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By Toni Okamoto

Join Michelle Cehn and I as we give you a peek inside one of the tastiest all-vegan restaurants in the Bay Area: Flacos Authentic Vegetarian Comida Mexicana!

By Toni Okamoto

It’s currently 43 degrees in Sacramento, CA and I’m wrapped in a blanket with the heater on full blast. Usually I wouldn’t be thinking about ice cream in this chilly weather, but New York City’s newest vegan ice cream shop has my belly grumblin’ for some creamy treats!

Read more about DF Mavens below:

Excerpt from Well+Good, January 12, 2015, Introducing New York City’s Biggest Vegan Ice Cream Shop:

DF Mavens just opened in the East Village, and it’s New York City’s biggest vegan ice cream shop yet, with all kinds of creative flavors, a juice bar, and other treats for the meat- and dairy-averse.

Situated on the corner of St. Mark’s and Second Avenue, the shop is owned by Malcolm Stogo, an ice cream business veteran who has a long list of frozen treat accomplishments. (He’s credited with inventing the Cookies ‘N Cream flavor, for example, in 1977.)

His first dairy-free outfit operates out of a small factory in Astoria and sells its 37 pints at natural food shops (and select Whole Foods) all over New York City. “The demand was there, so they decided they wanted to open a shop,” says the store’s general manager (and eight-year-vegan) Pamela Amatucci. “The idea is to eventually have a chain of them.”

Ice creams at the shop are made with a variety of “milk” bases—soy, coconut, and almond—which makes the flavors range in texture. Coconut milk-based options are creamier, for example, than almond milk-based ones, which are harder. There are also sugar-free options made with stevia, and all are gluten-free except for the Almond Cookie Monster. Prices start at $4.50, for one large scoop.

By Lori Stultz, Outreach Coordinator

Happy February, everybody! Is anybody else in complete disbelief that we are already through January? I hope everyone had a great first month of 2016. I know Vegan Outreach is off to a great start! We’ve got Vegan Outreach’s Director of Outreach, Victor Sjodin, doing some great work in India, and the rest of the U.S. Outreach Coordinators are back pounding the pavement since the Spring semester is now in full swing. I have no doubt that we are going to have yet another successful semester, changing a lot of hearts and minds.

Personally, my semester could not have gotten off to a better start. I first leafleted in Arizona at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and I moved right into an eight-day leafleting marathon in Phoenix. My experience in both places was incredible! The students at each school I visited were extremely receptive; I had countless conversations with young adults who were interested in reducing and/or eliminating animal products from their diets. The most memorable interaction I had, though, was with Alissa and Carlton. Alissa and Carlton are both students at Glendale Community College in Phoenix. When I passed a leaflet to them, they immediately turned around to tell me that they were vegan. They enthusiastically explained that their lifestyle change was the direct result of receiving our leaflet last year!

I love running into people like Alissa and Carlton! It really speaks to the effectiveness of our outreach efforts on college campuses.

I have also really enjoyed being in Arizona because of the magnificent weather (it’s been in the 70s the entire time I’ve been here!) and because I have family and friends who live in the area. My aunt (who is also vegan) and I were able to spend some time together, and as always, we had a really nice time. She co-facilitated a partner yoga workshop, and I was honored to not only be a participant but also a demonstrator.

The following day, we went for a beautiful, 7 mile hike at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Phoenix. The warm, desert terrain was stunning! It was very different than the landscape I am used to seeing when I hike in Colorado and Wyoming. I wish I could have done some more hiking here, actually. I am looking forward to coming back and doing some more outdoor desert activities!

The same day we went to Usery Park, we also visited a really interesting and unique museum in Scottsdale called the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). MIM has thousands of instruments from all over the world; my aunt, uncle and I spent upward of two hours walking around and listening to really neat musical instruments from various countries. The museum is so big, though, that we didn’t make it all the way through before it closed! Nonetheless, I learned a lot and had a great time listening to types of music I had never heard before. Later in the week I had the opportunity to listen to my uncle, Maury, play blues music at a local restaurant during one of his weekly jam sessions. He is a very talented musician, and this was my first time getting to see him play live.

Another fun activity I got to do while I was in the area was a tour of the Desert Botanical Gardens. There is a magnificent exhibition at the gardens called Bruce Munro: Sonoran Light at Desert Botanical Garden. The exhibit showcased “eight large-scale, light-based installations using an inventive array of materials and hundreds of miles of glowing fiber optics.” Each installation was unique and beautiful in its own way and was placed among the various types of cacti and desert plants–it was absolutely breathtaking. Here are a few examples:

An igloo-like installment that was made out of plastic bottles

A large hanging piece that looked a lot like a DNA helix

Pretty cool, right?

And, of course, my time in Phoenix wouldn’t have been complete without checking out a few of the vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants around town. Dig into this…

Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, ordered at The Cutting Board.

Roasted Vegetable Board and Tofu Lettuce Cups, devoured at True Foods Kitchen.

And Vegan Pho, enjoyed at Pho Cao (the restaurant where I enjoyed listening to my uncle play music).

I am already a bit nostalgic as I reflect on my time here in Phoenix, but I know more exciting adventures await. Until then…

By Lori Stultz, Outreach Coordinator

Spring has arrived! And as happy as I am to welcome the new season, I also wonder if anybody else has taken notice of the date and, like me, asked yourself where the past few months have gone. Can it really be April already?

They say time flies when you’re having fun, right? I also think time flies when you’re crazy busy. Hopefully it is a balance of both for everyone who is reading this. I’d definitely say that is the balance I’ve been doing my best to maintain since the last blog I posted about my tour.

Last time I wrote, I was wrapping up the month I spent leafleting in Texas. Since then, I’ve been to Colorado (for a week-long break at home), Tennessee, and Kentucky, and now I’m in Oklahoma! Well, I really should say we are in Oklahoma. A few weeks ago, I picked up my intern, Holly Brown, and she has been accompanying me on the road. Another correction: she has not only been accompanying me, she has been helping me tremendously and providing a huge source of positive and fun energy.

I have to confess that I was a bit wary about having an intern with me for five weeks and essentially being with someone else 24/7. As an introvert and a bit of a control freak, I was worried about the lack of privacy and the degree of compromise it requires to live on the road with another person. Holly’s presence, however, has been anything but difficult. It has been so wonderful to have her along for the ride! She is a bundle of giggles and is a natural leafleter! The first school we leafleted together, Vanderbilt University (in Nashville, TN), she jumped right in, and together we distributed 1,017 leaflets. It has taken hardly any time for us to adjust to living and working together, and truly, I haven’t just acquired an intern—I’ve gained an invaluable friendship.

So, without further ado, let’s meet Holly!

How old are you, and where are you from?
21 and Damascus, Maryland.

What school are you attending, and what’s your academic year?
Georgia Southern University, senior, graduating Spring 2016.

Tell us a little about your personal story-what was your “call” to veganism?
Luckily, my sister was already vegan and my mom and dad were also wanting to change the way they ate. We began by watching a lot of documentaries such as Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, and Vegucated and reading books including Main Street Vegan and The China Study. After learning all the horrors of factory farming, I went vegetarian and then vegan a few months later. Having the support from my family and working together was extremely helpful and made it a lot more fun.

How did you hear about Vegan Outreach?
I first heard about Vegan Outreach just from looking at online vegan websites, blogs, and recipes. I came across their website and then had the chance to talk to some Vegan Outreach volunteers at the Atlanta VegFest. I learned a little more about the work they do and their intern program and decided to apply!

What has been your favorite part about living on the road thus far?
So far, I think that my favorite part has been during leafleting when students stop to talk because they want to learn more and express their interest in helping animals. I have also really enjoyed meeting volunteers and spending time with our hosts.

What are your plans for the future?
In the future I plan to earn my masters in occupational therapy and continue volunteering in the animal rights field.

See? Who wouldn’t love Holly? Okay, okay. I know a short questionnaire is a bit different than living and working with her, but still-take my word for it. You would love her just as much as I do!

We are going to wrap things up by showing off some of the delicious meals we’ve had together since being on the road. These pictures are a mix between meals we’ve had at vegan restaurants, meals Holly and I have made for our hosts, and meals that hosts have made for me and Holly. Get ready to feel hungry! By the time you’re done looking at these pictures, I guarantee you’ll be wanting something to eat.

The first six pictures were taken when we ate at Avo, a 100% vegan restaurant in Nashville. (Note that Holly and I did not consume all of these plates by ourselves! There was a total of five of us trying out the restaurant.)

We started out with their Kimchi Spring Rolls.

Next, we tried their Tree Nut Cheese Plate.

For the main course, the five of us shared lasagna with a Caesar salad on the side,

Falafel with Hummus and Cauliflower Rice,

Veggie Spiraled Pad Thai,

and finished the meal with Lime-Flavored Cheesecake.

To express our thanks to one Tennessee host for letting us occupy his guest room and couch, Holly and I made this scrumptious mango curry stir-fry with tofu served over white rice!

Lastly, here are a few of the meals our hosts in Frankfort, KY, served us. They are artists by day but professional-level cooks by night:

Thai Curry served over rice noodles, potatoes (sweet and white), tofu, and green peas,

Vegan Dumplings and Sweet Sauce served with Pineapple Fried Rice,

Macaroni and Cheese with peas (the best combo ever), served alongside Barbecue Tofu and steamed kale.

And this was a lunch our lovely hosts packed us for a post-leafleting meal: white rice and flavored black beans served with faux chicken, Tofutti cream cheese, and homemade pico de gallo.

Holly and I have four leafleting-packed weeks ahead of us! We look forward to sharing more about our travels in Oklahoma, Texas (again), New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming!

By Lori Stultz, Outreach Coordinator

When I was hired as a traveling campaign coordinator for Vegan Outreach (VO), I immediately knew that pretty much everything about my stationary life in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, was going to change. I knew that I would no longer wake up and go about my day with the comfort of knowing my immediate environment or seeing familiar faces on a regular basis. I knew I wouldn’t come home to the same bed every night or even drink my preferred flavor of coffee in the mornings. Looking at the bigger picture, though, I knew that the daily routines and overall predictability of my life was going to be a small sacrifice given the journey and adventures that lay ahead. And honestly, as I sit here today, two months into my new nomadic lifestyle, I can wholeheartedly say that the joy my job brings me far outweighs the lack of predictability.

All that said, there are a few activities I did pre-VO life that I sometimes feel nostalgic about, and cooking is one of those activities. I have gone from a kitchen pantry full of containers of bulk grains, beans, and spices and a fridge filled with an array of colored veggies and fruit to a medium-sized cardboard box filled with dried fruit, nuts, granola, a rather impressive selection of energy bars, and few jars of peanut butter in various flavors. Oh, and I do have a rather nifty car cooler that plugs into my cigarette lighter to stay cold. I use it to carry apples, bananas, pears, oranges, raw veggies, and hummus. My extent of food preparation has gone from using five- to 10-ingredient recipes and mixing machines and utensils to either grabbing a vegan meal replacement bar, handfuls of dried figs, banana chips, almonds, and a piece of fresh fruit—or getting really fancy and whipping out my reusable three-in-one knife, spoon, and fork and slapping a heaping scoop of peanut butter onto a banana (this is my personal fave!).

Don’t get me wrong—I don’t feel deprived in any way. The selection of food I keep in my car is tasty, and I purposely vary my options. Not only that, but the various hosts I stay with while traveling from state to state oftentimes invite me to their dinner table after I’ve had a long day of leafleting, and they share the meal that they themselves have prepared. And once in a while, I stop at or am invited to a restaurant to enjoy a yummy vegan meal. Some of the dishes I’ve been served at these restaurants have absolutely blown my mind, and today I’d like to share a few of these wonderful meals I have had. Keep in mind that while some of these dishes have been served at all-vegan restaurants, many have not. And if you ask me, both scenarios are encouraging! The number of all-vegan restaurants popping up across the country goes to show that this way of eating is not “extreme,” nor is it lacking in tastiness. The latter scenario provides reassurance that even if you find yourself in a restaurant that serves an extensive menu of meat and dairy dishes, you can still join your friends and family at the restaurant without compromising your values or going hungry. So, without further ado …

This was a meal I got from an all-vegan café in upstate New York called Karma Road Organic Café. The café had an extensive menu, including breakfast items, sandwiches and wraps, salads, desserts, coffee, and smoothies. The restaurant also had a deli counter with ready-to-eat dishes, including veggie burgers, three-grain pizza, curry, chili, blackened tofu, sweet potato biscuits, and more! I had a hard time deciding whether to order off the menu or try the dishes at the deli. In the end, I couldn’t make up my mind. So I did both. I ordered a falafel wrap (with grated carrots, tomato, lettuce, and tahini), with sides of roasted Brussels sprouts and broccoli slaw. The picture speaks for itself: delicious!

Vegan pizza? Yes, please!

An all-vegan pizza café? What?!

3 Brothers Vegan Café was a restaurant I ate at when I was leafleting in Long Island. This place had an almost overwhelmingly huge menu, which included appetizers, pizzas, calzones, pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches, burgers, paninis, special entrées, and desserts. Four of us ate together at the restaurant, so I, fortunately, got to take bites of everyone’s appetizer and main dish. I was the only one who ended up ordering a pizza (pictured above); I got the Verdue Pizza, which was topped with grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant, spinach, olives, roasted peppers, basil pesto, and cashew milk mozzarella. I will probably never order a pizza this good again (until I return to 3 Brothers, that is).

Since I was on Long Island for a number of days, my host suggested we also try House of Dosas. This restaurant was not 100 percent vegan; it wasn’t even vegetarian (like many Indian cuisine restaurants are). It did, however, have a number of items on its menu that were vegan or that could be “veganized” by simply requesting that the dairy products be left out (cream, butter, yogurt, etc.). Once again, I ate at the restaurant with a number of people, so I got to sample a lot of the dishes and appetizers. I ordered the eggplant curry (confession: I am obsessed with curry and eggplant, so I was delighted to see the two together as a main entrée), which could be served with basmati rice, roti (a type of Indian flatbread), or puri (unleavened fried bread). I had never tried puri, so I decided to order that alongside my curry. I will be honest—the bread wasn’t anything to write home about. Although, I found them to be aesthetically pleasing if nothing else! If I were to come across this dish again, I would probably order the basmati rice. Nonetheless, the curry was excellent, as were the appetizers that my friends ordered: idly steamed rice and lentil patties (second picture), and cutlet, minced vegetables with spices, crumbled and fried (third picture).

Life on the road has been anything but tasteless, believe me. And even if I’d rather be on the preparing and cooking side of a yummy vegan meal, I cannot complain. The trade-off of trying out different vegan dishes is almost as good!

Thus concludes my vegan food adventures for today, but stay tuned because I have decided I would like to start regularly writing about my life on the road. I will continue to write about my vegan food encounters, but I will also be writing about several other wide-ranging topics, including humorous events that have happened and the types of activities I do when I am not leafleting. I am beyond excited to start this, shall we call it, series, as I would love nothing more than to openly share details about the job I feel incredibly fortunate to have.

 

By Lauren Sprang, Vegan Outreach Board Member

In early April, my husband and I left Oregon on our way to Utah and we stopped over in Boise, Idaho.

Food

I’d done my research on HappyCow, so as soon as we arrived we walked downtown to the single vegan restaurant: Leaf Teahouse. Owner Susan Judge helped us decide what to order and we had a great conversation about veganism.

The food at Leaf Teahouse is tasty, filling, and not too heavy. They offer sandwiches, soups, salads, and noodle bowls with proteins like beans and tofu—and oodles of tea. It was refreshing to have so many healthful options.

Leaf Teahouse also offers house-made tea cookies, small enough that we tried them all! On another visit we couldn’t resist the scones with clotted cream and jam, as well as the scone pudding—yes, all vegan! Yum!

On another morning—because we needed more sweets—we tried Guru Donuts, which offers half a dozen vegan flavors. We split a chocolate donut and enjoyed it with coffee. It was light and delicious.

Another restaurant that was recommended to us, but that we didn’t try, is BBQ4LIFE. It’s what it sounds like—a BBQ meat joint, except with a variety of vegan options, including sandwiches, nachos, coleslaw, potato salad, cornbread, mac and cheese, cake, and bread pudding.

Exploring

Boise has a population of 214,237 with 664,422 in the metro area and it’s the most populous city in the state. Cities of a comparable size include Scottsdale, AZ and Rochester, NY. It’s growing, though, and construction was all around us, especially on Capitol Blvd.

When we walked by the Capitol Building, we wandered up to it and happily discovered that we could explore the beautiful building unsupervised.

Just a half a mile from the capital is the 89 acre Julia Davis Park, situated next to the Boise River and Greenbelt. It’s home to many attractions, including the Boise Art Museum, Discovery Center of Idaho, Idaho Black History Museum, Idaho Historical Museum, a rose garden, and a statue of Abraham Lincoln.

The Boise Art Museum was the perfect size and price: interesting and well laid-out exhibits, $6 per person, and we finished our visit in about 90 minutes.

At the Idaho Black History Museum, we were greeted by board member Phillip Thompson. The museum is housed inside St. Paul Baptist Church, which was constructed in 1921 and is one of the oldest structures built by African Americans in Idaho. The museum highlights the invisible black Idahoans of history, as well as paintings by artist Pablo Rodriguez, Jr. that depict Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Obama.

The federal government has often chosen Boise as a location for war refugees and thus it’s more religiously diverse that you might think, including a growing Muslim population. The religious community also includes the oldest synagogue building in continuous use west of the Mississippi and a temple dedicated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mr. Thompson left a positive impression of life in Boise, especially with his mother, Cherie Buckner-Webb as Idaho’s first African American legislator. She currently serves as Senate Minority Caucus Chair and as a State Director for Women in Government.

Last on our walk was the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, which is on the other side of Capitol Blvd. We lingered at this memorial and its water feature, which reflects sunlight off the quotes from human rights activists inscribed in stone. It’s a peaceful, lovely spot.

Boise isn’t a city that most would consider a destination, but if you have a day, you can see a lot. It’s accessible, clean, and quiet, with its own art and pub scene, and despite the animal agriculture in the surrounding countryside, the city itself has good vegan options, including a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

Vegan Eateries

Leaf Teahouse
All vegan cafe and teahouse with house-made pastries, tea service—including English sandwiches, scones, and cookies—and room upstairs to rent for events. Leaf Teahouse is a contemporary tearoom in the heart of downtown Boise, Idaho, committed to providing high quality, loose-leaf teas from around the world.

BBQ4Life
“Boise’s best BBQ and vegan food,” according to the website.

Guru Donuts
Offers a half dozen vegan flavors. They close at 4PM.

Attractions

Julia Davis Park
The city’s oldest park, Julia Davis Park was created thanks to a generous donation of 43 acres of land in 1907 by Thomas Davis as a memorial to his beloved wife, Julia. (The park is now a total of 89 acres and houses several museums.)

Map of Downtown Boise
I used this map to locate all the museums in Julia Davis Park.

Boise Greenbelt
The 25 mile Boise River Greenbelt is one of Boise’s most beloved parks. The tree-lined pathway follows the river through the heart of the city and provides scenic views, wildlife habitat, and pedestrian access to many of the city’s popular riverside parks.

Boise Art Museum
The mission of the Boise Art Museum is to create visual arts experiences, engage people, and inspire learning through exceptional exhibitions, collections, and educational opportunities.

Idaho Black History Museum
Housed in the historic St. Paul Baptist Church building and located in Boise’s Julia Davis Park. The museum presents exhibits and provides educational and community outreach programs including lectures, films, workshops, literacy programs, and musical performances.

Wassmuth Center for Human Rights
Promotes respect for human dignity and diversity through education and to foster individual responsibility to work for justice and peace. The Wassmuth Center constructed and dedicated the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial in 2002.

by Jack Norris

My wife, Alex, is from Alaska and we go there about once a year to visit her family in Anchorage. In Anchorage, you’re more likely to run into a moose than an animal activist – yet there are a surprising number of restaurants with delicious vegan options!

Here’s a rundown of where we ate during our latest trip.

Organic Oasis 

This is probably the most vegan-friendly of any restaurant in Anchorage. They have quite a few vegan entrees and are a good place for a nice sit-down dinner.

Potato Coconut Soup (background) and a combination of the two angel hair pasta dishes: Lightly Steamed Veggies & Macadamia Nut Basil Pesto. The potato soup was so delicious I had to order a second cup!

Vegan High Protein Tempeh Wrap

Moroccan Hummus Sandwich

Lentil Soup

Golden Baked Tofu with Caesar Style Dressing

Middle Way Café

The Middle Way Café is a totally hip café where you can have just a snack and coffee, brunch, or an early dinner (they close at 6 PM).

But it’s not just for hipsters, and I try to go there as much as I can when in Anchorage!

Korean Tofu Dish (special), Split Pea Soup, Vegan BBQ Burger

Multigrain Pancakes
(What? You can hardly get vegan pancakes in California!)

Vegan Breakfast Burrito with Potatoes

Colour’s Tofu Stack

Thai Kitchen

This vegan-friendly Thai restaurant has been a staple for vegans in Anchorage for many years.

Spring Rolls

Tofu and Vegetables, Tofu Noodles and Vegetables

Snow City Café

The extremely popular Snow City Café is located downtown. There are only limited reservations, but even when we have to wait for up to an hour, their tofu scramble and hash browns make it well worth it! You can get a soy latte at the counter to hold you over while waiting.

I’m still not sure why it’s called “Snow City” since it’s yet to snow in Anchorage when I’ve been there.

Tofu Scramble and Hash Browns

Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria

Pretty darn good for a pizza without any vegan cheese or vegan meats. They have gluten-free, too, if you’re so inclined.

Kaladi’s

Coffee drinkers will be happy to know that the West Coast’s fascination with coffee shops extends to Anchorage where you can find a delicious Kaladi’s everywhere you turn. So while Alex is hiking up a 10,000 foot mountain in the pouring rain, I’m sitting tight with a hot cup of coffee and my laptop.

And Kaladi’s has breakfast oatmeal if you’re in a pinch for a quick vegan breakfast.

Taco Bell

When it comes to the Bell, you just can’t beat one with these mountains behind it!

Bean Burrito (without cheese) and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes (without sour cream and cheese)

If you travel to Anchorage, please tell them I said, “Hello!”