Brooklyn Flea

I love flea markets...and the Brooklyn Flea is the perfect fall weekend destination. 

In addition to chambray scarves, vintage suitcases and handmade jewelery, there are at least a dozen food stands. There were quite a few vegetarian options and about a handful of vegan choices.

I went for a Sweet Grilled Corn Dosa with fresh greens and herbs, served with cilantro and coconut sauces. I love the crepe-like dosa and the corn is a great complement. 

I also tried the Quinoa Falafel with braised onions, lettuce and pickles. I really loved this falafel...great texture and awesome flavors.

And the view from the Brooklyn Flea cannot be beat.

The Quiet Storm

While I was visiting my family in Ohio, I stopped by The Quiet Storm in Pittsburgh for breakfast. 

I have to be honest here, my Biscuits were great, but the Vegan Queso was my favorite part of the visit. Yes, I'm one of those vegans that misses cheese. And I'm pretty picky about vegan cheese. Even my omni (still hopeful pescetarian) husband loved it.

That said, I really did enjoy the Biscuits :) They're obviously vegan, but also gluten free. Made from rice, they're topped with braised tofu, kale, fennel, smashed potatoes and tahini gravy. They have a sweetness to them that I really loved.

The menu is clearly marked - gluten free and/or vegan. And everything is vegetarian.

Music in the Meadows - Grass Valley Event

This Saturday there's a great event in Grass Valley, CA to support Animal Place, a local animal sanctuary.

I've been to Grass Valley several times over the past 15 years, as one of my best friends lives there. (Allison's Gourmet is also located there!) It's such a magical place. The town is adorable and the people are always pleasant and oh-so-laid-back in that northern California kind of way. 

And...best of all, John Robbins will be there! He'll be discussing the impact factory farming has on sustainability and the earth. There will also be bands, a silent auction + lots of great vegan food. Here are the details...

Pre-order your tickets and receive a FREE goodie bag full of donated treats and gifts from our generous sponsors, exhibitors, and supporters!

 

Event Information
Date: Saturday, September 22, 2012
Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
NOTE: Animal barns close at 4:00 pm
Cost: $25/adult; $12/children under 12
Order tickets now
 
Location

Animal Place

17314 McCourtney Road

Grass Valley, CA 95949

What to Bring:

Blanket or portable lawn chair: Enjoy the music and food in the meadow on your own blanket or chair. Some picnic tables will be available but may fill up quickly, so please bring your own blanket or chair.

Water bottle: Vendors will be selling food and beverages, but we encourage you to save cups and bring your own water bottle.

Camera: Take pictures! Take any good ones? Email us!

Clothing:  Hats/Closed toed shoes are required to hang out with the cows and big pigs!

Cash: Bring some for food, vendors, and our silent auction (we also accept checks/credit cards)

 

Who/What NOT to Bring:

Companion animals: Leave your companion animals at home. Do not leave any animal unattended in a vehicle. Many animals at the sanctuary are afraid of or potentially aggressive to dogs, and no one can predict how dogs will react to farm animals in a hectic, raucous environment. For everyone's safety, please leave companion animals at home.

Food: There is no need to bring your own food! Food vendors will be selling tasty vegan food. If you have young children or are on a special diet, please ensure the food you bring is vegan (no animal products including meat/fish/chicken, dairy products, eggs, honey) out of respect for the rescued farm animals.

Whole World Natural Bakery + Restaurant

Whole World Natural Bakery + Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio serves some amazing vegetarian and vegan pizzas.

On my last visit, I tried their Herb + Guacamole Pizza. A vegan cheese pizza topped with house made guacamole, diced tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts and sunflower seeds. (Just make sure to ask for vegan cheese). I realize this may sound strange, but it was so good. Guacamole is one of my favorite foods and it goes perfectly with this pizza.

Everything is vegetarian, and the majority of menu items can be vegan-ized. They also have a great looking pastry case, with lots of vegan sweets!

Clintonville Community Market

My last trip to Columbus was in the spring, but for some reason I never got around to posting some of my most recent finds...and they're pretty stellar!

The Clintonville Community Market has some great vegan prepared foods. Along with all kinds of spices and herbs in bulk, which I love.

For lunch, I chose the Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles from The Wellness Forum, with cucumbers, green onions, garlic and ginger. You can't go wrong with cold noodles and peanut sauce.

And a raw Strawberry Mango Blueberry Cheesecake from Portia's Creations. This was so good and the color absolutely gorgeous!

Pure Food + Wine - Follow Up

Last weekend, we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in New York, Pure Food + Wine. I started with Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheeses, you can see my previous post on this incredible vegan cheese plate here. 

For my entree, I had the Lemon Alfredo Noodles with marinated portabella mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, wild rapini, black garlic and basil reduction. I didn't confirm, but I believe the noodles were kelp noodles. It was one of the best raw savory dishes I've had. So full of flavor and incredibly complex. 

My husband had the Hen of the Woods Tacos al Pastor with smoked guacamole, hearts of palm, fresh corn, guajillo crema fresca and pickled onions.

He followed up with the Carrot Cake. I'm not normally a big fan of carrot cake, but this was really quite good...and gorgeous!

I went with the Mint Sundae. Chocolate and fresh mint ice cream, with huge chunks of chocolate, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I believe the ice cream is cashew based and the chocolate is carob, but I guarantee you would not be able to tell the difference.

Blind Faith Cafe

Blind Faith Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant north of Chicago, in Evanston. My husband and I stopped in a couple of weeks ago for a light dinner.

We shared the Guacamole, served with tortilla chips, cucumbers and carrots. We loved the combination of cucumber and guac.

We also shared the Soft Shell Tacos, spicy Gardein, lettuce, cilantro, salsa verde and black bean salsa. (If you're vegan, ask them to omit the cheese). It's the best Gardein we'd ever tasted. The seasoning was amazing - spicy, salty and slightly sweet.

And since we shared our dinner, we splurged for dessert - Vegan Chocolate Cake with blackberry sorbet. This was seriously good. And the sorbet was the perfect complement, adding something cool and fresh to the richness of the chocolate.

I would love to go back again for dinner, and for brunch. They have vegan Chilaquiles!

Bongos - Orlando

Before you stop by Babycakes for dessert, Bongos has a great vegetarian/vegan option for dinner. 

Their Vegetarian Platter is filled with sauteed broccoli, peppers, carrots and mixed greens served with white rice and sweet plantains.  I also ordered a side of vegetarian black beans. So so good.

I had such a good time in Orlando. I thought it would be so crowded that I would be miserable, but it was just the opposite. It was so nice to hang out with my family - the crowds didn't bother me at all.

Babycakes - Orlando

Babycakes has been my favorite NYC and LA bakery for quite some time now. And now, it's also my favorite Orlando bakery. 

They have a location in downtown Disney that is completely vegan and gluten free. I stocked up last month, and kept doughnuts, toasties and cookies in my hotel room for breakfast and dessert.

Their Chocolate Chip Cookies are so good - they're a bit crispy, which I love.

And their Toasties come in different flavors - I chose Blueberry and Cranberry Orange. Delicious for breakfast, and you would never believe they're gluten free.

And the Doughnuts...I love the Coconut flavor. The Cinnamon Sugar is a close second.