Crappy vegan food is bad for veganism

I have always loved this line. I heard it when in a session at Vida Vegan Con II in Portland, Oregon two years ago. I was in a session to learn about writing restaurant reviews given by Grant Butler, a columnist with The Oregonian.

It has stayed with me ever since and I consider it every time I write a restaurant review.

I have thought of it a lot since moving to the Los Angeles area while we experience so many new vegan opportunities. Having been to LA many times, we've known that this is a vegan food mecca. Living here is different, as new experiences pop up almost every day.

There have been some eating experiences that have blown us away, where we find us like at each other going "oh my goodness!".

And then there have been experiences that were not so mind blowing. 

On the top of my list was a dessert Mike and I saw. We both instantly drooled. Anticipation was very high as the server brought it to our table. Then utter disappointment. It was dry and not very tasty.

We have had several moments like this. We read reviews, we get excited, we drive way out of our way to try a restaurant and then we are presented with food that is average, and in some cases not good on any level.

How can this change? I'm starting with this post. At the restaurant where the dessert was a huge disappointment, I took the server aside and gave very honest feedback. I wouldn't do a restaurant review based on just one experience.

I think it is vastly important that we let restaurants know when their food is sub-par. Of course food is very personal, but if you get something that is totally off base, let the folks know.

I think about someone who wants to try a vegan meal and gets crappy food, and how that affects not only veganism but the animals as well.

Thanks for reading!

My 14 faves of '14: #10

Looking at my list I see food all over the place. And restaurants.

This summer I had the chance to dine at Detroit Vegan Soul and I will never be the same. If you ever get the chance to go, go! Take your time. Try things that you normally wouldn't.

I was blown away by the food at Detroit Vegan Soul. The service was perfect and I fell in love with the owners.

So many positive things are happening in Detroit, and this place tops the list in my opinion.

Many times since my visit I find myself thinking about their food, or wanting to check flights to see if I could make it for dinner.

Even if you think you don't like soul food, go!

http://detroitvegansoul.com/

My 14 faves of '14: #8

No surprise here.

Linger.

Linger is our favorite restaurant in Denver. Sister restaurant to Root Down a few blocks away and to the Root Down at the Denver airport.

They nail it with what is important to me at a restaurant: amazing service and incredible vegan food.

The menu changes, but my current favorite is the falafel. A true journey of flavors!

And the sweet potato waffle fries!

Make a reservation.

A night out with friends or a night with your special person.

Linger is part of what makes Denver such a great city for dining!

Thanks for reading!

My faves of '14: #4

Next is Modern Love restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska!

Many times in conversation with restaurant owners I talk about how vegan cuisine has just gone crazy. Modern Love is the best example of this.

Courtesy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and an amazing staff, Modern Love blew my mind this past August when I had the chance to dine there. Every dish I tried was a flavor journey.

If you are ever even close to Omaha or need an excuse for a road trip, go! You will love that you did!

For more information, check out their website: http://www.modernloveomaha.com/

My 14 faves of '14: #2

My next fave of 2014 is Native Food's Soul Bowl.

Native Foods has gone crazy in Colorado, which is awesome for us! Just in the last year three more locations have opened, including in our hometown of Lakewood and in downtown Denver, which is where I work.

I have loved the Soul Bowl for many years. It's on this list because it is truly one of my all-time favorite dishes, and this year I have been able to have it many times.

The Soul Bowl is packed with a variety of veggies, which cover beans and rice, and then is topped off with Native Food's vegan chicken. Before it is served ranch dressing and barbecue sauce is added. I like to ask with an extra side of the barbecue sauce. Oh, and it comes with cornbread!

And when I write that it is packed with veggies, I mean. I would guess there are at least two servings of veggies in the Soul Bowl.

Give it a try. Native Foods is amazing, and I am guessing there might be one near you soon.

Thanks for reading.

Restaurant review: Linger, still the one

It won't be a surprise to read a wonderful review about Linger. The three-level restaurant in Denver's Lo-hi are has been our favorite for a couple of years now, and I can honestly say that I have never had a negative experience there. While dining there recently, I decided to do another, updated review.

Here you go.

If you are looking for amazing service and amazing vegan food options, check out Linger. If you're looking for a wonderful place for date night, check out Linger. A night out with old friends catching up over food and perhaps your favorite cocktail, check out Linger. Lunch with an important customer or client, well, you get it now.

First the menu. Every item that can be done vegan is marked with a "v". If you look out for gluten- free or nut-items those are marked as well. Have a particular food allergy? Just let the server know and the chefs will make sure your dish is just as delicious without the item you are allergic to.

Everything is served like small plate, tapas style. International street food at it's best.

We always start with the sweet potato waffle fries. Always.

The duck buns have been my favorite since first going to Linger. Their flavor has changed, but always delicious. The bun is squishy and moist and the tofu is highlighted with peppers and other fantastic flavors.

You see, what Linger completely rocks at is layering flavors. Just when you start enjoying one flavor in the bite you took all of a sudden you are realizing there is another one.

Please note that the menu changes seasonally. This means that what I am writing about now may or may not be on the menu when you dine with them.

Mike and I have recently been loving the falafel lettuce wraps. Talk about flavor! Three wraps are placed right in front of you with a tahini sauce that I could eat by the spoonful. This plate could honestly be a meal, but why stop there.

The beet salad can be easily shared and has several textures and flavors. Even if you have given up beets I would recommend at least trying this.

And then there's the masala dosa. The wonderful Indian dish that they seem to have perfected.

There is always a vegan dessert. These days it's the candy bar, a incredibly journey filled with chocolate and peanut butter. Oh my.

The culinary director at Linger is Daniel Asher. Not only one of the loveliest people you will ever meet but one of the most creative, food-honoring, flavor enticing chefs I have ever met. And he gets vegan food. He not only gets it, he creates vegan dishes that blow your mind. 

As all of my restaurant reviews, the review if half food and half service. You will definitely not be disappointed with the wonderful servers at Linger. Service is hugely important to everyone on staff and you will notice that there is always someone coming by to make sure your water glass has something in it.

Linger has a rooftop deck and a bar that are first come, first served. We usually make a reservation for the main dining area. And do make a reservation.

Thank you for reading!

Restaurant review: Modern Love in Omaha

I was able to stop in Omaha on my way back from Michigan and boy am I glad I did. The newest (I think) vegan restaurant in the U.S., Modern Love, opened on August 5th right in the middle of beef country. And I got to go!

Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a well-known name in the vegan and foodie communities. She created Post Punk Kitchen and is the author of several incredible vegan cookbooks, including one of my all-time favorites, "Vegan Brunch". She is the chef/owner of Modern Love, and knowing how many incredible meals Mike has made from her cookbooks, I just had to dine there while in Omaha. To be honest, it's the only reason I decided to make Omaha a stopping point on my way home.

Modern Love is located just a few minutes drive west of downtown Omaha. I had an airbnb in the north part of downtown and it took me ten minutes driving. As I parked I practically exploded with excitement. I am not a food blogger or recipe creator or anything like that, but I sure do love amazing vegan food. And I just knew that my world was about to be rocked.

Modern Love is cute. And clean. And packed. It seats about 30 - 40 and has an open kitchen. The hostess was kind and seated me immediately. A friendly face upon arrival is always nice.

I also got to say hi to Isa upon arrival. I met her once, last year at Vida Vegan Con II, and was thrilled to see her and congratulate her.  Her kindness and hospitality made me feel right at home.

As did the kindness and hospitality of my server. As you know, service is half of the equation for me while dining out and he rocked it.

I started with the jalapeño corn fritters. Not surprisingly, before they arrived I had already struck u a conversation with the lovely couple seated next to me. So when the fritters were all of a sudden in front of me and I took my first bite, I realized that I had to pace myself and not totally freak out my new acquaintances. I ended up savoring every bite. The corn was crunchy. The jalapeños not overpowering. Perfect in my mind.

I ordered the Mac & Shews for my entree. It was a tough choice for me as I also wanted the Seitan Marsala. Stephanie, my new acquaintance next door, had ordered that and was loving it. Mac & Shews it was and soon a steaming bowl filled with pecan crusted tofu, creamy cashew cheese, braised kale with okra and BBQ cauliflower arrived at my table.

I thought that I would like the mac n cheese the best. Not surprisingly, having experience with Isa's recipes, I found that I honestly loved all parts of this dish equally, maybe delighting in the okra a tiny bit more than the others. The flavors were crazy delicious. And they all came together perfectly. I took my time with this dish. I was in ecstasy.

The menu is small, and I love that. Four choices for an entree, and as I wrote earlier the decision amongst entrees is not an easy one. Everything is prepared in-house.

Dessert. I ordered the raspberry cheesecake. I have been on an 18-year quest to find the perfect vegan cheesecake. My mission is now complete. Perfect crust. Perfect flavor. Perfect texture. Once again I found myself taking my time. Oh my.

I wanted to order more to give readers a more inclusive review but I just couldn't eat anything else. Everything I look for in a dining experience went way above my high expectations. I wasn't surprised by this, just happy about it.

Go to Omaha. From Denver it is an easy seven hour drive. You gain an hour driving into Central time zone. Omaha is also an easy drive from many other cities in the Midwest. You can make your dinner reservation here. At this time Modern Love is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4pm - 10pm.

I can't stop here. If you are traveling to Omaha and need a place to spend the night, I highly recommend Brent's loft in the north part of downtown Omaha. Affordable, comfortable, clean, and convenient. Brent is super friendly and kind. This is a room, not his entire place. I loved it. Check it out here.

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant review - Detroit Vegan Soul

I recently had to go back to my home state for a family funeral and had the opportunity to go check out Detroit's thriving vegan scene.

Yes, Detroit.

And yes, thriving.

This post was going to be about that scene but it has become all about one place: Detroit Vegan Soul. I enjoyed my time here so much that I need a whole post just for them! I will write a future post about Detroit in general.

My interest was peaked while speaking with one of the owners of The Lunch Room in Ann Arbor (where I was staying and about 45 minutes from Detroit) who told me about Detroit Vegan Soul. I had read about them and am connected with them on Twitter, but I hadn't considered checking them out.

Later that afternoon I called to see what the dress was (casual) and asked about traffic. My conversation ended up being with one of the owners  and she was SO friendly. Because of her friendliness I just had to go, and off I went.

Detroit definitely has it's problems and you see a lot of them while driving to Detroit Vegan Soul. Then all of a sudden you turn a corner and you encounter an oasis of different businesses that includes Detroit Vegan Soul.

I walked in and was immediately greeted by staff, very friendly staff. If you have ever read any of my restaurant reviews you know that staff hospitality is important to me. I was ecstatic to be there. The restaurant was alive with almost a full house and lots of conversations going on.

I started with the Collard Green Spring Rolls which apparently are quite popular. I now know why. They are delicious and a great start to any meal.

I should mention here that the women who own Detroit Vegan Soul started with a food truck. When they opened the restaurant there was a line down the block.

I know why.  My server was friendly and helpful. He suggested, as it was my first time, to try the Soul Platter. Oh my. I loved every bite. The mac n cheese and the yams didn't last long. And the collard greens! All I wanted to do was savor ever bite. And I wasn't alone. I watched as other customers were loving what they had ordered. I just wanted to ask for the menu back and order another dish, but I also had to leave room for dessert. Dessert was Snickerdoodle cake, and I loved it. But keep in mind that the cake changes.

The menu is intense, and I just can't give it justice as I didn't try that many items. I can only imagine how delicious the Okra Stew or the Catfish Tofu are! I am salivating thinking about this place as I write, thinking of what I would order if Mike and I could go for dinner tonight.

I did get to meet the owners, and meeting Kirsten and Erika was truly one of the highlights of my entire trip. I can't wait to see them again and to enjoy more meals at Detroit Vegan Soul. Check them out here.

Finally, I just have to let you know about this photo in the bathroom. It gave me pause. It's hard to see because I didn't catch it in the right light, but the word "History" is etched over the photo.

If you are familiar with Detroit, Detroit Vegan Soul is just a couple of blocks north of Jefferson at Van Dyke. Not too far from Belle Isle.

Detroit Vegan Soul
8029 Agnes Street
Detroit, MI  48214
313.649.2759

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant review - El Camino

The official name of this restaurant is El Camino Community Tavern, a little long to include for a blog post title.

Mike and I were looking for lunch one day and did a search for places around our house. Most of them we had heard of or tried, nothing really exciting. Then we saw El Camino and noticed that they had tempeh tacos! Definitely had to try them!

Lunch was great, but rushed as we had to be somewhere, so we went back for dinner a week later. This gave us a chance to take our time, ask questions, try different items and just enjoy the experience.

And it is indeed an enjoyable experience! Staff is very friendly. We ate once at the bar and once in the seating area and both times had very friendly servers who knew what vegan is and who went through the menu letting us know which menu items could be vegan.

Well we had to get the tempeh tacos. They were perfect. The sauce on them was untypically very hot so the server recommended ordering them with the sauce on the side. She was spot on. The sauce was super spicy and also super flavorful. We like spice with flavor.

The enchiladas can be ordered with spinach and portobello mushrooms. I tried these for dinner and totally enjoyed them. As you might know, Mike makes the best enchiladas at home, so I am quite the enchilada snob. These are right up my alley and I can't wait to try them again.

Vegans can also order chips and salsa, guacamole, and the green chili which is even labeled as vegan on the menu! I will also say that I'm sure the chef would make any changes with items to make them vegan. They also have Soyrizo.

I have always hope for a tavern/bar in the area that would have delicious vegan food and now we have found it. As I wrote earlier the staff is supper friendly, and this includes the managers. We ran into the same manager both times and he was not only very friendly but also very into making sure we were absolutely having a good time and enjoying ourselves.

El Camino is at the southwest corner of Lowell and 32nd at 3628 West 32nd Avenue in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver. Their phone number is 720.889.7946. El Camino is the perfect place for a date night, for a drink with co-workers after work or an easy-going night out with friends. I highly recommend checking them out! Their website is here.

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant review - Gracias Madre

Los Angeles is one of our go-to places for vegan cuisine. Since we go to San Diego often, we have gotten used to going to Los Angeles before or after a trip to San Diego. This summer is no different. The difference this trip has been being able to check out new places, new to us at least.

Meet Gracias Madre. "Our menu is vegan and 100% organic. Our mission is to celebrate and serve the presence of the mother which resides above us, within our hearts, within the earth, and in all those who nurture us. We serve cuisine inspired by the kitchens of Mexico sourced from locally organic ingredients. Welcome to a seat at love's table."

This is how you are greeted at Gracias Madre. Well actually, you are first welcomed by a smiling host and when you are seated you get a menu with the warm welcome quoted above.

Soon our server arrived and offered us drinks. Mike loves the smokey margarita. I tried one of the fresh pressed juices and also the horchata. Both were delicious. If you like beer, wine and/or tequila you have plenty of options.

Order a drink and also order the cauliflower starter. Don't even think about it, just order it. You will love us for this recommendation. We loved this creative appetizer and it was a wonderful way to start our dining experience.

For dinner, I ordered El Plato and Mike ordered Flautas de Comote. The second night I ordered the Enchiladas con Mole and Mike ordered the flautas again. Mike loved the flautas. Similar to a taquito and filled with sweet potatoes and carmelized onions, the flautas wil make you very happy. I enjoyed both my dishes, loving the mole but thinking the enchiladas were too filling, yet delicious.

While eating our meals we felt relaxed and very comfortable on the patio. Gracias Madre is gorgeous, and both times we were seated on the patio and that added to our already perfect experience.

Before we knew it we had finished our meals and it was time for desert. One word: flan. Yes, vegan flan. I ordered this both nights. The first night the flan was so creamy I couldn't believe it. The second night it was a little gritty but still delicious. Mike ordered the fudge brownie and finished it with a smile, loving the salted mezcal caramel and the orange coconut whipped cream.

The fire is going in the fireplace that is centered on the patio. It's darker out and the patio lights are on. It is just so beautiful and relaxing. Again, the perfect environment.

As we have been telling friends since our first night at Gracias Madre, we had one of the best dining experiences ever. Ever.

A few additional bits of information: We parked a few blocks away but there is valet parking. Make a reservation. Ask to be seated on the patio. I know the restaurant might not like this but the ambiance on the patio is simply the best.

Gracias Madre is perfect for a date night (like the two times we were there) or for a night out with friends. You might even make new friends there as we did.

I also want to say that on our second visit we had the HUGE pleasure of meeting Executive Chef Chanda Gilbert! She is amazing, and it was perfect to meet the woman whose dream came true with the opening of Gracias Madre.

Finally, and I just now thought of this, Gracias Madre is all vegan and it is packed! I know, this is Los Angeles, but still!

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant review - Pho Fusion in NW Denver

I have never written a negative restaurant review. I began writing restaurant reviews about two years or so ago when I decided that I wanted to brag about the places we love where we live and the places we discovered while traveling. Last year I decided to expand and started going to restaurants that I perceived as vegan-friendly and reviewing them.

Just in case this is your first time reading my blog here is important information on my review process: I have to have dined at the restaurant at least three times (I haven't always stuck to this, especially when traveling, but I do believe it's important to not review a restaurant based on one visit) and my review is based on incredible vegan food and amazing service.

Pho Fusion is an Asian restaurant on the way home from my work. I have dropped in a few times over the years. I have never been impressed with the food but dropped by once again recently out of pure convenience. I was in charge of dinner and had no clue, so just dropped in.

I have learned that Pho Fusion is Vietnamese cuisine. I learned this because once again when asking for vegan options I ended up speaking with someone who should not be in customer service, or who should have an owner-approved, kind message that lets folks know that they do not wish to have vegan customers.

I get it. I don't expect that every restaurant wants our business.

I was told that Asian cuisine was not vegan friendly in general after making the statement that I wished their menu was more vegan friendly. After my reply, the gentleman clarified that perhaps it was just Vietnamese cuisine that was not vegan friendly.

I should add that this guy was done with me the second I said that I did not want to order the two choices he gave me: hot and sour soup and fried rice (done vegan for me). I wanted dinner!

After acknowledging that the tofu they serve is vegan, and conferring with someone in the kitchen, he told me I could order the pad Thai with tofu. Done. I paid, tipped him (crazy, but I live up to the gay stereotype of being good tippers and I know I need to work on that) and waited for my to go order.

You can see where this is going. Well maybe not. I got my order, left, arrived home, told Mike how infuriated I was with this gentleman at Pho Fusion, and then we ate.

The vegan version of their pad Thai was delicious. We both enjoyed it. As I finished mine I realized there was a piece of chicken it, and as much as I dislike that I know mistakes happen in busy kitchens.

The bottom line for me is that kindness rules. If you cannot be kind to a customer then reconsider your employment in a job that puts you in front of people all of the time. And from a restaurant owner/manager perspective, if you don't want to offer vegan cuisine that's fine. Just say so. Let folks know that.

I would recommend to the folks at Pho Fusion that they incorporate a couple of vegan dishes, entrees, to their menu. They obviously have people in the kitchen who rock at making delicious vegan food.

I'm sure at this point of the post you are ready for the review. Here it is.

I won't go back to Pho Fusion. If I ever hear that they have embraced the idea of serving vegan food with a hassle then I might try it again. The deal for me is that there are so many restaurants that gladly and enthusiastically serve delicious vegan food that with better planning on my part there is simply no need to go to Pho Fusion again.

Thanks for reading.

Suggestions on being a vegan-friendly restaurant

I thought a bit about the title of this post. I kept going back to wanting to take the word vegan out of it. Most of my suggestions would make any restaurant more guest-friendly. As I am vegan and hope to have more friendly dining experiences at non-vegan restaurants, I finally decided to keep the title as it is.

We have our favorite restaurants and still find ourselves going to new places (new for us) as we find out about a place through friends or online.

If you own a restaurant, manage a restaurant, or have any interest in making a particular restaurant more friendly to potential diners, you might find this list helpful. These are obviously only my opinions, and they are based on how I want to feel when dining out.

If you don't care about vegan cuisine or about having a great place for vegan customers, or if your restaurant is already filled every day and night and you are already as profitable as you want to be, then there is no need to read this.

Here we go!

First, and this one is so important, please, please, please have your entire staff trained on the menu. If someone serving me food doesn't know what is in the food, I become concerned. If it is impossible for your entire staff to know if a dish is vegan or not, then I suggest an ingredients book that they can look at to see if a particular dish is vegan. This is also very helpful with allergies and folks who eat gluten-free. My dining experience becomes so much better when I can trust the server, and a server trained around all of the menu items is one I can trust.

Cream is not vegan. Nor is half-n-half. Training all staff on what is vegan is incredibly helpful. Even better is marking any items that are vegan or that can be prepared vegan. So helpful.

Keep your bathrooms clean. Seriously.

If at all possible, post your menu online. If you have an incredibly popular vegan dish on the menu, let people know that.

Back to training. I am quite comfortable being vegan. I don't talk about it all of the time. I mention it in a restaurant because I want to ensure I can get my dish prepared vegan. I'm not interested in if the server had been vegan, if the server loves cheese, or if the server can't imagine being vegan. This is my dining experience, not theirs.

Unfortunately many vegans have had so much bad luck with ordering vegan, being very clear, and then getting a dish with dairy or some meat stock in it. The result is that they tell the serve they are allergic to dairy, or meat, or whatever. I'd love a restaurant that because of a well-trained staff this was not necessary.

I am vegan. This simply means that I do not eat animal flesh or any by-product of an animal. Including honey. I do not have a restrictive diet. If asked by a server if I have any food restrictions I will typically say that I do not want any crappy food, that I prefer fresh, creative dishes. That's my only restriction. Of course for those folks who have a real allergy (Mike is allergic to almonds) then this is where one would inform the server of the allergy.

Kindness rules. Unkind people should not be hosts or servers. Period.

There you have it. I guarantee that if your restaurant considers what I have just written here, you will not only increase your customer base but you will inevitably delight those same people.

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant review - WaterCourse Foods

For those of you new to my restaurant reviews, my reviews are based on delicious vegan food and on great service. Both are equally important to me.

Two weeks ago WaterCourse Foods announced that they had become an all-vegan restaurant. After 16 years of being a vegetarian restaurant, they introduced this idea to their staff on a Monday morning and introduced an incredible, new menu to the public shortly afterwards.

Prior to that Monday, I can count on one hand the amount of times I had been to WaterCourse in the past six years. Since that Monday, I have been four times. I have been twice with Mike and twice on my own. Between the two dinners and the two lunches, I have tried many of the new items. All of this is to say that my review is based on good, solid research.

Note: Before I stopped frequenting WaterCourse, I was quite the regular and WaterCourse was a huge part of my life. They even catered our wedding in 2005. 

Also for new readers, I do not review a restaurant until I have dined there at least three times. This makes sure I can make a fair review.

I love WaterCourse milk shakes. Love them. Great flavors, and now you can order one with just the glass filled (with no extra) which makes me feel better. Definitely try a milkshake.

Mike and I both LOVE the new cauliflower wings. They are delicious, flavorful, and not as filling as seitan wings.

New items include the jack fruit tacos. I highly recommend these. More flavor and great taste. The new deviled eggs are delicious as well. They are purple, which seems to be a turn off for some people but if you can get past that you'll be pleasantly surprised with the flavor.

Breakfast is served all day. I have loved the Amsterdam Hash since it was first on a menu and I still do. Now it comes in its own cast iron pan!

There are many new dinner entrees, including chicken and waffles! The Monti pasta is still on the menu and I had that last night. Loved it.

 I don't drink but noticed they have a good selection of beer and wine as well as pitchers of Sangria and Mimosas.

They all have fresh juices available.

I have many times not returned to a restaurant because of poor service. There came a point in my life when I was done with having to apologize to a server for getting in their way by showing up for a meal. Service is crucial.

All four times I was at WaterCourse in the past two weeks the service was incredible. Friendly, quick, attentive and the server even recommended favorite items. Several folks have told me recently that they stopped going to WaterCourse because of the poor service. To all of them I say it's OK to go back. If you get treated anywhere close to how I have been treated, you will be delighted. Of the four servers I have had, all rocked it. If I were to pick one that you could ask for, I'd go with Nathan.

Finally, I noticed that their price points had lowered. I think everything is priced fairly and I think WaterCourse is pretty affordable.

I so enjoy WaterCourse Foods now that I added them to my list of favorite places to eat in Denver on our blog.

Check them out. Even if you had sworn them off, check them out. You won't regret it, I promise.

For hours, go to their website at watercoursefoods.com

Thank you for reading! 

Note to business owners who want vegan business

Mike and I are vegan.

We share our house with four dogs and two chinchillas. As expensive it is that they can seem at times, I'm sure it's nothing compared to having human children.

We don't have a lot of extra money as I work in the non-profit world and Mike teaches in our local public school system. Don't get me wrong, we live very well. We both feel like we live a charmed life.

So when we shop, we like to spend money with nice people. When we dine out, we want amazingly delicious food and incredibly hospitable service.

This can be challenging with some folks. Recently we have had poor experiences when trying to support vegan businesses and businesses that are trying to get vegans to spend their money with them.

Some experiences were around things like this:

Do you really think that you have to act like you are cooler than us? I get it, you are cooler than us. So relax.

If you have promoted a product as vegan, it should be vegan. Don't get pissy with us when it's not. It's not our fault. Vegan means no animal product. None. And no insect product. Zero. If your product contains just a little animal product it's still not vegan.

I'm vegan. I'm against cruelty to animals. I'm shopping with you. I don't want your opinion as why it's OK to use animals for this purpose or another. I definitely don't need you to tell me that they don't really hurt the animals in whatever process you are talking about.

If you own or run a restaurant and want vegans to dine with you, then create delicious vegan food. Make your vegan dishes so incredibly creative and tasty that your restaurant will be the talk of the town. A simple salad or pasta dish just doesn't do it.

If you are vegan and have created the most amazing vegan product, food item or business, we are super excited for you. We will probably end up loving your product or business just as much as you do. So please treat us kindly. Arrogance and ego don't really work for us. Kudos on the wonderful creation. We'll support it. Just remember that we're customers and will be part of your success.

We LOVE vegan businesses. We love them even better when the folks we engage with speak with us rather than at us and if they treat us as if our business and support might matter to them. A vegan business that we love and one that ROCKS at this is Vegan Cuts. I met the owners (I think they were the owners!) at a bloggers conference. They we so incredibly nice to me, just one of hundreds swinging by their booth. They made it so I wanted to do business with them. And we sure have! Their initial way of treating me created a long term customer and a huge fan.

This all boils down to the big rule for us: treat others as you wish to be treated. It's pretty simple. And easy. Personally I believe that it's so much easier to be kind to someone than unkind, especially to a customer!

If you are in business I assume you want to do well. Please keep some of this in mind. The way you treat people really makes a difference. I don't mean to come off negative with this post, I truly want businesses to take note and think about some of these issues. It's not just Mike and I who have experienced this, but much of what I am writing about are issues that many of our friends and blog readers have experienced.

We look forward to buying your product, dining at your restaurant and enjoying your newest vegan creation!

Thanks for reading!

What is "vegan friendly"?

I hear the term "vegan friendly" in regards to a restaurant often and am always curious about it. Some times I think it means that there are several vegan items to choose from. Other times I think that the restaurant is not vegan or veg yet has vegan options, or that the folks who run the restaurant are friendly to vegans.

For me personally, vegan friendly means that the owner/manager and staff are welcoming to vegans and make vegans feel like they are home.

It means that a server knows what vegan means and what on their menu is vegan.

It means that the server smiles when we say we are vegan, rather than frown.

It means that the server doesn't say "we don't really have anything that is vegan".

The food doesn't have to to be the best vegan food we have ever eaten. They have to have tried of course, but for me it is more in the attitude and hospitality of those running the restaurant that matters, because if they rock in those areas that means that good vegan food will happen even if they are not there yet.

An example is this new Pho restaurant in Lakewood. Yes, Lakewood! Mike and I are so excited. The vegan options just keep coming in our own city!

We decided last minute to check this place out while we were out running errands. Being new, we hadn't heard of this place nor did we know if they would have vegan options.

I will definitely be doing a restaurant review on this place later, but what I want to say now is about how well we were treated. The server knew what vegan meant and understood everything from fish oil to broth. When the Pho came out I took a photo of it (being a good blogger!). The owner saw this and asked if I would post it on Facebook and I thought to myself "buddy, you have no idea" as I told him I was a blogger, that I was vegan, and that I was so excited. His face literally lit up! He told us about everything on the menu that was vegan, and was super excited that we were there.

He made us feel right at home.

That, my friends, is vegan friendly.

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant review - The Ethiopian Restaurant

Mike and I had a dinner date last night. Friday night is usually our weekly dinner at Tarasco's, but last night we decided to go to The Ethiopian Restaurant. We have always loved this place but since it is on the east side and we live on the west side, it's not always convenient, especially if you are already hungry when you decide to go.

We both were reminded that a meal at The Ethiopian Restaurant is one of the best vegan meals in town.

We always get number III, the vegan combination platter. And I mean platter. Packed with lentils, greens, potatoes and cabbage. The flavors are crazy, and oh so satisfying. Every platter is served with Injera, a flat bread that just ads to the overall meal. You scoop up food using the Injera to eat all of the deliciousness.

Owned by a sweet Ethiopian couple, we have always loved coming here and always loved the meal. It does take time, as everything is made to order. Totally worth it, just don't arrive so hungry that you're grumpy.

They recently have re-done the floors and have gorgeous wood floors. The space is one simple room, with twelve tables or so and Ethiopian art on the walls.

Beer and wine served.

Bring cash, as they do not take credit cards.

The vegan combination platter we get is $12.95 per person.

Check it out!

The Ethiopian Restaurant
2816 East Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO  80206
303.322.5939

Hours are daily 11am - 11pm. They have been known to change so keep that in mind!

Thanks for reading!

Another Meatless Monday post

Recently I read about another restaurant in Denver that has started offering something special for Meatless Monday. I loved reading about it, a three course meal offered at Ace. Ace is not a vegan or veg restaurant, but they do have one of the areas top vegan chefs, Jesse Moore. I'm just excited that the whole Meatless Monday idea is going strong.

I think Meatless Monday is an amazing way to build relationships and to spread the value of offering vegan dishes. I dream of a day when our city of Lakewood embraces the idea and restaurants throughout the city offer vegan and vegetarian specials every Monday. It would be a win for everyone as Monday is typically not a busy night at restaurants and people interested in healthier food choices would have plenty of places to choose from.

Imagine going to your favorite restaurant and asking them to do something for Meatless Monday. You and your friends would promote it and before you know it Monday night could become one of their busier nights.

There are other ways to support Meatless Monday and to engage people into thinking about not consuming meat for a day: 

Bring a breakfast treat into the office.

Invite a group of co-workers out to lunch or plan a vegan potluck for lunch.

Plan a group dinner in your home. We've heard from our blog readers around the world who have hosted Meatless Monday dinners, one even having 25 friends over!

Create a community Meetup for the first Monday of every month. Choose a different restaurant each month and create an online community of people who are interested in joining you. You might be surprised to see a gathering go from five people the first time to 15 a couple of months later.

Meatless Mondays are awesome opportunities to not only show off how delicious and healthy vegan food can be but also a great way to be a voice for the animals.

Thanks for reading and please keep your Meatless Monday stories coming!

Restaurant review - JIll's at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa

Ever since enjoying my entire time at Jill's I have been so excited to share my experience there with you.

Please note that I dined at Jill's for their Friday vegan lunch buffet. I have not dined there for other meals or on other days, so I'm not sure what the vegan options are outside of the Friday lunch buffet. Having met the general manager and the executive chef I can only imagine that they would make sure you were well fed!

Walking into Jill's on a Friday for lunch is like being catapulted to a vegan paradise. Every food item I saw within the multiple buffet areas was vegan. Everything looked so delicious. I honestly couldn't believe it as I looked at the scrumptious desserts all lined up in a gorgeous display.

I started with the salads. Apparently items are different every Friday so please keep that in mind. The kale salad was delish, and I love kale. If you don't love kale like I do there were half a dozen other options for salad. There were also two soups, including the butternut squash soup which I devoured. It was more like dessert for me, incredible flavor with a hint of sweetness.

Although there was pizza on the buffet and stuffed shells, I decided to go for the "make your own pasta dish" bar. When the chef told me that Alfredo sauce was one of my options for the pasta, I knew I had made the right decision. Over a dozen choices of veggies for the pasta, you fill your bowl and then hand it to the chef. He then adds pasta (my choices were penne and linguine) and the sauce (aside from Alfredo there was also marinara) and into the skillet all of that goes. A minute later I was handed a steaming dish of vegan deliciousness.

And dessert! This photo says it all. Three different dessert choices. I tried two of them and was ecstatic. I also ordered a cup of coffee which passed my coffee snob test.

The service was perfect. Friendly, hospitable, helpful, kind.

My reviews are always 50/50 based on delish vegan food and friendly service. Jill's rocks it. I highly recommend you check this out if you are in Colorado. And when visiting Denver, Jill's is only 45 minutes away in Boulder.

I'd also like you to know that there was wait when I left. Although disappointing for some, I love when there is a wait at a non-vegan restaurant knowing that it is for vegan food. This being said, you might want to call ahead and make a reservation if you cannot arrive right at 11:30am.

Jill's is an amazing treat. Go! I'll see you there!

Jil's is inside the St. Julien Hotel & Spa at 900 Walnut Street in downtown Boulder. Their phone number is 720.406.7399.

Thanks for reading!
vegandude@msn.com

VeganMofo Day 15: I love Mexican food!

 My love for Mexican food is today's subject for my post for Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

If you are a regular reader of The Gay Vegans blog, then you already know that I love Mexican food and that my favorite place for amazing vegan Mexican food in Denver is Tarascos.

Mmmmm. I am salivating just thinking about it. When I first became vegan there were very few Mexican restaurants that made any of their re-fried beans without lard. It's a lot easier these days. My experience is also that if a place has lard in their re-fried beans, they might offer whole beans as an option.

The wonderful thing about living in Denver, and probably many other places, is that as vegans we really don't have to settle for just a plain bean or bean and rice burrito. Thank goodness.

My favorite meal at Tarascos is the enchiladas espinacas, spinach enchiladas. So delicious. Add in fresh-made guacamole and an agua fresca made with fresh fruits (and maybe fresh veggies) and you are good to go.

Sopa Tarasca is also one of my favorites, just a simple bean soup with flavors that will drive your taste buds crazy!

It's easy to not remember that Mexico is as diverse as the US, probably more so. This means the food options just go on and on. What I have listed are just some of my favorites, dishes I eat all of the time. I would love to hear about your favorite vegan Mexican dishes!

Thanks for reading!

VeganMofo Day 12: Restaurant relations

 Getting to know restaurant owners is the topic of my post for Day 12 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

This is so important for vegans on many levels. Mike and I have come to realize that the more relationships we build with restaurant owners, the better we eat and the better vegan food gets in our area.

Have you ever heard the quote "Shitty vegan food is bad for veganism"?

So true.

In many of the restaurants that we have listed on our main blog page, we are asked all of the time what we think about this dish or that dish. It's because the owner or the general manager knows us, and knows that we will give an honest opinion. After all, we want restaurants that serve delicious vegan food to do great business.

If you find a restaurant that has a few good vegan dishes, we highly encourage you to get to know the owners and/our management staff. Let them know you're vegan and that you love their restaurant. Let them know that you would come more often if they had more vegan dishes to choose from, unless they already have a lot.

A good relationship with those who run restaurants really go a long way. And it could mean that a particular restaurant starts creating some of the best vegan food you have ever tried.

Restaurants want to be busy. They want be full. We can help them with that, if they want to be creative and focus on amazing vegan food. Many restaurants in our area do this, and it helps their brand and their bottom line.

Try it.

Thanks for reading!