Friday, September 28, 2007

Organic Garden Cafe

Organic Garden Cafe
294 Cabot St.
Beverly, MA 01915
978 922 0004
Website

Organic Garden is the only raw food restaurant in Massachusetts. They have wide array of items on the menu from smoothies, to salads, to veggie burgers. The fresh lemonade with agave is a treat and unlike any lemonade you've tried before. My favorite entree is the sampler which contains sprouted rice, greens, pate, falafel, a thai dumpling, a mini veggie burger and dehydrated crackers. It is a lot of food, but also a little on the pricey side at $17. The offer a number of raw desserts as well. The brownie we tried was very good.

If you are adventurous and like veggies, this is a great place to try. It may not be a the best option if visiting with omni friends that are used to restaurant chain food.

The restaurant is cozy with just about a dozen small tables. They also have small raw foods store in the back. A few parking spots are available in the lot behind the restaurant. There is plenty of on street parking. Nearby is a cool little indie film movie house called the Cabot Street Theater.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Veggie Planet

Veggie Planet
47 Palmer St
Cambridge, MA 02138
617 661 1513
Website

Veggie Planet was started by Didi Emmons the author of the Veggie Planet cookbook.

VP claims to sell the best veggie pizza in Boston. While it is good, they serve more of a flatbread than a pizza. They have great salads and I'm told the vegan brownies rock. Though they never have any available for me to try when visiting. My favs include both The Odd Lot (tomatoes, spinach, basil tofu ricotta, calamata olives, and fried garlic) or the Peanut Curry. The curry is wonderful over coconut rice. Often times I order the double header, so I can try two menu items.

On Sundays they serve brunch. We've tried the waffles and the coffee cake. Both were great. The food at veggie planet is very reasonably priced. Unfortunately, parking is difficult. On street is available, but the area is very congested. There is a pay lot nearby, otherwise take the train to Harvard Square.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Byblos

Byblos
678 Washington St.
Norwood, MA 02062
781 762 8998
Website

Closed Mondays. Byblos is by far, the best Middle Eastern food I've tried. The hummus, tabbouli, and falafel are spectacular. Though not exclusively vegan, their menu has a separate vegetarian section.

Byblos is family owned and the friendly staff can answer any questions about the menu or ingredients. The tahini sauce on the falafel is dairy free. Their fresh squeezed lemonade almost rivals my aunt's home made recipe.

Friday and Saturday nights there is music and belly dancing.

On street parking out front and plenty of space in the public lot behind the restaurant.

Garden Grille Cafe

Garden Grille Cafe
727 East Ave.
Pawtucket, RI 02860
401 726 2826
Website

Garden Grille has a varied menu. The restaurant is 100% vegetarian and most menu items are vegan or can be. On weekends they have a wonderful brunch. The pancakes are great as are the tofu scrambles. Many smoothies are available including the famous Crazy Weech which is chocolate soy milk, peanut butter, and bananas.

Dinner can be pricey, but the funky eclectic meals are worth it. Often times we order one of the specials as you may not see them again. The vegan nachos appetizer is great. They generally have a few mediocre desserts on the menu. Beer and mixed drinks were are a recent addition.

Plenty of parking available.

It's Only Natural (ION) Restaurant

It's Only Natural (ION) Restaurant
386 Main St.
Middletown, CT 06457
860 346 9210
Website

ION is mostly vegetarian with one seafood entree on the menu. The majority of the menu is vegan or can be vegan. They have daily specials that are usually pricey, but worth it as they are creative dishes that you may not get to try again. One of the little things I love about ION is the freshly brewed iced teas they keep on hand like earl gray or bancha. Ion also has a veg wine/beer/dessert menu.

The restaurant itself is bright and decorated with local art that is for sale. They have take-out options and a cookbook for sale.

The sweet potato fries and cajun tempeh are my favorite items on the menu.

A public parking lot is available behind the restaurant and street parking is in the front. Ion is in the back of the Main Street Market. Toward the front of the Main Street Market is the It's Only Natural Market which is worth checking out if you are there. They sell locally made tofu and lots of other great stuff.

Cabot's Ice Cream

Cabot's Ice Cream
743 Washington St
Newtonville, MA 02460
617 964 9200
Website

Cabot's is not vegan by any means. However, they do carry non dairy soft serve. I'm sure this is to accommodate people with dairy allergies, but it sure is convenient for us vegans. They have plain vanilla and it can be combined with any number of mix-ins. Be sure to check whether the additions you want are vegan. Flavors we've tried include coffee oreo, peach strawberry, and coconut cherry. (Butterscotch is not vegan, we asked.)

Nice Slice Pizza

Nice Slice Pizza
267 Thayer St
Providence, RI 02906
401 453 6423
**Updated Post June 2013**
Sausage Special with Chipotle Pesto
(vegan sausage, mushrooms, onion)
 
 
Nice Slice is not 100% vegan, but most pizzas, sandwiches and calzones can be made vegan. They use a mix of Follow Your Heart and Veganrella mozzarella cheese. Vegan options include veggies and mock meats such as pepperoni featured on the Phoni Roni.

Their ginormous pizzas are made on a whole wheat thin crust. Some vegan options from the menu: Hawaiian, BBQ Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, Bounty Killer (hots, sausage, pepperoni, meatball), Earth Crisis (tomato, artichoke, spinach, olives).

They sell whole pies and by the slice. If they don't have a slice of what you want, they will usually cook up a whole pizza so you can buy just one piece.

The store is small with just a couple of tables and lots of funky artwork.  There's also posters up about local happenings.  If you are trying to get a feel for what to expect, check out their mission statement.

"Our mission: To Serve You Pizza and preserve Thayer St's status as a haven for intellects and counter-cultural weirdos."

They are open late, until midnight!  In the summer you can sit outside at a small steel counter and people watch to you heart's content.  You never know what you'll see on Thayer St.

I feel it is a public service to let you know how amazing their chipotle pesto sauce is.  Add it to almost any of their pizzas to elevate the flavor to a new level.  Nice Slice is by bar my favorite vegan pizza in New England!

If you are thirsty, they also have an amazing array of ice cold drinks.  Many are in glass bottles, which we often carry home to recycle as Thayer Street doesn't have a recycling program.
 
On street parking only.

Rasoi

Rasoi
727 East Ave.
Pawtucket, RI 02860
401 728 5500
Website

Rasoi is not exclusively vegan, but does offer both gluten free and vegan items. On Saturday afternoons they offer a vegan/gluten free buffet that includes dessert. The buffet always has a few staples like lentil donuts, rice, and idlis. The soup, salad, entrees, and dessert change. We've been surprised many times with new dishes we'd never tried before. Rasoi is delicious and the staff is very friendly.

Plenty of parking available.

My Thai Cafe Vegetarian and Bubble Tea Bistro

My Thai Vegan Cafe
3 Beach St (Second Floor)
Boston, MA 02111
617 451 2395

You might think you missed the restaurant, but look for the entranceway with some sketchy looking stairs and head up.   The restaurant could use some updating, but the large selection of tasty dishes makes it worth the trip.

My Thai has a menu of over 100 items. In addition they serve bubble teas and desserts from Indigo Cafe. I'm a fan of the coffee bubble tea which is a bit of an oddity. My favorite menu items include the Basil Chicken, Tamarind Duck, and Tom Yum Soup. My Thai desserts are amazing. The two I highly recommend are the carrot cake and turtle truffle torte. Friends have said the cheesecake is also incredible.

Parking in Chinatown can be troublesome.  Take the train or the restaurant is just a short walk from Boston Common Parking Garage.