Do Air Purifiers Really Work?
8 years ago
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Starbucks Introduces Vegan Frappuccinos!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Vegan Vacation: Quebec City
Accommodations:
Le Chateau Frontenac is the most famous landmark in Quebec City. It's a grand old European-style building that holds the record for being the most photographed hotel in the Guiness Book of World Records. During high season (summer and Winter Carnival weekends) room rates can start at $400/night. However, if you go during an off-peak time, you may be able to find a room for as low as $200/night. This place is seriously elegant. Just walking through the lobby made me feel like a movie star!
A room at the Hotel Vieux Quebec
For those who can't afford to stay at the Chateau Frontenac, the Hotel Vieux Quebec is right around the corner. Hotel Vieux Quebec is a small family-owned hotel with outstanding guest service. The rooms are very spacious and the hotel makes a serious effort to be as eco-friendly as possible. The breakfast - orange juice and pastries, delivered to your door in a picnic basket - isn't the most vegan-friendly, but if you call ahead they may be able to substitute extra rolls instead of croissants (our basket came with a mix of the two). The good news is that the rolls come with a delicious (and entirely vegan) maple "cream" spread.
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:
Bento box meal at Restaurant Zen
Restaurant Zen is an all-vegetarian Asian restaurant that features some interesting mock meat dishes. If you make a reservation ahead of time, you can even participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Everything on the menu can be made vegan. The only downside is that Restaurant Zen is a little over two miles away from Vieux Quebec. A $12 taxi ride will get you there.
Le Commensal is a pay-by-weight vegetarian buffet restaurant that is conveniently located two blocks away from the walls of the Old City. The vegan items are plentiful and well-labeled. Le Commensal is one of the few places in Quebec City that has vegan desserts, such as carrot cake and coconut tapioca pudding.
Chez Victor is a burger restaurant that has four types of veggie burgers on the menu - a tofu burger, a veggie pate burger, a wheat burger and a spinach and nut burger. If you are vegan, make sure to tell your waiter to hold the cheese and to serve your fries with Ketchup instead of aoli sauce.
Attractions in Quebec City:
Vieux Quebec:
Vieux Quebec or the "Old City" is filled with narrow streets, quaint shops, somewhat less-quaint souvenir shops, street performers and, at times, ice sculptures. It's a nice place just to walk around. You can tell that you're in Vieux Quebec because there are stone walls surrounding it.
Musee de la Civilisation:
The Musee de la Civilisation is a quirky museum that features an interesting assortment of exhibits. While I was at the museum, I saw a display of Egyptian mummies (complete with CAT scans and a model burial chamber that visitors could walk through), an interactive storytelling exhibit on the 7 Deadly Sins, and an exhibit on the aboriginal people of Quebec.
Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec:
The Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec is a large art museum that displays both international and Quebecois art, including some Inuit art. When I was in Quebec, there was a fascinating special exhibit on The Golden Age of Haute Couture.
Nearby Attractions:
Cabane a Sucre:
A "Cabane a Sucre" or "sugar shack" is a cabin that sells maple treats. These can be found all over the province and are a good place to stop on your way to/from Quebec City. If you travel to Quebec during the winter, you can enjoy my favorite treat - hot maple syrup poured onto snow, which the customer picks up with a wooden stick. By the time that the syrup has cooled enough to be picked up, the maple has formed a thick, delicious taffy.
Hotel de Glace:
If you're visiting Quebec City during the winter months (January - March), make sure to visit the Hotel de Glace. The Hotel de Glace is a hotel that is made completely out of ice. While the hotel does offer guests a chance to spend the night, many more visitors opt to take a day tour instead. The hotel features a grand lobby, snack bar, drink bar, discotec, chapel, guest rooms and suites. This place has tons of photo opportunities, not to mention a giant ice slide that is available for visitors of all ages. Enjoy a drink at the ice bar, served in a glass made from ice! If you don't have a car at your disposal, the Hotel de Glace runs a shuttle service that picks up visitors from Quebec City.
Travel Advice:
If you visit Quebec City in the winter, make sure to pack appropriate clothing. Snow boots, winter coats, hats and gloves are a must. Canvas sneakers just won't cut it.
Le Chateau Frontenac is the most famous landmark in Quebec City. It's a grand old European-style building that holds the record for being the most photographed hotel in the Guiness Book of World Records. During high season (summer and Winter Carnival weekends) room rates can start at $400/night. However, if you go during an off-peak time, you may be able to find a room for as low as $200/night. This place is seriously elegant. Just walking through the lobby made me feel like a movie star!
A room at the Hotel Vieux QuebecFor those who can't afford to stay at the Chateau Frontenac, the Hotel Vieux Quebec is right around the corner. Hotel Vieux Quebec is a small family-owned hotel with outstanding guest service. The rooms are very spacious and the hotel makes a serious effort to be as eco-friendly as possible. The breakfast - orange juice and pastries, delivered to your door in a picnic basket - isn't the most vegan-friendly, but if you call ahead they may be able to substitute extra rolls instead of croissants (our basket came with a mix of the two). The good news is that the rolls come with a delicious (and entirely vegan) maple "cream" spread.
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:
Bento box meal at Restaurant ZenLe Commensal is a pay-by-weight vegetarian buffet restaurant that is conveniently located two blocks away from the walls of the Old City. The vegan items are plentiful and well-labeled. Le Commensal is one of the few places in Quebec City that has vegan desserts, such as carrot cake and coconut tapioca pudding.
Chez Victor is a burger restaurant that has four types of veggie burgers on the menu - a tofu burger, a veggie pate burger, a wheat burger and a spinach and nut burger. If you are vegan, make sure to tell your waiter to hold the cheese and to serve your fries with Ketchup instead of aoli sauce.
Attractions in Quebec City:
Vieux Quebec:
Vieux Quebec or the "Old City" is filled with narrow streets, quaint shops, somewhat less-quaint souvenir shops, street performers and, at times, ice sculptures. It's a nice place just to walk around. You can tell that you're in Vieux Quebec because there are stone walls surrounding it.
Musee de la Civilisation:
The Musee de la Civilisation is a quirky museum that features an interesting assortment of exhibits. While I was at the museum, I saw a display of Egyptian mummies (complete with CAT scans and a model burial chamber that visitors could walk through), an interactive storytelling exhibit on the 7 Deadly Sins, and an exhibit on the aboriginal people of Quebec.
Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec:
The Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec is a large art museum that displays both international and Quebecois art, including some Inuit art. When I was in Quebec, there was a fascinating special exhibit on The Golden Age of Haute Couture.
Nearby Attractions:
Cabane a Sucre:
A "Cabane a Sucre" or "sugar shack" is a cabin that sells maple treats. These can be found all over the province and are a good place to stop on your way to/from Quebec City. If you travel to Quebec during the winter, you can enjoy my favorite treat - hot maple syrup poured onto snow, which the customer picks up with a wooden stick. By the time that the syrup has cooled enough to be picked up, the maple has formed a thick, delicious taffy.
Hotel de Glace:
If you're visiting Quebec City during the winter months (January - March), make sure to visit the Hotel de Glace. The Hotel de Glace is a hotel that is made completely out of ice. While the hotel does offer guests a chance to spend the night, many more visitors opt to take a day tour instead. The hotel features a grand lobby, snack bar, drink bar, discotec, chapel, guest rooms and suites. This place has tons of photo opportunities, not to mention a giant ice slide that is available for visitors of all ages. Enjoy a drink at the ice bar, served in a glass made from ice! If you don't have a car at your disposal, the Hotel de Glace runs a shuttle service that picks up visitors from Quebec City.
Travel Advice:
If you visit Quebec City in the winter, make sure to pack appropriate clothing. Snow boots, winter coats, hats and gloves are a must. Canvas sneakers just won't cut it.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Vegan Anniversary - Going On Year 8
Last week marked my 7th anniversary of going vegan, so I thought I would reflect on some important developments that have made being vegan even easier.
Cezanne - Antique Garden shoes from Charmone
When I first went vegan, I had my trusty Converse All-Stars and a pair of clunky faux leather dress shoes from Moo Shoes that caused the backs of my heels to develop large blisters if I wore them for more than 10 minutes.
Now, we have our choice of whimsical stilettos from Charmone or trendy pumps from Olsen Haus. Even Amazon.com has its own shoestore (Endless.com) that tags "vegetarian" shoes for easy searching.
Dr. Cow Aged Cashew and Crystal Algae Cheese
When I first went vegan, my local grocery store sold Veganrella, which had the taste and texture of plastic. At the time, Follow Your Heart soy cheese was so new that my friends and I pooled together to make a bulk order directly from the company. Cheddar, mozzarella and "nacho cheese" were the only commercially available flavors of vegan cheese. I could tell that a restaurant was serving me non-vegan soy cheese (with casein) if the cheese actually melted.
Now, the lines between soy cheese and regular cheese have blurred substantially. Daiya's Italian Blend actually melts! Sheese makes over 10 flavors of vegan cheese, including gouda, blue cheese and smoked cheddar, not to mention a delicious herbed cream cheese spread. Dr. Cow makes a sharp aged nut cheese using the same processes that are used in aging dairy cheese. Now, if only someone would invent vegan manchego...
"Vaute Coat" in Ivory from Vaute Couture
When I first went vegan, I had a hard time finding warm winter coats that weren't made from wool. I compromised and bought used wool coats from secondhand stores or wore a long cotton coat with tons of layers underneath. It used to take me 10 minutes to remove enough layers from my "outdoor outfit" to be able to sit through class in a heated room.
An ice cream sundae from Stogo
When I first went vegan, there were two dairy-free ice cream brands at my local supermarket - Tofutti and Rice Dream. Rice Dream had a strange consistency and Tofutti had a slight soy aftertaste. Both were only stocked in a few flavors, so I found myself eating flavors that I had never really cared for (like butter pecan) because I couldn't find any mint chocolate chip or chocolate chip cookie dough.
Now, many grocery stores carry Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream, which is creamy, has a slight coconut taste and comes in both of my favorite flavors. In major cities, artisan ice cream shops carry exotic dairy-free flavors, like White Russian White Chip (Wheeler's), Black Sesame (Maggie Mudd) and Cardamom Pistachio (Stogo).
Which new products have made being vegan easier for you? Which areas still need improvement?
Shoes
Cezanne - Antique Garden shoes from CharmoneWhen I first went vegan, I had my trusty Converse All-Stars and a pair of clunky faux leather dress shoes from Moo Shoes that caused the backs of my heels to develop large blisters if I wore them for more than 10 minutes.
Now, we have our choice of whimsical stilettos from Charmone or trendy pumps from Olsen Haus. Even Amazon.com has its own shoestore (Endless.com) that tags "vegetarian" shoes for easy searching.
Cheese
Dr. Cow Aged Cashew and Crystal Algae CheeseWhen I first went vegan, my local grocery store sold Veganrella, which had the taste and texture of plastic. At the time, Follow Your Heart soy cheese was so new that my friends and I pooled together to make a bulk order directly from the company. Cheddar, mozzarella and "nacho cheese" were the only commercially available flavors of vegan cheese. I could tell that a restaurant was serving me non-vegan soy cheese (with casein) if the cheese actually melted.
Now, the lines between soy cheese and regular cheese have blurred substantially. Daiya's Italian Blend actually melts! Sheese makes over 10 flavors of vegan cheese, including gouda, blue cheese and smoked cheddar, not to mention a delicious herbed cream cheese spread. Dr. Cow makes a sharp aged nut cheese using the same processes that are used in aging dairy cheese. Now, if only someone would invent vegan manchego...
Coats
"Vaute Coat" in Ivory from Vaute CoutureNow, vegans can wear fashionable eco-friendly faux wool coats from Vaute Couture. Even mainstream companies like Anthropologie had faux sheerling and faux fur-trimmed coats this season.
Ice Cream
An ice cream sundae from StogoNow, many grocery stores carry Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream, which is creamy, has a slight coconut taste and comes in both of my favorite flavors. In major cities, artisan ice cream shops carry exotic dairy-free flavors, like White Russian White Chip (Wheeler's), Black Sesame (Maggie Mudd) and Cardamom Pistachio (Stogo).
Which new products have made being vegan easier for you? Which areas still need improvement?
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Vegan Vacation: San Francisco
San Francisco regularly gets voted "Most Veg-Friendly City" by various magazines, so it's no wonder that I found it to be easy to find food while I was there. The interesting part about San Francisco is that it doesn't have *that* many completely vegetarian restaurants. Instead, almost every "regular" restaurant that we visited had a large selection of vegan items on the menu. For those of you who tend to travel with non-vegetarian friends and family, San Francisco would be a great option.
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Accommodations:
We stayed at Hotel Nikko, a Japanese-inspired ultra modern hotel in Union Square. The room rates at Hotel Nikko were fairy reasonable when we purchased them through Expedia. For $10 extra, we were able to gain key card access to the spa for our entire stay, which had a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room.
Union Square is an ideal place to stay because it is centrally-located. Most of the tourist attractions are north of Union Square and most of the vegetarian restaurants are south of Union Square.
There are so many vegan-friendly restaurants in San Francisco that it can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few of my favorites:
Millennium - One of the few upscale vegan restaurants in the country, Millennium serves inventive dishes in a ritzy setting. The prices aren't *that* extravagant (I spent about $70 for three courses and two cocktails). If you're staying in Union Square, Millennium is a short walk from your hotel.
Herbivore - The food at Herbivore is typical vegetarian-restaurant fare, served in the usual "hip" setting. The lunch/dinner food is on par with similar restaurants (ex. The Chicago Diner) but the breakfast is outstanding. If you go for breakfast, I highly recommend the "dessert crepe" - three delicious crepes, filled with baked bananas and blueberries, topped with a coconut cream sauce.
Maggie Mudd - An ice cream parlor that sells many flavors of vegan ice cream! You can order vegan milkshakes, ice cream sundaes, ice cream cakes... If you're vegan and you avoid soy, never fear. Half of Maggie Mudd's vegan flavors are made from coconut milk.
Cafe Gratitude - A raw vegan cafe that has the best raw desserts that I have ever tasted. The creamsicle shake is heavenly. The key lime pie is so good, you'll swear it's the real thing (well, except for the raw nut crust in lieu of a traditional graham cracker crust... but the filling is incredible).
Ritual Coffee Roasters - A coffee shop with tons of vegan baked goods. Try the vegan "bacon" donut for a really weird experience. If you're a coffee snob, this is the place for you. The barristas here know their stuff. If you're lucky, you might even show up on a day when they're holding a coffee tasting.
Weird Fish - A fish and chips shop that also serves vegan fish and chips. You have your choice between seitan "fish" and tofu "fish" (don't worry, it doesn't actually taste like fish - it's just breaded, fried deliciousness). If you eat here, order the "buffalo girls" appetizer. They're not as realistic as the vegan buffalo wings at Red Bamboo, but they're still pretty damn good.
Rainbow Grocery - While not technically a restaurant, who can pass up the opportunity to visit an ALL-VEGETARIAN grocery store? Rainbow Grocery has a fabulous selection of vegan cheeses (Sheese, Dr. Cow's, Cheezly, Teese, Tofutti, Follow Your Heart,...) and the bakery section is full of vegan baked goods.
Here are my votes for best vegan-friendly "ethnic" restaurants in San Francisco:
Best Indian: New Delhi creates unusual Indian dishes, with entrees like mango mushrooms, curried soy cutlets and eggplant tamarind.
Best Chinese: House of Nanking might not seem vegan-friendly at first glance, but tell your waiter that you want "vegan for n" where n is the number of people at your table and you won't be disappointed. The chef will prepare 5 special vegan dishes for you at a cost of $20/person.
Best Mexican: Papalote is a burrito joint in The Mission that serves "soyrizo" (vegan chorizo) burritos.
Attractions:
Fisherman's Wharf:
For $30, you can take a boat to Alcatraz Island and visit the infamous prison. The price includes an audio tour, which lasts a little over an hour and provides a fascinating narration of life at Alcatraz, including interviews from former prisoners and prison guards. While on Alcatraz, you will see spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco.
The boat to Alcatraz departs from Pier 33 on Fisherman's Wharf. While in the Fisherman's Wharf area, you can watch over 1,000 sea lions sunbathing on Pier 39.
The Golden Gate Park:
The Golden Gate Park is an oasis of green grass and trees in the center of the city. It is home to a number of musems and attractions:
The California Academy of Sciences features a three-story rainforest, planetarium and aquarium. Environmentalists: make sure tour the "living roof" and learn about an innovative way of providing low-impact heating and cooling.
The de Young Museum is a fine arts museum that is known for its special exhibits. When I was there, King Tut was on display.
The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest of its kind in the United States. For $5 (cash only), you gain admission to the garden, which is filled with whimsical bridges, statues, koi ponds and a zen garden. For another $4, you can sit in the tea house and enjoy a pot of high-quality tea and a plate of fortune cookies and Japanese crackers.
The Botanical Garden doesn't house many flowers, but it is home to an excellent collection of pre-historic plants, as well as some topiary sculptures of dinosaurs.
The Bison Paddock contains a small herd of bison. It is part of an effort to replenish a population that was once hunted nearly to extinction.
There are also a number of scenic ponds in Golden Gate Park. If you walk all the way to the western edge, you will arrive at the Pacific Ocean.
Mission District:
A melding of hipster and Hispanic culture, The Mission District has streets lined with vegetarian restaurants, quirky bookstores and boutiques, taquerias, hand-painted frescos and an actual Franciscan mission that dates back 1783. It's a nice place to wander around. The Mission is also a short walk from Castro Street, where Harvey Milk had his camera shop.
Chinatown/North Beach:
Chinatown is purportedly home to the largest population of Chinese people outside of Asia. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory offers free tours, where you can watch as the cookies are quickly pressed into their crescent shape.
Just a few blocks away is North Beach, San Francisco's Italian neighborhood. North Beach is also full of cafes and streets referenced in Beat Generation literature (see Kerouac, Jack). Be sure to visit the City Lights Bookstore, a famous independent bookstore owned by beatnik poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Travel Advice:
1) Don't be fooled by the fact that San Francisco is in California. The weather is temperate year-round, but the city can get quite cold in the evenings. We visited in the middle of August and the temperatures dropped below 50 degrees most nights. Make sure to pack some warm sweaters!
2) Getting to the Mission restaurants can be tricky if you're staying in Union Square. At first, we took cabs to get there and it ended up being $15 each way. If you don't want your inexpensive dinner to double in price (by paying for all of that cab fare!), I recommend looking into the BART train system. BART is a commuter train that has most of its stops in neighboring towns, but it has an underground stop in Union Square and two stops in The Mission. For $1.80, you can go from Union Square to the corner of 24th and Mission St. in under 6 minutes!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accommodations:
We stayed at Hotel Nikko, a Japanese-inspired ultra modern hotel in Union Square. The room rates at Hotel Nikko were fairy reasonable when we purchased them through Expedia. For $10 extra, we were able to gain key card access to the spa for our entire stay, which had a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room.
Union Square is an ideal place to stay because it is centrally-located. Most of the tourist attractions are north of Union Square and most of the vegetarian restaurants are south of Union Square.
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:
There are so many vegan-friendly restaurants in San Francisco that it can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few of my favorites:
Millennium - One of the few upscale vegan restaurants in the country, Millennium serves inventive dishes in a ritzy setting. The prices aren't *that* extravagant (I spent about $70 for three courses and two cocktails). If you're staying in Union Square, Millennium is a short walk from your hotel.
Herbivore - The food at Herbivore is typical vegetarian-restaurant fare, served in the usual "hip" setting. The lunch/dinner food is on par with similar restaurants (ex. The Chicago Diner) but the breakfast is outstanding. If you go for breakfast, I highly recommend the "dessert crepe" - three delicious crepes, filled with baked bananas and blueberries, topped with a coconut cream sauce.
Maggie Mudd - An ice cream parlor that sells many flavors of vegan ice cream! You can order vegan milkshakes, ice cream sundaes, ice cream cakes... If you're vegan and you avoid soy, never fear. Half of Maggie Mudd's vegan flavors are made from coconut milk.
Cafe Gratitude - A raw vegan cafe that has the best raw desserts that I have ever tasted. The creamsicle shake is heavenly. The key lime pie is so good, you'll swear it's the real thing (well, except for the raw nut crust in lieu of a traditional graham cracker crust... but the filling is incredible).
Ritual Coffee Roasters - A coffee shop with tons of vegan baked goods. Try the vegan "bacon" donut for a really weird experience. If you're a coffee snob, this is the place for you. The barristas here know their stuff. If you're lucky, you might even show up on a day when they're holding a coffee tasting.
Weird Fish - A fish and chips shop that also serves vegan fish and chips. You have your choice between seitan "fish" and tofu "fish" (don't worry, it doesn't actually taste like fish - it's just breaded, fried deliciousness). If you eat here, order the "buffalo girls" appetizer. They're not as realistic as the vegan buffalo wings at Red Bamboo, but they're still pretty damn good.
Rainbow Grocery - While not technically a restaurant, who can pass up the opportunity to visit an ALL-VEGETARIAN grocery store? Rainbow Grocery has a fabulous selection of vegan cheeses (Sheese, Dr. Cow's, Cheezly, Teese, Tofutti, Follow Your Heart,...) and the bakery section is full of vegan baked goods.
Here are my votes for best vegan-friendly "ethnic" restaurants in San Francisco:
Best Indian: New Delhi creates unusual Indian dishes, with entrees like mango mushrooms, curried soy cutlets and eggplant tamarind.
Best Chinese: House of Nanking might not seem vegan-friendly at first glance, but tell your waiter that you want "vegan for n" where n is the number of people at your table and you won't be disappointed. The chef will prepare 5 special vegan dishes for you at a cost of $20/person.
Best Mexican: Papalote is a burrito joint in The Mission that serves "soyrizo" (vegan chorizo) burritos.
Attractions:
Fisherman's Wharf:
For $30, you can take a boat to Alcatraz Island and visit the infamous prison. The price includes an audio tour, which lasts a little over an hour and provides a fascinating narration of life at Alcatraz, including interviews from former prisoners and prison guards. While on Alcatraz, you will see spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco.
The boat to Alcatraz departs from Pier 33 on Fisherman's Wharf. While in the Fisherman's Wharf area, you can watch over 1,000 sea lions sunbathing on Pier 39.
The Golden Gate Park:
The Golden Gate Park is an oasis of green grass and trees in the center of the city. It is home to a number of musems and attractions:
The California Academy of Sciences features a three-story rainforest, planetarium and aquarium. Environmentalists: make sure tour the "living roof" and learn about an innovative way of providing low-impact heating and cooling.
The de Young Museum is a fine arts museum that is known for its special exhibits. When I was there, King Tut was on display.
The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest of its kind in the United States. For $5 (cash only), you gain admission to the garden, which is filled with whimsical bridges, statues, koi ponds and a zen garden. For another $4, you can sit in the tea house and enjoy a pot of high-quality tea and a plate of fortune cookies and Japanese crackers.
The Botanical Garden doesn't house many flowers, but it is home to an excellent collection of pre-historic plants, as well as some topiary sculptures of dinosaurs.
The Bison Paddock contains a small herd of bison. It is part of an effort to replenish a population that was once hunted nearly to extinction.
There are also a number of scenic ponds in Golden Gate Park. If you walk all the way to the western edge, you will arrive at the Pacific Ocean.
Mission District:
A melding of hipster and Hispanic culture, The Mission District has streets lined with vegetarian restaurants, quirky bookstores and boutiques, taquerias, hand-painted frescos and an actual Franciscan mission that dates back 1783. It's a nice place to wander around. The Mission is also a short walk from Castro Street, where Harvey Milk had his camera shop.
Chinatown/North Beach:
Chinatown is purportedly home to the largest population of Chinese people outside of Asia. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory offers free tours, where you can watch as the cookies are quickly pressed into their crescent shape.
Just a few blocks away is North Beach, San Francisco's Italian neighborhood. North Beach is also full of cafes and streets referenced in Beat Generation literature (see Kerouac, Jack). Be sure to visit the City Lights Bookstore, a famous independent bookstore owned by beatnik poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Travel Advice:
1) Don't be fooled by the fact that San Francisco is in California. The weather is temperate year-round, but the city can get quite cold in the evenings. We visited in the middle of August and the temperatures dropped below 50 degrees most nights. Make sure to pack some warm sweaters!
2) Getting to the Mission restaurants can be tricky if you're staying in Union Square. At first, we took cabs to get there and it ended up being $15 each way. If you don't want your inexpensive dinner to double in price (by paying for all of that cab fare!), I recommend looking into the BART train system. BART is a commuter train that has most of its stops in neighboring towns, but it has an underground stop in Union Square and two stops in The Mission. For $1.80, you can go from Union Square to the corner of 24th and Mission St. in under 6 minutes!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Vegan Vacation: Bar Harbor
Ben and I went to Bar Harbor for the weekend. Here are our recommendations for vegans planning a similar trip:
Accommodations:
We stayed at the Ivy Manor Inn, a Bed and Breakfast that is conveniently located on the main shopping street. The Inn is quite luxurious, with fireplaces in each room and French country decor. Unlike most B&B's, the Ivy Manor Inn has a restaurant on the first floor that prepares the breakfast. As a result, guests are able to choose from a selection of menu items, which include a delicious vegan oatmeal brulee (think creme brulee, but made with oatmeal instead) covered with fresh berries. During the summer season, rooms can be expensive ($200+ per night), but prices drop dramatically during the rest of the year.
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:
Eden - An exquisite all-vegan restaurant that features locally-grown vegetables in all of its dishes. The menu changes often to make use of seasonal produce. Some past offerings include: seitan piccata served with a lemon caper vinaigrette and sage mashed potatoes; a local tomato tartlet served in crispy phyllo dough with pomegranate molasses; and West Indies spiced pumpkin soup. Eden is closed for the 2009 season, but will open again in 2010.
Reel Pizza Cinerama - A pizzeria and movie theater, rolled into one! The pizzeria features many exciting vegan-friendly pizza toppings, including tofu, soy cheese, nutritional yeast and various nuts, fruits and sauces. Best of all, you can enjoy your pizza while watching a film at the theater. The theater has rows of comfy couches and TV trays.
Cafe This Way - A hip cafe that features vegan items on both the weekend brunch menu and on the lunch/dinner menu. The brunch offerings include tofu scramble and veggie sausage, while the dinner menu features cashew-crusted tofu and vegan caviar served with seaweed salad and roasted mushrooms.
Jeannie's Breakfast - A breakfast place that has vegan oatmeal walnut pancakes and tofu scramble on the menu.
CJ's - An ice cream parlor on Main Street that offers two flavors of soy ice cream each day.
Bar Harbor Attractions:
The town of Bar Harbor is a nice place to walk around. There are parks, quaint shops and magnificent ocean views. Stop at the West End Drug Co. for a blueberry soda at the soda fountain.
Most people who come to Bar Harbor are really there to visit Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park has beautiful scenery and plentiful hiking opportunities. For those who aren't experienced hikers, there are many carriage trails to walk along. Best of all, there is a free bus service that provides transportation from downtown Bar Harbor to many locations throughout Acadia.
Other Nearby Attractions:
Bar Harbor is a short ferry ride from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. You can take a day trip to Yarmouth for $72. The ferry has a casino and a movie theater on board. If you're a US citizen, you will need a passport. Yarmouth is a quaint town, with lots of old churches and lighthouses. There is a Middle Eastern restaurant called Little Lebanon that has some vegan options.
Portland, ME is a three-hour drive from Bar Harbor. It is the largest city in Maine and it has a number of museums and other attractions. There are many vegan-friendly restaurants, including:
Silly's - A ecclectic cafe with a separate vegan menu. Silly's makes great soy milkshakes, vegan desserts and greasy comfort food. There are also some healthier options available.
GRO - A new raw vegan cafe.
Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro - An all-vegetarian, mostly-vegan Asian fusion restaurant.
Little Lad's Bakery - A vegan restaurant with a $5 all-you-can-eat buffet.
Accommodations:
We stayed at the Ivy Manor Inn, a Bed and Breakfast that is conveniently located on the main shopping street. The Inn is quite luxurious, with fireplaces in each room and French country decor. Unlike most B&B's, the Ivy Manor Inn has a restaurant on the first floor that prepares the breakfast. As a result, guests are able to choose from a selection of menu items, which include a delicious vegan oatmeal brulee (think creme brulee, but made with oatmeal instead) covered with fresh berries. During the summer season, rooms can be expensive ($200+ per night), but prices drop dramatically during the rest of the year.
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants:
Eden - An exquisite all-vegan restaurant that features locally-grown vegetables in all of its dishes. The menu changes often to make use of seasonal produce. Some past offerings include: seitan piccata served with a lemon caper vinaigrette and sage mashed potatoes; a local tomato tartlet served in crispy phyllo dough with pomegranate molasses; and West Indies spiced pumpkin soup. Eden is closed for the 2009 season, but will open again in 2010.
Reel Pizza Cinerama - A pizzeria and movie theater, rolled into one! The pizzeria features many exciting vegan-friendly pizza toppings, including tofu, soy cheese, nutritional yeast and various nuts, fruits and sauces. Best of all, you can enjoy your pizza while watching a film at the theater. The theater has rows of comfy couches and TV trays.
Cafe This Way - A hip cafe that features vegan items on both the weekend brunch menu and on the lunch/dinner menu. The brunch offerings include tofu scramble and veggie sausage, while the dinner menu features cashew-crusted tofu and vegan caviar served with seaweed salad and roasted mushrooms.
Jeannie's Breakfast - A breakfast place that has vegan oatmeal walnut pancakes and tofu scramble on the menu.
CJ's - An ice cream parlor on Main Street that offers two flavors of soy ice cream each day.
Bar Harbor Attractions:
The town of Bar Harbor is a nice place to walk around. There are parks, quaint shops and magnificent ocean views. Stop at the West End Drug Co. for a blueberry soda at the soda fountain.
Most people who come to Bar Harbor are really there to visit Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park has beautiful scenery and plentiful hiking opportunities. For those who aren't experienced hikers, there are many carriage trails to walk along. Best of all, there is a free bus service that provides transportation from downtown Bar Harbor to many locations throughout Acadia.
Other Nearby Attractions:
Bar Harbor is a short ferry ride from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. You can take a day trip to Yarmouth for $72. The ferry has a casino and a movie theater on board. If you're a US citizen, you will need a passport. Yarmouth is a quaint town, with lots of old churches and lighthouses. There is a Middle Eastern restaurant called Little Lebanon that has some vegan options.
Portland, ME is a three-hour drive from Bar Harbor. It is the largest city in Maine and it has a number of museums and other attractions. There are many vegan-friendly restaurants, including:
Silly's - A ecclectic cafe with a separate vegan menu. Silly's makes great soy milkshakes, vegan desserts and greasy comfort food. There are also some healthier options available.
GRO - A new raw vegan cafe.
Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro - An all-vegetarian, mostly-vegan Asian fusion restaurant.
Little Lad's Bakery - A vegan restaurant with a $5 all-you-can-eat buffet.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Veggie Awards
Every year, VegNews magazine conducts a survey. Readers (and non-readers) weigh in their opinions on the "best" vegan restaurants, products, websites etc. In order to make it onto the ballot, a nominee has to have received a significant number of votes in the previous year's survey.
Unfortunately, this tends to favor restaurants that are in large cities, simply because there are more people who have had a chance to visit. I often find myself thinking that I know of at least ten other vegetarian restaurants that have much better food than the ones that are nominated. The same goes for vegan products and websites. For that reason, I am assembling my own "Veggie Awards," based loosely on the categories from VegNews, for readers who are looking to try something new.
Disclaimer: I have nothing against Veg News and the Veggie Awards. In fact, the Veggie Awards issue is my favorite issue of Veg News and I think that having this rating system provides a great service. I just want to put my own opinions out there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Restaurant: Dragonfly Neo-V (Columbus, OH)
Inventive haute cuisine made with vegetables that come straight from Dragonfly's backyard garden.
Best Vegan Brunch: Great Sage (Clarksville, MD)
Lavender-cardamom pancakes, red pepper and caramelized onion tofu quiche, orange cinnamon buns... Greate Sage delivers sweet and savory breakfast items with a creative flair.
Favorite Vegan Bakery: Brunie's Bakery (Baltimore, MD)
More than 100 different vegan desserts, including cakes, pies, cookies, cheesecakes, brownies, lemon bars, whoopie pies, seasonal items, raw options... Brunie's does it all and does it well.
Favorite Vegan Cupcake: Oh Sweet Mama's Vegan Bakery (Northampton, MA)
Huge, moist cupcakes with a variety of fillings and frostings, artfully decorated.
Favorite Vegan Chocolate: Butterfly Bakery (Montpelier, VT)
Rich vegan truffles in four flavors: spicy apricot, raspberry orange, coconut and rich dark chocolate covered in cacao nibs.
Favorite Vegan Milk: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
Creamy coconut milk, available in "plain" and "vanilla." It's like drinking liquid ice cream.
Favorite Vegan Cheese: Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese (New York, NY)
Tangy, raw nut-milk cheese, made from the same procedures used to make real cheese.
Favorite Vegan Cream Cheese: Bagel Rising (Boston, MA)
Tofu "smears" in 6 flavors, without any hint of soy aftertaste.
Favorite Website: Vegguide.org
Wiki-style database with over 9,000 restaurant listings from around the world. Allows users to create profiles, rate and review their favorite veg-friendly restaurants.
Unfortunately, this tends to favor restaurants that are in large cities, simply because there are more people who have had a chance to visit. I often find myself thinking that I know of at least ten other vegetarian restaurants that have much better food than the ones that are nominated. The same goes for vegan products and websites. For that reason, I am assembling my own "Veggie Awards," based loosely on the categories from VegNews, for readers who are looking to try something new.
Disclaimer: I have nothing against Veg News and the Veggie Awards. In fact, the Veggie Awards issue is my favorite issue of Veg News and I think that having this rating system provides a great service. I just want to put my own opinions out there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Restaurant: Dragonfly Neo-V (Columbus, OH)
Inventive haute cuisine made with vegetables that come straight from Dragonfly's backyard garden.
Best Vegan Brunch: Great Sage (Clarksville, MD)
Lavender-cardamom pancakes, red pepper and caramelized onion tofu quiche, orange cinnamon buns... Greate Sage delivers sweet and savory breakfast items with a creative flair.
Favorite Vegan Bakery: Brunie's Bakery (Baltimore, MD)
More than 100 different vegan desserts, including cakes, pies, cookies, cheesecakes, brownies, lemon bars, whoopie pies, seasonal items, raw options... Brunie's does it all and does it well.
Favorite Vegan Cupcake: Oh Sweet Mama's Vegan Bakery (Northampton, MA)
Huge, moist cupcakes with a variety of fillings and frostings, artfully decorated.
Favorite Vegan Chocolate: Butterfly Bakery (Montpelier, VT)
Rich vegan truffles in four flavors: spicy apricot, raspberry orange, coconut and rich dark chocolate covered in cacao nibs.
Favorite Vegan Milk: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
Creamy coconut milk, available in "plain" and "vanilla." It's like drinking liquid ice cream.
Favorite Vegan Cheese: Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese (New York, NY)
Tangy, raw nut-milk cheese, made from the same procedures used to make real cheese.
Favorite Vegan Cream Cheese: Bagel Rising (Boston, MA)
Tofu "smears" in 6 flavors, without any hint of soy aftertaste.
Favorite Website: Vegguide.org
Wiki-style database with over 9,000 restaurant listings from around the world. Allows users to create profiles, rate and review their favorite veg-friendly restaurants.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Vegan Vacation: Capri and the Amalfi Coast
I recently returned from a trip to Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Here are my recommendations for vegans planning to visit the area:
Accommodations
In Capri, we stayed at La Scalinatella. If you are looking for a 5-star hotel on Capri, this is it. La Scalinatella is consistently rated in the top three hotels in Italy. In addition to La Scalinatella, there are many more reasonably-priced hotels. Hotel Syrene, which is owned by Best Western, has breathtaking views and is located near the main piazzetta.
In Positano, we stayed at Il San Pietro Di Positano. This hotel was beautiful, but probably more ideal for a honeymoon than a family vacation. The hotel has private beaches, botanical gardens and extensive spa treatments. Because it is secluded from the public beaches, you have to take a (free) hotel shuttle in order to visit downtown Positano. Fortunately, the shuttle runs 24 hours so you don't have to worry about being stranded.
Vegan Cuisine
Although Italy is not intentionally vegan-friendly (i.e. there aren't many vegetarian restaurants and most of the restaurant waiters seemed to think I was telling a funny joke when I asked if a particular dish was vegetarian), it is very easy to find a vegan meal while there.
Italians almost always eat a pasta dish for their first course (primi piatti), while the secondi piatti is usually a type of meat. As a result, most restaurants will have a few vegetarian pasta dishes on the menu.
Many Italians are lactose-intolerant, so true Italian food doesn't tend to be smothered in cheese like American Italian food. Unlike Italian restaurants in the US, the restaurants that I visited in Italy never made the assumption that I wanted parmigiano cheese on top of my spaghetti (the waiter would always ask, after bringing out my food).
Salads are also a good option for vegans traveling in Italy. The "salad dressing" of choice in restaurants and most households is Olio e Aceto - olive oil and vinegar (usually balsamic). The salad is typically served with the second course (or in lieu of the second course if you're vegetarian).
The bread served in a restaurant in Italy rarely comes with butter. Instead, you have the option of eating the bread plain or dipping it in olive oil.
There are a few treats that vegans can enjoy throughout Italy. One is latte di mandorla (almond milk), a sweet, refreshing drink that is made from almond paste and served over ice. It is popular in some regions in Southern Italy.
Another vegan-friendly treat is gelato. Gelato comes in two types: milk-based and water-based. The water-based type of gelato is often called sorbetto and is available in a variety of fruit flavors. Sorbetto is the creamiest non-dairy sorbet that you will ever find. Most fruit flavors that you will see at a gelato stand are vegan. The only exception that I have found is coco (coconut), which is sometimes made with dairy.
Capri Attractions
Capri is an island off the coast of Naples. There are two towns on Capri: Capri and Anacapri. Most hotels and restaurants are in Capri. Capri is also home to one of the most extensive collections of haute couture shops in the world. Anacapri has a quieter, more-subdued feel. In addition to a few restaurants and small shops, Anacapri has a museum (Villa San Michele) and a chairlift to the top of the tallest mountain on Capri. The Villa San Michele was home to Axel Munthe, a doctor, author and early animal rights activist.
While on the island, you can visit the ruins of Emperor Tiberius' many homes. There are also a number of grottos (underwater caves) that you can visit by boat.
Positano Attractions
Positano is a small town that has been built into the ocean cliffs, which makes for some breath-taking views. There are rocky beaches, small shops selling work by local craftsmen, art galleries and outdoor cafes. The pace is slow. Expect to spend two hours enjoying a leisurely dinner. Positano is a popular destination for American tourists in spite of not having many "tourist" attractions.
Day Trip To Pompeii
It is definitely worth taking a day trip from either Capri or Positano to Pompeii, sight of the famed Roman city that was buried in lava after an eruption by Mt. Vesuvius. Pompeii has extensive grounds that you can explore for a small fee. Over 100 shops and homes have been excavated, some which feature paintings and mosaics that are largely intact.
Food To Avoid (if you're vegan)
Latte - milk
Burro - butter
Uovo - egg (not to be confused with uva - grape)
Formaggio - cheese
Pollo - chicken
Carne - meat
Pesce - fish (not to be confused with pesca - peach)
Prosciutto - ham
L'agnello - lamb
Accommodations
Capri
In Capri, we stayed at La Scalinatella. If you are looking for a 5-star hotel on Capri, this is it. La Scalinatella is consistently rated in the top three hotels in Italy. In addition to La Scalinatella, there are many more reasonably-priced hotels. Hotel Syrene, which is owned by Best Western, has breathtaking views and is located near the main piazzetta.
Positano
In Positano, we stayed at Il San Pietro Di Positano. This hotel was beautiful, but probably more ideal for a honeymoon than a family vacation. The hotel has private beaches, botanical gardens and extensive spa treatments. Because it is secluded from the public beaches, you have to take a (free) hotel shuttle in order to visit downtown Positano. Fortunately, the shuttle runs 24 hours so you don't have to worry about being stranded.
Vegan Cuisine
Although Italy is not intentionally vegan-friendly (i.e. there aren't many vegetarian restaurants and most of the restaurant waiters seemed to think I was telling a funny joke when I asked if a particular dish was vegetarian), it is very easy to find a vegan meal while there.
Italians almost always eat a pasta dish for their first course (primi piatti), while the secondi piatti is usually a type of meat. As a result, most restaurants will have a few vegetarian pasta dishes on the menu.
Many Italians are lactose-intolerant, so true Italian food doesn't tend to be smothered in cheese like American Italian food. Unlike Italian restaurants in the US, the restaurants that I visited in Italy never made the assumption that I wanted parmigiano cheese on top of my spaghetti (the waiter would always ask, after bringing out my food).
Salads are also a good option for vegans traveling in Italy. The "salad dressing" of choice in restaurants and most households is Olio e Aceto - olive oil and vinegar (usually balsamic). The salad is typically served with the second course (or in lieu of the second course if you're vegetarian).
The bread served in a restaurant in Italy rarely comes with butter. Instead, you have the option of eating the bread plain or dipping it in olive oil.
There are a few treats that vegans can enjoy throughout Italy. One is latte di mandorla (almond milk), a sweet, refreshing drink that is made from almond paste and served over ice. It is popular in some regions in Southern Italy.
Another vegan-friendly treat is gelato. Gelato comes in two types: milk-based and water-based. The water-based type of gelato is often called sorbetto and is available in a variety of fruit flavors. Sorbetto is the creamiest non-dairy sorbet that you will ever find. Most fruit flavors that you will see at a gelato stand are vegan. The only exception that I have found is coco (coconut), which is sometimes made with dairy.
Capri Attractions
Capri is an island off the coast of Naples. There are two towns on Capri: Capri and Anacapri. Most hotels and restaurants are in Capri. Capri is also home to one of the most extensive collections of haute couture shops in the world. Anacapri has a quieter, more-subdued feel. In addition to a few restaurants and small shops, Anacapri has a museum (Villa San Michele) and a chairlift to the top of the tallest mountain on Capri. The Villa San Michele was home to Axel Munthe, a doctor, author and early animal rights activist.
While on the island, you can visit the ruins of Emperor Tiberius' many homes. There are also a number of grottos (underwater caves) that you can visit by boat.
Positano Attractions
Positano is a small town that has been built into the ocean cliffs, which makes for some breath-taking views. There are rocky beaches, small shops selling work by local craftsmen, art galleries and outdoor cafes. The pace is slow. Expect to spend two hours enjoying a leisurely dinner. Positano is a popular destination for American tourists in spite of not having many "tourist" attractions.
Day Trip To Pompeii
It is definitely worth taking a day trip from either Capri or Positano to Pompeii, sight of the famed Roman city that was buried in lava after an eruption by Mt. Vesuvius. Pompeii has extensive grounds that you can explore for a small fee. Over 100 shops and homes have been excavated, some which feature paintings and mosaics that are largely intact.
Food To Avoid (if you're vegan)
Latte - milk
Burro - butter
Uovo - egg (not to be confused with uva - grape)
Formaggio - cheese
Pollo - chicken
Carne - meat
Pesce - fish (not to be confused with pesca - peach)
Prosciutto - ham
L'agnello - lamb
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