10 Reasons to Go to the Animal Rights Conference

Who: Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

What: FARM's Animal Rights 2011 National Conference

Where: Los Angeles, Calif.

When: July 21–24, 2011

Why: To connect with fellow activists, get re-energized, and eat some amazing vegan food

The Scoop: The world's largest and oldest animal rights conference is still going strong, and, once again, VegNews was a sponsor. It's incredible to walk the aisles of the exhibit hall and see what all the various organizations are doing to help animals. It gives me hope, and I am forever grateful to anyone who dedicates their life to the plight of animal welfare.

So why do we go to this event year after year (my first AR conference was in 2000, and VN Publisher Joseph Connelly has been going since 1994)? Here are my top 10 reasons:

1. The speakers

The jam-packed schedule features more than 100 speakers from 60 organizations, with sessions on everything from how to engage the media and communicating effectively to the abuse of companion animals and understanding the meat mindset. Although the weekend whizzes by, I try to hit up as many talks as possible.

2. The personalities

Imagine 1,000 people in a Westin hotel for four days straight. There are a lot of great networking opportunities, and it's always amazing to learn about the incredible work everyone is doing. Under one roof are Gene Baur and Bruce Friedrich (Farm Sanctuary), Nathan Runkle (Mercy for Animals), Erica Meier (Compassion Over Killing), Jack Norris (Vegan Outreach), Nick Cooney (The Humane League), Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan (Our Hen House), and Julieanna Hever (VN columnist and vegan dietitian extraordinaire).

3. The exhibits

More than 90 exhibitors displayed at this year's conference, and it was nearly impossible to talk to everyone. I allotted ample time to connect with people from Action for Animals, Animal Aid Unlimited, Kinship Circle, A Well-Fed World, HealthForce Nutritionals, In Defense of Animals, Lantern Books, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, V-dog food, and VegFund. Keep up the great work!

4. Film Premiers

Each year, there's a media room dedicated to showing a full schedule of videos–including Farm to Fridge and How I Became an Elephant. We arrived early Thursday to catch the COK-hosted film premier of Vegucated, the new documentary by Marisa Miller Wolfson. Look for a full review in the next issue of VegNews, but here's a sneak peek: it's smart, it's funny, it's heartfelt, and it's going to change lives. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire film, and I can't wait for the world to see it.

5. The Awards

Every year, FARM does a wonderful job of recognizing animal activists for the important work they're doing. This year, the Grassroot's Animal Activist Award went to long-time champions Bryan Pease and Kath Rodgers, both of Animal Protection and Rescue League (Bryan is also on the VegNews Advisory Board). And who won the coveted Animal Rights Hall of Fame Award? None other than the venerable Carol J. Adams, a preeminent speaker and author of The Sexual Politics of Meat. Congratulations to all.

6. The Food

OK, we're vegan, so what would any conference/event/vacation be without the food? Let's just say that FARM takes great care of you. Each morning, complimentary bagels, spreads, and coffee are available to conference attendees, and then a late-night buffet of snacks and sweets are offered after the evening plenary. They've also negotiated with the hotel to offer affordable, all-vegan breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets at the two on-site restaurants—which may include stuffed ravioli, an array of salads, and freshly baked cookies. Finally, two exhibitors, Samosa House and Southern Fried Vegan BBQ, offered up hot samosas and soul-food favorites like Po Boyz sandwiches, mac 'n' cheese, Fried Chikun sandwiches, and jambalaya. 

A closer look at Southern Fried Vegan BBQ's Cajun Chikun sandwich and mac 'n' cheese

7. The Excursions

Once in a while, you want to step out of the hotel and do some exploring. And when Veggie Grill, VegNews 2008 Restaurant of the Year, is just minutes away, we knew it would be part of the weekend. Of course, immediately after our plane landed, the VegNews staff headed straight for the new 'Grill in Santa Monica and gorged ourselves on burgers, sweet potato fries, and desserts. And, since once is never enough, we returned the following evening with some friends (where the whole restaurant seemed as if it had been taken over by AR attendees). 

Vegucated star Brian, Our Hen House's Mariann and Jasmine, Vegucated creator Marisa, VN columnist Julieanna Hever, and I head out to Veggie Grill for All-Hail Kale salads

8. The Reunions

When you've been a part of this community for a long time, it's so lovely to re-connect with people at these conferences. For me, it's always the best part of the experience. This year, we had a special reunion. Nine people from our first-ever VegNews Great Adventure to India were attending the conference, and we couldn't wait to see each other again and reminisce about our days abroad. One super-generous local, Frankie, invited us all over for the most amazing vegan spread—homemade lasagna (best I've ever had), Caesar salad, garlic bread, iced chai, and ice cream. It was so good to see everyone, and we can't wait to do it again!

9. The Bar

Like any good conference, the bar is where it's all happening every night. Whether you're a teetotaler or can put them back like nobody's business, about 100 people lounge late into the night talking life, activism, food, and, well, just about anything. It's always a good time, and a great opportunity to get to know people.

10. Support FARM

FARM, the conference organizer, has been working on behalf of the animals for 30 years. Led by the tireless Alex Hershaft, we want to support their great work any chance we get. In addition to organizing the annual Animal Rights Conferences, they also lead campaigns for World Farm Animals Day, the Great American Meatout, Meatout Mondays, and Vegan Earth Day. Happy Anniversary, FARM, and keep up the incredible work!

Four Events in Five Days

Who: VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: The Maggie Awards, a VegNews Vacation Reunion, a Restaurant Review, and a Film Screening
Where: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Campbell, Calif.
When: April 29–May 3, 2011
Why: A week in the life of a magazine publisher!

The Scoop: Being the publisher of a vegan magazine definitely has its benefits. Although our pace never seems to slow down and the workload continues to grow (I thought this was supposed to get easier?), we have an opportunity to attend all kinds of events and constantly meet interesting and inspirational people. In the last week alone, I attended one of the largest magazine award shows in the country, lunched with one of our VegNews Vacations guests at LA's Veggie Grill,  hit up a brand-new veg restaurant in San Francisco, and attended a film screening of a documentary that has huge potential to change the way people think about food and their health.

Last Friday, VN publisher Joseph Connelly and I made our annual trek to Los Angeles for one of the big industry award shows, The Maggies. We dined with the creative directors of Mother Jones and Yoga Journal (both based in San Francisco), ate some pretty decent vegan food (it's the Westin, but the meal was quite good this year!), met lots of people in the magazine world, and took part in a very entertaining awards program. Thankfully, Mother Jones, Yoga Journal, and VegNews all took home Maggie awards (including one for Best Magazine eNewsletter), so the spirits were high at our table of 10. Congratulations to all of our fellow publishers and award winners.

Tim of Mother Jones, Charli of Yoga Journal, Joseph of VegNews, and me at the Maggie Awards

Last year, we launched VegNews Vacations and have now been to India twice with VegNews readers. The trips are nothing short of fantastic, and one of the benefits is that we have made a lot of new friends from around the country. We've had several reunions from both journeys, and we met up with the lovely Brenda from Redondo Beach (VegNews Great Adventure to India 2010) this past Saturday for lunch at the newest Veggie Grill location in Torrance. We reminisced about the trip, talked about her new Etsy store, and ate a delicious array of food: buffalo wings with barbecue sauce and ranch dressing, the Santa Fe Crispy Chick'n sandwich, Papa's Portobello burger, the (best-ever) All Hail Kale salad, the mac 'n' cheese, and sweet potato fries. Yes, it was a good lunch, and, yes, we were full for the next 24 hours.

VegNews Vacation reunion at Veggie Grill! Me, Brenda, and Joseph

When our appetites finally returned, we were back in San Francisco and ready to try out the city's newest vegetarian restaurant. The Source, owned by former New Yorkers (and brothers) Andrew and Mitchell Fox. The restaurant bills itself as a "multi-dimensional dining experience," and we were impressed. The space is modern, the food is innovative, and the menu has something for everyone. We loved the Mushroom Onion Swiss Burger (served with cashew cheese and wrapped in a house-made flat bread) and the Almond Joy smoothie (freshly made cashew milk whirled with raw chocolate, coconut, and almonds). All of the pizzas and breads are made in the restaurant's brick oven, and a variety of juices, elixirs, lattes, and shakes are on offer to wash it all down. We are excited to welcome The Source to the San Francisco veg dining scene.

Overstuffed mushroom onion burger with cashew cheese and French fries, I love you

And to cap off the four events in five days, I headed down to Campbell on Tuesday night with Joseph for the Northern California premier of the the new film, Forks Over Knives. Joseph was on the post-film discussion panel along with The Engine 2 Diet author Rip Esselstyn and San Francisco Vegetarian Society President Dixie Mahy, and we hadn't seen the documentary since its latest round of editing. Whole Foods sponsored the event, the 200+ seat theater was packed, and the audience was very moved by the film. In essence, the documentary examines the relationship between what America eats (excessive animal products) and how sick we are (diabetes, cancer, and heart disease), and has enormous potential for reaching the masses. In fact, I predict that it will be nominated for an Academy Award. Forks Over Knives opens in theaters this weekend in New York and Los Angeles, and rolls out across the country throughout the month. Tell everyone you know!

The line formed early for the Forks Over Knives screening in Campbell

Seed, Spork Sisters, and the 59th Annual Maggie Awards

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly and VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: One fine day in LA
Where: Venice, West Hollywood, and Los Angeles, Calif.
When: May 7, 2010
Why: The trophies were waiting

The Scoop: Colleen and I have been on the road pretty much non-stop since early February—publishing duties keep us busy, y'know. Why not jam as much into this 48-hour SoCal trip as possible?

Thursday night was Forks Over Knives; today began with chopsticks at Venice's stylish Seed Restaurant. The baby of Love, Eric author Eric Lechasseur and his wife Sanae Suzuki, this quaint and cozy restaurant not far from Muscle Beach serves such a dazzling selection of fresh macrobiotic fare that one visit won't do it justice. We'll be back. Thanks, Eric!

Seed's Saisai Donburi Macro Bowl

Just around the corner from Seed is Eko Zone, a spacious, well-lit vegan shop run by the lovely threesome of Dana Riley, Bill, and the one who does the real work, the photogenic Kosmo. If you ever need to pick up a copy of VegNews, they sell it here!

Eko Zone's Dana, Bill, and the white-and-fluffy Kosmo

Since I had just seen Chef Tanya Petrovna at the Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down six days ago, we stopped at the Westwood location of her Native Foods to see if she was around. She wasn't, so we settled for a non-macro Boogie Bar.

Native Food's cookbook and Boogie Bar

A last-minute invite by the dynamic duo that is the Goldberg sisters, had us "rushing" from Venice to West Hollywood through legendary LA traffic. Heather and Jenny, the insanely adorable owners of Spork Foods have opened a fashionable loft studio where they teach cooking classes, film their VegNews TV segments, and actually spin vinyl! I was in heaven. Heather and Jenny are raising veganism to a new level, which is a good thing, don't you think?

The chic, hip Spork Foods loft

Heather and Jenny Goldberg

Next up was a pit stop at "Sunset Grill," aka the West Hollywood Veggie Grill on Sunset Boulevard (Colleen's first visit). We bumped into a young man cautiously eyeing the menu; sensing apprehension, VegNews offered to buy him his very first veggie burger (the Santa Fe Crispy Chickin', for those who appreciate detail). Wouldn't you know that our new friend, Tamon George, is actually a professional football player (defensive back) for the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders and was the number nine overall pick in the 2009 CFL draft? Later, his lovely Persia White-look-alike girlfriend Sarah Fontenot joined us. Of course, she's beautiful and a budding silver screen actress. If this story isn't sappy enough, the handsome couple met when they were five years old! Another order of Sweetheart Fries, please.

All the way from Saskatchewan: Tamon George and Sarah Fontenot

A quick change into evening wear and we were off to the big show: The 59th annual Maggie Awards, the "Oscars of the Magazine Industry." VegNews picked up two (including Best Lifestyle Magazine for the third year in a row), and had the pleasure of sitting with Madeleine Buckingham, publisher of fellow San Francisco magazine Mother Jones. Madeleine and MJ were the evening's big winners, taking home four Maggies, which translates into bragging rights for our table, as seen here:

Mother Jones' Claudia Smukler and Madeleine Buckingham with VegNews' Joe and Colleen

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Fanciful Fare

Who: VegNews Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig

What: The Fancy Food Show

Where: Moscone Center, San Francisco, Calif.

When: Sunday, January 17, 2010

Why: To scope out new veg products—food, especially!

The Scoop: It has been rainy and cold in the Bay Area, and I was very tempted to stay home in my bed all day Sunday, and not show my face until the sun came out. Fortunately, I had the Fancy Food Show to coax me out of my slumber, where thousands of exhibitors present their food products and services to retailers and the press. Luckily, I knew what I was getting myself into after experiencing last year's show, so I came prepared with my umbrella in hand, a backpack securely on my shoulders, and an empty stomach.

This show is huge, with samples at almost every booth, so you need a strategy to survive the show without blowing up. My plan of action? Make a beeline to the natural- and organic-foods section. That's where all the new, awesome, veg goodies hang out, right?

There were a lot of familiar faces this year, including Annie Chun's, Edward & Sons—watch out for new waffle cones—and Xan Confections. A couple of my personal favorites were Follow Your Heart's vegan cheesecake, and the grain meats at the Field Roast booth—the coconut breaded cutlet alone made my day. Unfortunately, the majority of the show is not vegetarian, but I left feeling satisfied to say the least. The Fancy Food Show is always a great preview for the upcoming Expo West, which will be held in Los Angeles this March, and will feature natural and vegetarian food galore. Yes, I'm already preparing my backpack and stomach—but I'm hoping to leave my umbrella at home.

Veggie Grill Opens in Hollywood

Who: VN Contributor Matthew Flanzer
What: An exclusive sneak-peek at the new location of one of Southern California’s best vegan restaurants
Where: The Veggie Grill, West Hollywood, Calif.
When: September 26, 2009
Why: Tasting the good life in LA!

The Scoop: My assignment: jet over to Hollywood and check out the invitation-only unveiling of the new Veggie Grill restaurant. There I was greeted by the bright colors and clean lines of this new vegan hotspot, located in prime real estate beneath the hip Laemmle theater and across from the infamous Laugh Factory, right on the Sunset Strip.
Pressing palms with the founding team of Kevin Boylan, TK Pillan, and Ray White, I was treated to what is clearly the gold standard of this brand of vegan fare: Caesar faux-chicken wrap and mouthwatering sweet-potato fries topped with divinely inspired chipotle sauce.

It’s vegan cuisine for the masses, and they’ve never had it so good. General Manager Kelly Greene tipped the evening into the sublime with a sampler tray of delicious vegan desserts: chocolate pudding, carrot cake, and chocolate-chip cookies. Amidst a crowed room of friends, family, and neighbors, this reporter reclined comfortably in his chair. It had been a good day. The new West Hollywood Veggie Grill opened to the public on September 29th.

So-Cal Chow

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Charlotte Gordon
What: A weekend getaway to Southern California
Where: The OC and Los Angeles, Calif.
When: July 25-26, 2009
Why: To get a healthy dose of vitamin D and search for the elusive Daiya cheese.

San Francisco has been laying on the fog thick. Especially in the Sunset District where the VNHQ is forever shrouded in Stephen King’s The Mist. What better time then now to brave the one-hour flight to Southern California for an overdose of vitamin D, outdoor entertainment, and Daiya vegan cheese?

That’s where I headed last weekend, and after greeting friends and family, it was time for Mission Objective Number One: Locate a pizza with a ridiculous amount of Daiya on it. Through intensive research (aka receiving the occasional Google Alert for “vegan cheese”), I discovered that Daiya has taken over LA. But has its stretchy, gooey goodness trickled down to the Irvine area? The Tustin Whole Foods answered me with a resounding “yes!”

It stretches!

Mission Objective Number Two: Stock up on vegan snackies for an outdoor nighttime picnic at the Hollywood Bowl, the largest natural outdoor amphitheater in the good ol’ US of A. The vegan pizza from Wholefoods was a pie to be reckoned with—we’re talking a vast stretch of dough and cheese. But the meal would not be complete without a Gardein Chick'n Salad with fresh bell pepper and green beans marinated in a raspberry dressing. My folks and I hauled all this grub up to Hollywood and feasted upon it in our box seats at the Bowl. The perfect accompaniment to this meal? Songstress Jewel performing her chart-topping hits with the Hollywood Bowl orchestra to back her up. This incredible night of song had a grand finale of fireworks to dazzle the senses.

The Bowl and its occupants remain intact while fireworks rage above.

What else was there to do but indulge in decadent raw food the next day at 118 Degrees? I ordered the Merry Monkey smoothie—it was a blend of nut milk, banana, almond butter, and other such tastiness—while my mom and grandma split the brunch special, which ended with an amazing cashew bar smothered in chocolate and raspberry sauce.

A tasty and stylish tidbit from the five-course raw brunch.

After packing away all this food, I did manage to waddle back to the airport to board a plane back to San Fran. Now, I sit in my swivel chair and diligently wait for sunshine and, more importantly, for Daiya cheese to takeover Northern California! In the meantime, I suppose I should get back to work!

Weekend Warriors, Part Two

Who: VN Associate Editor Abby Young, Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig, and Editorial Assistants Kailey Harless and Charlotte Gordon

What: Animal Rights National Conference, Part II

Where: Los Angeles, Calif.

When: July 16-20, 2009

Why: To represent VegNews at the annual AR conference

The scoop: We all woke up a bit tired from the late celebration night before, but with a nice workout and a cup of caffeine, it wasn't hard to recharge for another Animal Rights 2009 conference day. The crowd was noticeably thinner than other days, as vendors were leaving and attendees were heading home.

As a conference first-timer, I was most amazed by the long-time VegNews readers. We often had people stop by the booth just to say how much they adore each issue, or share how long they've been reading. Seeing their genuine excitement fueled us more than any cup of coffee ever could, and knowing that people thoroughly enjoy what VegNews staffers dedicate their lives to made every moment behind the booth worthwhile.

Over the weekend we met loads of people. We first spied Bryan Pease being interviewed for suprememastertv.com next to our booth, who stopped by the table to chat after his turn on-camera. Since he's an animal-rights attorney and the activism advisor for VegNews, it was nice to meet one of our very own!

We also chatted and posed with Nathan Runkle, founder of Mercy for Animals and the youngest activist ever to be inducted into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame. Lyndsay, Nathan, me, and Abby

You know what the perfect way to end a long, fun, yet exhausting weekend is? Dining well, of course. Abby and I ventured out into the pavement jungle in search of an affordable, vegan-friendly restaurant. Thankfully, we found the quaint and accommodating Par's Persian Cuisine, which offered both Lebanese and Italian fare.

Within seconds of looking at the menu, I knew what I wanted. Smooth, exquisite, garlicky hummus that I consumed with edible spoons: many, many wedges of warm pita:

Luscious hummus topped with olive oil and paprika

A crisp, fresh, bright tomato-cucumber-mint salad made for a cooling complement:

Diced cucumber and tomato mingle with mint and parsley

With full, happy tummies, Abby and I trekked back to the Westin and fell into a deep slumber. So what if it was only 10 pm? At least we were well rested for the daunting trip back to San Francisco. And by daunting I mean breezy. Virgin America knows how to treat a girl (big cushy seats? Please and thank you!), and San Fran is merely a hop, skip, and jump away from LA.

All in all, the weekend was a success. We learned from the AR lectures, dined well, met incredible people, and laughed constantly. This AR first-timer couldn't ask for more.

Weekend Warriors

Who: VN Associate Editor Abigail Young, Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig, and Editorial Assistants Kailey Harless and Charlotte Gordon
What: Animal Rights National Conference, Part I
Where: Los Angeles, Calif.
When: June 16–20, 2009
Why: To represent VegNews at the annual AR conference

The Scoop: This year’s Animal Rights National Conference brought activists from across the world to Los Angeles for four days of thought-provoking lectures, stimulating conversations, and fast friendships. A lucky group of VN staffers, myself included, made the oh-so-excruciating one-hour flight to the world’s oldest meet-up of its kind.

Joining an array of exhibitors, the team set up shop to meet attendees and spread the VegNews word. Conveniently, our table was sandwiched between the two sole food vendors, Samosa House and SunPower Natural Café. Did we complain about vegan samosas in plain sight, or the generous raw chocolate-cookie samples sent our way? Certainly not.

Friday welcomed an excited crowd, eager to peruse the exhibition room between lectures. I had the pleasure of meeting many of our readers, as well as making friends with some new subscribers. Robert Cheeke of Vegan Bodybuilding fame stopped by and was kind enough to dole out free fitness advice to Kailey and me (upon our request).

After a long day at the conference, it was time for our anticipated outing to the much-hyped vegan fast-food haven, The Veggie Grill. In case you haven’t been, believe the hype.

Veggie Grill's All Hail Kale salad with crispy "chicken"

I inhaled my All Hail Kale salad, and snuck a few stellar sweet-potato fries from the table’s appetizer.

Sweet-potato fries with chipotle ranch dipping sauce

If the food and sunshine weren't enough, I had the pleasure of keeping excellent dinner company: author and blogger Erik Marcus, Mercy for Animals' Nathan Runkle, and the conference’s two Grassroots Activist awardees, Lauren Ornelas and Dave Bernel.

Their awards, among others, were presented at Saturday’s banquet. Attendees in their swankiest weekend wear honored the year’s top activists and organizations, dined on Match Meats entrées, and enjoyed an entertaining celebrity-hosted charity auction. Remember French Stewart? No? What about now? He garnered quite a few laughs from our table, which I wouldn't entirely attribute to the merlot.

Charlotte, Kailey, and I pose at the banquet

The night ended with a mixer at the hotel’s high-dollar bar, combining a local LA Vegan Drinks event with the conference’s nightly reception. Despite the attire and the cocktails’ price tags, the tone was casual, celebratory, and a perfect end to the evening.

Real Food, Real Fun

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Charlotte Gordon + VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig
What: A delicious meal at Real Food Daily
When: Sunday, July 19, 2009
Where: Los Angeles, Calif.
Why: Because you need real food, daily.

The Scoop: It was the last night of AR 2009 in Los Angeles, and Charlotte and I were feeling a little cabin feverish in the conference’s hotel. So what did we decide to do? Go out on the town, of course! Lucky for us, Charlotte’s brother, Jon, lives in Southern California, so we were able to hitch a ride into the city where we decided to dine at the posh Real Food Daily, a vegan restaurant located in West Hollywood and known to be frequented by a number of celebrities—veg or otherwise.

After cramming five people into a very small car, we arrived in 15 minutes flat and stepped into the stylish restaurant, where we found out that we had to wait an extra 15 minutes—bummer. I wasn’t too upset because it gave me more time to scope out the scene, and being the movie guru that I am, I quickly spotted a familiar face—Bill Nighy from such classics as Love Actually and Shaun of the Dead. And sitting right beside him was none other than vegan superstar Alicia Silverstone! I know that not everyone experiences the same star struck-feeling that I do, but being a recent West Coast transplant, the celebrity sighting honestly made my night.

But enough of the celebs and back to the most important thing of the night, which of course was the food. The winning entrée of the night was the Salisbury Seitan due to the fact that it was ordered by three of the five people at our table, and it definitely lived up to its popularity with mashed potatoes, yummy gravy, and Caesar salad on the side. The TV Dinner and Total Reuben were also ordered at our table, and Charlotte and I were lucky enough to get a taste of both before they were quickly devoured.

Reigning champion of the night

We were stuffed after this satisfying main course, but we were not going to pass up on dessert—no way, no how! Charlotte and I shared the Chocolate Blackout Cake, which was über rich and delicious. As should be expected with food this good, the plate was clean within five minutes.

Lyndsay and the Chocolate Blackout Cake

So, it was back to the hotel for Charlotte and me, with our new cure for a case of cabin fever: great atmosphere, (vegan) celeb sightings, and good food.

Charlotte and friend Brenna

Viva Veggie Grill!

Who: VN Publisher/Editor in Chief Joseph Connelly, VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland, VN Editorial Director Aurelia d'Andrea, VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria, and VN West Coast Advertising Representative Lara Bradley

What: A flat-out feast

Where: The Veggie Grill, El Segundo, Calif.

Why: Powering up before a fancy-pants gala

When: September 6, 2008

The Scoop: In case it wasn't already abundantly clear, we like food. A lot. All the time. So when we had the chance to stop by The Veggie Grill's second location before heading out to Acton for Animal Acres' Gala, we jumped on a plane and drove directly there, without so much as stopping to check in to our hotel. Our enthusiasm was matched by that of Kevin Boylan and John Anderson—TVG's co-founder and operations manager, respectively—who were kind enough to not only join us for lunch, but insisted on helping us out with deciding what to order. And by "helping," we mean that they had the kitchen send out enough amazing food to feed a famished army. The VN team is made up of some serious eaters, and we bravely rose to the challenge of tasting each and every delicious thing that came our way.

First off, let's just say that if every meal began with Sweetheart Fries, like this one did, the world would be a better place. Thinly sliced sweet potatoes get flash fried, then baked, to hot, crispy, yummy perfection. Along the same lines, the Chill Out Wings are basically the best faux-chicken any of us ever had. With a thick, crunchy batter and two dipping sauces—barbecue and chiptole ranch (swoon!)—these wings had us flying high. Yes, those were just the appetizers. Yes, we should have all worn maternity pants.

A slew of sandwiches and salads followed, including the Santa Fe Crispy Chickin', Papa's Portobello, Carne Asada, Bali Bliss, Grillin' Chickin', The V-Burger, the Baja Fiesta salad, and a little something that isn't quite on the menu yet called the All Hail Kale salad with blackened chickin'. Holy crap. Yes everything was amazing, and yes, somehow we managed to eat it all! Since all the sandwiches came on fresh, whole-wheat bread and smothered in avocado and other top-shelf toppings, it's hard to imagine a more appetizing spread. The All Hail Kale stood out from the already outstanding crowd for a couple reasons. One: the kale is perfectly marinated, so it retains all the fresh flavor of raw kale without being too dense. Two: the blackened chickin'. If you were ever any kind of fan of barbecued chicken in the pre-vegan days of yore, get you some blackened chickin'. Without overstating the case, it's perfect.

Just in case there was any nanometer of room left in our bellies, out came dessert. Usually, we'd send up a white flag and declare surrender at the thought of eating one more morsel after a meal like this. This time, however, let's just say that Kevin convinced us—aka told us not to "wimp out." And somehow we ended up tasting the very densely chocolaty brownie, the slightly pumpkiny cheesecake, and the faux-cream-cheese-frosted carrot cake. Then we died.

Aside from the outrageously good food—which in this case is a big aside!—what we noticed most about TVG were the people. On a sleepy Saturday afternoon, the place was continuously busy, and the customers represented all age groups and ethnicities. Kevin told us that roughly 75 percent of his customers are meat eaters, many of whom have no idea that their lunches are cruelty-free, but know for certain that the food is damn tasty. It was difficult to leave The Veggie Grill, but with our bellies bulging we bid a very fond adieu to Kevin and John, and headed back our to hotel to digest. Here's the VN crew with Kevin, who is not standing on a platform, fyi:

Magical Madeleine Bistro

Who: VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Pre-flight dinner
Where: Madeleine Bistro, Tarzana, Calif.
When: May 10, 2008
Why: How could we be in LA and not go?

The Scoop: As you've already read, Lisa and I enjoyed quite the event at WorldFest. After a day full of talking with people, checking out other exhibitors, and, of course, playing with puppies, we were famished. Was it fate that WorldFest was held in Encino—mere minutes away from Madeleine Bistro? Whether our dinner there was pre-destined or not, we knew there was nowhere else we'd rather go.

Since we had to keep an eye on the clock—missing our late-night flight back to SF was not an option—we decided we'd order just one entrée each and forgo all the incredibly tempting appetizers, first courses, and desserts. When we walked in and met Molly Anderson—who owns the restaurant with her husband and executive chef, David (whom you may remember from a little something called the 2007 Veggie Awards)—our plans took a turn for the delicious. Molly graciously did a bit of extra ordering for us. The first thing to arrive at the table? Doughnuts!

With such an auspicious beginning, it was hard to imagine what would come next. To our utter delight, plates arrived bearing the creamiest mac 'n' cheese either of us had ever tasted. Next? Very yummy mushroom potstickers, and Madeleine Bistro's signature appetizer, the beet tartare, which comes served on a disc of homemade vegan cheese (see above!). Are you sitting down, already? Because there's more: While we were still revelling in the appetizers, Molly came to the table with a burger and said, "You have to try the Bigger Maque." It was, literally, a vegan Big Mac. We died. Then, the entrées arrived. We died again, but rallied enough to thoroughly enjoy chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and rich, delicious gravy, and tofu scallops atop a bed of green beans and shiitake mushrooms. So that was it, right? Well, no, actually. But what kind of dessert could follow a meal like that? Oh, I think the chocolate soufflé that came next did a fine job. No joke: vegan chocolate soufflé. It was like eating a little cloud of heavenly chocolate cake batter. See its majesty below, in a photo that in no way does it justice. And, as though we hadn't been spoiled enough, there was also cannoli. You read that right. Cannoli.

It was absolutely worth it to run from the security checkpoint all the way to the farthest possible gate at LAX to have the opportunity to spend time with Molly and enjoy what was, without exaggeration, the best meal either of us had ever ever eaten.

And the Winner is …

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly + VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: The Maggie Awards, an annual magazine awards banquet
Where: The Westin LAX in Los Angeles
When: May 2, 2008
Why: With two Maggie nominations this year, we had high hopes for bringing home the top prize!

The Scoop: About two months ago, Team VN learned it had secured two nominations in the 2008 Maggie Awards. The Maggies, affectionately referred to as “The Oscars” of the magazine publishing world, is no small feat. This year, VegNews was up for one of the major awards, Best Lifestyle Magazine, as well as for Joseph Connelly’s compelling profile on activist Gretchen Wyler (“The Actress and The Elephant”) from the September+October 2007 issue. Needless to say, we’ve been sitting on pins and needles ever since.

Finally, the big day arrived. We flew down to Los Angeles on our favorite new airline, Virgin America (great service, affordable fares, and cool cabins). In need of a quick bite to calm our nerves, we head over to the only spot nearby to secure a veggie meal, Subway (gotta love the plethora of veg options near airports). We enjoyed a pair of Veggie Delite sandwiches (cheese-free, with avocado, toasted bread, and vinaigrette, thank you very much). No complaints!

The pre-ceremony cocktail party commenced at 5:30pm, and we had a chance to mingle with publishers from all over the country. There were racks filled with the nominated publications, and it’s always fun to flip through magazines in a range of categories (sports, automotive, health, epicurean, etc.). At 7:00pm, the ballroom doors swung open, and a sit-down dinner was served. Despite requesting a vegan entrée every year, we always end up with same thing: a salad, cheese-filled ravioli topped with roasted vegetables (the veggies were great), dinner rolls, and a decidedly non-vegan dessert. Thank god for Subway.

At last, the ceremony began. A high-tech multimedia show featuring all of the nominees kicked off the program (think glossy mag covers buzzing all over the film screen set to cool tunes). We then wait anxiously for the biggie: Best Lifestyle Magazine. Up against Vegetarian Times, Alternative Medicine, Mothering, and The Advocate, this was our year. We won! Oh my god! It was fantastic. VN publisher Joseph Connelly gave a heartfelt speech to the audience of 600+, making sure to acknowledge our fellow nominees (who were all in attendance). Unfortunately, we didn’t take top honors for our second nomination, but we’re still absolutely elated. Our staff works hard to deliver the best vegetarian magazine on the planet, and it’s wonderful to be recognized. Yeah!

Fancy-Pants Awards Show

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly, VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland, VN Managing Editor Aurelia d'Andrea, and VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria
What: The 22nd Annual Genesis Awards
Where: The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, Calif.
When: March 29, 2008
Why: Because we're fancy. Also, because VN is a longtime sponsor of the Genesis Awards.

The Scoop: The Genesis Awards are kind of a big deal. By that we mean they're basically the Oscars of the animal-rights movement. Presented by The Humane Society of the United States, they honor major media's efforts to raise awareness of animal issues—a category into which fall news teams who report on slaughterhouse horrors, comedy writers who joke about burgers not looking anything like cows, and documentarians who bring the reality of our environment to life. So, the room ends up packed with people who, in some way, are working to make life better for animals—and who just happen to be dressed to the nines.

The VN table was in no short supply of lovely people, as we were joined by good friends Rey Ortega, Jill Hahn, Denise Herrick Borchert, Walter Borchert, Billy Hulting, and Andrea Gullo (all captured glamorously above). The all-vegan dinner featured a light salad with grilled tofu, a main course of faux chicken, pasta, beets, carrots, and broccolini, and an indulgent dessert of chocolate mousse cake decorated with a flourish of raspberry and peach coulis.

After dinner, the awards ceremony began. After introductions from Bill Maher, HSUS President Wayne Pacelle, and Senior Director of the Hollywood office of the HSUS, Beverly Kaskey, awards were handed out by the likes of Kyle MacLachlan, Persia White, and Linda Cardellini. Winners included Rob Stewart's Sharkwater, 60 Minutes, CSI:Crime Scene Investigation, and Hayden Panetierre took home this year's Wyler Award—named for the Genesis Awards' founder, the late Gretchen Wyler. Since many of the nominations were for news series dealing with issues such as dog fighting, puppy mills, and slaughterhouses, it was certainly a plus to have so many stars to ogle and distract us while graphic footage was broadcast on giant movie screens. Speaking of cute stars, can anyone get enough of Rory Freedman? Judging by the looks of the guys below, we're guessing that'd be a "no."
Be sure to check out our full report from the after-party, coming soon on Press Pass!

Hollywood Hills Book launch Party

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly, VN Managing Editor Aurelia d'Andrea, and a gaggle of glamorous, compassionate people
What: A launch party for Gene Baur's new book, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Food Animals
Where: The Baur family home in the Hollywood Hills
When: March 15, 2008
Why: To support our fellow vegans

The Scoop: Joe and I nipped out from our Expo West duties for a few hours so we could lend our support to Gene Baur, co-founder of Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY, and Orland, Calif., who was having his official book launch party at his folks' home in the Hollywood Hills. Due to co-pilot malfunction, we got a little lost on the way up, but knew we were getting close when Joe's Prius passed a string of parked cars plastered with "Go Veg!" stickers.

Inside the modest mid-century home high in the hills above Los Angeles, the vegan glitterati mingled over glasses of organic wine and small plates from the buffet catered by Tanya Petrovna of Native Foods. The juicy tomato skewers were divine! Here and there, a familiar face surfaced in the crowd. Hey! Do I know him? Oh, wait: that's James Cromwell of Babe fame, and no, I don't know him. But I do know her—that's Skinny Bitch herself, Rory Freedman. I love her! And there's another vegan author, the funny, glamorous Karen Dawn. (Read more about her and her latest book, Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals, in the current issue of VegNews.) And where can I get a coat like hers? (See Karen in said manteau above, pictured beside Emily Deschanel.)



After thoughtful speeches by Loretta Swit and Farm Sanctuary's Samantha Ragsdale, Gene took the podium for a few inspiring moments to talk about the way farmed animals have changed his outlook on life, deepened his compassion, and set the course of his life's work. A compelling, charismatic speaker, Gene had the crowd enraptured. It was a memorable evening made more so by the genuine feelings of empathy and compassion generated by this altruistic bunch of do-gooders. Being part of the vegan community is pretty freakin' awesome!

Native Foods Night Out

Who: VN Staff
What: Kick-off dinner at Natural Products Expo West
Where: Native Foods in Costa Mesa
When: March 13, 2008
Why: Pass up an opportunity to hit Native Foods? We think not.

The Scoop: Every March, the VN clan hits Anaheim in full force for the world’s largest natural products show—three jam-packed days of schmoozing, product testing, and giving out copies of the magazine. To kick-off the weekend, we always hit one of our favorite vegan restaurants: Native Foods. With four locations (and a fifth coming soon), there's nothing quite like a meal at Native. It was a balmy March evening in Orange County, and our party dined al fresco around a large table complete with a fire pit in the middle. We started with Native’s signature appetizers: “Save the Chicken” Wings (housemade seitan deep-fried in a coconut batter with a side of Ranch dressing), Native Seasoned Fries, and Native Nachos (tortilla chips smothered with black beans, soy taco meat, salsa, guacamole, corn, and soy cheese). For the record, we could eat Native’s (un)chicken wings all day, every day. Having spent all afternoon traveling, we were absolutely famished and inhaled the appetizers. We then ordered individual entrées; everything from Katie’s Philly Peppersteak Sandwich (seasoned seitan with sautéed onions and peppers on an organic French roll) to Jenny’s Gandhi Bowl (Jasmine and brown rice loaded with steamed veggies, blackened tempeh, and a curry sauce) to Colleen’s Mad Cowboy (baked potato topped with barbecue tempeh, grilled vegetables, and Native’s famous Ranch dressing—affectionately named after former cattle-rancher-turned-vegan-activist Howard Lyman). We were all in veggie heaven eating this flavorful, innovative, delicious food. We couldn’t leave without dabbling in a few desserts: the Elephant Chocolate Cake (with cinnamon peanut butter icing), the Key Lime Parfait, and the Native Cheesecake. We were especially fortunate that Ms. Tanya Petrovna, founder of Native Foods, joined us for a while. She even had us taste-test her new coconut-battered oyster mushrooms (which were amazing). And VN has some exclusive scoop! One of our favorite veg boutiques, Humanitaire (located in a very stylish space next to Native Foods in Costa Mesa), is opening up location #2 in the rear of Native Food’s Westwood location. Nothing makes us happier than when veg businesses expand and multiply. Yeah!