Laughing Seed Cafe in Asheville NC

I went to Laughing Seed Cafe two days in a row, because it's that good!

DAY ONE

Pakoras 

This dish is was fantastic! These are Indian-style fritters made with chickpea flour and vegetables served with Punjabi chutney and yogurt. I chose the vegan option, so the regular yogurt was substituted with the vegan style. This was very flavorful. Everything about it was amazing! I will definitely get this again.

 

 

Daily Special Pasta 

This pasta dish was a daily special that isn't a regular menu item. I was lucky enough to catch it while it was available. I told the server "I'm vegan and I'm here to try something new". She suggested something the chef was trying that day. I believe it was a vegan pesto experiment. I ate all of it and nearly licked my plate clean. I don't know why this isn't a menu item. It was very good. I would order this again if I knew what it was. And look how beautifully crafted is was.

 

DAY TWO

Jalapeno-Onion Fries 

Russet potatoes fried with sliced onions and jalapenos seasoned with spices, served with organic ketchup and vegan chipotle ranch. This was also very good. Enjoy them fresh. The left-overs will get very soggy, but the flavor is still good.

 

Harmony Bowl 

Layers of brown rice, black beans, tofu, steamed veggies, and sesame ginger sauce. This has been my standard Laughing Seed lunch since my very first visit way back in the early 1990s. It has everything you need in micro nutrients.

 

Laughing Seed Cafe never lets me down. I always leave completely satisfied. The food is always awesome and the people are friendly. It's on a cozy one-way street, and a public parking garage is just a few feet away. They have a dog-friendly eating area outside. If you're in Asheville, you must try this place! The prices are a bit higher, but the food is worth it.

Click here for the Laughing Seed Cafe website

Which Wich Black Bean Patty Wich with House Chips

The Which Wich Black Bean Patty Wich is not the only vegan wich at Which Wich, but it is my favorite. I get mine topped with deli mustard, spinach, lettuce, green pepper, black olives, red onions, and oregano. I get the white bread because the wheat bread contains honey. This is also available Lettucewich style, which means they use several big pieces of lettuce wrapped around it instead of bread.

Click here for the Which Wich Menu

Chipotle Mexican Grill Vegan 3 Point Burrito

I ordered a Chipotle 3 point burrito. This is a tortilla with black beans, white rice, and guacamole.  The 3 point burrito is cheap because it counts as 3 side items at 90 cents each, and it's enough food for 2 meals. I just make sure they don't charge me for a veggie burrito, because that costs almost 3 times as much. This is another awesome non-GMO meal!

Click here to see the Chipotle website

Veggie Delight at Subway

I ordered a 6 inch Veggie Delight on white bread, toasted, no cheese, with my favorite veggies and oil, vinegar, and oregano. I get the white bread because the others contain milk or honey.

Another Morning at SpringHill Suites

I made some oat meal and put pecans and raisins in it. This is pretty good for a hotel lobby. A vegan can eat something at SpringHill Suites.

Uncle Maddio's Pizza In Madison AL

I built my own pizza with wheat crust, garlic oil base, Daiya cheese, seasoned tofu, black olives, green peppers, and onions. The tofu is generously seasoned, so this pizza has much more flavor than other vegan pizzas. According to their allergy chart, the "Traditional Crust" contains milk, but the "Wheat Crust" does not.

Click here to see Uncle Maddio's website

French Quarter Dip Sandwich at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN

French Quarter Dip. Portabella mushrooms and seitan in a Creole seasoning served with au jus dipping sauce. Served with a light salad.

Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website

Jason's Deli Soup and Sandwich Meal

Here's a half Zucchinin Grillini without cheese and a cup of Vegetarian Vegetable Soup with a side of steamed vegetables.

Click here to see the Jason's Deli website

Zoe's Kitchen Veggie Kabobs With Potato Salad

Click here to see Zoe's Kitchen website

Veggie Quinoa Bowl and Lentil Bowl at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN

The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant serves only vegan food unless you want yogurt. I tried a few dishes in the past. They've all been great. On this visit I ate what I believe is the Veggie Quinoa Bowl and Lentil Bowl with grilled tempeh.

Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website

McAlister's Deli Ultimate Nachos

The Ultimate Nachos can be vegan. Substitute chili for veggie chili, and leave off the Rotel nacho cheese, cheddar jack cheese, and sour cream.

Vegan Pizza at Spazio Pizza & Taps

Spazio Pizza & Taps is attached to Whole Foods in Huntsville AL. I was able to create my own pizza with wheat crust, oil base, basil, black olives, roasted garlic, and vegan cheese.

A vegan pizza at Spazio Pizza & Taps in Huntsville AL

Jason's Deli Salad Bar

Jason's Deli has the best salad bar in town. Look at those colorful veggies!

Click here to see the Jason's Deli website

A Bowl of Black Bean Soup at Panera Bread

The black bean soup is very good, and it's vegan. You can tell by the taste that it's a very simple water-based soup with beans, mild peppers, and other veggies. This comes with a side of  french bread or potato chips, and both options are vegan.

Click here for Panera Bread's vegan menu

Ma Po Tofu at P.F. Chang's

While this is one of P.F.Chang's best vegetarian dishes, I want to warn vegans about a problem I've had with it. This tofu appears to be deep fried. You know what that means? They probably fry this in the same fryer and oil as the meats. I lost count of the times I've found little bits of gristle and mystery items in this dish. I will probably not order it again. I'll just remember it with this beautiful photo of the time it was perfectly made.

Click here to see P.F.Chang's website

Hummus on an Onion Bagel at Bruegger's Bagels

Home-style Bean Curd at Fulin's Asian Cuisine

This meal was absolutely delicious. This is tofu with vegetables in a vegetarian brown sauce. I've been to Fulin's a few times. The tea was great. The food tasted fresh and clean...... except for the little bit of gristle I found in it. It only happened once. It could have been a piece of chicken batter. I'm not sure. Vegans, beware. I'll definitely order this again if I'm in the area, but I know to watch out.

An Edible Arrangment

This is an Edible Arrangement called Simple Daisies. This was good, but it was not cheap!

Another Good Lunch, You Pick Two at Panera Bread

This time I ordered using the You Pick Two option. I had a half Mediterranean Veggie sandwich without feta and a cup of Black Bean Soup. It came with a chunk of French bread. This meal was tasty and satisfying without filling me up too much.

UPDATE: This bread does contain honey. I choose to avoid honey, so next time I order this meal I will be getting this served on Sesame Semolina bread.

Click here for Panera Bread's vegan menu

Domino's Pasta Bowl

I created my own pasta bowl. I ordered it with only noodles, pizza sauce, and veggies. The marinara sauce ingredients have changed a few times and it's not vegan. In the past it had milk and chicken flavoring in it. Vegans, make sure the crew knows you want the "pizza sauce"! The pizza sauce has consistently remained vegan. The noodles do not contain eggs. If you're really friendly with the crew, you can talk them into sprinkling oregano or garlic seasoning on top. Both are also vegan an will make this bowl even better.

Blackened Tofu Plate by Chef Will The Palate in Huntsville AL

Chef Will the Palate has a vegetarian food truck at Lowe Mill in Huntsville AL. This is one of his most popular vegan meals. Blackened Tofu comes with spinach, tomatoes, guacamole (or avocado wedges), seasoned rice, and a sweet and tangy sauce. This was amazing! Everything I've had from Chef Will has been excellent.

Blackened Tofu Plate by Chef Will The Palate in Huntsville AL

Home-made Vegan Sushi Platter for a Social Gathering

I enjoy vegan catering. This plate contains samples of my vegan sushi. I was just trying some new ideas. Some of it was beautiful and some was just weird.

Gerber Baby Food

Plant in Asheville NC

Plant is a great place to go for special occasions. I'd eat there several times a week if I could afford it, but the prices are higher than other plant-focused restaurants in Asheville. They do use higher quality, organic, local foods, and each dish is a beautiful work of art. One thing I love about Plant is that every item on the menu is 100% vegan.

Masala Uttapam. This is not a stock photo of fancy food. This is the actual food that came to my table!

Lasagna Cruda. This is one of the best raw dishes I've had anywhere. If you're planning a first visit to Plant you may want to start with this one.You will not regret it!

Click here for the Plant website

Another Visit to Rosetta's Kitchen in Asheville NC

This is the Family Favorite. And how could it not be? This time it came with mashed potatoes (excellent!) and gravy (heavenly!), greens, and Peanut Butter Baked Tofu. I wanted to grow another stomach. That's how good this was!

Click here to see Rosetta's Kitchen website

A Delicious Vegan Meal at Rosetta's Kitchen in Asheville NC

Rosetta's Kitchen in Asheville NC is an awesome vegetarian/vegan restaurant! The food is fantastic, and the environment is funky and creative. And for those who can't afford to pay much for food, they have a sliding scale price for the small plates. Everyone eats! I had some money, so I paid full price. It was worth every dime!

Vegan Queso Basket. This is so good I get it every time I visit this Rosetta's Kitchen. This is one of my favorite vegan foods anywhere!

Family Favorite. This came with mashed potatoes (excellent!) and gravy (heavenly!), greens, and BBQ tempeh. A side dish of pinto beans is in the background.

Iron Skillet Corn Bread with Earth Balance spread. Another one of my favorites. Nice texture.

Click here to see Rosetta's Kitchen website

Another Mellow Mushroom Pizza

This time I ordered a small vegan style pizza with oil base (instead of red sauce), black olives, roasted red peppers, onions and vegan cheese. I always ask for no garlic butter or Parmesan on the crust in case they don't know what vegan style means.

Click here to see the Mellow Mushroom website

Vegan Thanksgiving 2017

Mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, pinto beans, stir fried green beans, cranberry sauce, a biscuit, and Gardein Holiday Roast. All of this is vegan!

Vegan Chocolate Cake

I found a really nice treat at the Earth Fare bakery. Very rich and sweet.

Italian Chocolate from the European Market

The package had the ingredients in many languages including English. I didn't see anything in there that would not be vegan.

VeganThanksgiving 2016

All of this delicious food was made fresh at home. I like to cook vegan soul food, and this includes some of those foods. It's all vegan!

Spicy Japanese Noodles at Nothing But Noodles

I was told by the people at Nothing But Noodles that the Spicy Japanese Noodles bowl is vegan if I substitute the Udon noodles for the rice noodles and request it "allergy style" (cooked in a clean pan). So that's what I did. This is really good, and it's a pretty generous amount of food. Here you see rice noodles, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and bean sprouts in sugar-lime soy sauce. It comes with bread twigs and a lime. Nothing But Noodles currently has locations in North Carolina and Alabama.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

Raw & Juicy in Seaside FL

I ordered Spring Rolls at Raw & Juicy in Seaside FL. This is real food! I should be eating this way everyday. If I lived in Seaside, I would.

Everything served at this food truck is raw, organic, and vegan. Remember, real food does have a price. It costs more because it's better quality food.

Click here for the Raw & Juicy website

Jason's Deli Plain Jane Baked Potato

This is the Plane Jane baked potato ordered "with absolutely nothing on it", and then I went to the salad bar and topped it with jalapenos and shredded almonds. The Plain Jane usually comes with butter, bacon, green onions, cheddar, and sour cream.

Click here for the Jason's Deli website

Rice with Salsa and Chips

Home-made Baked Potato

This is just a red baked potato with salt and pepper.

Chipotle Veggie Bowl Combo

Vegans have a bunch of options at Chipotle! This is a veggie bowl. It's HUGE! This easily makes 2 or even 3 meals, and it costs just over $10 with chips and a regular drink. They ask you what you want in it, and you can watch them make it. I got brown rice, black beans, grilled fajita veggies (they always grill them in a separate area from the meat), hot sauce, guacamole, chips, and sweet tea. This is one of my favorite meals.

Click here for the Chipotle website

Home-made Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce

Stars Falafel On Alabama at Happy Tummy in Huntsville AL

This is a vegan option at Happy Tummy. The Stars Falafel On Alabama is usually a wrap and comes with a non-vegan Tzatziki sauce. For this meal I went with the bread slices and left off the sauce.

Stars Falafel On Alabama at Happy Tummy in Huntsville AL

Click here to see the Happy Tummy website