Who: VN Editorial Assistant Liz Miller and VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig
What: Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
Where: Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, Boston, Mass.
When: October 31-November 1, 2009
Why: To celebrate all things veg (including the city's new vegan pizzeria).
While we love our mild, West Coast climate here at the VNHQ, it is easy to get nostalgic for autumn traditions, like trees glowing with vibrantly colored leaves and the feeling of crisp fall air against warm, winter coats. Fortunately, the 2009 Boston Vegetarian Food Festival offered us the perfect chance to satisfy our fall season craving. The festival, hosted by the Boston Vegetarian Society, celebrated its 14th anniversary this year. Traditionally a one-day event, the festival stretched over two days this year, ensuring that VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig and I would have ample time to indulge in the many food options available. Of course, our main objective was to make new veggie friends, meet our awesome readers, and spread the good word about veganism by selling VN subscriptions. We were lucky enough to have help from VN superstar volunteer Alexandra Santilli, who helped us man the booth on Saturday. We were also lucky to have two amazing booth neighbors, with Vegan Treats to our left, we found ourselves trying (and failing) to resist sugary temptation with the good people situated to our right, the amazing folks over at GREY2K. As the long first day wound day, Lyndsay and I shared (read: devoured) a miniature peanut-butter cheesecake, packed up for the day, and headed out for our next out-of-town adventure.
What: Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
Where: Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, Boston, Mass.
When: October 31-November 1, 2009
Why: To celebrate all things veg (including the city's new vegan pizzeria).
While we love our mild, West Coast climate here at the VNHQ, it is easy to get nostalgic for autumn traditions, like trees glowing with vibrantly colored leaves and the feeling of crisp fall air against warm, winter coats. Fortunately, the 2009 Boston Vegetarian Food Festival offered us the perfect chance to satisfy our fall season craving. The festival, hosted by the Boston Vegetarian Society, celebrated its 14th anniversary this year. Traditionally a one-day event, the festival stretched over two days this year, ensuring that VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig and I would have ample time to indulge in the many food options available. Of course, our main objective was to make new veggie friends, meet our awesome readers, and spread the good word about veganism by selling VN subscriptions. We were lucky enough to have help from VN superstar volunteer Alexandra Santilli, who helped us man the booth on Saturday. We were also lucky to have two amazing booth neighbors, with Vegan Treats to our left, we found ourselves trying (and failing) to resist sugary temptation with the good people situated to our right, the amazing folks over at GREY2K. As the long first day wound day, Lyndsay and I shared (read: devoured) a miniature peanut-butter cheesecake, packed up for the day, and headed out for our next out-of-town adventure.
Daiya breadsticks and marinara: leftovers never stood a chance
Not surprisingly, it was an adventure that involved pizza. All day we'd been anticipating our visit to Boston's only vegan-owned and -operated pizzeria, Peace O'Pie, and we were not disappointed. The menu was stacked with delicious, utterly mouthwatering pizzeria classics, with options ranging from savory calzones to hearty build-your-own vegan pizzas (vegan pepperoni and extra Daiya cheese, please). Excited and a bit overwhelmed, Lyndsay and I finally settled on Daiya breadsticks as an appetizer, and a medium "The EP" pizza, topped high with smoked tempeh, sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed spinach, and garlic on a regular crust, as our main course. Never have vegans so voraciously consumed (nay, inhaled), a meal. In true go-big-or-go-home style, we entered the meal with no intention of leftovers, and no leftovers there were. The breadsticks were warm and gooey, and complimented perfectly with a healthy dollop of marinara. Our pizza was also beyond tasty, with soft, doughy crust; stretchy, flavorful cheese, and savory toppings. Being able to order a legitimate, satisfying pizza—and wash it down with root beer—made us feel exactly 10 years old again, in the best ways possible. The resulting food-coma was completely earned—and surprisingly short-lived, as the meal didn't leave us feeling heavy. Aside from being pizza-crafting geniuses, the folks at Peace O'Pie were also more than generous, gifting us complimentary peanut-butter-and-maple-syrup sweet rolls as a parting gift.
On Sunday, the festival was almost just as exciting and crowded as Saturday had been. We were overjoyed to find a special gift left at our booth by Edward & Sons, complete with The Road's End Dairy Free Mac & Chreese, Lets Do...Organic Classic Gummi Bears, and more. As the day progressed, we were happy to meet and chat with a whole batch of VN fans, new and old, and learn about the ins-and-outs of Boston's vegetarian community. As the festival wound down, Lyndsay broke away from the table long enough to procure one last sugary treat: chocolate-covered ice cream bars made by Wheeler's Frozen Dessert, the creative confectioners behind some of the best desserts around. With dessert in hand, we packed up our VN tables and headed out to catch our flight home. Thanks for the great weekend, Boston!
1 comment:
I aspire to make it to Boston Veg Fest someday, it seems great! I'll have to pick up some of that pizza too!
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