vegangirl.com

I went vegan in the winter of 1995, almost entirely for ethical reasons, but I was happy about the incidental health benefits that went along with it. Over the years, vegan food has become so popular that vegan junk food companies have popped up left and right, making it easier than ever to be sick on a vegan diet.

In 2003, I suddenly developed allergies to wheat and gluten, and discovered that I was afflicted with candida (yeast in the blood) that drained me of my health and energy. Long story short, I found raw food, and I’m healthier than I’ve ever been.

Here are some resources that have helped me learn about maintaining a healthy raw food diet:

• Raw Food MeetUp Group – Nothing is better for learning about raw food than meeting people who will support you, educate you, and inspire you. Try to find a Raw Food MeetUp Group in your area. If there isn’t one already, start one. I guarantee you, people will join.
• Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen – This book and dvd set inspired me to really give raw food a try. Alissa Cohen demonstrates how simple, quick, and delicious raw food can be. But be warned: the video, while informative, can be long and tedious at times.
• Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko – I truly believe that eating green smoothies is the best way to improve your health. If you change nothing else about your diet, add green smoothies to your daily routine and you’ll feel better.
• Raw Guru – I find myself on this site fairly often. It’s full of great information and simple delicious recipes.
• Raw for 30 Days Movie Trailer – Think diabetes is an unavoidable fact of life? You can cure it.

Been thinking about going raw? Stop thinking and just do it. You don’t have to go 100% raw all at once. Add whatever raw food you can to your diet. Or commit to going raw for just 30 days and see how you feel. Go at your own pace. But keep moving forward. There is no time like now to improve your health and add to your life the joy that comes with a clean, efficient, healthy body. Your excuses aren’t making you any thinner, healthier, younger, or happier.

If you live in a metropolitan area, chances are, there’s a restaurant or health food store selling some raw vegan meals and snacks. No matter where you live, you can order anything you want online, from truly raw nuts to “Raweo” cookies. There are hundreds of great sites out there, but the ones I use are:

• Raw Vegan Source – Hands down, my favorite place to by raw food. You pay a very small membership fee and you get the best prices on the net on most items.
• Sunfood Nutrition – If it’s out there, Sunfood Nutrition probably has it. This is David Wolfe’s company – a popular raw food expert speaker. This site has tons of whole raw foods, specialty raw treats, and lots of books, events, and other resources.
• Ebay – search for raw food – You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find. I bought organic raw vanilla beans there once for a fraction of the normal cost. Don’t assume it’s cheaper just because it’s on ebay. Do your homework first.

When I went vegan in 1995, it was pretty easy to find tasty and healthy vegan food, but there wasn’t a lot of variety. Now, the market is full of vegan versions of everything you can possibly imagine. It’s easier than ever to satisfy all your food cravings, while maintaining a cruelty-free diet.

Even if you live in the middle of nowhere, chances are there is a little health food store tucked away somewhere that has some vegan options. If not, the internet is your friend. I now eat almost entirely raw vegan food, but before then, here are the online stores where I found all the vegan food I needed:

• Vegan Essentials – They are constantly getting in all the latest tasty snacks and treats and their prices are usually pretty good.
• May Wah Healthy Vegetarian Food – They have the most incredible selection of fake meat. Check the ingredients because not everything here is vegan. Shipping is very expensive so buy in bulk or order with friends to share the shipping cost.

There are many restaurants in Asheville that have vegan or raw food options. Some are fantastic while others are quite disappointing. I’m listing all the restaurants I’ve tried, whether they are worth eating at or not, so don’t assume a place has good vegan or raw food just because it’s on this list. Read the review.

• Laughing Seed Cafe (All vegetarian)
  40 Wall St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)252-3445
  Laughing Seed is a vegetarian restaurant with many vegan and gluten-free options. The food is healthy and very delicious. I’ve enjoyed the sea vegetable salad, shitake corn cakes, a few smoothies, the Harmony Bowl, and all the raw dishes on the menu, and all have been very good. They used to have a great raw tapas special on the menu every day that came with dessert, but now it’s just available randomly. Call to make sure they are serving it. There are some raw sprouted salads that are a part of their regular menu. Laughing Seed is definitely my favorite restaurant in town and the prices are not much worse than any other restaurant, depending on what you order.
• Firestorm Cafe & Books (All vegetarian. Mostly vegan.)
  48 Commerce St (downtown)
  Asheville, NC
  (828)255-8115
  For a gluten-intolerant vegan, this cafe has much more to offer than their menu lets on. They bill themselves as a vegetarian restaurant, but actually all of their food is vegan. The only non-vegan item in the restaurant is a milk option for your coffee. I also found out, from talking with staff, that they have gluten-free bread available for sandwiches. It isn’t listed on the menu – you just have to ask. The ginger sesame wrap is fantastic. In addition to food, this shop operates as a community space for movies, discussions, speakers, and all sorts of interesting events.
• Rosetta’s Kitchen (All vegetarian. Mostly vegan.)
  111 Broadway
  Asheville, NC
  (828)232-0738
  Rosetta’s Kitchen is easily the most vegan-friendly restaurant in town. The vast majority of their menu is vegan, although they do have a few vegetarian items. Rosetta’s Kitchen specializes in comfort foods. Since I prefer healthier meals, I haven’t loved everything I’ve ever ordered. I find some meals, such as the hot wings, to be lacking in vegetables. But they do a fantastic job with tofu, tempe, mashed potatoes, southern greens, biscuits, and plenty of other dishes. And their desserts are out of this world.
• BoBo Gallery (Not sure if they still serve food.)
  22 Lexington Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-3426
  What a little gem this cafe is! BoBo Gallery is also a vegetarian restaurant that is mostly vegan and has an extensive raw menu with many appetizers, entrees, and desserts. A substantial portion of their menu is also gluten-free. The best part is that all of the menu items are very clearly labeled as vegan, gluten-free, and/or raw. I enjoyed their Thanksgiving raw dinner which featured mock turkey, dressing, mashed “potatoes”, corn pudding, pumpkin pie, and a heavenly glass of almond nogg. This is a new favorite of mine. I hope the community supports BoBo Gallery so that I can continue to enjoy this amazing menu.
• Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe
  5 Broadway St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)252-4757
  How did I miss this place for so long? I’ve walked by it a hundred times and never bothered to look at the menu until I happened upon it today (8/23/2009). Breakfast all day, sandwiches and wraps, soups, salads, smoothies, and fresh juices. They also have mate lattes which are not easy to find around town. Almost everything on the menu can be made vegan and/or gluten-free. Their tofu scramble is amazing, and I don’t usually care much for tofu scramble. This is worth trying. I wasn’t crazy about the sweet potato home fries – very bland. But the scramble and the rice biscuit more than made up for it. This will absolutely be a regular place for me. Also be sure to check out their mission and “food and beverage goals” on their website. They are a model local business supporting best practices and the local economy. Eat here!
• Chai Pani
  22 Battery Park Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-4003
  Chai Pani serves Indian street food and comfort food. What I love about this restaurant is that their vegan and gluten-free options are very clearly labeled on their menu. And sometimes they even overlap! The food is delicious and is a fun alternative to the standard American hippie food served at most restaurants that cater to vegan and gluten-free diets. The staff is very friendly and the restaurant has a happy feel to it. I have heard that the wait can be long and service can be slow, but I didn’t experience that when I went there.
• Ophelia’s Restaurant & Bar
  15 Eagle St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)255-8154
  Ophelia’s isn’t a vegetarian restaurant but they do specialize in vegan and vegetarian options. They have a multi-course organic raw dinner special every weekend – starting Friday at 5 PM and continuing through the weekend for as long as the food lasts. I enjoy their raw soups very much and the salad and entrees have been good, but not spectacular. Their pumpkin pie is phenomenal. Call for price and menu. I’ve heard that they have an inexpensive lunch buffet with many vegan options, but I haven’t tried it for myself.
• Heiwa Shokudo
  87 N. Lexington Ave
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-7761
  This little Japanese restaurant is a big favorite among a few vegans in town, which means that the staff is very knowledgeable about what is vegan on the menu. There are plenty of dishes to choose from if you’re vegan. The gluten-free options are not so plentiful, but there are a couple of good choices. Don’t be fooled by the buckwheat noodles – they have some regular wheat flour in them. The only item that approaches raw food is the seaweed salad, which is quite good. The entrees are rather pricey but you get a lot of food in each dish. Heiwa would be a great restaurant to visit for a mixed crowd with varying diets.
• Early Girl Eatery
  8 Wall St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)259-9292
  I doubt if I’ll ever eat here again. Early Girl Eatery is a well-known restaurant in Asheville, and they have several vegan items on their menu. I ordered a tofu scramble with some mixed vegetables and it was not good. It wasn’t inedible or anything, but I could have done better at home. The vegetables tasted like they came out of a can.
• Mellow Mushroom Pizzeria
  50 Broadway St.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)236-9800
  If you really need a pizza, this is as good of a place as any to go. You can order the veggie and tofu pizza with no cheese. But that’s pretty much all they have. Their fake cheese isn’t vegan and they don’t have any interesting fake meats. The staff is very helpful and they have some nice outdoor seating right downtown. I’ve heard that service can be painfully slow there, but I didn’t experience that.
• Mela Indian Restaurant
  70 Lexington Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)225-8880
  I tried Mela’s lunch buffet at the insistence of some omnivore coworkers. The upside is that Mela’s labels all of their vegan options, which I love. The downside is that they really don’t have very many vegan options. Even their rice isn’t vegan. It filled me up and I enjoyed the company, but I wouldn’t every bother going their on my own.
• Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.
  675 Merrimon Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-1281
  I got talked into going here with coworkers and was already committed to my gluten-free diet at the time, so I didn’t pay too close attention to the pizza selection. I do remember there were a couple of vegetarian pizzas that I’m sure could be ordered without cheese. I ordered a big salad that was pretty good…. for a salad.

I can’t go anywhere without checking out as many vegan restaurants as I can find. So many are popping up in all corners of the world, that I will never hit them all. But here are my reviews of those that I have been lucky enough to try so far. I only list restaurants with a vegan menu. No half-assed vegetarian restaurants find their way onto this particular list.

Washington D.C. | Los Angeles, CA | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | Concord, NH | New York, NY | Asheville, NC | Charlotte, NC | Austin, TX | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Salt Lake City, UT | Seattle, WA | Canada

Vegan restaurants in the U.S.

• Washington D.C.
  • The Vegetable Garden
    11618 Rockville Pike
    Rockville, MD 20852
    (301)468-9301
    This is the first vegan restaurant I ever ate at. I was so blown away by the food, I almost cried. Several pages of options, including several desserts. Lots of fake meats of various types. I had the veggie duck. It was amazing.

• Los Angeles, CA
  • BabyCakes NYC
    130 E. 6th St.
    Los Angeles, CA
    (213)623-5555
    This all vegan bakery, started in NYC and expanded to LA, features many gluten-free and sugar-free options. Their other items are made with spelt, which is healthier and tends to be easier on the digestive tract than regular flour. The cupcakes, breads, and cookies were absolutely delicious. The donuts were OK, but not awesome. Items are quite expensive, but maybe that’s the way it ought to be for such indulgences.
  • Better Life Cuisine
    717 Broadway Ave.
    Santa Monica, CA 90401
    (310)458-7620
    For raw, organic, vegan food, the prices here were fairly reasonable. Especially for L.A. which I found generally to be very expensive. I tried the egg salad, which used young coconut as it’s egg substitute, and the manicotti rolls. Both were really good. I also took home 3 desserts: cinnamon rolls and pumpkin pie. Both had amazing flavor and texture but were way way way too sweet. Perhaps there was a time in the past when I would have enjoyed that. But the true disappointment of this restaurant was the smoothies. I tried 2 and they were both unforgivably bad, especially for $10. Possibly the worst food I have ever purchased in a restaurant ever.
  • Native Foods Cafe
    1110-1/2 Gayley Ave. (multiple locations available)
    Los Angeles, CA 90024
    (310)209-1055
    Definitely the place to go if you’re trying to satisfy some cravings for comfort food. I was able to try the Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger (amazing), and the quinoa mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets from the kids menu (also amazing). It does have some healthy options but it’s not the place to go if you’re trying to be on the straight and narrow. Too many very unhealthy (albeit delicious) temptations.
  • Real Food Daily
    414 N. La Cienega Blvd. (multiple locations available)
    West Hollywood, CA 90048
    (310) 289-9910
    Probably my favorite all-vegan restaurant in LA. The menu has all the old favorites but tends ever so slightly toward the healthier side and has a nice atmosphere. I was happy to find a gluten-free option that also sounded really good – Pizza You Can Eat-za. It fell apart too easily to pick up like regular pizza, but otherwise was the best vegan pizza I’ve ever had. Loved it. I wish I’d had a chance to try them out for brunch.
  • Seed
    1604 Pacific Ave.
    Venice, CA 90291
    (310)396-1604
    Surrounded by the touristy atmosphere of Venice Beach, I felt really lucky to find this place. Seed is a vegan, organic, macrobiotic restaurant. According to the sign that was hanging up, their blackened tempeh burger is award-winning. My traveling companion was smart enough to try that – it was delicious. I had the Japanese curry bowl which was lacking – too many carrots and almost no shiitake mushrooms. And it was much too expensive. The Madonna’s coconut mousse was also too expensive for what it was – very small and very little flavor. At least it wasn’t too sweet. Seed is good in a pinch but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.
• San Diego, CA
  • Evolution Fast Food
    2949 5th Ave.
    San Diego, CA
    (619) 550-1818
    Drive through or order take-out at the counter inside. They have a few chairs inside. The menu is reminiscent of traditional fast food – burgers, fries, shakes, and sandwiches, but way way healthier. They have several gluten-free options as well as a nice selection of raw food. The gluten-free version of the mushroom swiss burger was very flavorful and satisfying. I also grabbed a banana bread cookie to eat the next morning for breakfast, which was delicious. I came back another night for a smoothie, since they seem to have some of the more interesting smoothies in San Diego. I’m afraid I can’t remember what I got but it definitely hit the spot.
  • The Greenery Raw Food Cafe
    133 Daphne St.
    Encinitas, CA
    (760)479-0996
    Not quite as good as Peace Pies (see below) but similar concept. I think I caught them at a time when they were out of most of their options, which is why it didn’t seem as good. Greenery does have a made-to-order menu for dinner, but I ate there during lunch, which is pre-made raw food items. I had a pretty good pizza and one of the best seaweed salad’s I’ve ever had.
  • Peace Pies
    4230 Voltaire St.
    San Diego, CA
    (619)223-2880
    “I’ll have one of everything!” OK, it wasn’t exactly like that but pretty close. This 100% raw cafe didn’t look too promising when I first walked in. Most of the lunch options were pre-made in a fridge, not made-to-order. But When I looked up close, everything looked like something I had to try. I had some spaghetti with pesto, a slice of pizza, veggie sandwich, vanilla ice cream, and a slice of coconut cream pie with chocolate on top. I also got some cinnamon rolls to take for breakfast the next day. Everything I tried was outstanding. Truly delicious.
  • Stephanie’s Bakery
    4879 Voltaire St.
    San Diego, CA
    Their website proclaims that they have the “best vegan pizza ever!” so that definitely seemed worth trying. Unfortunately, they were out of the gluten-free crust, but I decided to suffer through the gluten in order to get to try out their pizza. I don’t know if it lived up to the hype, but it was pretty good pizza. Definitely no complaints. I had the “Supreme” pizza which includes vegan pepperoni and several vegetables. They also use Follow Your Heart cheese. I also grabbed a gluten-free brownie, which was very tasty. Their other cakes looked absolutely incredible, but I didn’t want to eat any more gluten than I already had.
• San Francisco, CA
  • Cafe Gratitude
    3 locations. See website for locations in
    San Francisco and Berkeley, CA.
    (415)824-4652
    I was in San Francisco for about 48 hours and I tried all 3 of the Cafe Gratitudes in the area. This is definitely, without a doubt, my favorite restaurant of all time. It’s almost entirely raw, which I’m all about now. The prices are very cheap considering how amazing the food is. I could eat there every day and never get tired of it. I even bought the recipe book they sell.
  • Millenium
    580 Geary Street
    San Francisco, CA
    (415)345-3900
    If you want to get seated, make a reservation. This place is pretty swanky. Very expensive but worth it for an occassional great meal. Their entrees look like artistic sculptures. Delicious too.
  • Herbivore
    983 Valencia
    San Francisco, CA
    (415)826-5657
    This was a nice casual, inexpensive restaurant. I have no complaints. The menu was varied and the food was good. Not overly memorable to me, but a lot of people love it.
  • RAW Living Food Restaurant
    1224 9th Avenue
    San Francisco CA 94122
    (415)OMJ-JAYA
    If you like raw food, you’ll probably love this place. It’s the only raw restaurant I’ve ever been to, so I don’t have much to compare it to. I was very surprised at how much flavor the food had. It was so intense, I could barely eat it. I didn’t love it, but I am very very glad I tried it.
• Concord, NH
  • Cafe Indigo
    128H Hall Street
    Concord, NH
    (603)224-1770
    Cafe Indigo isn’t easy to find, tucked away in the back of a business park, but it is definitely worth going out of the way for. The menu offers fairly standard items, such as eggless egg salad, lentil soup, veggie burger, and faux meat wraps, as well as a nice selection of baked goods and desserts, but the flavor and texture make this some of the best vegan comfort food I’ve ever had. They offer several gluten-free choices. I highly recommend the blueberry cheesecake, which has an unbelievable taste and texture (the crust is not gluten-free). See also my full review of Cafe Indigo.
• New York, NY
  • Angelica Kitchen
    300 E 12th St (1st Avenue)
    New York, NY
    (212)228-2909
    I haven’t spent that much time in Manhattan as a vegan, but I must have eaten at Angelica at least four times. It seemed expensive, but for New York I think it was fairly cheap. Especially when you consider that everything on the menu is organic. This is one of my favorite restaurants. The menu is full of vegan versions of old favorites. Everything I ever ordered was amazing, especially the desserts. But don’t keep pointing to items, asking the staff if it is vegan. They hate that.
  • Vegetarian Paradise 2 (VP2)
    144 W 4th St
    New York, NY
    (212)260-7130
    Chinese food with convincing fake meat. Not necessarilly what I would want to eat all the time, but if you don’t mind greasy fattening food, it’s great. They have healthier items as well.
• Asheville, NC
  
  • Plant
    165 Merrimon Ave.
    Asheville, NC
    (828)258-7500
    Asheville’s only vegan restaurant. Several gluten-free options. Brunch on Sundays. The owners are always present and very interested in ensuring that their customers are happy. The kitchen is open so you can watch the chef prepare meals. Plant is more upscale than most of Asheville’s restaurants and a little more pricey than average, but well worth it. Every dish is a falvorful work of art, more unique than the standard vegan restaurant meal.
• Charlotte, NC
  
  • Bean Vegan Cuisine
    3001 E Independence Blvd.
    Charlotte, NC
    (980)939-1234
    Vegan comfort food but with unique ingredients. Jackfruit tacos, for instance. Plenty of gluten-free options. If you don’t mind gluten, the bacon cheeseburger is delicious. The gluten-free Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos are a very popular dish, although I wasn’t wild about it. All our side dishes were excellent – mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, and sweet potato fries. Their desserts are amazing. Service was excellent. I highly recomment Bean Vegan Cuisine if you’re anywhere near Charlotte.
  • Luna’s Living Kitchen
    2102 South Blvd.
    Charlotte, NC
    (704)333-0008
    Raw, vegan, open only for breakfast and lunch. Many gluten-free options. They have an extensive breakfast menu, but I was hoping to order something off the lunch menu. Unfortunately it was too early, and I didn’t end up making it back there again later. I ordered the Bombin’ Buckwheat Blaster, which was tasty and full of fresh fruit. For me though, it was way too sweet, which means most people would probably love it. Even so, I could tell the quality of the food was top notch, and I hope to try their lunch menu next time I’m in Charlotte.
• Austin, TX
  • Casa de Luz
    1701 Toomey Rd
    Austin, TX
    (512)476-2535
    Even without the food, Casa de Luz is a great place. You can’t spend time there without feeling calm and pleasant. You can’t eat the food and leave feeling unhealthy. It is mostly macrobiotic and organic. Much of the food comes from their own garden. There is no menu, you just get a plate of whatever they are serving that night with soup and salad. The difference in meals from day to day is subtle, but I never got tired of eating there.
• Dallas, TX
  • Spiral Diner
    1401 Jones St
    Fort Worth, TX
    (817)3-Eat-Veg
    Spiral Diner is your basic burger and sandwich shop and offers other old favorites, like spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, and baked potatoes. I didn’t love the carrot cake, but the meatballs were just how they should have been. I highly recommend trying anything with their hummus in it. I know, you can get hummus anywhere, but trust me, theirs is special. They also sell vegan cat food.
• Houston, TX
  • Wonderful Vegetarian Restaurant (now Tien Ren)
    7549 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77063
    (713)977-3137
    Wonderful Vegetarian was a favorite place to eat after animal rights protests. By that time we were starving and tired so the food tasted great. But it was a fairly typical chinese buffet. A decent selection and some good desserts. A bit on the greasy side. If you’re stuck in Houston, try it. Don’t go out of your way.
    I am told that this restaurant closed and reopened as Tien Ren, also completely vegan. The buffet, menu, baked goods, and atmosphere received high marks from at least one family so it might be worth checking out.
  • Green Planet Vegetarian Cafe
    9013 Westheimer Road
    Houston, TX
    (713)783-6622
    This one is another Chinese buffet, but they also have a dinner menu. I didn’t care for it. It wasn’t interesting at all. It’s possible that I am getting these two places mixed up, but it almost doesn’t matter.
• Salt Lake City, UT
  • Sage’s Cafe
    473 E 300 S
    Salt Lake City, UT
    (801)322-3790
    Not only does Sage’s Cafe have great food, but it is run by the nicest people in the restaurant industry. During the long road trip from Austin to Seattle, we were heading toward Salt Lake City, trying desperately to arrive in time to try Sage’s. They were about to close when we were still twenty minutes away. Hungry, we called them to ask if they could recommend a place where we could get some vegan food late at night. Rather than directing us to some grocery store, they read the menu to us over the phone, took our orders, and stayed open an extra half hour just so we could eat. Unbelievable. And so was the food. I had the Mushroom Stroganoff for dinner, then went back for breakfast and had French Toast. Some day, I would like to go back to Salt Lake City long enough to try everything on the menu. If you go anywhere near Utah, find a way to make it to Sage’s.
• Seattle, WA
• Araya’s Vegetarian Place
  4730 University Way NE
  Seattle, WA
  (206)524-4332
  Araya’s is great Thai food. Unfortunately, I don’t care for Thai food. I don’t hate it, it just doesn’t excite me at all. But if you like Thai, I highly recommend trying it.
• Bamboo Garden
  364 Roy St
  Seattle, WA
  (206)282-6616
  Everyone raves about the Bamboo Garden and it always wins in the polls. I think it’s mediocre at best. In a town with no other options, I would be glad to have it. In Seattle, I won’t waste my money on it again. Their balls of fake meat are pretty good, but every dish on the menu is the same, and not very interesting.
• Cafe Ambrosia (Closed)
  2501 Fairview Ave E
  Seattle, WA
  (206)325-7111
  Ambrosia’s menu is pretty small, but I haven’t ever tried anything there that didn’t impress me. From appetizers to desserts, the food is amazing. Their brunch is even better. Everything, including the beer and wine, is organic.
• The Globe
  1531 14th Ave
  Seattle, WA
  (206)324-8815
  The Globe is a great cheap place to eat a filling breakfast. Their grits are fantastic. I’m not a huge fan of their lunch menu, but I eat breakfast there all the time.
• Good Morning Healing Earth (Closed – now Rainy Day Vegan Cafe)
  901 NE 55th St
  Seattle, WA
  This is another favorite. Best gravy in town. He makes his own tofu and seitan and it is delicious. Great for lunch and breakfast. Prices are reasonable. But don’t skimp on the tip or there will be hell to pay.
• Hillside Quickies
  4106 Brooklyn Ave NE
  Seattle, WA
  (206)632-3037
  I love Quickies! Good, cheap, greasy sandwich shop. If they happen to have the tofu pot pie, order it. Otherwise, any sandwich on the menu will satisfy.
• In The Bowl
  1554 E. Olive Way
  Seattle, WA
  (206)568-2343
  In the Bowl has a huge menu, and as far as I can tell, everything on it is tasty. Almost all dishes come with a choice of tofu, fish, prawn, duck, or beef – the faux kind, of course. The food is fairly cheap.
• Rainy Day Vegan Cafe
  901 NE 55th St
  Seattle, WA
  (206)524-0204
  This is quickly turning into one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. Their menu is interesting and almost everything I try is fantastic. What’s even better is they are always experimenting with new dishes. Specials have included grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken parmesan. Prices are reasonable, service is great. My only complaint is that the portions are sometimes inconsitent.
• Mighty-O Donuts
  2110 N 55th St
  Seattle, WA
  (206)547-0335
  A vegan donut shop? I never thought I would see the day. The donuts are a lot more like cake than donuts though. They are great desserts, but don’t expect them to be anything like Dunkin.
• Pizza Pi
  5500 University Way NE
  Seattle, WA
  (206)343-1415
  I couldn’t stay away from Pizza Pi if I tried. I don’t know how he makes the vegan cheese, but it makes me wonder why all the vegan cheeses you find in stores taste like vomit. Ordering at Pizza Pi is just like ordering at any other Pizzaria, except when you ask for sausage, bacon, or other meat, no animals suffer as a result. The calzones are great too. I highly recommend trying the white garlic sauce in place of the regular red sauce. But don’t ask for both. He hates that. “No, I can’t make pink sauce!”
• Teapot Vegetarian House
  125 15th Ave E
  Seattle, WA
  (206)325-1010
  I may be the only vegan in Seattle who doesn’t like this place. Aside from the rose chicken, which is just like the real thing, I have never had an entree I liked. Their mango cheesecake is the best vegan cheesecake I’ve ever had though.
• Vegan Garden
  1228 S Jackson St
  Seattle, WA
  (206)726-8669
  There are so many items on the menu that it’s really difficult to choose. It’s mostly faux meat, Asian style. If you’re feeling like having delicious but greasy fried food, this is the place for you.

Vegan restaurants in Canada

• Montreal, QC
  • Aux Vivres
    4631 boulevard Saint-Laurent
    Montreal, QC
    (514)842-3479
    Gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free options are all labeled on the menu, and there are a number of items available for each category. They have comfort food and decadent desserts as well as healthy, satisfying meals. A meat-eater friend of mine tried the chocolate apple cake and was impressed. They have some brunch items on Saturday and Sunday that are worth trying as well. This was definitely a favorite restaurant of mine.
  • Panthere Verte (Green Panther)
    2153 MacKay St.
    Montreal, QC
    (514)903-4744
    Not much in the way of gluten-free since their entrees come on pita bread. They also have soups and many raw desserts and snacks. They also have fresh juices. The cashier recommended the falafel pita, so I followed her advice. It was really really good. They must make their pita bread fresh daily because I’ve never before known it to be so soft. Not the kind of food I happen to prefer, but it’s worth checking out. They compost and recycle almost everything, which is nice.

• Toronto, ON
  • Live
    264 Dupont St.
    Toronto, ON
    (416)515-2002
    It is too bad that I was only able to visit this restaurant once during my trip to Toronto. It features raw, organic, vegan food, but offers cooked options as well. Gluten-free and nut-free items are clearly labeled. Whatever you get will probably be out of this world. But make sure to leave room for dessert. I had the most incredible raw vegan tiramisu. If you go to Toronto, you must visit Live.

• Victoria, BC
  • Green Cuisine
    #5 – 560 Johnson St.
    Victoria, BC V8W 3C6
    (250)385-1809
    Buffet style dining. Pay by the gram in Canadian dollars. If you’re an American, you probably won’t have any clue how to estimate how much you’re spending for a meal in American dollars. I sure didn’t, but I’m pretty sure it was cheap. And if it wasn’t, that’s ok because the food is worth the price. Good variety and everything I tried was satisfying and tasty.
  • Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant
    617 Johnson St.
    Victoria, BC V8W 1M5
    (250)380-9293
    If you show up right before 3pm when they are no longer refilling the buffet, you can get lunch for super cheap, as long as you don’t mind eating the dregs of the buffet. I also tried Lotus Pond for dinner. It is more or less your standard Asian-style vegan restaurant, but the menu is extensive. Lots of fake meat dishes. Good portion sizes. The water chestnut cake is definitely not cake, and it isn’t very good. Enjoy your entree at Lotus Pond, but get your dessert down the street at Green Cuisine.

Plenty. Leather isn’t just leftovers that will be thrown away if they don’t make shoes out of it – they’ve got special cows suffering just for that purpose. Leather isn’t natural or environmentally friendly – the tanning process is extremely toxic to the earth. The cows suffer greatly, regardless of your rationalizations, so don’t buy leather.

• Cows Are Cool – A Peta site dedicated to the topic of leather.
• India’s Cruel Leather Trade – This is another Peta site. Apparently cows aren’t all that sacred anymore in India. And a huge portion of western leather comes from India.
• Earthlings (the movie) – This movie touches on a whole lot of animal cruelty issues. The leather segment is particularly good.

No, I don’t wear leather shoes. No, I don’t wear cheap plastic shoes that fall apart after 2 months. It just isn’t that hard anymore to find high quality non-leather shoes. The best outdoor shoe companies routinely carry several synthetic shoes that are durable, comfortable, and stylish. But there are plenty of cheap vegan shoes out there too. You don’t have to throw away all your perfectly good leather shoes. But if you’re going to buy new ones, buy something cruelty-free next time. Here are some suggestions that have worked well for me:

• Crocs – Best shoes ever. I bought my Crocs over a year ago and I’ve barely worn anything else since. It’s like wearing slippers all day long. If it rains, I just wear them without socks. They go with everything and last a long time.
• Keen Footwear – They have many many vegan options and are even more versatile than Crocs. You can find them online or at REI. Great for hiking or walking around town. They go with everything.
• Vegan Essentials – Chances are they’ve got the shoes you’re looking for. Vegan Essentials has a great selection and updates it often. If you don’t like buying shoes without trying them on, try them on in a local corporate store before buying online. I just bought a pair of Garmont winter boots that I am very happy with.
• Payless ShoeSource – I remember what it was like to be a broke vegan college student. If you need non-leather shoes but you can’t spend a fortune, Payless is full of cheap vegan shoes.

I eat almost all raw and unprocessed foods now, so I rarely need to think about gluten anymore. But when I first had to give up the gluten, I found many foods that helped me with the transition. All these foods are easy to find at Whole Foods or other natural food stores. Many regular chain grocery stores have these items as well, but you’ll get a better sense of what’s available by going to a natural food store in the beginning. Gluten-free products are almost always labeled. If a product says “wheat-free” you can bet it is NOT gluten-free. Here’s a list of grains with and without gluten.

• Tinkyada rice pasta – Get the shells, elbows, or penne. Avoid the spaghetti – it just doesn’t cook well. All the other brands suck.
• Amy’s frozen meals and canned soups – Lentil soup, black bean soup, tofu scramble, enchiladas, and pesto pizza with rice crust are among my favorites. Their gluten-free and dairy-free items are clearly labeled.
• Lifestream Buckwheat Frozen Waffles – Like Eggos only better.
• Amaranth for breakfast – Mixed with banana slices, this is one of the most delicious breakfasts ever. Let it simmer while you’re in the shower. You won’t miss oatmeal anymore. Add the bananas in 5 or 10 minutes before the grain is done cooking. cooking instructions
• EnviroKidz cereals and snack bars – These aren’t exactly packed with nutrients, but they are lacking in junk. And they make a quick tasty breakfast. Their gluten-free products are clearly labeled.
• Ezekiel’s Sprouted Grain Bread – This is not gluten-free, but I personally find sprouted grains to be less inflammatory to my system than other grain products, when eaten on occassion. For the most part, I gave up on bread. Gluten-free breads exist, but they are hard to find and not very good.
• Bragg Liquid Aminos – Use instead of soy sauce. It’s gluten-free and good for you.
• Cookies, cakes, pies, crackers, and various other tasty gluten-free treats abound. There are just so many now. Some stores even give them their own gluten-free section. The packages are always labeled.

My symptoms seemed to pop up out of nowhere one day: fatigue, headaches, swollen glands, sore throat (especially in the morning), and that “flu-like” feeling. I kept feeling like I was on the verge of getting the flu, but it would never quite come. Running errands became a huge chore because I always needed to rest.

Doctors tested me for everything under the sun – diabetes, anemia, mono, parasites, B12 deficiency, protein deficiency – all to no avail. They finally diagnosed me with “fatigue of unknown origin” and sent me on my way.

Unwilling to give up my active life at the age of 29, I searched and searched on Google for any answers about my symptoms and finally found information about gluten intolerance. It just seemed to fit. So I decided to give up all gluten for 2 weeks to test the theory. I started to feel great again. 2 weeks later, with no symptoms, I ate a big gluteny cookie and my symptoms returned. Just to solidify that it wasn’t a coincidence, I gave up gluten for another 3 weeks, again with no symptoms, and then spent 3 days eating all kinds of gluten-filled food. I felt like I was going to die. And so it was that I determined, on my own, that I am allergic to gluten.

I’ve fallen off the gluten-free wagon many times since then, all with the same result. It can’t possibly be a coincidence at this point. I’ve been entirely gluten-free for 2 years and I won’t eat it again. With so many gluten-free products on the market now, it really isn’t that tough to manage.

I’ve been immensely impressed with the raw and vegan selections at grocery stores in Asheville. None of them have everything, but a few of them have an awful lot. Around here, just about any grocery store will have plenty of vegan options and good organic local produce to take home. I’m listing here only those grocery stores that seem to go above and beyond in their raw and vegan offerings.

• Earth Fare
  675 Merrimon Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-1281
  Vegan: The first time I saw Earth Fare’s refrigerated section, I nearly wept tears of joy. They have the widest selection of prepared vegan meals and snacks I’ve ever seen. I’ve tried most of them, even the gluten-licious ones I’m not supposed to eat. Chicken nuggets, dumplings, chickpea “tuna” salad, quinoa salad, mushroom cakes, BBQ tofu, and a seaweed salad that I am addicted to. I regret that I never tried their delicious-looking tiramasu and other amazing pies, cakes, and cookies and have sinse sworn off sugar – for real this time. I don’t especially recommend their hot and cold food bar. It’s an ok place to eat if you’re hungry and always has a lot of vegan options, but the food tends to be mediocre.
  Raw: Earth Fare often has one or two raw entrees in its refrigerated isle. The raw lasagna is worth trying once but it’s too hard to eat and isn’t earth-shattering. Their collard wraps are a nice treat. Sometimes they have really good flax seed crackers, but they are very expensive. They have a good selection of raw nut butters, agave, snack bars, and other pre-packaged raw foods and also carry the incredibly delicious but expensive containers of raw chocolate truffles.
• Greenlife Grocery
  70 Merrimon Ave.
  Asheville, NC
  (828)254-1281
  Vegan: Greenlife has a small hot and cold food bar, but it is much smaller than Earth Fare’s. Still, it always has hot vegan options in addition to salad. Their deli case and refrigerated section has a decent selection of vegan food. It may sound dull, but they really have a way with tofu. Try the Green Gorilla smoothie. I think it’s even raw, but I’m not 100% sure.
  Raw: Greenlife has the best raw food selection in town. They have very little in the way of raw prepared meals or deli items, but they have an entire section of the store devoted to hard-to-find raw snacks and ingredients. For items that you can find at Earth Fare, Greenlife has them cheaper, such as those little heavenly chocolate truffles. Their produce usually (not always) seems to be fresher and less expensive than Earth Fare. They often have organic produce items that Earth Fare does not.