Vegan Holiday Party 2018

I went to a holiday gathering of like-minded people. We shared and ate plant-based foods, shared a few gifts, and socialized. I will share with you photographic documentation of some foods that were available. I'll end it with the home-made Vegan Key Lime Tarts I made myself just for this event.

When I arrived, there was already a table set up with Sabra Hummus, tortilla chips, fruit, and a wonderful plate of vegan cream cheese and crackers. Wine, beer, and vegan holiday nog were the drinks available.

You can see that the crackers and vegan cream cheese were a huge hit with the crowd. Treeline makes excellent vegan cream cheese products. I believe this was the Herb and Garlic and Scallion flavors. And the Milton's Multigrain crackers are some of the best I've tried.

Milton's Crackers With Treeline Vegan Cream Cheese

One guest brought what appeared to be some kind of "meat" pie. It was vegan and tasted like taco meat. Taco shells were also available. This was very good and tasted just like real taco meat, but I was a bit confused by this presentation. I wasn't sure if I should eat it as a slice of pie or ruin potential pie slices and scoop from the filling.

Taco Flavored Vegan "Meat" Pie

One guest brought garlic kale with pecans. That guest took an empty plate home, because we ate every scrap of the contents. This was a simple but very tasty plate of food.

Garlic Kale with Pecans

One guest brought "chicken" and dumplings. It's been so long since I've had real chicken and dumplings that I have no idea if it tasted like the real thing. This reminded me of my home-made biscuits and gravy but with less salt and pepper.

Vegan Chicken and Dumplings

My drink of choice was this awesome coconut milk holiday nog by So Delicious. I wanted to drink much more, but there was only one carton. I had to be nice and save some for other people. This product was excellent!

So Delicious Holiday Nog

This vegan chocolate cake was a crowd favorite too. The taste and texture was as good as any non-vegan cake. The strawberries were a nice touch.

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Strawberries

Not pictured was a vegan chili made with Amy's chili and other canned beans. I coordinated with the chili maker and made some vegan queso with Daiya cheddar, pimientos, and leftover packs of Taco Bell taco sauce. We poured the vegan chili and cheese over the tortilla chips. It was a huge hit, but my photos didn't turn out very well. I have that same combination posted HERE at an earlier party if you're interested.

And near the end of the party I brought out my home-made Vegan Key Lime Tarts. I made these with lime juice, tofu, cashews, agave nectar, lime zest, and vegan graham crackers.

Vegan Key Lime Tarts

Home-made Loaded Cornbread

I'm getting really good at making cornbread. This is my Loaded Cornbread. It has vegan treasures hidden inside.

I mixed a batter using non-GMO corn meal, white flour, non-GMO corn starch, baking powder, salt, olive oil, a small amount of sugar to cut the bitterness, diced white onion, diced green bell pepper, a little bit of frozen non-GMO corn kernels, pimientos, and water. Then I baked it in a casserole dish until brown on the edges.

The texture is fantastic! The crunchy edges contrast with the soft and fluffy interior. The nuggets of veggies inside lets the mouth discover new tastes with each nibble.

Vegan Christmas Hors d'oeuvres

I put Miyoko's Vegan Cream Cheese on Sprouts Multigrain Wheat Crackers. Then I carefully topped them with diced green and red bell pepper. This was very good.

Sprouts Southwest Black Bean Veggie Burgers

These veggie burger patties taste much better than they look. The firm, chunky texture is nice. I like this product, but it doesn't appear to be organic or non-GMO. It is clearly marked as vegan. I ate my patty "naked" style because I didn't have any vegan buns. Very good!

Home-made Mashed Potatoes and Gravy with Tempeh

This plant-based meal looks fancier than it really was. I made this myself with leftovers.

Gravy
This bowl of food started out with some leftover Thanksgiving gravy. I heated it up and dumped it into the bowl. See my Thanksgiving 2018 post for the ingredients. It's 100% vegan.

Potatoes
I had some old potatoes that were starting to sprout. I boiled and mashed two of them. I used salt and pepper to season it. I used a mixer to whip it up before dumping it into the bowl of gravy.

Tempeh
I had some store-bought tempeh that I bought a while back. I needed to do something with it before it spoiled. I just baked a few strips and used soy sauce to flavor them. I broke them into pieces and created the ring around the potatoes.

Dehydrated Green Onions
This last summer I grew green onions in the garden. I dehydrated them for later. A sprinkle of those onions was a nice final touch to create a pretty bowl of food and a delicious meal.

Spaghetti & Wheatballs at Graze in Nashville TN

The Spaghetti & Wheatballs at Graze is made with BE Hive seitan wheatballs, marinara sauce, chopped spinach, parsley, and spaghetti. It comes with garlic bread. It's all vegan!

This meal was excellent in every way. The sauce tasted fresh and well-seasoned. The wheatballs had a slightly meaty flavor, but the texture was more like falafel with small chunks of chewy seitan. The "cheese" on top had a nutty, cheesy flavor and a Parmesan cheese texture. The garlic bread was crisp on the outside and soft inside with a nice buttery garlic flavor. This was a basic spaghetti meal but it was made well enough to make it worth the price at $12.

For this visit, I got to Graze right as they opened at 4pm, so I got quick service right before the large crowds arrived. The staff was very friendly and helpful, but the hipster country-western Indie rock music was too loud. I liked the choice of music but I was seated directly under the speaker and had to use ear plugs.

Click here to see the Graze website

Boston Creme Cake by Vegan Vee Gluten-Free Bakery in Nashville TN

Here's another good sweet treat from Vegan Vee in Nashville TN. This vegan Boston Creme Cake was really good! But I had to make sure each bite included icing to keep the flavor right. When I ate a bite with just the cake I could tell it was a gluten-free vegan cake. The cake texture reminded me of falafel and was not very sweet. But together the cake and icing are great!

Vegan Thanksgiving 2018

Here you see my family's vegan Thanksgiving feast. Herbivores know how to eat. Look at this fantastic plant-based meal!

Here's what my plate included at this year's Thanksgiving feast:

Home-made Mashed Potatoes
I made those myself with only potatoes, water, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. I did very well. They tasted so good I should go make more to eat as left-overs.

Home-made Onion and Mushroom Gravy
I made that myself with Bella mushrooms, white onion, water, miso paste, Marmite, Dale's Seasoning sauce, salt, black pepper, olive oil, and a tiny bit of flour. This was very good. I've perfected my recipe. Once again, I deserve the opportunity to give myself credit for a job well done. 

Publix Peas
I made these myself by heating a bag of Publix frozen peas.

Gardein Holiday Roast
A vegan family member brought that. It's a vegan meatless turkey substitute that's stuffed with dressing and comes with gravy. It was really good!

Arrowhead Mills Stuffing, Savory Herb Flavor
That was another vegan item brought by a vegan family member. It was excellent.

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic
I also made those, and it's just Brussels sprouts cut into halves or quarters with olive oil, minced garlic, and a sprinkle of salt.

Mashed Sweet Potato
A non-vegan family member made that and said it was just sweet potatoes, baked, scooped, and mashed with no other ingredients

Oven Roasted Green Beans
A non-vegan family member made those and said it was just green beans with olive oil and onions.

Clean, guilt-free, nutritious eating on Thanksgiving can be a reality for anyone who chooses it. Deciding to do it is the hardest part. This was all better than any meat I remember eating.

Carrot Cake Muffins from The Wild Muffin in Nashville TN

These carrot cake muffins are gluten-free, vegan, and yummy! This is my first time trying a product from The Wild Muffin. The taste and texture doesn't give away their secrets. These muffins can go to any muffin party and fit right in. In fact, the other muffins would be jealous. I must be high on sugar. I better stop typing before my ridiculousness affects the quality of this blog.

Click here to see The Wild Muffin Bakery website

Home-made Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice is a good way to make a flavorful meal if you're low on money. Just make a pot of rice as usual and mix in something flavorful. This time I threw in some dehydrated green onions and peppers from the garden. I added some yellow onion, salt, and chili powder. Then I added some El Burrito Soyrizo. This was really good! The Soyrizo really made this go from good to great!

Tofu Lettuce Wraps at P.F. Chang's

The Tofu Lettuce Wraps at P.F. Chang's is vegan as long as you don't find mystery meat in the tofu. It happens sometimes. The best thing to do is nicely ask them to use a clean wok because of dietary restrictions. This is considered an appetizer, but this also makes a really good meal. This is one of my favorite items at P.F. Chang's.

Black Bean Holy Chipotle Tamale Plate at Delta Blues Hot Tamales in Birmingham AL

One of several good vegan options at Delta Blues Hot Tamales in Birmingham AL is the Black Bean Holy Chipotle Tamale Plate. This is two black bean tamales smothered with chipotle-lime sauce, topped with charred corn and tomatoes. I chose the potato salad as my side item.

This meal was fantastic! The tamales were soft on the outside with a pleasantly seasoned black bean paste on the inside. The creamy chipotle-lime sauce doubled the deliciousness of this heavenly basket of plant-based food. To make it even better, the charred corn gave it a nice roasted corn flavor and a little bit of smokey crunch. This was a spicy pair of tamales, but don't let me scare you away. They weren't as hot as the Tabasco sauce on the table. It was a medium heat level. The potato salad was cool and chunky with a hint of mustard and Vegenaise. It was an excellent choice to calm the heat of the tamales.

This meal was so good I would have licked the plate, but it was on corn husks and limp paper. The flavors stayed with me for a while after the meal was over. There's noting about this meal I would change.

Keep in mind this place offers food for special dietary needs, but this is not a vegan or vegetarian restaurant. Order carefully with the help of the friendly staff. They have many choices for herbivores and even more choices for omnivores. This is a great place to share a meal.

Delta Blues Hot Tamales specializes in tamales for people with special dietary needs. They have gluten-free non-GMO foods with several vegan and vegetarian options. This place is in what appears to be the rear basement of a 1920s apartment building. It's hidden in the alley behind a wall of bamboo. Upon arrival, the place looks like a normal cafe with exterior seating. At the main door, things start to look a bit funky and weird.

The well-used front door leads to what looks like a neighborhood dive bar. The dining area stretches along a walkway to quieter areas with pillow-lined benches. Empty picture frames, books, and bottles create a comfortable atmosphere with a creative vibe. The exposed pipes, electrical conduit, A.C. unit, and thick support columns remind visitors that they are in fact in an old basement. At first, this well-used place looks unclean, but I noticed the important parts were actually cleaner than average. It's just funky and artsy like the rest of the neighborhood. During this visit, the music of choice was a collection of Motown favorites and was played at a comfortable sound level. Plenty of parking was available next door. Delta Blues offers a cozy atmosphere and great food. The service was friendly and fast. The food was excellent.

Click here to see the Delta Blues Hot Tamales menu

Peasant Plate Combo at Blue Coast Burrito in Florence AL

Based on my previous enjoyable visits, I returned to Blue Coast Burrito in Florence AL. This time I ordered the Peasant Plate and made it a combo to receive the chips and drink. I helped myself to the salsa bar. This meal was as good as expected.

Peasant Plate Combo at Blue Coast Burrito in Florence AL

The Peasant Plate is basically beans and rice with guacamole salad. This is the cheaper meal because there is no option for a meat. Blue Coast Burrito lets you choose your favorite items to go on top. What you see is black beans, Mexican rice, and guacomole salad made with leaf lettuce, green onions, jalapeno peppers, pico de gallo, and guacamole. I forgot which salsas I chose. It doesn't matter. They're all great!

I did find some tiny pieces of cheese on the lettuce. I removed the offensive contaminant and the lettuce on which it was found. Other than that, this meal was great. The ingredients tasted fresh. The seasoning was acceptable. The beans did have a slightly sweeter flavor this time. This tasted like real food. Again, I am a mostly happy customer and intend to return some time in the future.

Click here to see the Blue Coast Burrito website

A Vegan Halloween Party Drink

Blue Moon Belgian White with a slice of orange. It's vegan. Happy Halloween!

A Halloween Vegan Snack: Halloween Pretzels

A Halloween Vegan Snack: Paqui Haunted Ghost Pepper Tortilla Chips

It's Halloween and I found a scary vegan product. This product had a warning on it.

Warning: The contents of this bag are extremely frightening. Paqui is not responsible for any injuries that may result from ingesting this delicious terror. The use of gloves and safety goggles is encouraged. Common side effects include addiction to burning pain, blurred vision, and unquenchable thirst. Enjoy with caution and consider yourself warned.

Of course I had to try it. I'm not scared.

The serving size is 10 chips? Really? Let me tell you. The first chip was immediately very hot. Each chip after that became exponentially hotter! I made it to 5 chips before my lips became red and swollen. I barely made it to 10 chips. I now feel like I have a stomach ulcer. My nose is running like a fountain. My whole head is hot. My tongue is simultaneously numb and throbbing with pain. My hands are contaminated with hot pepper residue. I accidentally touched my eyelid and nose, and I may have mild chemical burns. I temporarily lost the ability to concentrate and focus. I feel like I just gave myself a dose of pepper spray. If I ate 2 servings of these I'd be out of my mind with confusion and pain!

But these chips are really good! And they're addictive! The best way to eat this product is to eat just 1 or 2 chips and stop for a while. That's all it takes. These are good with hummus too, because it controls the burn. The chips have a nice crunchy texture. The powdery flavoring is made with ghost, cayenne, chipotle, and chili peppers. I recommend these chips only to the experienced pepper or hot sauce eater, because they are offensively hot.

UPDATE: I'm fine. No serious effects came with the enjoyment of this delicious product. My side effects went away after about an hour. I'm ready for more tasty pain!

Buffalo Tofu Grinder Meal at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN

Here you see the delicious Buffalo Tofu Grinder with pineapple coleslaw and pinto beans. This was excellent!

The grinder included grilled tofu tossed in buffalo sauce, lettuce, tomato, shredder carrots, pickles, and vegan ranch on a vegan wheat hoagie. The buffalo sauce was tangy and hot, but it was a medium heat that allowed other ingredients to shine. The tofu was firm with a hint of soy sauce. The carrots had a light sweetness. The pickles had a bold, tart flavor and light snap. The vegan ranch was amazing! It really made the whole sandwich come together. The hoagie was spongy and firm.


The vegan coleslaw was cool and refreshing with a crisp texture. The sweet, tangy juice offered a hint of pineapple and the classic flavor of traditional coleslaw. By taste, an omnivore would never know it was vegan.

The beans were slightly smokey with a nice onion broth. They tasted better than average. You know, beans are beans. They weren't amazing, but it's difficult to make beans that aren't good. These had a small amount of sour creme on top.

This was as great as expected. The Wild Cow never lets me down. The food is always excellent and often amazing. The only thing about this meal or my time at The Wild Cow that I don't care for is the noise level. The restaurant has concrete surfaces. The sound has no good way to be absorbed. When a loud group or a family with children come in, the sound level is so high I must use ear plugs. The kitchen noise and music are not the primary sources. The Wild Cow is just so good it attracts large, happy crowds.

Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website

A Great Vegan Meal at Legends Steakhouse in Pulaski TN

I was nervous about stopping for lunch in Pulaski TN for a number of reasons, but my visit turned out to be very good. I went to Legends Steakhouse and discovered the salad bar. The salad bar had all the standard salad options plus some surprises. Check out the pickled okra! I chose the Catalina dressing after reading the ingredients and seeing that it was vegan. I also had some excellent sweet tea!

The service was fast, and the young lady who served me was really sweet. This Legends Steakhouse looked older and had a more casual atmosphere than the one in Shelbyville TN. It looks like it could have been an old Ruby Tuesdays before the restyling. Other vegan options included a baked potato, a sweet potato, and a side of steamed broccoli. Of course those all probably come with butter unless requested without. Free rolls come with the meal, but those are not at all vegan. Overall, this meal was very good. When I return to Pulaski, I'll know there's something good to eat at Legends Steak house.

Coconut Samoa Cake from Vegan Vee Gluten-Free Bakery in Nashville TN

This is not a great photo but I give you my word this cake was amazing! I got it from The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN. At the counter they have sweet treats by Vegan Vee and other local bakeries. This is a heavenly Vegan Vee creation. It's one of the best cakes I've ever had, vegan or not!

256 Nachos at Fire & Spice TexMex Smokehouse in Huntsville AL

Fire & Spice TexMex Smokehouse actually has a vegan section in the menu. Can you believe a smokehouse in Alabama has a vegan menu? This is my first visit to Fire & Spice. I have a feeling I may be adding other posts about Fire & Spice sometime in the future since they do have other vegan options. This review is for the 256 Nachos. Fire & Spice also operates a well-known food truck, but this is a review of food served at the actual restaurant.

256 Nachos at Fire & Spice TexMex Smokehouse in Huntsville AL

This massive platter of herbivore favorites was enough to feed a family of four. The 256 Nachos includes tortilla chips, pinto beans, rice, vegetable medley, spicy slaw, salsa verde, guacamole, and cilantro. I began to nibble away at this mountain of vegetation knowing that a take-out box would soon be needed.

The chips are heavier than average and easily hold the weight of whatever goodies are piled upon them. I got a hint of burnt oil in the chips, but it didn't take away from the meal. It just gave it a classic fried food flavor. The pinto beans were peppery with a very nice home-cooked bean flavor and texture. The beans were my favorite part of this meal. The bell peppers and jalapeno peppers were fresh and flavorful. Whether or not they were cooked was unclear. They still had a crisp snap when bitten. The spicy slaw was definitely spicy. It was also crisp and peppery. The salsa verde and guacamole were both refreshing and cool. The sweet tea was perfectly made.

Overall, this was a very good meal. There was just a bit of tension between the heavier chips and the fresh natural flavors of the toppings. Either a lighter chip or the addition of vegan cheese would help neutralize that tension. This meal was spicy but the cooler ingredients kept it all well balanced. The price of this meal was $16.35 plus a good tip. I don't usually spend that much on food, but it was a nice treat that ended up being 3 meals. I would buy this again if the moment was right.

The interior of Fire & Spice TexMex Smokehouse looks clean and smells clean. They have wooden seating, corrugated metal details, and graphics on the walls. It looks like a casual, trendy barbecue restaurant. The music during my visit was classic pop hits from the 1960s and 1970s. They have full service plus a bar with a nice selection of adult beverages. During my visit, the service was fast and friendly. Every table gets a bottle of sriracha sauce and a whole roll of paper towels. There's plenty of omnivore foods. Other vegan options include quesadillas made with vegan cheese, a veggie bowl, and vegan tacos. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes good food and has a digestive system.

UPDATE: I returned to Fire & Spice for another awesome meal. I have more details on the food. All fried foods share the same oil, so the tortilla chips and fried cauliflower may not be considered acceptable for very strict vegans. That explains why I thought the chips tasted kind of unhealthy during my first visit. The sauteed veggies are cooked on the flat top grill, but they do have a separate area for the veggies. This may still not be acceptable for strict vegans, because it is the same grill with possibilities for cross contamination. The vegan burritos and quesadillas are toasted on the same flat top grill.

On my latest visit, I had a friendly discussion with a server and a member of management just for clarity. They are very familiar with food restrictions. They went over the menu and helped me understand how things are done in the kitchen. For my recent meal they gladly made it "allergy style". They used a clean pan for the sauteed veggies and to toast my burrito. They made it their mission to make it right. The service and food were excellent. It was the best food I've had in months! I will surely return!

Click here to see the Fire & Spice website

A Vegan Meal at Rock N Roll Sushi

The Veggie Roll at Rock N Roll Sushi is said to be vegan, so I sat at the bar, asked some questions, and gave it a try. It was really good. The rolls include seaweed, rice, spring mix, avocado, and cucumber. It comes with wasabi and ginger. Soy sauce is also available. The presentation was simple but impressive.

Rock N Roll Sushi has locations throughout the mid-south. They have a rock music and sushi theme. The menu covers are old classic rock album covers. Rock posters and vinyl records decorate the walls. New and classic rock is played with music videos shown in multiple locations in the restaurant. Rock N Roll Sushi has plenty of food for the omnivores and a few good options for herbivores. Check out the link for more information.


Click here to see the Rock N Roll Sushi menu

Roasted Veggie Masala Bowl at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN

This is a daily special. It's not found on the menu. The Roasted Veggie Masala Bowl is charred local veggies, yellow curry sauce, and a green chutney over organic brown rice.
 

The Roasted Veggie Masala Bowl had familiar Indian flavors but without all the oil that I've experienced at Indian restaurants. This was a cleaner, fresher Masala bowl. The bold spices were held back just enough to let the veggies shine equally with flavor. Those veggie chucks are bit-size chunks of onion, bell pepper, okra, and eggplant.

I also got a small side of the vegetable medley. It was cooked until soft. The flavors melted over my tongue. It was as comforting as a big hug from Mother Earth if that could even be possible.

As always, this Wild Cow meal was excellent! During this visit it was very crowded and the post-punk music was a bit too loud. The restaurant has many concrete surfaces, and sound really echos in there. The food and great service make it worth it. I always enjoy the food, and I feel like I'm with friends. Everyone should visit The Wild Cow in Nashville TN.

Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website

A Vegan Lunch at Legends Steak House in Shelbyville TN

I was looking around for some good vegan food in Shelbyville TN. Guess what. It's a food desert! There's almost nothing to eat for a vegan. I went into Legends Steakhouse hoping to find a good baked potato. They did have potatoes! Here's how it went.
 
I knew they probably don't get many vegan weirdos coming into their small town steakhouse so I made it very clear what I wanted. Using the V word in Shelbyville could lead to confusion or misunderstanding. I ordered "a baked potato with absolutely nothing on it...no butter or anything, just a plain baked potato, and steamed broccoli with nothing on it....just plain broccoli with no butter, and a sweet potato, also plain with absolutely nothing on it" and a sweet tea with lemon.

I couldn't tell if the cooking process was 100% vegan. I did see some brown residue on the bottom of the potato. It could have been caramelized oil or meat juice. I avoided that part just in case. The food was great! Both potatoes and the broccoli tasted fresh and were perfectly cooked. The tea was very good. With a few shakes of salt and pepper, this was an excellent meal.

Legends has several locations in Middle Tennessee. This Shelbyville TN location is very nice. The interior has brick, iron, and wood details that gives it a slightly formal but cozy environment. It was nice and quiet at the time of my visit. The dining area and restroom were clean. The service was very slow. Every part of my visit was slow, but I wasn't in a rush. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a good meal and has time to take it slowly. Meat eaters and vegans can find something to eat at Legends!

Another Lunch at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL

I stopped by Mason Dixon Bakery for another nice lunch. I started my meal with the Thai Cauliflower Bisque.

Cauliflower Bisque at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL

This is very creamy, thick, and flavorful with interesting spices. I really liked this, but I should have chosen the cup instead of the bowl. With flavor this rich, I was satisfied about halfway through it. I would definitely order this again, just not so much of it.

I then had some Sweet Potato Chips. These were crispy and light, but heavier, like kettle chips. These were great. Not too salty, but lots of flavor!

Sweet Potato Chips at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL

And how could I not get a vegan cup cake for later? I chose the perfectly named Chocolate Heaven. Oh. This was so good!

Chocolate Heaven cupcake at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL

This was a good lunch. I will return!

Click here to see the Mason Dixon Bakery website

The Farm Oven Fried Tofu

I learned a recipe from The Farm in Summertown TN. They share this and other vegan recipes during their retreats. Just cut tofu into 3/8 inch slabs, dip each in soy sauce, then dip them in a blend of nutritional yeast, self-rising flour, and your favorite seasonings (I used paprika, black pepper, and a small amount of Weber Kick'n Chicken seasoning). Bake it at 350 degrees on an oiled or non-stick pan until crispy, then flip them and continue until crispy on both sides. I added sriracha sauce to mine. This is the best tofu I've made!

Home-made Vegan Potato Soup

Here's an old favorite from my years in poverty. Poor people can eat delicious vegan food too. Check out my home-made potato soup! It's so good it will make you feel wealthy!

Ingredients: potatoes, water, onion, salt, pepper

This soup is so cheap it's almost free. It takes about half an hour to cook it, but letting it cook longer on low heat is worth the wait.

Another Visit to Blue Coast Burrito in Florence AL

I was in Florence AL and chose to make another stop for lunch at Blue Coast Burrito. I had a Veggie Burrito and made it a combo with chips, salsa, and a drink. This is a good plant-based meal!

Veggie Burrito Combo at Blue Coast Burrito in Florence AL

This time the restaurant was very crowded. Church had just let out and Blue Coast Burrito was filled with well-dressed, well-behaved groups of friendly people. I was able to confirm that the rice is vegan. I figured it was, but some places use butter. This was a great meal. The burrito was large and delicious, the salsa was excellent, and I received a generous amount of chips. The restaurant was clean and free of flies. Florence AL is a vegan desert, but this place is a small oasis with at least 3 vegan meal options. This was a good visit!

Click here to see the Blue Coast Burrito website

A Vegan Meal at Mater's Pizza & Pasta Emporium in Gadsden, AL

I went to Gadsden AL for the First Friday street festival. Afterwards, I met with family at Mater's Pizza & Pasta Emporium. As an herbivore, I wasn't expecting much from this place. People in Gadsden don't even know what the V word means.  So, here's how it went.

The service was friendly, but I had weird questions like "are the noodles made fresh or are they dry" [fresh noodles always contain eggs] and "is the pizza sauce just a tomato-based sauce or is it seasoned with meat" [some small town places have a "marinara sauce" with meatballs already in it but serve just the sauce without meatballs if ordered without meatballs] and the lady who took our order was acting impatient with such questions during what is probably their busiest hours of the month. I totally understand. So I tried to keep it very friendly and simple. The male server who came by later was a bit friendlier, but the service was slow and disorganized. It's First Friday. I totally understand. No problem. The restaurant was grimy and looked like it needed a deep cleaning. This is in a building that's over 100 years old, like most of downtown Gadsden, so I expected that and ordered with that in mind.

This is what I came up with based on the information the lady was willing to give me. I ordered the Spaghetti Marinara with no cheese. It came with a tossed salad. I ordered a side of oil and vinegar instead of dressing

Tossed Salad

Tossed Salad at Mater's Pizza in Gadsden AL

This was a generic salad blend with cherry tomatoes and cucumber. They gave me more oil and vinegar than I would ever need. Those came in take-out cups, so I took some home for later. This salad was actually very good. It was all pretty fresh. Nothing special, but very good. Better than I expected.

Spaghetti Marinara Without Cheese

Spaghetti Marinara without cheese at Mater's Pizza in Gadsden AL

This was also pretty good. The sauce tasted fresh with ripe tomatoes and light spices. It was chunky and slightly sweet. I didn't taste any meat flavoring. I didn't find meat in it. I'm sure this would have been excellent with the cheese. Mater's Pizza is generous with the cheese. I didn't know but it came with a garlic butter hoagie bun. I couldn't eat that because it was probably real butter, and the bread looked like it was made with eggs.. I gave it away.

Overall, this was good food. I do believe it was overpriced for what I got, but that's because I ordered it with no cheese. I do prefer cleaner establishments, but the grime didn't surprise me because it's Gadsden, and most of Gadsden is a bit rough. Mater's is really made for omnivores, and I believe omnivores will enjoy this place very much. It's not great for a plant-eater, but I would return if invited to join others for a meal. It's good that they do have something a vegan can eat. And what I had was  pretty good.

Vegan Poverty Noodles

Here's another plant-based poverty meal. This is a vegan version of something I had to eat when times where not so good. I would eat buttered noodles with black pepper. Yes. That's it. Noodles, butter, and pepper.

But this vegan version includes organic noodles, Earth Balance butter alternative, and black pepper. I got fancy and sprinkled it with Bragg's Nutritional Yeast. This is still very cheap, easy, and quick.

Tropicaleo Puerto Rican Kitchen in Birmingham AL

I stopped by Tropicaleo Puerto Rican Kitchen and found some vegan treasures.


This is the Tropibowl with the beans and rice option plus two vegan sauces. The house sauce is Vegenaise and ketchup. The tamarind vinaigrette was mild and slightly sweet. This bowl included white rice and kidney beans topped with grilled eggplant. This tasted fresh with mild flavors. The beans had some other delicious plant material in there, but I couldn't tell what it was. It looked like carrots or potatoes.

The Tropibowl also has a spinach option. This one is just grilled eggplant and spinach with tamarind sauce.

I also tried the Pineapple Slaw. This was crunchy, tangy, and slightly sweet. This was excellent.

This was my first visit to Tropicaleo Puerto Rican Kitchen. My lunch was very good, so I may be back if I'm in the area. It's in an older shopping center in the Avondale community. The surrounding area is interesting with huge abandoned 100 year old houses and modern pubs. Tropicaleo's dining area looks much like an ice cream shop. It's neat and clean with pastel colors. The menu has gluten free and vegan items clearly marked with GF and V, and there's plenty of vegan options. Fried plantains seem to be a big part of the menu. This is not a vegetarian restaurant, so there's pork and chicken items for the meat eaters. The service was friendly and helpful. This seems to be a cozy, peaceful place to eat. There was no music playing and no loud kitchen noises during my visit. Overall, this was a good visit and I would recommend this place to anyone.

Crescent Cafe Juice Bar in Monteagle TN

While on a biking adventure I discovered Crescent Cafe in Monteagle TN. They have vegan refreshments!

My Choco Loco smoothie and veggie straws were really good, and the lady at the window was friendly. This place apparently gets a lot of business from the bike trail. It took me almost a half hour to get a photo of this place without including other people and bicycles.

Crescent Cafe is located between Monteagle and Sewanee, home of the beautiful campus of the University of the South. The menu is small but appears to be vegan. Crescent Cafe is an old RV, and there's plenty of lawn furniture and picnic tables in a shaded area in front of the RV. I enjoyed my visit and hope to return for more refreshments during another mountain biking adventure.

Vegan Food at Side Tracks Music Hall in Huntsville AL

Side Tracks Music Hall in Huntsville AL doesn't have a single vegan item on the menu, but I know someone who knows someone in the kitchen, and I was able to get this delicious vegan mushroom sandwich and side salad made from the toppings of the regular non-vegan foods. Yum!

O'Zone Pizza Pub in Pensacola FL

For this meal I went to O'Zone Pizza Pub. It's a regular pizza pub, but they have vegan options. I had the Veg Out minus feta and substituted the cheese for vegan cheese.

This vegan pizza included typical veggie pizza toppings. The crust had a really good texture; it was crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside. I was told it gets coated with a vegan garlic oil. The pizza sauce was perfectly seasoned. Everything tasted fresh. I ordered some roasted garlic on the side (not pictured) and that made this an awesome meal!

O'Zone Pizza Pub is a strange little place built inside what was once the basement kitchen of the old Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola FL. The large stone Gothic Revival building was completed in 1915 and was the first hospital in Pensacola. It was later turned into a school. Today it looks like one of those creepy insane asylums in horror movies, especially in the more abandoned areas. (I went early on a Sunday. Almost no one was there. Creepy!) O'Zone appears to take several rooms of the old hospital. The bar area was the kitchen and still has the aged white tile and tall, narrow, metal-framed windows. Its worn, industrial, institutional vibe is mixed with weird beach art, rock music posters, and a large black velvet painting. O'Zone has a good selection of beer and obscure older rock music.

I received friendly service from the server and bar tender. It was like visiting friends of a friend.  My meal was excellent, and the environment, especially around O'Zone, was unforgettable. This is a family friendly establishment. I would recommend this place to anyone.

Click here to see the O'Zone website

Southern Fried Poboy at Seed in New Orleans LA

Here's the Southern Fried Poboy at Seed in New Orleans. This is probably my favorite Poboy. It's fried tofu nuggets battered in chickpea flour, lettuce, tomato, and vegan mayonnaise on poboy bread. Those tofu nuggets are fantastic! It's always better with Louisianan hot sauce though.

Click here to see the Seed website

Artichoke Cakes at Seed in New Orleans LA

Here's the Artichoke Cakes at Seed in New Orleans. Theses are made with artichoke, heart of palm, roasted corn, red pepper, green onions, garlic, gluten free panko, and buffalo drizzle. These are very delicate and soft with chunks on the inside, and the outside coating is nice slightly crunchy. I believe this may be a vegan version of crab cakes. I've never had real crab cakes, so I can't compare. All I can say is I ate every bit of this excellent plant-based food, and I would order this again!