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:

I Like Ike('s Place)

Who: VN Editorial Director Aurelia d'Andrea and partners in crime Fanny + Jeff

What: A last-hurrah trip to the Sierra Nevada before summer's end

Where: SF + Nevada City

Why: A little R & R

When: August 30–31, 2008

The Scoop: Okay: so I was really really excited about getting out of town. First, I knew it was going to be hot—super duper hot—and that's the way I like it. And I knew I'd get to go for a swim in my favorite watering hole at the Yuba River. Heaven. And, possibly the most exciting part of the trip was going to happen before we ever really hit the road: a trip to Ike's Place.

Never heard of Ike's Place? Well, if you're a sandwich sort of person, and a vegan sort of person, this newish Castro District hole-in-the-wall is the place to be when hunger hits in San Francisco—or so I'd heard. So I had this great idea to go pick up two of these amazing meat-free meatball subs I'd heard so much about, pick my travel partner up from work, then head for the hills. When I arrived at Ike's Place, the door was open, there were people behind the counter milling about, but the "We're Closed" sign was up. Noooooo!!!!!!

"Are you guys really closed?" I inquired sheepishly to the guy behind the counter. "Yeah, we close at six," comes the reply. It was now 7:00. "Drats! I've heard so much about this place!" And next thing I know, the owner, Ike Shehadeh, is back there turning on the oven for little ol' me, and making me the best daggone meatball sub I'd ever had. (Though, truth be told, I'm not sure I've ever really had one before.) Ike is a really nice guy—aside from the whole I'll-make-you-a-sandwich-even-though-we've-been-closed-for-an-hour thing. And you've got to love a non-vegan guy with a menu that looks like this. And he even gave me a free Guayaki drink. Now you know why I like Ike!

There's no photo of that tasty treat, 'cause Jeff and I devoured it in 2.5 seconds (approximately). Believe me when I say it was hearty and delicious and covered in Teese, and that it held us over for the long drive north and east, up Interstate 80 and past all those Burning Man-mobiles loaded down with art and bikes and other detritus, all the way to Nevada City (home of Allison's Gourmet, who makes the best freaking butterscotch fudge ever).

Next day, we were hungry again, but eager to get to the river, so we decided to make a quick stop over to Café Mecca for, well, something. "Do you have anything vegan here?" I asked the tattooed young woman behind the counter. "Well, we've got these," she said, pointing to some very healthy looking cookies. "And we can make you a bagel with hummus and veggies if you want." Sold! Make it two. While I waited, I got to chatting with a hipster dude hanging out at the counter, and he told me about a new place in town called Fudenjuce, where I could get a whole vegan spread and wash it down with a shot of wheatgrass juice if I wanted. How wonderfully rejuvenating would that be after a long hot day in the sun? Couldn't wait.

The river was as beautiful as ever, the water as refreshing as always, and the air as hot as can be. After several hours spent swimming and sunning, we were hungry again, so off we went toward Fudenjuce. Guess what? They were closed, but there was no one to cajole into making us a smoothie to go. On to Plan B: the Briarpatch Co-op. This is the place to run into old friends from high school and pick up some Zen Party Mix and Kombucha while you're at it. And that's what we did.

Heading back toward San Francisco, we found ourselves hungry again right around the town of Auburn, and made an impulse stop at the dodgy-sounding Taco Tree. I ordered two tostadas, and while the price was right ($1.29 each), the quality and taste, well, not so much. It was an awful lot like Taco Bell, and that's about the best I can say about it. And, unlike Ike's meatball sub, there was plenty of time before digging in to take photos. Enjoy!

AR/DC

Who: VN Editorial Director Aurelia d'Andrea, VN Publisher Joseph Connelly, VN Distribution Manager Katie Paul, + loads of animal-rights-supporting folks from throughout North America

What: AR 2008

Where: Alexandria, Va.

When: August 14–18, 2008

Why: To network, make new friends, educate ourselves and others, and have fun!

The Scoop: You have to love the annual AR conferences. First, the crowd is lively in a way that other conference crowds are not. And by lively, I mean you'll likely find everyone at the hotel bar at evening's end, laughing, shooting the breeze about serious and not-so-serious matters, and letting go of the stress that's generated when we learn about and are reminded of the horrific stuff animals endure.

Second, the folks at FARM—the conference sponsors—switch it up every year, hosting the multi-day event in DC half the time, and LA the other half. This year, I got to travel to DC for the first time ever, and couldn't wait to soak up that humidity like a sponge, to expand my animal-rights knowledge a bit more, and meet some cool, like-minded folks.

After a fitful red-eye flight from San Francisco and a two-hour layover in New York, I finally arrived in DC and shuttled myself to the Hilton, only to find that the room Katie and I'd be sharing wasn't yet available. Thankfully, the hotel pool had comfy reclining chairs, and since the conference didn't start until the next day, the two of us headed off to relax and unwind after our travels. Sharing the poolside ambience was a youthful gang of conference attendees glugging energy drinks and noshing what looked like Doritos corn chips. Cheesy Doritos? At an animal-rights conference? "I think those might be the new vegan Doritos I've heard about," said Katie. Are you kidding me? Where've I been? "Excuse me, but are those the vegan Doritos we've heard about?" Yes! Came the enthusiastic reply. "You want to try some?" Do we ever!

Newlywed Katie Paul modeling vegan Doritos

They were good, too. Darnit!

Next day, the two of us worked our butts off at our booth selling subscriptions, but we also managed to squeeze in some schmoozing and socializing. We were lucky to have our friends from Organic Athlete and Vegan Bodybuilding right across from us, so we spent quality time with Jeremy Moore and the always-fun-and-chatty Robert Cheeke, and we also met up with The Traveling Vegetarian, aka Yvonne Smith, plus the fun and funny Erica Meier from COK, new NYC girlfriend Emily Elkins and her two darling doggies Lola and Bella, and VN contributing writer Eric Prescott.

That evening, I had plans to meet with my new fun friend Dustin Rhodes, whom I met at Vegetarian Summerfest and whose wicked sense of humor kept us in good spirits despite the crappy weather. Dustin works at Friends of Animals and lives in DC, so he's equipped with insider knowledge on the best places in town to eat. We decided on Ethiopian and headed over to Dukem restaurant for what might've been the biggest veggie-combo-for-two-platter I've ever had the good fortune of indulging in. As usual, I ate twice as much of everything as Dustin, including the most delicious curried potatoes that tasted more Indian than Ethiopian, plus collards, lentils, peas, and salads. I'm actually considering relocating to east Africa now—or the East Coast at the very least.

Next, we headed to Busboys and Poets, where the joint was jumping and the atmosphere felt festive. Too bad our stomachs were at full capacity, 'cause I sure would've liked to try the vegan calzone (never had one of those!) or the vegan pepperoni pizza. Next time! After throwing back a few cooling adult beverages and chatting about everything under the sun, we realized the witching hour was approaching, and it was time to say so long. Dustin walked me to the Metro and we called it a night. Arriving at the Hilton in the early hours of the morning, I could hardly believe the size of the crowd converging at the hotel bar. Holy smokes, guys!

Saturday was to be my first time representing VegNews at the first of two panel discussions, and once I got that out of the way, the relaxation could begin. Popping next door to the Pangea booth, I shared a packet of vegan doughnuts and a cinnamon roll with Katie, who isn't the least bit ashamed of her sweet tooth, and who later indulged in an ice-cream cone from the Chicago Soy Dairy booth. We were on a sugar roll, because later we met and tasted the wares of young entrepreneur Emily Mainquist of Emily's Desserts, who is making some really delicious vegan-certified cookies that you'll hopefully get to try soon. My favorite flavor is Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. No, wait: make that Coconut Cranberry!

Surprisingly, there was no sugar crash to prevent us from fully appreciating that evening's dinner and awards ceremony, so six-ish or so, Katie, Joe, and I lined up for the big buffet—an interesting melange that included quinoa salad, a tofu-and-veggies combination, and some breaded fake meat-type thing with stuffing inside—and headed into the great-big ballroom. Sharing our table with a nice family from Ohio, we chit-chatted until the first presenter took the stage. Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society gave the keynote speech, and big winners included HSUS' Paul Shapiro, who was inducted into the AR Hall of Fame, and animal activist/anti-landmine campaigner Heather Mills, who won the Celebrity Animal Advocate Award. Turns out she's a real champion for animals, and a generally lovely person. Hearing her speak made us all forget about our rather uninspired dessert: Tofutti Cuties served on a silver salver. No, really!

Celebrity Animal Advocate Award-winner Heather Mills, and VN's Aurelia d'Andrea

Prêt-à-Portland

Who: VN Senior Editors Elizabeth Castoria + Jennifer Pickens
What: A weekend in the Great Northwest
Where: Portland, Ore.
When: July 16, 2008
Why: Portland is taking over the world, so we thought we'd tag along

The Scoop: Sometimes the best plans are the ones you don't make until the very last minute. As I was recently packing for a quick weekend trip to Portland to visit two very handsome friends, I noticed Jen's Facebook status. Yes, Facebook status. We are freakin' hip. Anyway, her status mentioned that she was at that very moment packing to go to Portland to visit friends of hers, and, thanks to the instantaneous nature of the internet, it took all of five seconds for us to plan to meet up.

As it turned out, we couldn't have picked a better weekend, as the temperature rose well past 100 degrees, which is my absolute favorite kind of weather. Our first stop was, naturally, the vegan mini-mall. Taking turns in Herbivore, Sweet Pea Bakery, and Food Fight!, we were overwhelmed with all the vegan goodies and could have easily spent the whole weekend just boomeranging between the three. Since new tattoos were not on our agenda, we didn't check out Scapegoat, but I made my Portland-based friends swear that they'd go there if their body-art plans changed.

After a sunny trip out to Sauvie Island for some flower picking, we met up with Jen and her buddies at Bye and Bye, Portland's famous all-vegan bar. You want a vegan White Russian? You got it. (Okay, to be technical, I got it, and it was freakin' delicious.) In addition to their signature drink, the Bye and Bye, they had an enticing menu. The Old Timers, aka chili dogs, pictured above with me and my two favorite Portlanders—Jon and Tim—were a hit, as was the famous meatball sub. Jennifer was so delighted with her avocado-and-tomato-lined grilled cheese that she proposed marriage to it. The union, while sweet, was short lived.

The next morning, after a nice, long sleep-in, my hosts and I headed for the beach so that they could escape the heat. Unfortunately, we escaped it all too well—thunder and lightning greeted us as we got out of the car after a two-and-a-half hour drive. After the return drive, we were good and ready for dinner, and headed straight to Nutshell. If you've ever been stuck in a car on a too-long roadtrip and need to feel human again, go to Nutshell. The airy interior was a welcome change, and everyone inside was smiling. Oh, and then there was a little something called the food. Holy crap. We may have eaten more than any of us thought possible, and we couldn't have been happier. Let's just use the words risotto cakes, vegan aioli, zucchini carpaccio, tandoor roasted squash, smoky romesco sauce, the fluffiest focaccia ever, slow-roasted corn, and dilly potato salad. As if those weren't enough things to think about, we also tried the slightly spicy watermelon verbena soup, the crispy rice fritters dipped in avocado purée, and the blueberry-fennel salad drizzled with a coffee reduction. If there's one way straight into my heart, it's through this kind of food. Thankfully, Portland's only an hour's flight away!

A Dose of Dosa

Who: VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + VN Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: A dinner of dosa
Where: Udupi Palace, San Francisco, Calif.
When: August 9, 2008
Why: Do you really need much of a reason to eat great veg Indian food?

The Scoop: Here's a little insight about how things work here at VegNews: we talk almost constantly about food. Any time of day, any type of food, so long as we're either imagining some ultra-awesome menu or recalling some of our most-favorite meals, we're happy. Since our editorial director, Aurelia, has spent a significant amount of time traveling in India, we can always count on her to regale us with tales of dosa, idly, and other South Indian favorites. Having heard about the utter wonder that is dosa since day one, I've been dying to try it. Enter Udupi Palace.

The San Francisco location of this authentic chain opened in June, and Lisa—also a newbie to the world of dosa—and I finally had time to go. With expectations high, we set out for the Mission District on a bustling Saturday night. Udupi Palace's interior is warm and inviting, and the place was abuzz with diners who all had huge plates of food in front of them. Once seated, it took us maybe all of 10 seconds to select the masala dosa and savory tomato uthappam from the menu. Our orders came on two silver trays, complete with a selection of coconut chutney and sambar. Incredibly, everything lived up to our expectations. The dosa was crispy and light, and the potatoes inside were like someone had taken the best mashed potatoes ever and jazzed them up with Indian spices. We died.

After completely stuffing ourselves (did I mention that the servings were huge?), Lisa got a cup of coffee to help everything digest. She was so taken with the chicory-blend flavor that she asked the manager where she could buy it, and he graciously gave her a bag to take home. As if the generosity of the servings weren't enough, the coffee was certainly an unexpected bonus. From here on out you'll be able to find Lisa and me at our weekly meetings that begin, "Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I'm a dosa addict."

Fun up the Waziema!

Who: VN's Editorial Director Aurelia d'Andrea + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Dinner and dancing
Where: Club Waziema and The Transfer in San Francisco
When: August 8, 2008
Why: Well, because it's fun

The Scoop: Having already been on an exciting not-for-tourists tour of San Francisco, when Aurelia suggested we head to her neighborhood and try an Ethiopian restaurant/dive bar known to locals for its all-you-can-eat vegan special, I was in. Now, I have to be honest—my past experiences with injera, the traditional Ethiopian flat bread, have bordered on traumatic, but with the promise of East African beer, a Midwestern-American jukebox, and Aurelia’s good company, I took a gamble knowing the night would have to be at least twice as fun as it was … traumatic.

Sitting deep in Club Wazeima’s unlikely dark, musty, wood-paneled bar setting, we waited for our food long enough to get a couple drinks in, thus inhibiting my squeamishness. We tore into the pizza-sized flat bread laden with homemade split lentils and peas, savory vegetable stew, rich mushrooms, collard greens and—coulda been the beer—but I swear there wasn’t a hint of the wet, too-tangy, deflated whoopie-cushion experience I recalled. Instead, this injera was soft, fluffy and mild—the perfect vehicle for the somehow-buttery, robust sauces. Whether or not we actually had room for seconds, we happily obliged as the chef came around with ladles of lentils.

From the NoPa neighborhood, it’s just a quick jaunt to the The Transfer nightclub in lower Castro where we met up with Aurelia's DJ friends including Anthony Lymon. The co-owner of Ginger Rubio Salon by day, I was pumped to meet him since his veg-friendly business space is the site of the upcoming VegNews-hosted Vegan A-Go-G0 Book Bash (Sarah Kramer's new cookbook). Anthony turned out to be very sweet and fun, and while dancing to new wave mixes sipping I-can't-believe-it's-vegan mixed drinks like Tanqueray tonics, twisted vodka sodas, and Malibu orange-crans, we came up with very original dance moves. (See below for one highly technical example, which I've dubbed, "Oh no, it's the cops!")

TAFA Times

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly, VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria, + VN Distribution Manager Katie Donaldson
What: Taking Action for Animals
Where: Arlington, Va.
When: July 19–21, 2008
Why: Because animals need us to take action!

The Scoop: While most tourists tend to avoid the Washington, DC, area during the throes of July's humidity, attending TAFA was reason enough for our troupe to brave the thick, wet air. Luckily, the hotel in which the convention was held was well equipped to deal with our wilting and kept the AC flowing freely. After getting settled, we all enjoyed the welcome reception and met up with multitudes of enthusiastic advocates. TAFA is put on by The Humane Society of the United States, and who do you think was the very first person to welcome us to the conference? That would be president Wayne Pacelle, of course. After mingling to our hearts content and getting to know our fellow attendees, Katie and I decided to strike out on our own in search of some substantial eats. It took us more time to read over the extensive menu at The Vegetable Garden than it had to get there on the Metro. The crispy eggplant, orange beef with pineapple, and organic vegetable delight revived us from our day of traveling.

The next morning we hustled downstairs to the exhibition hall to make sure we were ready for the VN-hungry crowds. Well, okay, they may have had one other reason to stop by our booth: the Sticky Fingers Cupcake Party! That's Sticky Finger's own Ben Adams and Doron Petersan you see holding a hefty box of cupcakes below. It took only 20 minutes for all 200 incredibly yummy treats to get distributed to the eager masses. There are likely better methods of taking action for animals than gorging on vegan cupcakes, but none as sweet!

We spent the rest of the conference enjoying the oratory skills of Gene Baur, VN columnist Rory Freedman, web-media guru Joe Trippi, and anti-puppy-mill crusader Jana Kohl, and munching on the exquisite fare provided by Veg Advantage's Chef Lex Townes. Let me just say that I could have easily eaten 10 of the incredible faux-chicken panini with melty, dairy-free cheese and fresh tomatoes that we noshed for lunch on Saturday. Though, it would have been a shame to be too full to eat at the banquet Saturday night, which featured some of the best freaking mashed potatoes I've ever had, and a scrumptuous faux-chicken breast in an outrageously good herbed mushroom sauce. Another highlight of the banquet was Carol Leifer's fall-down funny presentation. We were lucky enough to have the highly comedic comedian at our banquet table, and she was kind enough to snap a photo with Katie and me (above). Despite the heat and humidity, a great time was had by all!

A Tokyo Tale

Who: VN Senior Editor Jennifer Pickens
What: A long weekend in Tokyo
Where: Tokyo, Japan
When: July 17–22, 2008
Why: To check out a new vegan restaurant + the Tokyo Star Wars Celebration

The Scoop: I'll be honest: Tokyo was never on my list of "Places to See Someday," but when my friend Betty mentioned that the Star Wars Celebration was going to be held in Tokyo for the first time, I couldn't resist. Having never been to any kind of Star Wars convention, I thought Japan would be the best place to experience it for the first time. Also, Mark Hamill was going to be there! I mentioned the trip to my VN co-workers, and like Charlie's Angels, they were on the job. While Aurelia was at Summerfest, she met Mamiko Matsuda, an author from Japan who drew up a couple of maps pinpointing two great new restaurants in Tokyo. Sold.

Our first night in Japan's capital, we found ourselves wandering through a mall near the Tokyo Disney Resort looking for food. Bad idea. I spent $20 on fries and an iceberg lettuce salad with an unexpected, unwanted creamy ranch-type dressing that had to be scraped off. The experience was not unlike an expensive trip to Applebee's … ugh. Surely this can't be a typical Tokyo dining experience?

We spent the next day at the Star Wars Celebration. My veteran Star Wars-convention-going friends assured me that this was a much smaller, mellower version than usual, but since it was the first time for me and my friend Susan, we had a great time nonetheless! The veg options at the convention center were sparse, but we soon discovered something we called "food triangles." They are basically just that—a triangle of rice wrapped in seaweed with various fillings that you buy prefab. Tip: The one in the green package is vegan. Luckily, they're cheap and sold almost everywhere, so we lived on those for the day.


Then it was dinnertime. [Cue ominous "Darth Vader's Theme" here]. We walked over to a restaurant near the convention center and I ordered some noodles with vegetables. What ensued was the third worst meal of my adult life. Instead of mixing the veggies with the noodles, they brought me yet another iceberg lettuce salad with two massive dollops of mayonnaise "dressing." At least I could scoop those off the plate. Then came the plain soba noodles, floating in the most vile-smelling meat broth ever. So, there went $13 for about six bites of plain lettuce and two under-ripe tomato wedges, all the while trying not to gag from the inundating sights and smells.

The next morning, Susan and I set out to find Kappabashi, aka Tokyo's restaurant supply district. Navigating the subway system can be a bit daunting since there are two competing train companies, hence two subway maps are needed to figure out which line to take, which company to use, and if you'll need to transfer between the two. But we found it with just a little local assistance, also discovering the beer and sake vending machines along the way. We skipped the kitchen supply and dishware stores and headed straight for the shops with the fake plastic food models, in all of their kitschy glory.

Then we set out for the Ginza district to find the first of our highly recommended restaurants—Dorobushi—a classy place on the 9th floor above a cosmetics shop. Even though it isn't strictly veg, it's organic, and there are many veg options on the menu. I was thrilled with my meal, which involved miso soup, an array of vegetables, and sautéed green peppers. Now this is more like it! From there we walked through Shinjuku district and had a drink at the Aurora lounge with a view of Tokyo from the 45th floor. An unexpected firework display provided the perfect ending to the day.

The ultimate meal came the following day. Veggie Paradise, which just opened last September, sits on a small street in a residential area that we would have spent a very long time searching for if not for the help of a taxi. But it was so worth the journey. The all-vegan menu includes a choice of raw and macrobiotic meals. This is my new favorite restaurant! Since it was such a warm day, we started the meal with a cool tomato-watermelon soup and a cabbage salad. Susan had the faux-chicken meal, and I opted for the macrobiotic meal. Their wine and beer selections are all organic, so we indulged. After our meal we were lucky enough to meet the owner and chef, Yuki Itoh, and I discovered that she attended the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in Fort Bragg, Calif., and she now teaches living-food and macrobiotic cooking classes in Japan.


Yuki was kind enough to draw us a new map to find our way back, sending us past Levain vegan bakery along the way, where we picked up some snacks for dessert. As we were walking through the Yoyogi-koen Park we found the best flea market (where I scored an adorable vintage dress), before stumbling across some great veg-themed t-shirts at a shop near the Harajuku station. From there, we ran over to Tokyo Disneyland for the night where I had—you guessed it—fries for dinner. Oh well, I still found two really great restaurants in Tokyo, as well as having a great weekend, so it was worth all of the iceberg lettuce and French-fry meals.

Jen + Aurelia's Excellent Adventure, part deux

Who: VN Editorial Director Aurelia d’Andrea + VN Senior Editor Jennifer Pickens
What: Phase 2 of their Manhattan/Brooklyn Adventure
Where: The Big Apple
When: July 11–14
Why: To eat, drink, and be merry

The Scoop: I’d always heard how awesome New York was, but didn’t comprehend the actual degree of it’s awesomeness until getting there and seeing—and tasting—for myself. On a warm, sunshiny Brooklyn afternoon, Jen and I took Dan Piraro’s advice and set off toward Bedford Street to check out the action. First stop: Vinnie’s, an ordinary-looking pizza place that just happens to serve up an extensive menu of vegan offerings, including barbecue “chicken” pizza and "bacon" calzones. What do we have to do to get one of these joints in San Francisco? We weren’t hungry after our Chinatown chow-down, but we made a full inspection of the wares, and chit-chatted with the nice guys behind the counter. I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be all rough and gruff? Not so. Using our vegan radar, we walked out of Vinnie's like happy Stepford Wives and right into the cutest veg establishment ever in the history of the universe: Penny Licks.

Like a kid in a, um, candy store

Dressed up like an old-fashioned candy store, this vegan-sweets boutique made us wish we hadn’t just eaten 29 turnip cakes and 73 tofu skin rolls. Vegan cakes, cookies, candies, bars, pies, doughnuts, dipped pretzels, woopie pies … this place was awe-inspiring on looks alone, and judging by the crowds lined up for the goodies, the stuff was tasty, too (and we can vouch for at least one menu item: Vegan Treats' Peanut Butter Bomb Cake. We’d recognize that anywhere!). A few doors up we passed Wild Ginger, a "pan-Asian vegan café" whose menu—from the Yam and Taro Tempura to the Orange Seitan with Broccoli—looks divine. Next time! Moving along, we poked our noses in a number of crowded cafés, vintage clothing stores, antique shops, and internet hangouts before looping around and back to the Manhattan-bound L train to primp for our evening. Along the way, we passed yet another veg eatery, Bliss, that we hear has a killer tofu scramble.

Back at our hotel, we changed clothes, then moseyed over to Lan Café for a Vietnamese meal made memorable by a surprise visitor who arrived at our table armed with a bottle of wine and an offer to share. Lan Café doesn’t offer "adult" beverages, but they do have a liberal BYOB policy, and since we’re never ones to refuse the kindness of strangers, we sipped Australian Chardonnay as we slurped our noodles. Next, we made like boomerangs and headed back to Brooklyn to meet up with a heap of cool cats, including The Discerning Brute’s Joshua Katcher and the world’s most dazzling vegan stylista/animal savior/newsletter diva, Chloé Jo Berman. One of us (okay, that would be Aurelia) was nervous about meeting up with such shiny, pretty dignitaries, but soon discovered they were really a bunch of friendly, down-to-earth, straight-shooting kids with both smarts and silly streaks. My favorite combination!

The charming Joshua Katcher, gorgeous Emily Elkins, dashing Jeremy Davis, and stunning Chloé Jo

Leaving our watering hole before the witching hour, we made like hungry bandits to the all-night natural-foods grocery store and scarfed vegan "tuna" sandwiches, chewy Primal Strips, and fresh fruit.

Next day, we sauntered over to the fun and funky Chelsea Flea Market at the advice of dessert doyenne Fran Costigan and picked up a few goodies before bee-lining it to Saravanaas Restaurant for enormous silver plates loaded down with idli, vada, utthapam, and sambar. Next stop: 60th St., for a bit of Bastille Day action hosted by the French Institute. From there, it was a hop, skip, and a jump over to Central Park, where we held our noses as we walked past those sad-looking carriage horses weighted down with tourists. Keeping to a leisurely pace, we arrived, at last, at The Met, where, with a mere hour to blast through the entire collection of world-class art, we scanned Monets, Manets, and Man Rays before heading back downtown for drinks, Dinner #1, and Dinner #2, both of which took place at Viva Herbal Pizza. There, we had a small-world moment: As we chomped our humongous triangles loaded with fake meat and tomato sauce, who should walk in but HSUS's Patrick Kwan. A serendipitous end to a spectacular trip.

Russian Spies

Who: Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Dinner date
Where: The Usual Suspects Café in San Francisco, Calif.
When: July 17, 2008
Why: To check out the Russian revolution in North Beach

The Scoop: Abuzz since it opened its doors in May of this year, The Usual Suspects filled the retro-veg-diner void the tummies of hungry SF vegetarians have long been grumbling for. Yelpers, bloggers, and other members of the local vegeratti flocked to the deco, rockabilly-styled hot spot, churning out glowing reviews of their pasta, burgers, wraps, and pizzas. But as word that there had been a sudden chef and menu change, many fickle fans abandoned their new favorite watering hole on less-than-reasonable grounds. Sure, ordering borscht from a hand-written menu and eating it next to a jukebox is all a little strange (after all, the American '50s and Russia don't exactly jive), but the restaurant's identity is still in development. What've they already got down pat? Welcoming service, and a now-vegan menu updated daily according to what's freshest at the market—and it's all prepared from scratch by recent Russian immigrants. People, it's authentic vegan Russian food! From the land of fur and kasha!

On this particular evening, we enjoyed their amazing, creamy-garlic Eggplant Rolls (seriously, order 18 of them), filling and savory mushroom and potato Vareniks, followed by gooey chocolate blintzes. Made fresh with wholesome, rich ingredients, we left feeling sated, spoiled, and suspicious about what this unusual spot has in store for us next ...

Hyperdrive Big Apple Weekend

Who: VN Editorial Director Aurelia d'Andrea + VN Senior Editor Jennifer Pickens

What: A whirlwind weekend in sunny NYC

Where: The Right Coast, baby!

When: July 11–14

Why: Because someone *aurelia*cough* had never visited the vegan epicenter of the universe that is NYC, and really needed to

The Scoop: New York City in the middle of summer? When it’s like, 98 degrees and 100-percent humidity? You bet! According to Aurelia and Jen’s logic, this is the magic time to visit the Big Apple, since half the city is in the Hamptons or at lake houses upstate or maybe just cooling down in their air-conditioned apartments. In other words, the city would be all ours. Well, sort of. But never mind that. Between social engagements, sightseeing jaunts, and stuffing our faces with amazing food, crowds were the least of our concerns.

After checking into our hotel on Day 1, the two of us meandered about the East Village, serendipitously stumbling upon veg restaurant after veg restaurant, including Kate’s Joint, Viva Herbal Pizzeria, and Lan Café. Wanting to hold out for the special meal we were to eat later that night, we skipped those guys in favor of a light snack at Whole Earth Bakery & Kitchen, where, in spite of all the vegan cheesecakes, cheeseless calzones, and egg-free quiches staring at us from behind the glass counter, Aurelia decided on a simple shot of wheatgrass juice and Jen opted for a cooling cup of gazpacho.

Later that night, we cabbed it up to 79th and Lexington for a memorable meal at elegant veg institution Candle 79. Benay Vyenerib, a friend of a good friend, works at Candle and went the extra mile to hook us up with the best table in the house. Hurray! After a glass of wine and shared appetizers that included the to-die-for stuffed squash blossoms, we moved on to our main courses: Seitan Piccata (Aurelia), and Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Cake (Jen). Let’s just say that it was so delicious and so filling that these two chocolate-and-peanut-butter-loving girls couldn’t even look at the words “Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss” on the menu. Ouch. But in a good way. During our meal, we had three surprise visitors to our table:  HSUS’s man about town Patrick Kwan, vegan marshmallow diva Sara Sohn of Sweet and Sara, and VN’s very own contributing photographer Danielle Ricciardi. Talk about a small world! The chance encounters gave us an excuse to make plans with Patrick for the following day. Our rendezvous destination? Chinatown.


from left: Benay Vyenerib, Aurelia d'Andrea, Danielle Ricciardi, and Jennifer Pickens

On Day 2, we woke early and grabbed our respective morning pick-me-up elixirs and made our way in a leisurely fashion to the southern tip of Chinatown for some dim sum with Patrick at his favorite local spot, Buddha Bodai. After slurping cups of green tea and feasting on turnip cakes, tofu-skin rolls, steamed buns and other assorted goodies, we wiggled around the neighborhood, making stops at Animal Haven and May Wah Vegetarian Food before hopping on the L train toward Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And oh what fun we were about to have! Just so happens that Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary was throwing a tag sale that day, and if there’s one thing we love, it’s a tag sale to benefit animals. There we bumped into Mr. and Mrs. Hotstuff, Dan Piraro and Ashley Lou Smith—definitely two of the nicest folks we've ever met. We also ran into new friend Cat Clyne, formerly of Satya magazine, and the lovely Jenny Brown, who heads up the Woodstock Sanctuary. Oh, wait! We also met former VN Vegan Wedding couple Tom O’Hagan and Sara Kubersky of Mooshoes, along with their super-cute baby boy. Phew!

Lest your eyeballs begin to shrivel like two organic raisins, phase two of our Brooklyn/Manhattan sojourn to follow in another post.

Around the World in Saturday

Who: VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland, Office Manager Jenny Diaz + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Gastronomical tour of San Francisco
Where: San Francisco's Chinatown and North Beach neighborhoods
When: July 12, 2008
Why: To be ladies who lunch. And snack. And get treats to go.

The Scoop: Having lived six months in this fantastic town, I'd like to think I've done Arthur Frommer proud, exploring SF's most remarkable nooks, crannies, and vegan venues. But no amount of my own enthusiasm or well-researched trailblazing can compare to a personally guided tour with a long time local—particularly one who happens to be vegan and great company. Colleen planned a jam-packed, epicurean treasure trail, leading Ms. Jenny and me east around the new old-world, making stops in the particularly delicious China and indulgent Italy. First stop: lunch at the Buddhist and vegan Lucky Creation—a tiny, spotless hole-in-the-Great-Wall where, no sooner had we dumped our bags and placed our orders did countless steaming white dishes descend upon our crowded table. Boasting simple and flavorful renditions of won-ton soup, pot stickers, tofu and eggplant, and homemade marinated curry, sweet and sour, and barbecue mock meats, all made with amazingly fresh ingredients. Lingering longer than our business-like hostesses would have liked (you may have to trade your first born for a second glass of water), we stopped for a quick photo op before meandering through the famous Ross Alley to peak in on the hard-working ladies of the historic Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.

After so much food, we were in danger of slipping into a food coma, so off we went to North Beach for some uppers in the form of soy lattes and Italian sodas. But first, we had to take a quick Eurasian detour to the now all-vegan The Usual Suspects Café and peek at their recently Ruskied menu which, as we found out, boasts "borsh" and blintzes. Uh, you heard us. Check back here for highlights for our upcoming full-review!

Heading north, we visit Caffe Greco—one of San Francisco’s most treasured Italian spots. Famous for its authentic, fresh tiramisu and cannoli, they also whip up some mean, foamy lattes and a special sweet treat for our sweet-toothed tour-guide: the Greco Sunrise, which consists of Orangina and gourmet strawberry syrup. With the Saturday sun and tourists in full-force, the café's sidewalk seating presented the perfect opportunity to rest our feet, watch the flurry of interesting international fashions, and soak up some vitamin D. With no cuisine more indulgent than that of the French, we had to cap our tour de SF in France—or, at least, a French chocolatier. XOX Truffles’ founding chef Jean-Marc Gorce is nationally renowned for his velvety morsels, and we scooped up some of his vegan dark Chocolate, “l'orange,” and “noisette” (hazelnut) vegan flavors to take home as a sensual souvenir.

Here's a photo of the enthusiastic, albeit extremely caffeinated, trio:

Grand Tahoe Adventure

Who: VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland and her getaway guy
What: A post-party weekend getaway
Where: Lake Tahoe, Calif.
When: June 28–30, 2008
Why: To relax and rejuvenate after the party festivities!

The Scoop: It’s true. We had one heck of an issue launch party. You know when everything goes just right? Well it all did, the night of our fabulous soirée to benefit the very important Humane California campaign.

But after all is said and done, a little R&R was in order to get back on track. And with a cozy cabin at our disposal that just happened to be a stone’s throw from a handful of veg-friendly eateries, we were happy campers. Oh, we also enjoyed the very close proximity to gorgeous Lake Tahoe, but I digress from what’s of utmost importance: the food.

After a four-hour drive from San Francisco and then quickly getting settled at the cabin, we strolled over to the area’s most talked-about veggie hotspot, Sprouts. Although not completely vegetarian, the restaurant boasts a bevy of veggie options that would keep us satisfied for a much-longer stay than we had planned. Clearly a neighborhood staple, the place was packed with fresh-faced locals (Ski instructors? Hikers? Bicyclists?) in for their fix of healthy, wholesome, generously-portioned food. We grabbed a table outside and tucked into chips and guacamole, a taco salad smothered with tahini sauce and salsa, and the always-dependable brown rice with veggies. After an evening stroll along the lake, we found ourselves at Freshies, a Hawaiian-style restaurant loaded with vegan options. In need of a sweet finale, we shared a slice of the housemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie. Vegan and delicious.

The next morning, eager to go hiking but also wanting to try another restaurant, we stumbled upon Wide Awake Conscious Café. A small but inviting and quite chic café, the menu makes a claim we’d never before seen: 100% vegetarian, except for a few dishes marked with a chicken icon. Okay, we can live with that; at least they’re proudly touting the veggie focus. We again dined al fresco and sipped on freshly squeezed orange juice (with biodegradable corn straws) before indulging in one of the best veggie breakfast burritos we’ve ever had. Stuffed in a flat bread were tofu scramble, vegetables, beans, and vegan cheese, then the whole thing was grilled to perfection (see photo below). Each order arrived with a pair of burritos, plenty to share amongst two people. We loved their self-service water pitchers teeming with edible flowers and herbs, and an all-vegan dessert case is in the works. If you’re in need of free wi-fi (is anyone not in need of free wi-fi?) or a computer to check email, Wide Awake offers both.

Later that evening, after a very long, hot day of hiking, we couldn’t wait to return to Freshies to partake in a Hawaiian-themed meal on their deck overlooking Lake Tahoe. Although we had to wait about 30 minutes, it was so worth it—we were seated in clear view of the setting sun over the lake. We started off with homemade lemonade and tempura-battered vegetables with spicy peanut sauce. Made with rice flour and rice milk, the tempura was super light and downright delicious. We then shared the East Indian Spinach Salad, with fresh spinach topped with curried tofu, green apples, pickled onions, tomatoes, coconut, mango, and scallions in a chutney vinaigrette. The restaurant is famous for its tacos, which can be made with tofu or tempeh, but we opted for the Rippin’ Red Curry, a blend of sautéed yams, sweet potatoes, tempeh, bean sprouts, spinach, and tomatoes in a fiery curry sauce (see photo of curry and salad above). We were in paradise.

The next day, we hit Sprouts one last time for a pre-bicycle-ride breakfast. We went with the toasted bagel sandwiches loaded up with hummus, cucumber, sprouts, and tomatoes. Why do these always taste so much better when someone else makes them? We sipped frosty fruit smoothies and then got on our way. Before leaving town later that afternoon, we stopped by the area’s lone natural food store, Grass Roots, for some road trip fruit and beverages. An institution in South Lake Tahoe, the market has been around for decades and carried all the veg provisions one would need, including freshly baked vegan cookies. We like that.

Music Issue Launch Party Extravaganza!

Who: The VegNews Team + 250 of our closest friends
What: July+August Music Issue Launch Party
Where: The Electric Works Art Gallery in San Francisco
When: June 26, 2008
Why: Why not?

The Scoop: It was yet another historic happening for VegNews: Our first Issue Launch party. To celebrate two other premieres—our first-ever Music Issue and the doling out of our initial veg Bloggy Awards, the staff decided to throw a little party. Our capacity of 200 guests quickly grew to 250, and the waiting list was almost as large. Yes, this was one hot ticket.

Speaking of hot, Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, one of the 50 musicians featured in the July+August issue to whom we were paying homage, performed two hour-long sets of silky vocals and soft jazz, perfect for the intimate venue. Lavay and her long-time partner/keyboardist Chris Siebert, both vegan, were honored and overjoyed to be part of the festive evening. And we couldn’t have chosen a more perfect five-piece. Here's Lavay with the VN gang:


In addition to the Skillet Lickers, several other musicians from the new issue were in attendance, including The Astral Projectionist, Edge with the Dreads, members of Blammos, Cult of Sue Todd, and Zepparella. Bloggy winners who graciously graced us with their presence included Super Vegan’s Susie Cagle, The Urban Housewife’s Melissa Elliot, Vegan Talk’s Billy Amon, Vegan Yum Yum’s Lauren Ulm, and Walking the Vegan Line’s Amanda Mariano. Had so many noted veggies ever been assembled in one place in San Francisco before? We think not.

Then there was the food. And drink. And more food. And even more drink. Can you say “VegNews Rock & Roll Martini,” made with tasty ModMix? How about organic red and white from La Rocca Vineyards? The beer nuts were happy with Mateveza Yerba Mate Ale, and the prohibitionists had their fill with four choices of new Steaz sodas and two flavors of MetroMint H2O.

So much liquid refreshment was needed to wash down the ample and delectable hors d’oeuvres provided by Millennium, Herbivore, and The Usual Suspects, as well as Personal Chef Justin Lucke. All these were followed by dee-lish mini cupcakes by Sugar Beet Sweets, which were gobbled up in approximately 11 seconds. For optimal snacking, roaming candy girls delivered mini Clif Bars, Sjaak's Organic Chocolates, and Tofurky Jurky.

Other noted guests were Matt Gonzalez, former San Francisco Board of Supervisors president and current Independent Vice Presidential candidate with Ralph Nader, and New York Times #1 selling authoress Rory Freedman, who Skinny Bitched herself up from L.A. just for our party (that's her in the top photo with VN Publisher Joseph Connelly). And did we mention authors Karen Dawn (Thanking the Monkey) and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (The Joy of Vegan Baking)? If that isn’t enough, key members of the Californians for Humane Farms ballot initiative were on hand, including Jennifer Fearing, Heather Carpenter, Karin Olsson, and Nora Kramer. Oh, we also had a little silent auction to raise some much-needed funds for the campaign.

Yes, vegans know how to have fun. The gallery was packed all night, and the buzz continued far longer—though that might have been those martinis.

* * *
This night wouldn't have been anything like the success that it was without our dedicated, tireless volunteers, all of whom were rock stars in their own right. Thank you!

The staff of VegNews would like to thank Noah Lang and the very accommodating staff of The Electric Works for opening their doors to VegNews. Will we be back? You betcha!

Oakland Raiders

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough + SF Vegan founders Barna Mink and Kathleen Bennett
What: A vegan-venue food crawl
Where: Souley Vegan + Layonna Vegetarian Health Food Market in Oakland, Calif.
When: June 21, 2008
Why: East Bay soul searchin'

The Scoop: San Francisco, a city abounding in vegan restaurants and vegetarian markets, has yet to produce a venue with real soul. Having tried them all—everything from raw to retro-inspired—I've been yearning for a spot that really knows how to barbecue tofu and season collard greens. You can imagine, then, my reaction when I learned that a vegan soul food joint was opening just around the corner from Layonna Vegetarian—a regional veg institution—across the bay in Oakland. Grabbing the first available Saturday I could, I rounded up my dearest friends, hopped the train to our sister city, and made a day out of these two dream-come-true destinations.

Rounding the corner on 13th, a vibrant read awning emblazoned with the words "Souley Vegan: Vegan Soul Food" beckoned, and we ducked into the bare but cozy vegan-owned café blaring scratchy blues, took a look around the place at other patrons' dishes and, no exaggeration, cursed out loud with joy. Grabbing bottles of very strong strawberry-ginger juice to wash it all down, we picked amazingly textured crispy tofu, smoky-savory collards, and creamy and rich mac 'n' cheese from their mouth-watering menu. With all the anticipation, I was amazed these home-cooked dishes managed to exceed my expectations.

Next up, after saying our good-byes and profuse thank-yous to the chef and owner Tamearra Dyson, we waddled over to Layonna's to gawk at the aisles of mock meat—with everything from codfish steak, giant prawns, yeast "jerks," and beef tendon to their widely consumed chicken chunks and drumsticks. As a first-time visitor I was overwhelmed, but I managed to pick a few interesting meatless meats to try. Stuffed and stunned, we explored the city for awhile before heading back to our homes to recover.