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:

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.

WorldFest 2008 (aka "Vegan Food & Puppies")

Who: VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + VN Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: The WorldFest 2008 Earth Day Festival
Where: Encino, Calif.
When: May 10, 2008
Why: To represent the magazine and support the vegan community

The Scoop: Having encountered delayed flights, extremely tardy rental-car shuttles, closed restaurants, and less-than-scrupulous driving directions—only to arrive at our hotel to discover that the hot tub had closed for the evening—well, let’s just say that we were happy to hit our Sleep Number beds and begin a new day.

With the aid of a good night's sleep, hot showers, and a sparkly blue PT Cruiser, we made our way to LA’s largest Earth Day Festival to staff the VN booth and check out the cool roster of speakers and exhibitors. We were particularly interested in what was going on at the Field Roast booth, (um, hello apple-sage sausages!), but equally drawn to the non-food-centric Angels in Fur Dog Rescue booth, one of several non-profit dog-adoption groups present.

Event organizers Jill Hahn and Billy Hulting made us feel right at home, greeting us with warm smiles and much-appreciated VIP passes. Having plenty of trade- and consumer-show experiences under our collective belt, we knew to expect inquisitive, hungry crowds, but we were both surprised and downright moved to discover a solar-powered, completely vegan celebration of the earth and its inhabitants. Watching the diverse, upbeat crowds filing in under the bright SoCal sun and perusing the aisles of planet-friendly booths, it became clear that this event was about more than just subscriptions-hustling or networking. This was a chance to witness all kinds of compassionate folk coming together to honor and learn about the importance of empathy, non-violence, and responsible living, as well as the interdependence of the environmental-, human-, and animal-rights movements.

Okay, that's enough. I promised myself I wouldn't cry.

Seaside Rendezvous

Who: VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria and VN Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: A weekend by the sea
Where: M. Coffee's, Half Moon Bay, Calif.
When: April 5, 2008
Why: Because everyone needs a leisurely coffee-filled Saturday morning

The Scoop: Growing up in Half Moon Bay, I took for granted that every coffee shop carried soymilk and served something delicious and vegan for breakfast. M. Coffee's, a local institution, makes sure that all your vegan needs are met with their bevy of soy-based beverages, bagels, and buns. Yes, even the extremely fluffy and wonderful rosemary buns—procured daily from the bakery next door—are vegan. Lisa and I, having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves the previous night at fellow editor Jen Picken's art show and website-launch party, decided to head down the coast and see if we couldn't find ourselves something for breakfast in my hometown.

There's nothing like having an "in" when it comes to the coffee shop. My gorgeous sister Sheila (see her cuteness for yourself, above) is the weekend manager at the shop, and she made sure that Lisa and I got the most delicious breakfast sandwiches the kitchen could provide. We both got variations on the "Mac special," a menu item that's always vegan and involves the aforementioned rosemary buns, tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh basil, avocado, and seasoned salt. Lisa's also included a Boca burger, and mine was topped with grilled artichoke hearts and bell peppers.
Yum! If there's a better way to start the weekend than washing down delicious sandwiches with soy Mexican mochas, I don't even want to know about it. As Freddie Mercury would say, what a damn jolly good idea!

Expo(sé) West

Who: The whole VN team
What: Natural Products Expo West/Supply Expo 2008
Where: Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif.
When: March 14–16, 2008
Why: Big-time business

The Scoop: Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have a private showing of the newest natural products held exclusively for you and 52,000 of your closest friends? That is precisely what the VN team found behind the double doors at the Anaheim Convention Center during Expo West. All the major producers of organic-type goodies (like soymilk/faux meat/organic fair-trade chocolate/organic home and body products) were there exhibiting their new product lines, new flavors, and new formulations. It was our solemn duty to test all the exciting new products and meet as many industry insiders as we possibly could during the three-day show. Suffice to say, we came, we met, we tested. We were lucky enough to have a booth adjoining that of Redwood Foods, the makers of Cheezly. All weekend long, they kept us supplied with hot, fresh pizza,  while the good people from Tofurky kept us sated with sandwiches for lunch every day. These may well have been what kept us sane with the intense over-stimulation of literally checking out thousands of booths. We also awarded 12 outstanding new products with highly coveted VegNews Magazine Best of Show awards. For a full list of the winners, be sure to check out the July+August 2008 issue of VN. If that wait is too long to bear, here’s a little inspiration: vegan frosting, vegan-owned companies, and stellar vegan skin care. It was a whirlwind trip, an almost-overwhelming show, and, all in all, a ton of fun.

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!

Vegan in Victoria

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: A Canadian ex-pat returns for a weekend of love and leisure
Where: Victoria, BC, Canada
When: March 7–9, 2008
Why: To visit loved ones in my home and native land!

The Scoop: I’ve lived in San Francisco for almost three months and, while I would not say I’ve become homesick per se, when the opportunity presented itself to return to Canada for the weekend (thanks to a gentleman--see the photo below--who loves me enough to split my airfare), I felt I was in no position to pass it up. Although I am from Toronto, several of my nearest and dearest live in Victoria, BC. By land, air, and sea, I schlepped my over-stuffed suitcase (you never know when you’ll need seven black t-shirts) to Victoria, and stayed with Joey, loved-one #1. He took me around to Victoria’s vegan hotspots, including casual and cozy Green Cuisine, an all-vegan, mostly organic buffet and bakery, where we picked up some surprisingly inexpensive, house-made, organic tofu and tempeh for supper. The morning of day two was spent with loved one #2, Ms. Hilary, who took me to a bustling little retro nook called Lady Marmalade, which, while not entirely vegan, did offer some fantastic vegan brunch options. The service was friendly but slow, although we were so pleased to be reunited that we didn’t even notice. Later on, after an afternoon of rigorous thrift-store shopping with #1, we ducked into Lotus Pond, a charming little Buddhist vegan restaurant where we enjoyed a crispy lemon “chicken” platter and a smoky mock-fish dish served over perfectly sautéed gai lan. I may not have been homesick, but after such an indulgent weekend, it was certainly hard to leave. Hungry for more about BC’s vegan scene? Check out the May+June issue of VegNews when it hits newsstands mid-April for our Vancouver VegEscapes feature.

Singing for our Supper

Who: Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough, Senior Editors Jen Pickens + Elizabeth Castoria, + Managing Editor Aurelia d’Andrea
What: Sushi and karaoke extravaganza
Where: The Mint, San Francisco, Calif.
When: February 7, 2008
Why: Japanese-style fun!

The Scoop: When I moved to this vibrant and entirely foreign city (I’m from Canada) to begin my stint at VegNews, I knew I would be in for some exciting after-hours adventures. I didn’t, however, anticipate that these adventures would include fellow VN staff members. But having been here for just a few weeks, I somehow reached the conclusion that it would be appropriate to invite three of my new superiors out for a night of karaoke—and they agreed. So after a long week of editorial toil, we set off for The Mint, San Francisco’s long-time favorite Karaoke Lounge. Open from noon until 2 a.m. 365 days a year, we were not surprised to find a decadently deco room filled with a combination of very serious regulars and thoroughly sauced amateurs. We were also delighted to discover an adjoining but independent sushi restaurant, Sushi Delight, offering scores of interesting vegan options and a veg-versed staff who regularly bring orders right out to hungry Mint patrons! Offering such novel delights as asparagus-tempura and pickled burdock root maki, we chose to feast on egg-free vegetable tempura, shiitake maki, and an assortment of other tried ‘n’ true veggie rolls. After a hearty meal and a few cocktails, we were set for a night of belting and boogieing we could only describe as both highly entertaining and astoundingly awkward. Here's the whole gang: