Hot Chick'n Sandwich Combo at Vujee Vegan in Huntsville AL

I made my way back to Vugee Vegan in Huntsville AL today. I've been wanting to visit again for a while. I had a craving for a chick'n sandwich. 

This is Vujee Vegan's version of the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. This is a delicious hand-breaded fried chick'n "breast", deep fried and tossed in house-made spicy seasonings. This is served on a toasted vegan Hawaiian roll with sweet creamy slaw, spicy pickle slices, and vegan ranch sauce. This combo is served with a choice of waffle fries or Mesquite BBQ Kettle Chips. I always get the waffle fries.

Hot Chick'n Sandwich Combo at Vujee Vegan in Huntsville AL

Hot Chick'n Sandwich at Vujee Vegan in Huntsville AL

Everything about this meal was excellent! I loved the crunch of the large slab of vegan chick'n. It was crispy but still soft in the middle. The Nashville hot sauce was thick and spicy with a good amount of heat, but it was still mild enough for adventurous kids. The soothing vegan ranch, slaw, and pickles were all perfect with the hot sauce. More slaw would have made this great sandwich even better, but that's just a personal preference.

The perfectly cooked waffle fries were as good as the ones I get at Chick-Fil-A, maybe better since these were slightly crispier and not as oily.

Allergens are clearly listed on the Vujee Vegan menu and marked on each wrapped food item with a nice Vujee Vegan label. The use of labels is good marketing and also ensures that we all know what we have in our hands before we eat it.

The ordering process was very easy on the Vujee Vegan website. Call in and walk in orders are also taken. Walk in orders do require a wait of about 10-15 minutes. I've been using the website because it's so easy, and it shows options available, such as ingredient subtractions or extra sauces.

I've been visiting this place frequently over the last month. Every meal has been a real treat, and the people are very kind and friendly. The kitchen looks clean, and there's a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the calming music. This has become my new favorite place for vegan food in Huntsville. I will surely return very soon!

Click here to see the Vujee Vegan Website

My First Visit to Slutty Vegan in Birmingham AL

After years of waiting for the right time, today I finally had the opportunity to try Slutty Vegan. This is my documentation and first impression of my experience.

Finding Slutty Vegan is pretty easy. Just find Sloss Furnaces and go east on 1st Ave a couple miles to 55th Pl and look for the brightly colored signs. 55th St is one block away from 55th Pl, so be sure you're on the correct 55th.

Slutty Vegan in Birmingham AL

Upon entry, the crew playfully welcomed us by announcing loudly that sluts have entered the building. The interior was bright and clean with bold graphic design and text all over the place. Slutty Vegan is known for its slightly vulgar corporate identity and advertising. It was so fun being part of Slutty Vegan's naughty world.

Slutty Vegan has a take-out counter for ordering food, but there is no seating area or drink station. It's very similar to a Pizza Hut or Dominos take out location. The kitchen appeared to be very clean. The crew was friendly. At the time of my visit, one of my favorite jams, No Ordinary Love by Sade, was the smooth groove bumping loudly on the apparently high-quality sound system, giving the place a cool nightclub vibe. I was dancing at the counter as the bass riff and Sade's smooth voice distracted me from the menu.

I had a travel companion during this visit, so we both ordered multiple items to share. We had to eat in the car.

Here's what we ordered:

Super Slut

A plant-based burger patty with vegan cheese, onions, tomato, lettuce, guacamole, and jalapeños on a vegan Hawaiian bun.

Super Slut at Slutty Vegan

This was scary. This burger tasted just like the real thing. It had the grilled flavor and chunky texture of a real beef patty. Even omnivores would never know this is a plant-based burger. And the creamy melted cheese was just like real cheese too. This burger was a bit messy. It had guacamole and sauce oozing out. The jalapeños gave it just a little bit of heat. The advertising shows burgers with more toppings, so the amount of real veggies was just slightly disappointing because of my personal preferences. This was one of the best vegan burgers I've had. I just prefer more veggies.

Personally, I'm nervous about vegan food that tastes like real meat. I really could not say for sure they didn't accidentally feed me real beef. While this was very good, I'm still afraid of this. I must trust them. Based on the taste and texture, I'd say it was beef.

Slutty Fries

Thick crinkle cut fries tossed in Slutty dust seasoning.

Slutty Fries at Slutty Vegan

These thick fries were excellent with a crispy exterior, soft interior, and a perfect amount of seasoning. These are some of the best fries I've had lately. I was given a good amount of ketchup to go with them. The portion size was good. This could be a satisfying smaller meal by itself, however it would be difficult to visit this place and stop with the fries. I saved some of these fries for later. They held up well and did not get soggy.

Side Heaux

New Orleans style crispy vegan shrimp tossed in buffalo sauce with a side of Slutty Fries and sweet and spicy coleslaw with house made ranch dipping sauce.

Side Heaux at Slutty Vegan

This was my first time trying vegan shrimp. Decades ago, as an omnivore, I was never a big fan of seafood, with the exception of an occasional flounder dinner. The last time I ate shrimp was when I was a small child, so my ability to compare this to real shrimp is limited. The batter was mostly crispy. As expected, the bold buffalo sauce was slightly hot and tangy. The interior texture was unexpected and really odd for me. I imagine this was similar to the texture of real shrimp; slightly rubbery, but soft, juicy, and delicate. There was a mild hint of funk to make it taste like seafood. The flavor was good, especially with the ranch dipping sauce added. This is just not my kind of thing with the weird texture, but it was good enough that I can imagine possibly wanting to order this again in the future. The side of sweet slaw makes this a more complete meal.

Hawt Toddy

A bowl of vegan chili.

Hawt Toddy at Slutty Vegan

This was a fine bowl of chunky, tomato-based chili with whole kidney beans and an oily finish. The heat level was mild, but the taste was completely satisfying. This can be a meal by itself. I also used this as a dip for my Slutty Fries, and it was a great combination.

One Night Stand

Plant-based patty loaded with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, and slut sauce on a vegan Hawaiian bun.

One Night Stand at Slutty Vegan

My travel companion had this one and said it was good. But as you can see, it was very messy because of the Slut Sauce. Things get really nasty at Slutty Vegan, but that's part of the fun. I may try this one next time I visit. That vegan bacon looked good.

My over-all opinion of Slutty Vegan is that it's as good as all the hype. I really enjoyed every bite of the food. Every city should have a Slutty Vegan, and with the recent growth, I can see that possibly happening. This was a really fun experience.

The only slight disappointments I have is that I would prefer a self serve drink station in the lobby with free refills, and I didn't have a place to sit and eat. I had to order a single can of expensive root beer, which was really great, but I really needed a big cup of sweet iced tea. I didn't see a way to order that. Also, I don't like eating in my car, so having a place to sit would be better. But take-out only locations just are the way they are. No big deal. This was still one of the best meals I've had in a while. I plan to return ASAP.

Click here to see the Slutty Vegan website

Vegan Thanksgiving 2023

If you wonder what a vegan Thanksgiving in the southeastern United States looks like, I have photographic documentation to share with you. The following foods were created for a small family gathering. At first glance, this looks like a typical Thanksgiving meal. But there are a few odd details.

Vegan Thanksgiving 2023

This homemade meal included:

Portobello mushroom steaks with homemade chimichurri sauce
I made this one by marinading large portobello caps in soy sauce with fresh minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper. I tried to char them in the skillet, but they were just too moist with the time I had. This was good but needed more time in the skillet.

Sliced root casserole
This was made with slices of rutabaga, sweet potato, onion, cassava, cashew milk, and seasonings.

Stuffing
I believe this is Pepperidge Farm stuffing with extra spices and small tomatoes added. I'm not sure, but it was very good.

Collard greens with Indian spices
I cut what's left of the fresh collard greens from the garden. I let those simmer on medium heat in salt water while I cooked sliced onion in the skillet with avocado oil and a small amount of cardamom, curry spice, cumin, and garam masala. After the greens darkened, I drained most of the water and tossed the onions into the greens. This blend of spices really added interesting layers of flavor to one of my favorite foods. Excellent!

Mashed potatoes
I have no idea how these vegan mashed potatoes were made, but I heard they included Follow Your Heart Vegenaisse. I thought that sounded a bit nasty, but I open-mindedly ate them. The Vegenaisse gave it a fuller home-made flavor. I prefer more basic mashed potatoes, but these were good.

Corn of the cob
I didn't get a photo of this one. I just melted vegan margarine on it. Excellent!

Pumpkin pie
This amazing vegan pumpkin pie was made with a premade graham cracker pie crust, a can of pumpkin, maple syrup, brown sugar, corn starch, nutmeg, cinnamon, garam masala, cloves, and salt. I topped it with crushed almonds and baked it for an hour. This was the best pie I have ever made! The flavor was so unexpectedly wonderful. Perfect!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie with almonds

Thanksgiving 2023 included some pleasant surprises. Two of my contributions were surprising successes thanks to my recent experimentation with Indian flavors. This is just further evidence that I'm the weirdo of the family. Check out my other Thanksgiving posts to see more "creative" Thanksgiving foods.

Vegan Options on a Carnival Valor Cruise in 2023

This post is provided as photographic documentation of my own experience as an herbivore aboard the Carnival Valor cruise ship in 2023 so that potential vegan and vegetarian Carnival cruisers will have more information about the plentiful availability of plant-based foods onboard.

DAY 1

BlueIguana Cantina

Before my cruise, I found information stating that BlueIguana Cantina was the place to go for vegan and vegetarian burritos and tacos. This was my first stop and first cruise meal once I boarded the ship.

Apparently the information I found online about BlueIguana Cantina was incorrect. I personally was told that the beans have chicken fat in them and the rice has butter in it. I was told the only vegan options are corn tortillas, the vegetable toppings, and the many salsas at the toppings bar. So my first meal was 2 corn tortillas with pico de gallo, lettuce, cilantro, and salsa. While this was a good snack to enjoy as I waited for the cruise to start, it was a bit disappointing considering that I thought this would be my main dining spot during the 5 day cruise. I became very concerned that this may be as good as it would get for me. Vegans, don't stop reading. It gets much better than this.

The Washington Dining Room

Before the cruise, I read that I should contact the dining room staff or maître d' to request meal options ahead of time. The ship is huge, and I had no idea where to go to do that. I was able to find the dining rooms, but the large multi-leveled dining rooms were empty at the time of my arrival. I decided I'd just go with the flow, wait for dinner time, and optimistically go from there.

At dinner, I saw vegetarian options for each course and each meal. I asked the waitress if those items are or could be altered to be vegan. She said my selections were vegan. This is my first serving; Mixed Greens salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

The main course was called Featured Indian Vegetarian and included lentils, basmati rice, papadam, chutney, and raita. The waitress was incorrect about this being vegan. The raita was made with milk, and I could not eat that. The rest of the meal appeared to be safe. It was excellent. This was loaded with the bold flavors experienced at a good Indian restaurant.

After this first satisfying meal I was able to request the vegan meal options for the entire cruise. From that point on, the dining room staff knew to prepare the vegan "Chef's Special" options for each of my meals. They know ahead of time to prepare something special. If you get this meal plan you need to be there each evening or let them know when you will not be there. But you will want to be there. The dinners are awesome! 

 

Rosie's Restaurant

There's drink stations with unlimited coffee, tea, water, and lemonade located in several places around Rosie's Restaurant, which is the buffet service area on the lido deck. These drinks seem to be available at all times. Fruit juices are also available for breakfast service. I had evening tea and took it to the Serenity deck for a peaceful moment.

DAY 2

Rosie's Restaurant

I started the day early at the buffet in Rosie's Restaurant. Vegan items found include plain grits (yay, no butter in them), several kinds of fresh fruit, several breads and toasts, and toppings such as peanut butter and jam. I enjoyed mine with coffee, and then orange juice.

Everything about this breakfast was great. I had plenty to eat, and my worries of starving on this cruise were completely gone. Vegans can eat well on Carnival Valor!

 

I returned for lunch, this time enjoying a plain baked potato sprinkled with cracked black pepper, a side of onions and peppers, and some hot sauce.

 

The buffet has a large salad area with anything you may want on a salad. It's one of the best salad bars I've seen. Even omnivores will enjoy this buffet. The vegan dressings seem to be limited to oil and vinegar, but that's my first choice anyway. Check out this massive serving of plant foods!

 

I was very pleased with this salad bar. And the line was short. Most of the cruisers were trying to hoard the meats and sweets.

 

And here's the lemonade, clearly made with real lemons. Notice the pulp. This is available around the clock, day and night.

 

 

Coffee Bar 

Carnival Valor has a fancy coffee shop! Vegans, they have almond milk, but they didn't have my first choice, oat milk. Don't miss this tasty treat on deck 5 near the casino. This is an extra cost item, but the prices are not too bad.

 

The Washington Dining Room

My second dinner started with a slice of baguette. It came with butter, but I set that aside and used olive oil and pepper as a dip.

That was followed by Baby Spinach Salad. It would normally come with walnuts and blue cheese dressing. My vegan option may have been misinterpreted to omit nuts. This was just a plate of spinach. I put balsamic vinegar on it. It was good, but it left me wanting something more.

This is where things really got good. The chef made a vegan version of the Root Vegetables In A Pie Crust. This was amazing! It tasted like the best Thanksgiving dressing mixed with potatoes, carrots, and corn in a pot pie crust, and there was what seemed to be a tapioca sauce on top. This was so good in so many ways. This was among the best plant-based food I've ever had.

 

DAY 3

Rosie's Restaurant

Here's another good breakfast at Rosie's. There's nothing new here, just more grits and a bagel. Perfect!

The Rosie's buffet had tofu. Can you believe that? I asked buffet cook (with a red tie, possible a leader) if the tofu was vegan and what else may be vegan. He said if I'm vegan he could make me a plate with all the vegan items. Completely surprised, and partially doubtful, I said sure. I'll try that. He said he'd send it to my table. A few minutes later I was served this beautifully dressed plate of tofu and fried rice with veggies and sauce.

The food and service was fantastic! I didn't even expect anyone to know the V word. I was surrounded by hundreds of vicious carnivores hoarding mountains of dead flesh, and here was this miracle meal that happened as if I wished it into being. I hope this buffet cook got rewarded by the positive comments I sent to Carnival. This was more than I ever expected. 

And since the food is almost always there, why not have another bagel with peanut butter and banana with coffee?

DAY 4

The Washington Dining Room

This meal started with bread and salad as the others did. Both were great but my photos were not so great. So let's move on. The main dish was the vegan Chef's Special again. This time it was a stuffed tomato with veggie patties in a tomato sauce. This tomato was stuffed with quinoa and veggie chunks. Just as the last main dish from the dining room, this was excellent in every way. This was real food from a chef. With food this good, I didn't want to leave the ship. I was eating like royalty.

DAY 5

Rosie's Restaurant

I couldn't resist. I had to have even more of this for my last breakfast aboard the Valor.

 

BlueIguana Cantina

I ended this cruise where it started, BlueIguana Cantina. This time the toppings bar was completely raided, and I was forced to get my taco toppings from the Guy's Burger Joint toppings bar on the other side of the deck. But it worked out. This was my last sad snack as we cruised back to New Orleans and floated back to reality.

Vegans, vegetarians, herbivores, do not think for a moment that you will starve on Carnival Valor. You can eat almost all day long, non-stop, like a grazing cow, on real plant-based foods, even raw vegan foods! There's so much food it's unbelievable. Most of it is for the omnivores. It's slightly limited, mostly for breakfast, but plant-based food is there for us. 

The Deli can make a very simple vegan sandwich with sourdough bread, lettuce, pickle, tomato, and onion. Just be very clear that you want it uncooked and with no cheese or dressing.

I read that Guy's Burger Joint has a vegan burger option, but I wasn't confident in that information after seeing the kitchen and the food. It was crowded and it looked like there would be a cross-contamination issue, so I didn't bother asking about it. The bun looked glossy like it was an egg bun grilled with bacon grease. They also had seasoned fries for vegetarians, but it's unclear if those are vegan.

Other options for lacto-vegetarians are all over the place. The Deli has french fries and a veggie patty sandwich that looked good. Pizza Pirate has cheese and margherita pizza. An abundance of foods like cookies, pasta, grilled veggies, casseroles, mac and cheese, breakfast cereal, and hash browns can be found at Rosie's Restaurant. Those who are more relaxed about cross-contamination can enjoy the Mongolian Wok's vegetarian stir fry.

Tips For Vegan Valor Cruisers

• Do not miss the opportunity to eat every dinner in the dining room. Make a request for vegan options for each dinner on your cruise. The chef will probably not disappoint you.
  
• Get to know Rosie's Restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Some buffet areas remain the same each day, and other areas have new foods each day. Just ask a red tie leader what is vegan.
• You can skip room service. It's not for us. Take bananas from the buffet back to your stateroom for late night snacks.
• Don't expect to find any ingredients lists online or at the restaurants. It's all a mystery. Go with what you know is safe. Assume the food is not vegan until you have reason to trust that it is.
  
• Be creative. Vegan food is not on any menu. Use the menus to find out what vegan items are in the kitchen, then carefully make special requests, such as the cold veggie sandwich at The Deli.
  
• Servers may not know what's vegan, but the team leaders will.
• Many of the Carnival Valor vegan food suggestions floating around online are just daydreams. Some people are wishing those foods were vegan, and they want to enjoy themselves, so they decide to just eat what they want. That's fine for them, but they're sharing false information. I saw no evidence of vegan burritos, vegan burgers, vegan sushi, or vegan pizza. Vegans will not starve on the Valor, but it's still a bit of a challenge to eat anything other than salad, fruit, and bread during the day.
  
• Relax. Don't worry too much about the food on Carnival Valor. Eat whatever you can onboard. You can save your worries for Mexico. Good luck finding food there.
  

I had an amazing, life-changing experience on my first cruise with Carnival. It feels like it was all just a dream now. If you'd like to have a great time on the water you should go to www.carnival.com

Vegan Hobo Pack with Potatoes, Onions, and Field Roast Sausage

Hobo packs can be easy meals for the oven or the grill. Just find some left-over items and cook them in a foil pouch with a splash of oil and your favorite spices.

I had some old potatoes and part of a white onion. I threw in a chopped Field Roast Spicy Mexican Chipotle sausage. I sealed it up in a tightly folded foil pouch and baked it.

Vegan Hobo Pack with Potatoes, Onions, and Field Roast Sausage

This works well for camping trips. These can be prepared before leaving home. Let's take a moment to remember that many people are currently living without homes. They may have jobs and look clean, but they sleep in their cars, campers, tents, etc.

Home-made Vegan Aloo Bhindi

This home-made Aloo Bhindi was made with boiled potatoes, okra, and tomatoes, along with turmeric, cumin, garam masala, red pepper, coriander, salt, and Earth Balance Buttery Spread. I was running low on okra as you can see. I just threw this together using leftovers. This turned out better than expected. Preparation time was about half an hour.

Home-made Vegan Poutine with Bisto Gravy

This poutine included frozen crinkle cut fries, Bisto gravy, Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds, and fresh green onions. Food from heaven!

Home-made poutine with Bisto gravy

I discovered a plant-based instant gravy. I first bought Bisto gravy at my local European market in the British section. Later I saw that Publix Supermarkets also have it, and at a much better price. 

Bisto comes in a can. The actual product looks like rat poison pellets or fish food. When very hot water is poured onto the pellets, it turns into a delicious gravy.

This gravy is amazing but takes some practice to make. During preparation, it has a very thick and gelatinous consistency unless plenty of water is added. More water is better. Also, the water must be very hot to dissolve it. The gravy should be prepared only minutes before serving, because it quickly becomes thicker when it cools. When its done correctly, this gravy is awesome! I love it!

A Vegan July 4th Work Lunch 2022

We had a July 4th feast at work! And they offered some vegan items. Free food!

This work lunch included Lay's Barbecue chips, Lay's Classic chips, a bag of popcorn, and a Dr Pepper. I enjoyed this so much I went back for more during my 15 minute break.

Some people would think of this as a disappointing lunch, since the others got to enjoy a fried chicken feast with several side dishes. I grew up poor. I see this as a really good free lunch. I'm grateful for what I get in this world. I think everyone would be happier if we all focused more on the good things in life.

At work I choose not to tell anyone that I eat only plant material. This just avoids conflict and misunderstandings. I would like to avoid having people go out of their way to get something special just for me, not only because I don't want to take the fun out of their celebrations, but also because they'd get their feelings hurt if they got something they think is vegan but is not. Also I want to avoid having people bring in their own assumptions about vegans and apply them to me. They may have known a very judgemental, outspoken, angry vegan who offended or scared them, and I am completely not like that.

Margaret Holmes Tomatoes and Okra

Margaret Holmes makes the kind of foods you might eat at Granny's house. And like Granny, Margaret Holmes has no problem putting old fashioned ingredients like chicken fat, bacon, and other "natural flavors" in the veggies. I noticed that the Tomatoes and Okra are safe for vegetarians and vegans! I had to try this.

Margaret Holmes Tomatoes and Okra

I enjoyed my tomatoes and okra with boiled potatoes with plenty of crushed black pepper. This was really good! This simple plant based meal had plenty of flavor.

Tomatoes and Okra with boiled potatoes

Vegan Lasagna at Sunflower Cafe in Nashville TN

I went back to Sunflower Cafe to enjoy one of my favorite foods, lasagna. Vegan lasagna is not so easy to find or make. It's a time-consuming food to prepare, and finding the right vegan ingredients is a challenge. But Sunflower Cafe never lets me down. 

Lasagna at Sunflower Cafe in Nashville TN

This was a really good vegan lasagna all the way to the end! It had the expected layers and flavor. But omnivores would recognize differences in flavor and texture from the traditional lasagna. This was a lighter, milder version, but the flavor would satisfy almost anyone. I personally prefer a crunchier toasted top layer and outer edges to give more variety of texture. This was consistently soft throughout. Maybe it sat covered for a while. But that's just a minor issue that I mention just to prove that I'm being fair. Overall, this was excellent! I hope it remains available. Just looking at the photo makes me want more.

My meal didn't end there. I could not stop myself. I also had the Asian Slaw and Potato Salad, both of which were excellent!

Asian Slaw at Sunflower Cafe in Nashville TN

Potato Salad at Sunflower Cafe in Nashville TN

 

It's difficult to avoid becoming gluttonous at Sunflower Cafe. The food is right there behind the glass. It all looks so tasty, and it's all vegan. There are so many great options for vegans!

Click here to see the Sunflower Cafe website

Vegan Thanksgiving 2021

Another vegan Thanksgiving is here. It's a day to be grateful and appreciative for the simple things in life. I prefer to focus on things like silent moments, gentle breezes, my favorite jacket, memories of life on the beach in the winter, the good people who are part of my amazing life story, and good plant-based foods. I shared my food with the family. Here is my part of the celebratory meal.

 

Chunky Vegan Mashed Potatoes

This is simply boiled and mashed potatoes with salt, oat milk, and Earth Balance buttery spread. A home-cooked meal is not complete without mashed potatoes. Always good.

Vegan Onion and Mushroom Gravy

I cooked diced onions and mushrooms in the skillet with soy sauce, then cooked them in water with spices. After it cooked down I blended it until mostly smooth and added oat milk. It tasted very much like beef gravy. 

Fried Tempeh With Gravy 

I lightly browned some Lightlife tempeh in the skillet and poured the vegan gravy over it. Excellent!

Green Beans with Potatoes

The green beans were cooked southern style with olive oil and potato chunks.

 

Seasoned Rice

I used white rice and added olive oil, red and yellow pepper, celery, garlic powder, spices, and salt.

Steamed Broccoli

At the last minute I threw a steamer bag of broccoli into the microwave. Steamed broccoli is great!

Staff of Life Vegan Cafe / Kara's Kitchen and Bed and Breakfast in Cherokee AL

This entry is photographic documentation of my first visit to Staff of Life Vegan Cafe, also know as Kara's Kitchen. In the small town of Cherokee AL, hidden inside this early twentieth century mansion called the Easterwood House, amazing vegan foods are carefully crafted and served by kind and welcoming people.

The Easterwood House in Cherokee AL was originally built in about 1905 on a 12 acre lot as a wedding gift from Dr and Mrs William Cross to their daughter and son-in law Mannie and Herbert Harris. Now it is a bed and breakfast with most of the first floor being used as dining rooms and kitchen for Staff of Life Vegan Cafe. The house is amazing with large rooms, tall ceilings, and wood detailing everywhere.

The smokey smell of fireplace and home-cooked foods made the old mansion feel like home. The air was a bit chilly in some areas, but the fireplaces were alive and warm in the two front rooms.

Soothing jazz guitar music played as I appreciated the beautiful mansion and the view of the pond through the window. There was a wait time of about 20-30 minutes. Hand-crafted food made from scratch takes some time. Everything at Staff of Life is vegan. The chef is talented and experienced with knowledge of not just vegan food but also nutrition.

Black Bean Soup

To start the meal, I warmed up with a huge bowl of steaming hot Black Bean Soup. They seem to have been perfectly seasoned with mild chili spices and onion with a drizzle of olive oil. This was the best black bean soup I can remember eating. I know black bean soup is usually good, but the flavor was absolutely perfect.

Black Bean Soup at Staff of Life Vegan Cafe in Cherokee AL

 

Sweet Potato Biscuit with Vegan Sausage 

The Black Bean Soup came with a sweet potato biscuit and vegan sausage. The biscuit was softer but tastier than expected. The vegan sausage was mildly spicy and slightly crisp. The flavor and texture was enough like real sausage to please any vegan, but meat eaters would notice the difference. This was very good for such a simple side item. I would have wanted another, but I knew more delicious plant-based foods were about to come out of the kitchen.

Sweet Potato Biscuit with Sausage at Staff of Life Vegan Cafe in Cherokee AL

Double Decker Chicken Sandwich

The main dish for my day was the Double Decker Chicken Sandwich with Fries. The two "chicken" fillets were actually triple battered, hand-crafted seitan. They were double stacked on a bun and covered in three hand-made sauces with tomato and lettuce on the side.

 

Double Decker Chicken Sandwich at Staff of Life Vegan Cafe in Cherokee AL

This was fantastic! The textures and flavors were all so varied and harmonious. The consumption of this dish was joyous. Vegan food this good is a very rare treat in this part of the country. I highly recommend this plate of heavenly food as a guaranteed winning starting point for new visitors to Staff of Life Vegan Cafe. This will please any person with a normal, functioning sense of taste.

Butter Pecan Cake

The meal ended with this slice of vegan Butter Pecan Cake. This was also made from scratch. The flavor and texture of this cake was more like a traditional cake than any other vegan cake I've ever had. This was perfectly sweetened, very sweet but not as sweet as normal cake. This cake was loaded with pecans. I'm no longer a huge fan of sweets, but this cake was amazing!

Butter Pecan Cake at Staff of Life Vegan Cafe in Cherokee AL

 

I shared this meal with a member of my family. We were able to split each part of the meal. During the last half of the meal, the chef came out to meet us. Talking with her was like being with family. She was very kind, friendly, relaxed, and welcoming. After the meal we were able to walk around the mansion, study the art and antiques, and chat again in the lounge near another warm fireplace. 

Everything was very clean and neat, which is not always possible in places of this age. I inspected the dishes, bathroom, and most of the public rooms. The mansion does show its age in places, but it's very clean.

 

The price for this meal was much more than I would usually pay. But this was all hand-made food from scratch, prepared by a real chef with decades of vegan cooking experience. And the environment was unforgettable. There is a fair expectation to pay more for real food, especially food this good. There are a few lower priced items on the menu, such as chili dogs and soups. I'm not sure why the talented chef is not more regionally known. I'm hoping to help spread the word.

 

Vegans, vegetarians, and herbivores have dozens of menu options at Staff of Life Vegan Cafe. While eating at this quality level may not be financially possible for some people, I do recommend a visit. Save up some money and have a special day, or spend the night there and wake up to the smell of vegan sausage and gravy.

My lunch at Staff of Life Vegan Cafe was excellent. I hope to return soon.