We are sorry to report that Ecolicious is no longer in business. Ecolicious – Charlotte, NC’s Most Environmentally Friendly Market Is Locally Sourced!

by Danielle Bussone

 

In one of the cutest little houses located in the heart of Charlotte is a general store like no other. From its humble beginning as a few shelves containing only a few items, housed within another business, Ecolicious has come into its own. “We came about just over three years ago,” says Ecolicous founder, Marley Claridge.  “My former partner and I saw a need in Charlotte for a place to buy vegan things. We started out with just a few items on a few shelves. Then people kind of took to it. I wanted to make it larger, and nicer, with more of a boutique feel to it. More than just a convenient store look.”

 

Ecolicious Exterior

Ecolicious Exterior

 

Marley has done just that. After her early partnership dissolved, she joined up with long time friend,  Fiona Humphrey,  who had previously worked in finance. Fiona had planned to sell her house and move to Oregon. As luck, or fate, would have it, the market crashed and selling her home was no longer an option. The opportunity to partner with Marley presented itself and the rest is Ecolicous history. The two share a vision for the company which has continued to foster a relationship with the community and an awareness of how our purchasing decisions impact our lives, the lives of innocent animals and the health of our planet. Buying locally affects our carbon footprint as well, which is a credo for the fledgeling business.

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Gaia Fresh Food Café in Carlisle, PA, Serves Up Veggies Galore!

by Danielle Bussone

 

A year ago, Rich and I passed through Carlisle en-route to Central New York for an annual Easter visit with relatives.  Carlisle has a dearth of restaurants offering healthy, plant-based options.  There is a Tappas bar which claims to offer vegan options but when questioned closely you’ll find the fingerling potatoes are fried in beef tallow, the croutons contain eggs and the olives are just taken from a jar and dunked in a pool of flavored olive oil.  The pita bread is obviously store bought. They will remove the cheese and other offending products but offer nothing to compensate the diner for the loss.  No thanks, we’ll pass.

There is an excellent Japanese/Vietnamese noodle shop (we reviewed last year) called Essei Noodles and there is a wonderful market (also reviewed last year), Appalachian Whole Foods.  So, last year, following our lunch at Essei, we  stopped to check out a lovely little vegetarian café on West Pomfret Street called Gaia Fresh Food Café.  We spoke with Gaia’s owner, George Catselis. We didn’t try the food at the time since we had already eaten. However, we did get a look at the place and an earful from George on his plans to make this a community meeting place where people who care what goes into their bodies and care about what is happening to our planet can congregate. A year later, and George’s plans are coming to fruition.

 

Gaia Exterior

Gaia Exterior

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Luna’s Living Kitchen, Illuminating Charlotte with Raw, Beautiful, Plant-Based Cuisine!

by Danielle Bussone

 

Open only three years, Luna’s Living Kitchen is already an icon in Charlotte, NC. Whenever we ask where we can find a good place to eat while visiting Charlotte, Luna’s is the first word out of everyone’s mouth. Everyone.

Luna’s Living Kitchen is a stand-out with its all organic, largely locally sourced ingredients without a hint of genetically modified fare to be found!!!  To this I can’t say strongly enough to owner,  Juliana Luna; You go, girl!

 

Luna's Living Kitchen Exterior

Luna’s Living Kitchen Exterior

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Desert Roots Kitchen, Tempe, AZ – Organic and Green in the Heart of the Desert!

by Deanne Bryce

 

Desert Roots Kitchen Staff

Desert Roots Kitchen Staff

 

During a road trip between the Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree National Park , my husband Steve and I spent one night and morning in Phoenix.  In search of a place to enjoy lunch after a morning visit to the Desert Botanical Garden, we found Desert Roots Kitchen  (DRK) through an online search for organic foods. We discovered on arrival that Desert Roots Kitchen is 100% vegan. Their menu changes daily and they make everything from scratch in-house (except the dolmas). Desert Roots Kitchen cooks with many organic ingredients, especially staples like beans, lentils, produce, etc.  They support and use local ingredients when possible, which is increasing and constantly evolving.

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Fern – Flavors From The Garden – A Vegetarian Gem In Charlotte, NC

by Danielle Bussone

 

 

The first time we visited Fern was during the Charleston Vegetarian Festival last summer.  It was a blistering day and our beloved monster, Phoenix, was feeling the heat.  We noticed the building as we were driving through town and it happened to be within walking distance of the festival.  With covered out-door seating and entirely vegetarian, it seemed to be just the ticket. Phoenix settled down at the foot of our table and the waitress was kind enough to fill her dish with water.   I had the Om Burger and I cannot for the life of me remember what Rich had. I can tell you that it was all delicious and I am filled with guilt every time I think about it.  We had every intention of writing a review of Fern then but as it sometimes happens, life got in the way and Fern continued to slip farther back on our “to do” list.  Recently, en-route to Charleston we decided to give Fern another try.

 

Fern: Flavors From The Garden Vegetarian Restaurant

Fern: Flavors From The Garden Vegetarian Café

 

Fern is a charming café with lots of tables and bustling activity.  When we were seated we were brought a glass of water infused with cucumbers.  This was an unexpected and delightfully refreshing treat!   I remember how welcome that was on our parched first visit to Fern.

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Chow Thai in Boca Raton, FL – A Favorite Among Vegan Diners!

So there we were, my running partner, Mark, and I, scrambling to find a restaurant to accommodate our specific tastes on a Friday night.  With no long run scheduled for the next morning, we were looking for something somewhat exotic and spicy.  We contemplated the trendy and overpriced Japanese place up the street and then decided on the all-you-can-eat Japanese place nearby for the same value.  Much to our dismay, it had closed so we were at a loss.  Then it suddenly occurred to me…a few blocks north of us, on S.R. 7 or 441, just south of Palmetto Park Rd. , in South Boca Raton, FL, there is a Thai restaurant that the local vegan Meet up group raves about.  I know, I know, Thai food isn’t typically vegan friendly, with either fish or oyster sauce present in most, if not all of their dishes, sauces and dressings, not to mention egg in the Pad Thai.  I had eaten at this very place a few years back and I did indeed enjoy it.  With my palate being even more refined, I thought, why not revisit this establishment, long hallowed by discerning vegan patrons.
Chow Thai Vegetable Soup

Chow Thai Vegetable Soup

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