Currently viewing the tag: "VV Washington"
Mighty O of Seattle. The best vegan donuts I’ve tried so far. Granted I have yet to hit any other solely vegan donut shop, I can’t see anyone having a more superior real donut than Mighty O. I got the glazed all the way to the left. So good. FoodSparrow picked up six to carry on for loved ones at home.
Seattle’s Wayward Cafe has a killer tofu scramble! In fact, when it comes to scrambles, their Cheezly scramble is the best I’ve ever had. (Now I have been saying “the best I’ve had” a lot these days. I’ll be compiling a “Best of” posting soon, my own award show so to speak.) But this scramble incorporates all the elements for a satisfying and hearty breakfast for those mornings after.
Our early lunch at Madison Valley’s Cafe Flora was one of the most flavorful, delicious and invigorating meals of our stay in the Pacific Northwest. Our appetizer, coconut tofu with sweet chili sauce, couldn’t have hit the spot more. The delicate dipped tofu chunks were served with plenty of fresh greens for wrapping: fragrant basil, cilantro and romaine lettuce. Next up was the roasted pumpkin and wintergreens salad: Granny Smith apples, roasted pumpkin, pomegranate, corn bread croutons and pumpkin seeds in a sherry vinaigrette. This salad was just perfect: tart, crunchy, fresh and energizing. My tongue tingles typing about it. Since we ate light we opted for dessert. Cafe Flora is not strictly vegan and doesn’t have too many dessert options for us. We chose the warm apple and fig crisp with a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream. Mmmm.
Sutra is four courses of gourmet vegan bliss. With set community seating and prix fixe pricing, Sutra is much like Brooklyn’s Four Course Vegan. The chef’s seasonal dishes are creative and incorporate the best of the fall harvest. The first course was a fantastic soup Luna (white) and Fairytale (think Cinderella’s coach) pumpkins, sunchoke, saffron soup topped with fried capers and a swirl of parsley tarragon oil. Second course: pickled pepper, beet, fennel and sorrel salad with candied sunflower seeds in a balsamic reduction. The second best salad I’ve had (see above for numero uno). After these two courses I expected the best from my main course but it was slightly disappointing. An marjoram and garlic roasted orzo in a tomato sauce with wild porcini mushrooms and a side of yellow carrots and Swiss chard. I didn’t love the combination of flavors and it was a bit heavy. For dessert we received an apple torte with an almond fig crust and a scoop of heavenly coconut ice cream on top. The dessert was a bit like our lunch’s dessert so I would have preferred a cake… but what else is new?
Pizza Pi, the all-vegan pizzeria in Seattle’s University District, has been on my list for quite some time. I finally got there on my last day in Seattle to purchase a small pizza for a roadtrip north. The artichoke pizza was ordered and so we headed next door to Sidecar For Pigs Peace, an all-vegan shop with groceries, accessories, and all sorts of vegan goods. Great place! Back tot he pizza: we had the best of intentions in ordering the pizza to go… but when it was ready we walked it to the table and proceeded to eat all of it. It was pretty good! The sauce wasn’t the tastiest and Teese was not completely melted, but c’mon… vegan pizza! The counter person seemed a bit annoyed we wasted a to-go box and grabbed it out of the garbage pale we disposed it in. I guess she wanted to recycle it but, um, cardboard is not recyclable with food waste on it, nor is it sanitary to reuse it. But we see your point Oh righteous counter person! 
Goodbye Pacific Northwest! Thanks for the eats.
I had some unfinished business in the Pacific Northwest. And by business I mean vegan food to eat. This time I flew into Seattle only to head straight to Portland, Oregon, thee vegan capital of the country. But after a long transatlantic flight, we weren’t going to make it all the way to Portland without something to tide us over. Luckily Olympia, Washington had an amazing hot dog stand with vegan options and a ton of free toppings! They had vegan-only equipment too. Olympia Hot Dog Company was a great find and the perfect remedy for our Eastern Standard hunger. I had the vegan beer brat, loaded with sauerkraut, relish, olives, ketchup and mustard. We also found an amazing spice house where we bought exotic salts that made our entire trip smell like an applewood campfire. 
So our real lunch destination was Portobello Vegan Trattoria, Portland’s delicious Mediterranean-inspired cafe. This is one classy place with a damngood seasonal menu of fresh Northwest vegan grub. We picked the Chao cheese ball (made by Field Roast, we later discovered) with a baguette and some of the most scrumptious apples I ever did taste. For the main event, I ordered the portobello steak with crispy polenta and Swiss chard. My dish was perfection and the half portion is more than enough. Presentation, texture and taste at a community-conscious eatery. Well done, Portobello!
The following afternoon it was Vita Cafe. I chose the Fishwich, as I am a sucker for deep-fried and tartar sauce. The thick slab of tofu “fish” was fried to a crispy perfection and not at all greasy. Add a dollop of tartar and a soft bun and you got a very pleasing sandwich indeed, one of the freshest and tastiest of the greasy spoon genre. Our side was one of their corn cakes: sliced banana, ginger and cilantro corn cake with a coconut milk dipping sauce. It was very good but mismatched to our meals. I snapped a pic of their desserts although we had to decline, saving ourselves for the vegan strip mall.
Next up had to be the vegan mini-mall on Stark street. Sweetpea Baking Company, where I had my official birthday cupcake, was far more dry and sweet than I recall. Food Fight Vegan Grocery is always a great stop. There we stared at huge bags of Daiya and bought some vegan snacks and knick-knacks, like the Sweet & Sara halloween marshmallow ghost, some vegan nougat and some B-12 bubble gum.
River House Creperie
West Seattle
Rive House is a darling little creperie right off the West Seattle Bridge that offers a vegan gluten-free batter as a base for all their sweet and savory crepes. I opted for a simple strawberry and banana crepe rather then fine-tuning one of their many dairy-based options. Although my crepe was scrumptious I am now convinced, having also tried Atlas Cafe‘s vegan crepe, that maybe it’s quite difficult to capture crepe-bility as both have been too akin to pancakes.
Hillside Quickie’s Cafe
Capitol Hill
Hillside has a growing family taking root in the Pacific Northwest. With sandwich shops in the University District and Tacoma and a small cafe in Capitol Hill, Quickie’s also recently opened a vegan bistro (see Plum below). A friend and I popped into the cafe on the Hill for a savory bite after those sweet, sweet crepes. But when there’s vegan cake, I’m going to have to try it. We opted to share a heaping slice of peanut butter banana cake and their delicious vegan Reuben. As not the hugest fan of peanut butter (I know, I know) but a huge fan of the banana-baked treat, the cake pleased me fine. The Reuben is always a pleaser, especially when one’s craving some salt- thin layers of wheat meat, tomatoes, red onion, sauerkraut and vegan thousand islands. Yum.
Plum Vegan Bistro
Capitol Hill
The latest member of the Quickie’s family at just about a month old, Plum is more of a upscale eatery than its sister soldiers. This great space has a lot of tasty sounding options but requiring some wicked sustenance I chose the hearty scramble of the day from their breakfast menu. The name of the game at Plum is savory saltiness. And I mean that in a good way. My scramble was super satisfying and flavorful and with a side of thick, smeared French-toast-tasting toast, a perfect balance.
The seitan steak, greens and grits was also very good though I’d prefer a firm grain to the wet, granule-y grits as the seitan was super tender.
What’s a brunch without the potatoes? Plum’s Cajun spuds were delectable but skip the accompanying aioli if you’re trying to avoid a sodium headache.
Thrive
University District
“Welcome to the fullest expression of your physical magnificence” the website says. So right there you get the vibe of of Thrive, a raw juice bar and cafe in the University District. You got to love the energy of those raw foodies. We strolled in brimming from the carb fest at Plum but yet with enough room to swallow 12 oz. of beet, apple, carrot and the good energy from the beaming employees. The great space has tons of info on the raw food lifestyle as well as some bulk and pantry staples and some yummy-looking desserts.
Mighty O
West Seattle
Rive House is a darling little creperie right off the West Seattle Bridge that offers a vegan gluten-free batter as a base for all their sweet and savory crepes. I opted for a simple strawberry and banana crepe rather then fine-tuning one of their many dairy-based options. Although my crepe was scrumptious I am now convinced, having also tried Atlas Cafe‘s vegan crepe, that maybe it’s quite difficult to capture crepe-bility as both have been too akin to pancakes.
Hillside Quickie’s CafeCapitol Hill
Hillside has a growing family taking root in the Pacific Northwest. With sandwich shops in the University District and Tacoma and a small cafe in Capitol Hill, Quickie’s also recently opened a vegan bistro (see Plum below). A friend and I popped into the cafe on the Hill for a savory bite after those sweet, sweet crepes. But when there’s vegan cake, I’m going to have to try it. We opted to share a heaping slice of peanut butter banana cake and their delicious vegan Reuben. As not the hugest fan of peanut butter (I know, I know) but a huge fan of the banana-baked treat, the cake pleased me fine. The Reuben is always a pleaser, especially when one’s craving some salt- thin layers of wheat meat, tomatoes, red onion, sauerkraut and vegan thousand islands. Yum.
Plum Vegan BistroCapitol Hill
The latest member of the Quickie’s family at just about a month old, Plum is more of a upscale eatery than its sister soldiers. This great space has a lot of tasty sounding options but requiring some wicked sustenance I chose the hearty scramble of the day from their breakfast menu. The name of the game at Plum is savory saltiness. And I mean that in a good way. My scramble was super satisfying and flavorful and with a side of thick, smeared French-toast-tasting toast, a perfect balance.
The seitan steak, greens and grits was also very good though I’d prefer a firm grain to the wet, granule-y grits as the seitan was super tender.
What’s a brunch without the potatoes? Plum’s Cajun spuds were delectable but skip the accompanying aioli if you’re trying to avoid a sodium headache.
ThriveUniversity District
“Welcome to the fullest expression of your physical magnificence” the website says. So right there you get the vibe of of Thrive, a raw juice bar and cafe in the University District. You got to love the energy of those raw foodies. We strolled in brimming from the carb fest at Plum but yet with enough room to swallow 12 oz. of beet, apple, carrot and the good energy from the beaming employees. The great space has tons of info on the raw food lifestyle as well as some bulk and pantry staples and some yummy-looking desserts.
Mighty O
Call me a wuss but I can barely eat one Mighty O. Somewhere about halfway through my sugar intake level is maxed out. But, given the satisfying texture and appearance of the sexy Mighty O, I cannot stop there. Mighty O is the real deal: real fried and gluttonly glazed vegan donuts… not mere circular vegan cakes. These two below were straight off the cooling rack and skimmed from an order fresh! The kind clerk sympathized with our only slightly hyperbolic devastation of having arrived to an empty display case near closing time.
Heirloom Salad a la host/most
Heirloom Salad a la host/mostThick heirloom tomato slices, fresh basil, avocado, sea salt, cracked pepper and olive oil.
A Sailor’s Breakfast
A Sailor’s BreakfastWatermelons that take it personally, tangelo-sized mission figs, orange-sized tangelos and a pineapple-sized pine apples.
P.C.C. Natural Market
P.C.C. Natural MarketFremont
After much resistance, having had one too many veggie pizza slices that were not more than a pile of sloppy veggies on wet bread, I finally agreed to try P.C.C.’s signature vegan slice. With my friend’s vegan cred on the line, I was pleasantly surprised! The thin crusted-slice had layers of green pesto and marinara topped with artichokes, tomatoes, mushrooms and olives. So good. Back it up with an Oogave soda and you’ve got the perfect quick meal.
Central Cinema
Central CinemaCentral District
When I heard it through the grapevine that Central Cinema had veg-friendly pigs in a blanket at their cafe, I knew I had to go. But this was no hack job! Central Cinema delivered a huge apple-sage Field Roast weiner wrapped in fresh, soft seasoned and oiled bread. It was an unbelievable snack that went great with their curry popcorn and local beers.
Food Co-op
Food Co-opPort Townsend
Port Townsend is a lovely, sleepy harbor town across the Puget Sound and north of Seattle. It has a wonderful co-op with a great selection of veg and raw fare. Given their retail prices were much cheaper than in my New York City, I opted to try some raw snacks for the sustenance during the double-feature at the Wheel In Motor Movie drive-in. They also have a great juice bar to compensate for the nary vegan breakfast options in town.
Bleu Bistro
Bleu BistroCapitol Hill
Bleu is a dark lil bistro with a huge menu of vintage cocktails and plenty of private curtain-surrounded seating. Eventually arriving at the food section of their long menu after discussing bacon’s kinda-recent and definitely odd emergence in cupcakes, chocolate bars and high-end gourmet food, I had to hop on the bandwagon and choose the Vegetarian B.L.T. I never liked bacon: the crispy texture nor the salty taste! But the faux-bacon strips (with the “realistic” red stripes) gave me a sense of the appeal, I suppose. Facon was piled high, like an inch thick, and could have used a bit more L. and T. to water down the salt factor. But there was some apple sauce for dipping that did the trick.
Bacon tom-foolery at Central Market in Poulsbo. Bacon chocolate bars need to know there place.
Bacon tom-foolery at Central Market in Poulsbo. Bacon chocolate bars need to know there place.
My love don’t come easy. But Mighty O had me at “hello, what can I get for you?”… Knocking my socks off was their simple perfection- that they’re actually donuts: not just circular. New York has no answer to Mighty O. In a rare feat, coniferous trumps deciduous.
Just how do they make heaven on Earth? Now I know how Belinda Carlisle felt.
Further onward with more vegan sweet treats! I had high hopes for Flying Apron bakery in Fremont. Their extensive selection was overwhelming, but taste and texture-wise, I wasn’t wholly impressed. Their items were sweet but dense, wet and heavy like 90′s takes on vegan baked goods. The vegan baked goods market has reared significant improvements since the then and so has my own kitchen.
Vegan eats in Seattle are far too frequently Asian. We checked out Araya’s in the University district for lunch. The cream cheese spring rolls (top left) were kind of interesting but the pineapple curry (top right), and its pile of veggie proteins, was haphazard and imbalanced. I opted for the lunch buffet which had me filled with mediocre lukewarm Thai food on the instant. Bottom left and right is my old favorite: Bamboo Garden. When I lived in Seattle, this was my hot spot. Not so much for the textured soy protein balls (or what come to be known as “the balls”), which satisfied some texture urges (and some tactile urges as I apparently drunkenly squeezed them in my hands one night in a bar, smearing them on the booth. w.t.f.?), but for the creamy corn chowder soup. This soup is preserved in my memory and supported with years of nostalgia. Like many things in Seattle. It’s a simple corn-starch thickened base with chunks of “chicken, button mushrooms and corn kernels, but it tastes like me at 23.
I also hit Jhanjay in Wallingford. My entree, the Monk’s noodles, was very tasty. On a whim, I opted for veggie fish in it. I scarfed it down quickly to order my dessert. The sweetened sticky rice and mango was truly authentic and took me back to South East Asia. I foraged the day and night markets for this dessert, up and down the country. Amazing.
More vegan Asian at Vegan Garden:
Vegan Reporting By Location
