Adventures in Veganism

Saigon: This time fake meat goes too far

2012-01-21T17:18:00.001-05:00

A Visit to Restaurants Ngoc Tho and Thien Duyen Ben ThahnHere's a map showing where both restaurants are.Note: you can click on an image if you'd like to see it full sizeEver since my girlfriend Marya and I became vegan, we've been serious food tourists. In every new city we go to, we want to experience all the lovely food available. Site seeing has become something to be done to kill time

Unphogettable: Pho in Saigon

2011-12-27T17:51:00.003-05:00

Note: You can click on each image to see it full sizePho is like crack, only tastier, and everyone who's ever heard of it either has a personal story to tell of their own addiction, or witnessed a loved one going through it. At the height of my addiction, I was eating two to three bowls a week. Then, two things happened: I moved away from easy access to pho, and became vegetarian (eventually to

K'nyay in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2011-11-21T21:53:00.003-05:00

Note you can click on most images to see them full-sizeK'nyay25K Suramarit Blvd, ST 268, Phnom Penh, CambodiaK'nyay was quite a walk from our hostel, but we're glad we made the trip. It turned out to be a nice little secluded and, at the time we were there, quiet place down a short private drive. The food was quite unique, too.To get there, walk East of the Independence Monument (pictured above)

Vegan What? Fun Times in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2011-09-04T23:35:00.004-04:00

Note: Please click on an image to see it full sizeWeird and wild Phnom Penh: where we had to keep the balcony doors and windows of our hostel closed so the monkeys wouldn't come in and make a mess of the place.Where we came across this temple by the riverbank seeming to pay homage to Mario:Where, not an uncommon sight in all of Southeast Asia, I snapped this picture of a family of four on a moto

Cheap Eats in Siem Reap, Cambodia

2011-08-22T22:30:00.001-04:00

Siem Reap, Cambodia is best known as the hopping off point to visit the country's most prized attraction: Angkor Wat (pictured above). Angkor Wat was a requisite stop on our whirlwind trip through Southeast Asia, so we (by "we" I mean Marya) did loads of research for places to eat in Siem Reap. Thanks to the magic of Happy Cow we found the restaurant Chamkar. A word of warning: it was a bit

Bangkok: Gimme Whatshagot and Downing Cheap Beer

2011-08-02T21:57:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the Lonely Planet "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" guide we found this fun little vegan restaurant, just south of the Democracy Monument (pictured above) called "Arawy". It's a good walk from Khao San Road. To see a map on how to get there, click here. The address is 152 Thanon Din So.We walked in and were shown to a table by the owner with only hand gestures. We weren't given menus.

Bangkok: Vegetarian Alley

2011-07-11T20:24:00.001-04:00

Note: please click on each image to see it full-size in a new tabNot too far from the popular Bangkok backpacker destination Khao San Road is a side-street we called "Vegetarian Alley". There are 3 vegetarian restaurants and one that is vegetarian friendly. To get to this alley, walk east on Khao San Road to the end (the end closest to this annoying McDonald's statue). Carefully cross Tanao Road

PSA!!!

2011-06-24T23:41:00.012-04:00

Soon I'll get back to writing more blog posts about our trip throughout Southeast Asia, but first:Friends should not let friends cook drunk.Click on the above image to see what I mean.That is all. 'Nuff said.Peace. And safe cooking.

Bangkok Street Food How-To, Featuring Mr. Yim's Vegetarian!

2011-06-06T21:03:00.001-04:00

Note: Please click on each item to expand the imageWe've just returned from a backpack trip through Southeast Asia, beginning and ending in Bangkok. When we returned to Bangkok from our tour a few days in advance of our flight home, we were armed with knowledge from our stay when we first arrived, and were able to make some more informed decisions about where to stay.Khao San Road (Thanon Khao

Local 44 in Philly: Vegan what!?!!

2011-05-11T23:09:00.000-04:00

Local 444333 Spruce StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104(at the corner of 44th & Spruce)Phone: (215)222-BEERFrom downtown Philly we took the 42 Bus up a few dozen blocks to go to Local 44 for brunch. The place is a beer bar with an amazing beer selection and a vegan friendly menu. Don't let the pictures on their website fool you - the place was divey enough to make me happy. Our bartender was quite a

Philly: Chicken & Waffles, Cheese Steaks, Pizza, and Cupcakes!

2011-05-09T22:46:00.004-04:00

Note: [control]-click on each image to expand it.We loved Philly. We'd been discussing for weeks where we'd go when we finally got there. Chicken and waffles? Check. A totally vegan pizzeria? Definitely. Plus, a quest for the ultimate vegan Philly cheese steak. Mi Lah Vegetarian218 S 16th St.Philadelphia, PA 19102Phone: (215) 732-8888Back in my non-vegan days, had I ever happened upon chicken and

Awesome Philly! Stop 1: Horizons

2011-05-02T22:25:00.002-04:00

Whew! I've not had a lot of time to blog much these days. I've got quite the backlog of stuff I've got to blog about. Philly is amazing! Vegan options galore! We recently traveled there for the annual Green Carpet Gala hosted by the Peace Advocacy Network. They're a great organization, and we looked at attending their gala as an opportunity to support them and finally check out all the vegan

Local to Me: Pete's aPizza, plus a word on Pig Business

2011-03-27T22:44:00.006-04:00

Pete's New Haven Style Apizza1400 Irving St NWWashington, DC 20010Phone: (202) 237-7383(plus locations in Friendship Heights, NW DC, and Clarendon, Arlington, Virginia)Pete's - they have vegan pizza, plus a fine selection of beer by pint or pitcher and wine by goblet or bottle (they prefer, though, you don't drink directly from the pitcher or bottle). I'm not a big fan of the counter service

Happy St. Paddy's Day! Irish Coddle from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

2011-03-16T21:59:00.014-04:00

Happy St. Paddy's Day!Marya found this great recipe on the blog Fat Free Vegan, and I just had to try it for St. Patrick's Day. You'll find the recipes here for both the coddle and the sausages. First I made the sausages.I didn't realize until I was wrapping up the sausage mixture in the aluminum foil that the recipe didn't call for any oil. I will confess to panicking a bit because I was

Great Sage & Conscious Corner

2011-03-10T14:45:00.000-05:00

Great Sage5809 Clarksville Square DriveClarksville, MD 21029Phone: (443) 535-9400Great Sage is one of those rare places that seem to do everything right. Everything is sustainable, organic, fair trade, and they source as much as they can from local farms. They opened their doors in 2004 as a vegetarian restaurant, and not too long ago quietly moved from a vegan-friendly vegetarian menu to fully

Local to Me: Astor Mediterranean

2011-03-05T19:01:00.025-05:00

Astor Mediterranean1829 Columbia Rd NWWashington DC 20009Phone: (202) 745-7495Astor Mediterranean is a nothin' fancy little (and alcohol free) eatery in Adams Morgan, DC that features dishes from all around the Mediterranean. They have a second location in Arlington, Virginia, that has outdoor seating and...more importantly, beer and wine. Though they serve the traditional meaty Mediterranean

More Fun Home Stuff: Vegan Cannolo!

2011-01-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

Quick note on what I prepared for dessert for some guests recently: Vegan Cannoli:Pictured here is a cannolo - according to Wikipedia, font of all knowledge, the word "cannoli" is plural of the word "cannolo". To make the shells, I needed a pizzelle iron, which I easily found on eBay. You'd be amazed how fierce the bidding wars get for something as obscure as a pizzelle iron.The recipe came from

Local to Me: Thai X-ing

2011-01-27T22:15:00.004-05:00

Note: click on an image to see it full-sizeThia X-ing (click for their website)515 Florida Ave. NW Washington DC 20001 (click for a map)(very close to the U Street corridor)Phone: (202)332-4322 Thai X-ing is one of those well guarded DC local secrets. I've been by it dozens of times not even noticing the place. It wasn't until I heard about on our local NPR station when a guest on the Kojo

Miami Beach - The Bad Experiences Just Kept Coming

2011-01-19T20:45:00.012-05:00

Note: click on an image to see it full sizeOkay, I've been dreading writing this bit on Miami Beach. I don't like to be so negative. But we had issues at every turn. First it started with Larios, right on Ocean Drive. I really wanted some Cuban food, and this Gloria Estefan owned place was a convenient choice. Of course, normally I'd mention the website, address, and phone number. But there's no

Miami: Coconut Grove Farmers Market

2011-01-04T13:03:00.001-05:00

Note: please click on an image to see it full sizeGlaser Organic Farms Farmers Market3300 Grand AvenueCoconut Groove, FL 33133When: Saturday from 10:30AM - 7:30FMThough we found Miami Beach to be rather un-vegan friendly (more on this soon), there is this awesome organic farmers market in Coconut Grove that is mostly vegan and very raw friendly - who'd guess? I say mostly vegan because they do

I'm a Year Old! Holiday Home Cooked Meals

2010-12-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Note: Please click on an image to view it full size.Yay! Today is Adventures in Veganism/Vegan Travel's Birthday! And it continues where it began last year, with raw egg(less) nog from a recipe provided by Autonomie Project.The rum was not raw So, here's a quick spill of how we spent our Christmas Holiday Weekend: Lots of cooking. Christmas Eve is also Marya's birthday. The fizzer about this is

Cooking for a Family of Omnivores:

2010-11-30T04:30:00.005-05:00

My last Vegan MoFo Post! Tomorrow I rest. We went to Colorado to celebrate Thanksgiving with Marya's family. As mentioned in previous posts, they aren't vegan, but they're very considerate omnivores and are willing to try our food and often branch out in their own cooking.Because they recently tried cooking tempeh at home and absolutely hated it, we volunteered to cook a tempeh dish for them they

Ft. Collins, Colorado: Tasty Harmony and New Belgium Brewing!

2010-11-29T03:30:00.004-05:00

Note: Please click on the image to view full-sizeHad a great day this past weekend with the...[I'll call them] in-laws in Ft. Collins, Colorado. First, we took a tour of New Belgium Brewing Company's plant, including very many samples of their beer. Then we had a lovely dinner at Tasty Harmony. First, the vegan related stuff:Tasty Harmony (official website)130 S. Mason St.Fort Collins, CO 80524

Thanksgiving 2010 with Vegan Friendly Family

2010-11-26T14:30:00.002-05:00

We're presently in Loveland, Colorado, where yesterday we had celebrated Marya's vegan-friendly family.First, we participated in Loveland's famous Turkey Trot 5k Walk/Run, an annual event on Thanksgiving Day to benefit the Stepping Stones adult daycare program at Loveland's McKee Medical Center Foundation.We were surprised at how many turned up for the event - hundreds, despite the unseasonably

Still More Fun Home Stuff: Pumpkin Dishes - Mostly Raw

2010-11-25T14:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, all! Just in time for Thanksgiving, some more pumpkin dishes! Two of these are raw. After Halloween, we had loads of pumpkin from our Jack-O-Lanterns. We chopped up the pumpkin and boiled most of it down to store in the freezer, but kept a few lbs. to make some raw dishes. This raw pumpkin pie came from Ani Phyo's "Ani's Raw Kitchen" book:It tasted as good as any pumpkin pie

Fun Home Stuff: Yet More Raw Stuff

2010-11-24T08:30:00.004-05:00

Note: please click on the image to see the larger version)More raw food! I must say, we have discovered that often raw dishes taste every bit as good or better than the cooked versions. See tomorrow's entry featuring pumpkin that, though it will have one cooked dish, will have two raw pumpkin desserts. Though I feel I'm a long way off from going raw (I've said the same thing about going vegan),

Local to Me: Red Rocks Fire Brick Pizzeria

2010-11-23T08:30:00.009-05:00

Red Rocks Fire Brick Pizzeria (official site)1036 Park Rd., NWWashington, DC 20010 (map)Phone: (202) 506-1402Pizza! Nothing better to chase a glass of Chianti down with than pizza. And where better to do it in DC than Red Rocks Pizzeria.I remember the first time I went in to Red Rocks Pizzeria and asked for a vegan pizza. The bartender who took my order told me she was the one who suggested they

Fun Home Stuff: Playing with our Nused Dehydrator!

2010-11-22T08:30:00.006-05:00

(Note: please click on the image to view it full-size)So a month ago we got a used dehydrator via eBay. We had to make room for it in our kitchen by moving the microwave down to basement. We hardly use the microwave anymore, so this worked out fine. Except the other day when I needed heat a cup of water and I was puzzled at first that it didn't quite fit in the dehydrator. Marya started right

NYC Visit, 11-2010: Soy and Sake - Vegan Sushi!

2010-11-19T12:20:00.004-05:00

Soy and Sake (official website)47 7th Ave. S New York, NY 10014 (map)Phone: (212) 255-2848My last post on our trip to New York City two weeks ago, this time featuring a mostly vegan Asian restaurant specializing in sushi. Truth be told, I can't get all that excited about sushi. I've never been much of a fan of fish or seaweed, but this place has got something for everyone. Though I am trying to

Local to Me: Blue Nile

2010-11-18T08:30:00.005-05:00

Blue Nile (link is to their Yelp page)Herbs, Spices, Body Care, Books, and Incense2826 Georgia Ave NWWashington, DC 20001Phone: (202) 232-3535According to Google Maps, Blue Nile is 312 feet from my front step. Yet, we'd passed by the place dozens, perhaps hundreds of times before stepping in to see what the place is all about. When we did finally check it out, it quickly became an indispensable

Fun Home Stuff: Pork and Sauerkraut

2010-11-15T08:30:00.003-05:00

Marya received a copy of a family recipe for pork and sauerkraut from a relative, and we thought we should make it for her father on his visit. The recipe only calls for 3 ingredients: pork, sauerkraut, and juniper berries. I'd already come up with a recipe for pork bites using TVP chunks, broth, and nutritional yeast. So I had to learn how to make the sauerkraut. We do what we can to avoid

NYC Visit, 11-2010: Breakfasts, Ice Cream, and some Shopping

2010-11-12T08:30:00.036-05:00

Note: most of the images can be clicked on to be viewed full sizeContinuing to report on our trip to New York last weekend - our breakfasts, vegan ice cream, and some New York shopping that is far from stereotypical.Sacred Chow227 Sullivan StreetNew York NY 10012Phone: (212) 337-0863This is our second trip to Sacred Chow. Our first trip was for dinner including very many tapas. This trip was for

Fun Home Stuff: Vegan Seafood dishes

2010-11-11T08:30:00.014-05:00

Since we've started getting food deliveries from a local farm club Arganica, we've had access to a great variety of mushrooms. The oyster and lobster mushrooms are great substitute for some seafood dishes. Marya made this lovely shrimp scampi on red quinoa with both oyster and lobster mushrooms.The recipe came from the Carb Conscious Vegetaran by Robin Robertson. Marya took liberties with the

NYC Visit, 11-2010: V-Note

2010-11-10T08:30:00.010-05:00

V-Note1522 1st AveNew York NY 10021Phone: (212) 249-5009 After a few (too many) cocktails at Candle 79 this past weekend, we walked to nearby V-Note, the newest addition to Blossom's family. We were so excited to try out this fair trade vegan wine bar/restaurant that opened 2 months ago. It is where Blossom Bistro was previously, but we've never been to that. The one thing that disappointed us

NYC Visit, 11-2010: Candle 79

2010-11-09T08:30:00.004-05:00

We were in NYC this past weekend to do some food tourism and to attend a concert.Candle 79154 East 79th StreetNew York NY 10075Phone: (212) 537-7179This was our first trip to Candle 79. We lucked out in that they had just gotten their liquor license permitting them to sell the stuff that's harder than beer or wine. One amazing thing about Candle 79 is that they insist that everything be organic -

Quick lunch tip!

2010-11-08T08:30:00.005-05:00

Sliced fresh vegetables, leftover boiled potatoes, some home made seitan, bouillon cube, water, 4 minutes in the microwave, and voila! A quick and tasty lunch. I sometimes add leftover rice or quinoa. More often I'll prepare rice or bean vermicelli at the office. To do this, I'll put the vermicelli in the bowl with the bouillon and nuke it for a few to soften them. Then add the vegetables and

Local to Me: Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant

2010-11-05T08:30:00.004-04:00

Dukem1118 U Street NWWashington DC 20009Phone: (202) 667-8735It's said that DC is host to the largest concentration of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia. The U Street corridor is a good indication of this, with somewhere in the area of a dozen Ethiopian restaurants clustered in such a way that even Starbucks would think it over-the-top.Dukem is a mainstay of the Ethiopian restaurants in town. This

Fun Home Stuff: Raw Food Adventures!

2010-11-04T08:30:00.007-04:00

Marya's seriously getting into the raw foods, these days, and I'm certainly enjoying the fruits and vegetables of her labor. Beet Carpaccio:Marinated beets and beet greens topped with capers.Zucchini Spaghetti and Meat(less)balls:The meatballs were made of almonds, pumpkin seeds, sun dried, and spices. The raw tomato sauce had enough garlic in it that someone on the bus the following day

Local to Me: Bread and Brew's Halloween Celebration!

2010-11-03T21:44:00.016-04:00

Okay, one more Halloween related post. Every month DC Vegan Drinks has a get-together at a DC vegan-friendly restaurant. Mostly, it's at Bread and Brew, just south of Dupont Circle. They usually go all out for us when they know we're coming, too. And this past Halloween was no exception. The place isn't completely vegan, but they do observe Meatless Mondays, and they always have vegan options.

Local to Me: The Red Derby

2010-11-03T08:30:00.011-04:00

Day 3 of Vegan MoFo!I find it amazing that there are 556 bloggers around the planet blogging about their experiences with veganism, sharing their stories and recipes.My goal is not to provide recipes but to simply show that veganism can be fun and delicious, and that just because a restaurant is not on Happy Cow (which has saved me numerous times), it can't be vegan friendly. Among other things,

Locally Made Soy Products!

2010-11-02T08:03:00.009-04:00

Vegan MoFo Continues!!!Feliz Dia De Los Muertos!Note You can click on each picture to view them full-size.One of our concerns with the vegan diet is that certain things are difficult to source locally - soy products among them. We're serious locavores and are at the farmers' market every weekend supporting our local farmers. Marya's joked about how, if we were still omnivores, we could easily eat

Home Stuff: It's Halloween!

2010-11-01T22:26:00.013-04:00

Our pumpkins, like 98% of our other produce, came from the farmers' market. The cat in the picture is Mr. Binklesworth Trevor York St. Kitt the Third.Every Halloween I have to drag out my The Shaggs CD and listen to their fun little tune, It's Halloween. This year Marya's dad was here during Halloween, and the song chased him out of the room. And here I thought it was so bad it's good. To him it

Local to Me: Room 11

2010-11-01T14:55:00.006-04:00

Happy World Vegan Day!Welcome Vegan MoFo bloggers and readers, to my blog about vegan travel and fun food we've prepared at home. I enjoy sharing my vegan discoveries while on travel and at home in Washington DC, in the hopes that someone will find the businesses I feature will help them in their travels, and encourage others to make delicious food at home.For my first Vegan MoFo entry, I'm

Washington DC Greenfest 2010!

2010-10-26T09:46:00.030-04:00

Greenfest is annual 2 day festival hosted by the partnership of Global Exchange and Green America. We spent most of this past weekend there. The event features vendors, speakers, and organizations focused on community action, fair trade, responsible investing, organic food, and the green economy. We attended this discussion on eating raw and vegan, featuring local nutritionists on the Green

Letting the days go by...

2010-10-19T23:15:00.009-04:00

To quote the Talking Heads song, Once in a Lifetime, "You may say to yourself, My God!... what have I done?"I've signed on to do Vegan MoFo - Vegan Month of Food blogging. I've agreed to blog every weekday during the month of November. That's 22 posts. My record thus far is 15 in a month - when I first started and quickly realized how much time writing a blog takes. Writing blog entries well

Ode to Wellington

2010-10-14T08:45:00.005-04:00

WellingtonA bit of a departure for this blog entry.When I was a kid, my parents bought a small 8 acre farm just outside of Brunswick, Maryland. In addition to being an electrician by trade, my dad thought he'd try his hand at raising some pigs and cattle. After all the pigs and cattle came and left, we got another single heifer to be raised for slaughter. We named him "Moo". Yes, we named him.

Milwaukee - Yes, it is vegan friendly!

2010-10-07T21:39:00.006-04:00

Every year we try to go to the Farm Aid Concert - a benefit for the organization dedicated to helping small family farmers keep their farms, and fight the machine of big, faceless, nameless, and flavorless factory farms.When it was announced this year that the concert would be in Milwaukee, I thought we'd struggle to find vegan food in the capital of cheese country. But thanks to the crack

Pangea Vegan Store in Rockville, Maryland

2010-09-23T21:27:00.016-04:00

Pangea2381 Lewis Ave.Rockville MD 20851You may have heard of Pangea - their adverts are commonly seen in Veg News. They're a popular mail order source of vegan food and footwear. They also sell belts, suits, pleather jackets, wallets, and even vegan pet food. One thing that always comforts me about anything I purchase at Pangea is that I know that they also take into consideration the human

Yet More Fun Home Stuff: Sprouting and the Spiral Slicer

2010-09-02T23:12:00.021-04:00

In this issue: Growing bean sprouts at home, plus making zucchini noodles and cucumber lace with a spiral slicer.(please click on the picture to view it full-sized)Mung bean sprouts are so easy to do at home. You'll need a Mason jar and sprouter top, dry mung beans, and some water. The mung beans just came from the bulk food section of our local coop. No need to order fancy sprouting beans.

Local to Me Edition: Elizabeth's Gone Raw (and my 50th post!)

2010-08-31T09:00:00.031-04:00

(picture of the building graciously stolen from Elizabeth's website until I manage to get my own shot)Elizabeth's Gone Raw1341 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-8347Welcome to my 50th post! And what better way to celebrate than to profile DC's first raw vegan restaurant. I should start by saying Elizabeth's Gone Raw is not a full-time restaurant. It is the outgrowth of

Local to Me Edition: Vegan Tattoos from Jinx Proof

2010-08-28T11:00:00.005-04:00

Jinx Proof Tattoos3285 1/2 M St. NWWashington DC Phone: (202) 337-5469I never thought of myself as the tattoo type, but since tattoos are very much a part of DC culture, I found myself pondering one day: "If I were to get a tattoo, what would it be?" This evolved into me thinking about this aloud, and eventually evolved into Marya and I deciding we'd buy each other tattoos for our 5th anniversary

More Fun Home Stuff!!!

2010-08-23T11:05:00.005-04:00

More fun stuff we made at home. On one hand, I feel silly for continuously snapping pictures of many of our meals. On the other, I'm constantly asked what, as vegans, our typical weekly meals are like, and I like showing that we eat such a rich variety of things. Slightly different format, since there are so many pictures to get in this post. Please click on an image to view it full-sizeFirst,

NYC Visit, July 2010: Part IV - Blossom, Cocoa V, and Marie's Crisis Cafe

2010-08-18T22:05:00.053-04:00

(please click on a picture to see it full-sized)Blossom 187 9th Ave.New York, NY 10011Phone: (212) 627-1144Blossom is an upscale all vegan restaurant that sources their food from local farmers and small distributors. Their mission is to provide healthy organic vegan meals and do their small part in reducing animal suffering.It has low lighting and is perfect for a romantic dinner. Thankfully we

NYC Visit, July 2010: Part III - Kate's Joint, The Organic Grill, and Pickles!

2010-08-16T22:23:00.001-04:00

(please click on the images to see the larger picture)Munich has Kopfeck, Washington DC has Asylum, and New York City has Kate's Joint. That is to say, this is my go-to place in New York. Kate's Joint58 Avenue B (at 4th St.)New York NY 10009Phone: (212) 777-7059 On our previous visit to New York City, we had an afternoon snack at Kate's, mostly because I wanted to try their vegan buffalo wings.

NYC Visit, July 2010: Part II - Brooklyn, Beer, Raw Onions, and Pho!

2010-08-02T21:55:00.076-04:00

Every time I think of Brooklyn the Fugees version of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" comes to mind:I remember when we used to sit in the government yard in Brooklyn.So we ventured over from Manhattan to Brooklyn to check out Rockin' Raw, a (right you are!) raw restaurant, and to visit out Brooklyn Brewery. Rockin' Raw178 North 8 Street Brooklyn, NY 11211Phone: (

New York City Visit, July 2010: Part I

2010-07-29T22:51:00.067-04:00

(please click on an image if you'd like to see the larger version)We live in Washington, DC, and we love it. And, thanks to the amazing outreach program of Compassion Over Killing, more and more vegan options are popping up around the city all the time. But when we found out DC was voted Most Veg-Friendly City by PETA, we were at once befuddled, skeptical, and amused. The number of pure

Colorado Rocky Mountain: Yo: Part IV - Aspen

2010-07-27T22:32:00.035-04:00

July 4th is apparently the single biggest day of the year for Aspen, which is odd considering the city's main money-making industry is skiing. On the 4th the streets were packed, everyone waiting for the parade to start. We landed at Aspen Airport on the morning of the 4th, and our first order of business was to find breakfast. Main Street Bakery201 E. Main St. Aspen, CO 81611Phone:(970) 925-

Colorado Rocky Mountain: Hello! Part III - VG Burger in Boulder and Woody Creek Tavern

2010-07-25T09:29:00.002-04:00

On our way between Leadville and Loveland, Colorado, we stopped in Boulder for lunch. College town that it is, Boulder is quite a vegan friendly city. We were hoping to stop in at the Scotch Corner Pub for some vegan haggis and a plate of vegan bangers and mash. As the designated drinker, I was also hoping for some scotch. But, despite the fact that the Scotch Corner Pub has a fully functional

Colorado, Part II: Tasty Harmony in Ft. Collins

2010-07-23T08:25:00.006-04:00

Tasty Harmony130 S. Mason St.Fort Collins, CO 80524Phone: (970) 689-3234On our visit to Marya's sister and family, we were happy to learn that they were willing to accompany us to the the vegetarian restaurant Tasty Harmony in Fort Collins, Colorado. Tasty Harmony is mostly vegan - it's damned near impossible to find anything on their menu that isn't. They apparently make much of their stuff on

Colorado Rocky Mountain: Hi! Part I - Vegan Friendly Family Visits

2010-07-21T09:38:00.011-04:00

We spent the first full week of July in Colorado, enjoying the 4th in Aspen, attending Marya's high school reunion, and visiting her family. Ahhh, the family - you either love them or...tolerate them from a distance. They treat your dietary restrictions like an affliction from which they pray you will soon be free. In the meantime they claim a dish is mostly vegan (with only a teaspoon or two of

Fun Home Stuff!

2010-07-18T00:01:00.006-04:00

More fun home stuff. For years I've been addicted to pho - Vietnamese noodle soup. Most popular is the beef version of the soup. Much to my disappointment, I've recently learned that most of my favorite places to get vegetarian pho in Northern Virgina use beef broth. They seem to understand when I explain to them that this negates the whole vegetarian label, but they still do it. Here is our home

Upstate New York Road Trip Part 2: Ginger Cat, Watkins Glen, and Wine

2010-07-07T16:45:00.084-04:00

(please click on each photo for the larger version)After we left Attica we went east to the Finger Lakes and Watkins Glen for a stay at the Ginger Cat Bed and Breakfast and do some wine touring. The Ginger Cat Bed and Breakfast2475 Altay RoadRock Stream, NY 14878Phone: (607)535-9627The Ginger Cat Bed and Breakfast is all vegan, and was the 2009 Veg News Readers Poll for best veg B&B. I must say

Upstate New York Road Trip Part 1: Minty Wellness

2010-07-01T08:42:00.006-04:00

Minty Wellness1961 Church RdDarien Center, NY 14040Once a year or so we'll go up to visit Marya's grandmother in Attica, New York. She's 100 years old, and attributes her longevity to little exercise, drinking little water, and eating loads of ice cream. I guess for some, good health can be attributed to genetics. For the rest of us, there's veganism. Attica is far from the most vegan friendly

Burbank Spiffers "The Cat" Farmer

2010-06-28T20:36:00.018-04:00

I'm sad to report that my pal Burbank departed this world on June 16th, 2010. He was suffering from a brain tumor that was causing him paralysis on the right side of his body, and he was clearly in pain. Having to decide to euthanize him was the most difficult decision I've ever had to make. Though he was clearly suffering, I do wonder if I'll be haunted by this decision for the rest of my

More fun home stuff!

2010-05-16T21:21:00.027-04:00

Here's a quick photo dump of some things we've made at home lately:Persian Tempeh with Pomogranite Juice (recipe from The Perennial Palate - The Third Feminist Vegetarian Cookbook":Served with quinoa (not Persian) and a side of brussel sprouts. Ethiopian goodies: Yemesirkik (lentil wat/stew), a seitan wat, and salad, served on injera. The lentil wat recipe came from the "World in Your Kitchen"

On the Borderline: Takoma Park DC and Maryland

2010-05-12T08:55:00.003-04:00

Takoma Park to me is at once Norman Rockwell's America and Berkeley East. It's a clean-cut yet whimsical hippy oasis that straddles Washington DC and Maryland. It is the home to Compassion Over Killing. On the Maryland side of town they have as their representative the ultra-cool Jamie Raskin. Thanks to the work of COK, Raskin is now vegetarian.Takoma is a popular resting spot for backpackers as

New York City, The Village: Vegan Paradise

2010-05-09T17:53:00.001-04:00

Greenwich Village in New York City is vegan paradise. We just had to check it out. Train tickets were on special and all the online menus from The Village restaurants looked too good. I can't imagine Happy Cow mentioning every veg*n friendly restaurant here - you'd need an entire website dedicated to that. We even came across vegan restaurants we'd not previously read about, including a

Cheap Tuesday Night Pub Crawl in DC

2010-04-28T09:15:00.016-04:00

Tuesday nights, as it turns out, are fantastic for cheap vegan pub crawls in Washington DC, if you know where to go. The two places listed are mentioned for their great Tuesday night vegan deals, and are reasonably close to each other (a quick and colorful .75 mile stumble)First of two stops on the crawl is Asylum <--(Click here for previous blog post about it) in Adams Morgan. AsylumAdams

Munich Survival Guide/No Paris Exception/Travel Tips

2010-04-26T20:50:00.004-04:00

When I first traveled to Munich in 2008, I was at that point a vegetarian for almost a year. I decided that when I went to this 500 year old restaurant, I'd go off the wagon long enough to try the wurst platter, including 4 different kinds of sausage. See, at the time I was struggling with being vegetarian and still wanting to sample all the culinary specialties a region has to offer. As a

Vegan goodies from Germany and something that brightened my day

2010-04-19T20:31:00.021-04:00

So, I made it back from Germany, apparently just before the volanic ash in Iceland traveled too far south and flights began to be canceled. I just wanted to share a pic of my haul - all the German vegan goodies I could fit in my suitcase and carry-on from health food stores Lebe Gesund and Basic Bio in Stuttgart. Pictured are several different makes of bratwursts, salami, sliced deli meat-less

Stuttgart Revisited: Lebe Gesund - Gourmet Vegan Store!!!

2010-04-07T16:53:00.010-04:00

Lebe Gesund - StuttgartNadlerstraße 1270173 Stuttgart, Germany0711 240678-or-Online: Vitality LifeNote: I was jet lagged when I wrote this, so sue me if I go astray.I'm on my 4th business trip here in Stuttgart. Last time I flew here I was given a vegetarian meal on the plane. I had a less-than understanding crew. I eventually figured out that the company that maintains my travel profile uses as

Local to Me Edition: The Raven Grill in Mount Pleasant

2010-04-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

The Raven Grill3125 Mt Pleasant Ave. NW 20010Washington DC (202) 387-8411Alcohol: Hells yeah!Price Range: $Forms of Payment: Paper, no plasticClosest Public Tranportation: Columbia Heights on Green/Yellow Line. Quoting from a Yelp reviewer: "If you had to take a cab here you don't belong here."The Raven Grill is a cheerful little restaurant in Mount Pleasant. Unlike the recent movement towards

Local to Me Edition: Souk and a word on the Atlas District

2010-03-27T15:40:00.002-04:00

Souk - A Pan-Mediterranean Tapas Bar1208 H St NE At 12th St NEWashington DC(202) 658-4224Souk is a new restaurant in the Atlas District of DC.The Atlas District is on H Street in a region that was burned in the 1968 riots, and many of the buildings sat vacant for the better part of 40 years.In walks a developer who decides to redevelop the whole area with reataurants, pubs, and a performing arts

Fun Home Stuff: Haggis, Brunch, and Mushroom/Spinach Crepes

2010-03-26T10:00:00.011-04:00

Spring is...sort of here in the Washington DC area. We've been able to eat on either our front porch or back patio a few times recently. We've heard that in the coming days it'll be back to near-freezing temperatures. Fizzer. Anyway, here's some fun stuff we've made at home recently. I ordered several cans of this Vegetarian Haggis as gag gifts for Christmas. You can find it at Food Fight! Vegan

Local to Me Edition: Bread and Brew

2010-03-23T22:34:00.025-04:00

Bread and Brew1247 20th St. NW (South of Dupont Circle)Washington DC 20036We recently attended the monthly DC Vegan Drinks at Bread and Brew. DC Vegan Drinks is a monthly get-together where local vegan folk can mingle, network, share ideas and suggestions, and drink.Bread and Brew is not strictly a vegetarian place, but they do offer plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. Every year on Earth Day

Puerto Morelos, Mexico, March 2010

2010-03-22T23:26:00.014-04:00

(Note: please click on the pictures if you'd like to see them in larger format.)Puerto Morelos, Mexico is on the Yucatán Peninsula about 20 miles South of Cancun. It is a small fishing village that is not without its tourism, but a far cry from the decadance and excess of Cancun. With a gun to my head I would not stay in Cancun. In the days before traveling to Puerto Morelos I had mentioned to

Update, and WFT is up with McDonalds?

2010-03-18T20:41:00.017-04:00

I haven't written in a while. I've been meaning to! I've got about 1/2 a dozen or so things lined up to write about, including some Washington DC restaurant profiles, a recent trip to Mexico, the latest DC Vegan Drinks at which Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary spoke, a trip last year to London. As Frank Zappa put it: "Great Googleymoogley!"This is a bit of a departure, I know, but I've got this to ask

DC Vegan Drinks, Feb. 16th, 2010

2010-02-20T10:24:00.002-05:00

DC Vegan Drinks: DCVeganDrinks.Org is a monthly social gathering and networking event of vegans and the vegan-curious. For anyone who'd like to get together with fellow vegans or those who aren't (yet) vegan and just want to come and hang and check out vegan food and peeps, you're always welcome to come join. Click the above website for details on the latest meetup.I see these events as fitting

Local to Me Edition: DC Noodles on U Street NW

2010-02-18T20:56:00.018-05:00

DC Noodles1410 U Street NWWashington DC 20009(202) 232-8424Click here for the menuNote: You can click on the images to expand them.First off, they had me at noodles. I can never seem to get my fill of them. One evening recently I looked back at the meals I had earlier in the day and realized I had three different kinds of noodles that day: soba, rice, and spaghetti.DC Noodles has been open for at

Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize

2010-02-09T19:58:00.079-05:00

Looking out my window today in Washington DC, I can see that we've already gotten more than 3 inches of snow...on top of the 28 or so we'd already received over the weekend. And we're expecting 8+ more inches. A year ago today my girlfriend Marya and I were in Tulum, Mexico. When we returned from that trip Marya suggested I start a blog on vegan travel. Ten months later I started it, and now I'm

Amtrak to Chicago

2010-02-02T22:49:00.028-05:00

At 18 hours one way, taking an Amtrak to Chicago for a long weekend was probably the second craziest trip we've taken (I'd put going to London for a weekend at the top). The above picture was taken just 3 days before. I had a very brief business trip to Hawaii, with outbound and inbound layovers in Chicago, arriving back home in DC just in time to catch the train back to Chicago.Our journey began

Northern Border Edition: Fractured Prune in Silver Spring, Maryland

2010-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Fractured Prune8512 Fenton StreetSilver Spring, MD 20910Phone: (301)565-8007I hate chains. Just putting that out there. I hate large corporations whose sustainment depends on their brand's recognition that is so pervasive in every facet of the world outside my front door. I understand it: someone knows she can get the same damned Chipotle burrito in Boston as she can in Washington DC. They sell

Home Cooking(?): Raw Hummus

2010-01-28T09:00:00.007-05:00

Raw Hummus with Sprouted Chick PeasSaturday we saw the movie Food Matters that discussed (among other things) the health benefits of eating raw foods. Sunday we began looking up raw food recipes. We found this raw hummus recipe. Minutes later we were soaking the chick peas so they would start sprouting. By Wednesday they had sprouted about a half an inch - just right. We ground them in a food

Fun Home Stuff: Swedish Meatballs and Sri Lanka Cashew Curry

2010-01-27T08:42:00.006-05:00

If it isn't obvious yet, we share cooking duties. We both love cooking and eating. Last night Marya made these lovely Swedish Meatballs with eggless noodles and meatless balls. I believe it's her own recipe. This evening I made this Sri Lankan dish called or Cadju Curry or Cashew Curry from the New Internationalist vegetarian cook book called "World in Your Kitchen".I'm happy to say that, in

Local to Me Edition: Duccini's Pizza

2010-01-26T08:30:00.006-05:00

Duccini's Pizza1778 U St NWWashington DC 20009Awesome vegan pizza with Diaya cheese. Also, they are probably the only place in DC with vegan Jumbo Slice pizza, available only on the weekend. If you order it any other time, they'll give you a small pizza, but it's very filling and terrific. And cheap - under $6. Also, during the month of January 2010, they're donating %10 of their vegan sales to

Fun Home Stuff: Fish -n- Chips and Tofu Scramble

2010-01-25T08:30:00.005-05:00

Marya made this lovely meal of Vegan Fish -n- Chips from the Chicago Diner recipe book. Better than real fish, especially since I've never really been a fan of fish. One great thing about being vegan is never having to explain why you don't like fish.And, I make the best tofu scramble. Seriously. I'm not bragging or being delusional - I've never had better. Mayhaps one day I will reveal the

Local to Me Edition: Sticky Fingers Update!!!

2010-01-23T12:49:00.009-05:00

Stopped in again at Sticky Fingers Bakery for desert. I got the Margarita (with added salt) and Marya got the Coconut Delight cupcake.

Local to Me Edition (again): Pho 14

2010-01-22T10:13:00.018-05:00

Pho 141436 Park Rd NWWashington, DC 20010Vegan Friendly Vietnamese CuisineFor starters, Pho, or Vietnamese Noodle Soup, is pronounced fuh. My favorite pho for the longest was Pho Kim in Alexandria ,VA (Kim is the owner's wife, but just say the namme of the place phonetically fast for some jollies). There's just something about pho that is particularly addictive. I've asked numerous pho restaurant

Road Trip with Vegan Friendly Stops in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, Virginia

2010-01-19T08:50:00.003-05:00

Road Trip January 16th-18th, 2010:I hadn't seen my friend's parents in years since they moved from Hamilton, Virginia down to Bristol, Virginia. So when we got the invitation to go to the father's 80th birthday party, we seized the opportunity to celebrate, visit with friends, and do some vegan road tripping. From Washington DC, Bristol is about a 6 hour drive. Google Maps tells us this.Armed

Local to Me Edition: Brunch @ Asylum

2010-01-15T10:58:00.004-05:00

AsylumAdams Morgan2471 18th Street Washington, DC NW 20009I refer to Asylum as a vegan/goth/biker bar. It's not completely vegan - 1/2 actually, but it's still fun to call it that. Really fucks with peoples' minds. It attracts bikers of both sorts, but more the non-motorized type, as bike messenger and local bike shop employees seem to congregate here loads. This is one of my favorite places ever

Home Cooking/Ode to Farmers' Market Edition

2010-01-13T19:57:00.002-05:00

Just had to share these two fabulous dishes we made over the last couple of nights. Both dishes featured foods we were able to get from the Dupont Circle Farmers' Market. We are lucky here in the District to have Farmers' Markets that are open year 'round. We love the idea of supporting local farmers while not supporting factory farms, plus it's great to have such a personal connection with the

Local to Me Edition: Brunch @ Sticky Fingers Bakery

2010-01-10T00:33:00.002-05:00

Sticky Fingers Bakery1370 Park Rd NwWashington, DCSticky Fingers is a vegan bakery located in the heart of the Columbia Heights neighborhood, Washington, DC, just a block up from the Columbia Heights Metro. The place is legendary. Years ago when friends stopped in from Washington State to visit family in Virginia, they made a point to cross the river and come here to check out all their offerings

Local to Me Edition: Chinatown Garden

2010-01-09T23:20:00.000-05:00

Chinatown Garden618 H St. NWWashington, DC 20001MenuFor a Christmas present my gal got me some tickets to a Caps game at the Verizon Center, about 20 blocks south from us. It was the Caps vs. the Ottawa Senators. At the beginning of the game an announcement was made that if the Caps scored 5 or more goals, all ticket holders would be eligible for 10 free chicken wings at Glory Days Grill. We put

Over-the-River Edition: Galaxy Hut in Arlington, Virginia

2010-01-06T23:04:00.001-05:00

Galaxy Hut's official WebsiteTheir MenuI've been going to the Hut off and on for about 14 years now, and its charm has not worn. Maybe a little, but it's making a recovery since the smoking ban went into effect.The place is small yet still has room for bands to perform. The decor is amazing, from the painted ceiling tiles and hip wallpapered-and-poly coated decorated tables to the fantastic local

What is the purpose of this blog?

2010-01-05T22:07:00.000-05:00

"What is the purpose of this blog?" you may ask. More rudely yet perhaps more to the point, you might even ask "What is the use of this blog?" Truth is, I don't really know yet. I wanted to share the fun and pains I've had traveling while staying vegan, hoping it would it would show the relative ease of traveling without needing to rely on animal products to survive. It's almost evolved into a

Amy's Place in Buffalo, New York

2010-01-04T20:14:00.000-05:00

Spent Wednesday 12/30/09 through Monday 1/4/10 in Attica, NY to help celebrate my girlfriend's grandmother's 100th birthday. In a brief newspaper article about the centenarian, she ascribes her longevity to drinking very little water, getting very little exercise, and eating lots of ice cream.For the rest of us, there's veganism. Since there's not a lot going on in the town of Attica in terms of

Zürich, November 2009

2009-12-29T13:58:00.001-05:00

I spent a weekend in Zürich in November, 2009. I was particularly thrilled about the opportunity to visit Caberet Voltaire, the birthplace of the Dada art movement. Dadaism began there when in 1914 Hugo Ball deserted the German army and cofounded the movement to protest the war.It should be noted that Switzerland is very expensive. Unlike the Euro at 1.5 times the dollar, the Swiss Franc closely

Stuttgart, Germany, November 2009

2009-12-29T10:33:00.000-05:00

Having become vegan since my last business trip to Germany, I wasn't quite sure what I'd be in for. Thanks to the magic of HappyCow, I found some places in downtown Stuttgart that were able to hook me up. I also dared to venture outside of the happy HappyCow world with some good and some disastrous results.I also spent a weekend in Zurich, Switzerland, and had loads of good luck finding vegan

Egg(less) Raw Vegan Nog

2009-12-28T15:57:00.002-05:00

'Tis the season for some fun tasty beverages. This recipe came from the Autonomie Project's blog. There are a couple listed, but this one is the raw version. Among other things, it calls for 3 cups of water, 1/2 cup of dates, and a cup of raw cashews. We were pleasantly surprised how frothy and noggy it was. Of course, we also added rum.