-Cuisine | Veggin' Out And About

Tampa Bay’s 4th Annual VegFest, 2013, Beats the Heat and Packs In the Crowds!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Nov 14, 2013 in I-275, I-4, I-75, Tampa Bay, FL, Tampa, FL, Veg Fests, Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly | 0 comments

By Stacy Perry

Tampa Bay’s Fourth Annual VegFest, 2013, was held in Tampa’s Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park. It was organized by Florida Voices for Animals, a non-profit formed to “raise awareness about animal cruelty issues” and to give the public ways to help. This was my first year to attend and it was pleasantly busy, conveniently happening on the same day as a nearby breast cancer walk was finishing. Hungry participants of the walk floated over to check out what was happening in the park — ahhhh, serendipity. Well-behaved dogs on leashes were invited to the event too.

Tampa Bay VegFest T-Shirt

There were several food booths on one end of the venue, selling Vietnamese, Indian, Ethiopian, Mexican, specialty popsicles, frozen banana ‘ice cream’, and baked goods. If there was something non-vegan at this festival, I didn’t see it.

Gone Bananas “Ice Cream” Vendor

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Tomy Thai Serving Up Asian In East Tennessee!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Nov 13, 2013 in Asian, I-26, Japanese, Johnson City, TN, Thai | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Tommy Thai, situated on State of Franklin across from EarthFare in Johnson City has an distinctively Asian air with a Bhudda in the corner entrance, several stools supported by wooden elephants and feminine deities interspersed throughout. Tommy’s seats 60, not counting 16 in the outdoor patio area. At 1:30pm we had no problem finding a table.

Exterior

The restaurant sports and extensive menu of fresh entrees which includes a variety of vegan options and a full bar for those wishing a cocktail with their meal. Most everything on the menu from noodle dishes to curries to stir fries can be made vegan upon request. The prices are reasonable and the food is quite good. Most items come with a choice of tofu (fried or steamed) or extra vegetables or some kind of meat for your carnivorous companions. You will also be given a choice of white and brown rice, except for the noodle dishes.

Interior

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Angkor Bistro’s Thai Yellow Curry With Mixed Vegetables

Posted by Danielle on Oct 30, 2013 in Asian, Cambodian, Fusion, I-81, Johnson City, TN | 1 comment

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon yellow curry paste

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce

2 cups mixed vegetables (in this demo she is using broccoli, carrots, boiled potato and onion)

1/2 cup fried tofu

Method:

Add oil to hot wok or skillet. Add yellow curry paste. Stir to combine.

Add coconut milk. Lower heat and stir to combine. Add vegetarian fish sauce and the sugar. Mix together until creamy.

Add fresh vegetables and tofu. Cook unit vegetables deepen in color. They should still have a little crunch when you bite into them.

Serve with brown or white rice.

Great Sage, Clarksville, MD – This Vegan-Only Restaurant Wows Plant-Based Diners!!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Oct 28, 2013 in American, Clarksville, Great Sage, Organic and/or Non-GMO, Vegan | 0 comments

By Katie Hussong

To say that this summer was busy would be an understatement. Planning a crazy beautiful do-it-yourself wedding for my sister, graduating from nutrition school, starting a culinary nutrition program, and working two jobs was maybe a little too much to take on at one time. With the wedding over and school settling into a comfortable rhythm, I finally have the time to write about my recent trip to the truly great Great Sage restaurant.

Great Sage Interior Photo Credit – Liam Gideon

WHO, WHAT, & WHERE?

If you live in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area and are even the slightest bit of the plant-based persuasion, you’ve probably already heard of Great Sage, an all-vegan restaurant with lots of heart, located in Clarksville, MD. And if you haven’t, let me assure you – it’s worth the trip. Allow me to set the scene. A modern, yet comfortable dining room welcomes you in. Knowledgeable, attentive servers and managers appreciate your coming in and are more than happy to answer any questions and make individualized suggestions. And the food – oh, the food! Let’s get to that.

Great Sage Crabcakes

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Garden of Vegan in Delray Beach, FL, Offers Vegan, Gluten Free Fare With NO GMO’s!!! Unfortunately this Restaurant Has Closed.

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Oct 22, 2013 in American, Delray Beach, Garden of Vegan, I-95, Organic and/or Non-GMO, Vegan | 2 comments

by Andrea Medalie

So my running partner (non-vegan) and I had just finished a grueling 10-mile race in Wellington, FL on Sunday when suddenly we were ravenous! We needed to refuel and fast! Not typically a breakfast person, my hunger made me want to sink my teeth into a hearty, healthy rib-sticking morning meal as my sweet reward! Since we weren’t from the area, a quick internet search yielded not just a vegan-friendly place but a vegan-dedicated little gem called The Garden of Vegan, just a few blocks away from bustling Atlantic Ave. in trendy downtown Delray Beach, FL.

Open 7 days a week from 9 am to 9 pm, breakfast from 9-11 weekdays, 9-12 on weekends, the Garden of Vegan promises no GMO, no dairy, no wheat, no soy and no gluten!! Many raw items are available too. Score! They have basically taken all the guesswork out for us vegans who struggle to find suitable plant-based nutrition. However, they do use cashews and walnuts in a few dishes, so heads up to those with tree nut allergies.

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Organic Garden Café of Beverly, MA Offers Medicinal Food!”

Posted by Danielle on Oct 16, 2013 in American, Beverly, Eclectic, MA, Organic and/or Non-GMO | 0 comments

by Pegge Bochynski

Nestled in the seaside town of Beverly on the North Shore of Boston, Massachusetts, is a culinary gem—Organic Garden Café founded in 1999 by Robert Reid. According to the cafe’s website, Reid’s sister-in-law was fighting terminal cancer in the mid-1990s. Her illness launched him on a journey to seek an alternative diet that would support her in her battle. His extensive research led him to develop an organic, raw food diet packed with living nutrients. In a sense, he was somewhat ahead of his time. Over the succeeding years, studies have shown that similar diets featuring locally sourced, unprocessed, and antioxidant rich ingredients are essential to living a long, healthy life. Reid’s mission to help people access healthy, “medicinal” food became the basis for opening his Beverly restaurant.

Organic Garden Café

Organic Garden Café is located on Cabot Street, a busy downtown thoroughfare. It’s housed in an intimate space with twelve to fourteen tables—mostly for two—placed closely together. A refrigerator case at the back of the establishment contains a variety of homemade vegan desserts, as well as take-out items, including the café’s own veggie burgers. The menu is a vegan-lover’s dream. Breakfast, lunch (weekdays only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and dinner items are prepared from scratch every day and feature certified whole foods, many of which come from local farms. Dishes are not cooked in the conventional sense. Instead food is prepared using no- or low-heat techniques. The result is fare that pops with melt-in-your-mouth flavor.

Because of the restaurant’s popularity and limited space, reservations are suggested. When we arrived around 1 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, only a few tables were occupied. But by the time we left, the place was nearly full. After we were seated, we surveyed the extensive menu options. There were so many delicious looking choices that it was difficult to decide. The guest of honor (the person whose birthday we were celebrating) selected the Nut Butter Squash Ravioli ($17.95). Made from thinly sliced red beets, the flavorful “raviolis” were stuffed with nut butter, covered in a vegan cashew alfredo sauce, and sprinkled with rosemary, walnuts, and tomatoes. The luscious dish was both light and satisfying. (more…)