight, an entirely vegan grocery store. It was such a relief not to look at any labels. Though I was familiar with most of their products, there were a few that I was excited about, like some really good vegan gummy candies and rose tea kombucha.

Then I headed next door to Herbivore, whose products I've seen all over the place online and in Los Angeles. I really liked the vibe of the store and saw some cool items, like handbags and books. The owners were also super nice.

My first meal was at Hungry Tiger Too, where I tried their famous vegan corn dogs. Those were quite greasy, but very tasty. I also had their SouthEast Club and BellyRocker sandwich (with Daiya). 

For dinner I went to Blossoming Lotus, which has a lot of raw food. It was beautiful inside and the staff was very attentive (it reminded me of Madeleine Bistro). I enjoyed the food, but it wasn't anything new for me. I had a Ginger-Apple-Lemon juice, Live Nachos, and Green Goddess bowl.

To top the night off, I went to Voodoo Doughnuts, which is a really hip place. Though it's not entirely vegan, they have a separate section for their vegan offerings. I tried 4 different flavors and they were all yummy - reminded me off a cross between Mighty'O and Ronalds.

I stayed in the beautiful LEED certified Avalon Hotel & Spa. This was one of the best hotels I've been to, because it is affordable ($100 for 1 night), comfortable, quiet, clean, and green - and the staff is fantastic. It's right next to a bay, so it felt really natural.

My favorite meal so far was at Papa G's this afternoon - their Coconut Greens were phenomenal. I really didn't expect to love it as much as I did, since it's a really modest looking place, but it hit the spot and I would be happy to go back again tonight for dinner! I also tried Herbucha, a locally made kombucha, and that was really special as well. This restaurant is completely organic, partially gluten-free, and eco-friendly. I also enjoyed their mashed potatoes and gravy, and curry tofu. I met the owner, Grant, at Food Fight and he was really nice. 

I walked around in Mirador, a really cute eco shop, and was excited to find an artichoke steamer! : )

Believe it or not, I have a lot more to see in Portland. This city is uber eco-vegan and I'm loving it here! Though, the weather has been quite chilly...

My tour guide for this trip has been the lovely Robert Cheeke, who has lived in Oregon for many years. His new book just came out and he's been promoting it. I'll be traveling with him to Seattle tonight, back to Portland after the weekend, and then we're driving back to Los Angeles with a stop in San Francisco. 

Stay tuned... ; )

Portland, Seattle, San Francisco...

I'm about to head to Portland and San Francisco for the first time! And also to Seattle for the second time, but it will be my first experience at the VegFest. Afterwards I'm taking a roadtrip back to Los Angeles, stopping in San Francisco and a some other places along the way (like the Azna Gluten Free bakery).

I've already been to the following places in Seattle:

• Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe
• Hillside Sandwich Shop
• Might O' Donuts - must go back!
• Pizza Pi - must go back!
• Sidecar for Pig's Peace
• Sureshot cafe
• Wayward Cafe

I want to go to places with unique menu items (trying to avoid Asian and Indian). I'm also a little over vegan pizza - there's so much in L.A. - though I'll likely make an exception for Pizza Pi because it's so fabulous. ; ). Places that are healthy, organic, and eco-friendly get priority, but I do like the occasional vegan junk food - I hear Portland has some great corn dogs!

I've got Robert Cheeke as my tour guide (who knows Portland like the back of his hand) but what do you recommend I do? What restaurants are a must? If I could only go to one restaurant in each city, what would you suggest?

Here is what people have recommended so far:

Portland:

• Back to Eden Bakery
• Bay Leaf
• Blossoming Lotus
• Bye & Bye
• Hungry Tiger Too
• Portobello Vegan Trattoria
• Proper Eats
• Stumptown Coffee (almond latte)
• Vita Cafe (biscuits and gravy)

Seattle:

• Georgetown Liquor Co was on a Top 5 Veggie Burger list, and I love their tag-line: "STRONG ENOUGH FOR A CARNIVORE, MADE FOR A HERBIVORE!"

San Francisco:

• Greens Restaurant
• Herbivore - The Earthly Grill
• Maggie Mudd (did an interview with them at WorldFest)

Hula Grill in Ka'anapali (Maui)

We had another great meal beachside as the sun went down. Hula Grill is very busy and semi- touristy, complete with a live band and hula dancing (naturally).

The food was good and very fresh, though quite subtle. I had a mango margarita, which was pretty strong. For dinner I had a bunch of small dishes: tomato soup, a beet & pear salad with macadamia nuts, and buckwheat noodle with pesto. It was all lovely, but the flavors didn't
pop.

The service was very friendly and helpful, and they were no strangers to veganism (or the gluten-free diet for that matter.)

Vegan options in Toronto

Someone asked me today about where to get vegan food in Toronto, so I reached out to my Twitter community and this is what they recommend:

Restaurants:

• Fresh
• Fressen
• King's Cafe
• Sadie's Diner and Juice Bar
• Udupi Palace
• Urban Herbivore

Markets:

• Ambrosia Natural Foods
• The Big Carrot
• Kensington Market
• St. Lawerence Market

Here's Happy Cow's list and a really cool vegetarian resource for Canada called Veg.ca

If you have any more to add, please comment below.

The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons, Boston

My family goes to The Bristol Lounge at The Four Seasons, Boston every Christmas Eve, and in 2009 they were prepared with some vegan options.

I enjoyed:

• humus
• tomato soup
• risotto with vegetables
• a delicious cocktail

Taste: 8/10

Unique menu & flavors: no, but it was tasty

Organic: not sure

Local: not sure

Healthy: yes (very simple, well prepared)

Customer service: fantastic

Atmosphere: upscale, well decorated, nice lighting

Location: across from Boston Common

Parking: valet, but we park on the street

Price: expensive

Portion Sizes: small/medium

Grasshopper, Allston, MA: review

Grasshopper is an entirely vegan Asian restaurant in Allston, MA, which is right outside of Boston. It has a great reputation but I haven't been there since I was in college. My sister and I made it our first stop on my trip home for the holidays.

We enjoyed:

• Sweet & Sour soup ~ creamy, flavorful
• "Chicken" fingers ~ sweet, didn't taste like chicken, but were good
• The No Name ~ delicious but very unhealthy (fried)
• Curry Coconut Vermicelli Noodle with "Beef" ~ really good

Taste: 7/10

Unique menu & flavors: not really (typical vegan Asian)

Organic: don't think so

Healthy: no (lots of oil, sugar, and fried foods)

Customer service: good

Atmosphere: average; it's a big place

Location: outside of Boston, but accessible via public transit with a bit of a walk

Parking: don't think they have any, and street parking is hard to find

Price: cheap

Portion Sizes: large (you'll probably have leftovers)

Favorite dish: toss up between No Name and Vermicelli

1 North Beacon Street, Allston, MA‎

(617) 254-8883‎

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Vegan food at Disneyland

It's been several years since I've been to Disneyland, so when a friend asked me about vegan options there I couldn't remember. I turned to my Twitter community for answers, and thought I'd compile them all here for your reference. : )

• Disneyland notes on their FAQ page: "Special dietary needs — including vegetarian and medically restricted diets — can often be accommodated at select table-service restaurants. Please request special meals at least 24 hours in advance at (714) 781-DINE (3463)"

• Chow Vegan's post on Vegan Dining at Disneyland
• To Live and Eat in LA's post on vegan gumbo at Royal Street Veranda

• @Jacquiejane said: "Blue Bayou & Cafe Orleans - need to make reservations" "most restaurants have vegan gumbo, or veggie burgers on vegan buns"
• @SaraMurphy said: "I had veg chili (I asked for no cheese to make vegan) in breadbowl in DLand this July. Near 'critter country'."
• @HealthyVoyager said: "there is, the portobello "steak" on cous cous. It's just a'ight and overpriced, but a vegan option nonetheless" "there is also a veggie po' boy across from Pirates at some New Orleans delio"
• @VeganAvenger said: "at Ca. Adventure there's yummy tofu curry dish @ chinese place!"
• @Monagrayson said: "There is a Mexican place in Disneyland that can cater to vegans"

Some further research led me to this:

• Discussion at Post Punk Kitchen: gumbo (some say it has butter in it), burritos, chili, veggie burgers, and fruit

Eco & Vegan in Hawaii (Maui)

My best friends from childhood and I are reuniting from around the country during a trip to Hawaii this March. None of us are married and we're all young, so we figure this is the time to do it!

While flying isn't eco-friendly, I am determined to make this trip as eco-vegan as possible. I would love your advice on where to go in Maui (I'll be in Lahaina).

Here's what I've discovered so far:

• Down to Earth - ALL VEGETARIAN Organic & Natural‎ Store (cool!)
• Flatbread Company - pizza
• Fresh Mint Vegetarian - Vietnamese
• Joy's Place - "a new kind of fast food restaurant that uses Organically and Locally Grown Ingredients"
• Mana Food - grocery
• Pacific`O - contemporary with a great vegetarian dish
• Polli's Mexican Restaurant
• Veg Out

Here's a great resource of vegetarian restaurants on Maui

Besides eating, what else can I do that would be eco-friendly?

Big Fresh - Framingham, MA: review

Big Fresh: tried the Falafel Wrap, the Moroccan Tangine stir fry with tofu, and some iced tea. All were very good and worth a trip back

Grezzo, Boston: review

I've been meaning to go to Grezzo for a while, and finally planned to go with my family this past December. They were equally excited about it, so we made a nice outing/date. And it was the perfect place for that.

Grezzo is nestled in the North End of Boston, which is a strange place to find a raw vegan restaurant. But it fits right in, as they offer some unique italian dishes like gnocchi.

The food was spectacular, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the wait staff was incredibly attentive and intelligent. I even got to check out the kitchen and speak to the chef.

Atlas Cafe NYC: review

Atlas Cafe

Featuring Vegan Treats.

The Otherside Cafe, Boston: review

The Otherside Cafe

TeaLuxe, Boston

TeaLuxe