Lotus Leaf Cafe - New Menu! - Cary

Lotus Leaf Cafe now has an expanded vegetarian menu!

http://lotusleafcafe.com/

This also includes a new Sunday Dim Sum that has 6 vegetarian items on it!

Red Bowl - Asian/Sushi - Cary

This restaurant is in same shopping center as ZPizza is in Cary. I went there with some co-workers today. I had the sesame tofu and vegetable spring roll lunch special. The sesame tofu was good and spring roll was about what you'd expect (greasy and yummy).

I thought it was more of a fast food place, but it turns out it's actually a sit-down restaurant with waiters.

They also have vegetable sushi (a vegetable roll and an avocado roll)as well as a few other veggie items.

I will definitely go back and try out more of the menu.

http://www.redbowlcary.com/

Gregory's - Brunch/Lunch - Cary

I haven't been here yet, but I found the menu online

http://www.gogoraleigh.com/uploads/GregorysMenu.pdf

Looks like they have a veggie burger at least and a vegetable stir fry.

Ming Garden - Chinese - Chapel Hill

Sit-down Chinese restaurant in a strip mall setting.

Impressive Vegetarian selection.

Just a warning - although very delicious the Eggplant Salad is not an appetizer like I mistakenly thought it was, but an ENTIRE salad topped with lightly breaded pieces of eggplant. We ended up getting 3 entrees without meaning to but enjoyed having the leftovers!

Unlike many Chinese restaurants in the area, this one actually features mock meats and not just tofu as a vegetarian option. The food was fresh and flavorful and not too heavy or greasy.

Ming Garden is one of the best places for Chinese food we've found since Mama Wok closed. As always, if only it were closer to Cary maybe we could let the memory of Mama R.I.P. Until then, the search continues...

http://www.theminggarden.com/dinner.html

Pao Lim - Indo Chinese - Durham

Indo Chinese restaurant with classy decor and a nice ambiance and a separate vegetarian menu.

We tried the Chili Tofu and Lemongrass Tofu, Fresh Mint Rolls and Tofu Lettuce Wraps.

Definitely worth a try if you are looking for something different for an evening out.

http://www.paolim.net/

Boba House - Eclectic - Greensboro, NC

If ever find yourself in the Triad, please, please try Boba House. We can't believe this place or a place like it is not in Raleigh. An all vegetarian restaurant with excellent food.

It's near the college and is in a tiny strip mall, but it is a gem.

The lemongrass "chicken" is so good and everything on the menu that is vegan is clearly marked. The "chicken drumsticks" are oddly realistic, but very good if you aren't afraid of faux meat.

There aren't enough good things to say about this place. Check it out if you are ever in the area.

http://www.bobahouse.com/

Make Veggie Friends - MeetUp - Triangle Area

We finally went to a MeetUp and are glad we did. It's free to join and a fun way to try new restaurants and activities while making new veggie friends. How nice to go to dinner without having to explain why you don't eat meat...

If you live in the Triangle and are vegetarian/vegan, definitely join this group and make some new friends!

http://vegetarian.meetup.com/98/

Sushi Blues - Sushi - Downtown Raleigh

We've been meaning to try this place for literally 2 years now and finally did when our friends invited us to go last night. We'd put it off due to bad reviews of poor service, but found it was nothing like that.

Good service, cool atmosphere and great food is all we found. We went at 6pm on a Saturday night, and it did start to fill up once we were there, so it's probably better to get their earlier than later. I have a feeling most of the bad reviews are from people out late, trying to get a table.

The menu has many vegan options for a sushi place. Before you order you are given a little bowl of spicy cold noodles, which are vegan and very tasty.

For dinner we tried the Veggie Hosomaki Combo (ask for no mayo on the crunch roll if you are vegan). The combo comes with a miso soup and a salad and consists of:
One crunchy roll, one veggie roll, and one avocado roll. We also added the seaweed salad, which was excellent. We split this between 2 people and it was a LOT of food. Our friends got the veggie tempura, a Veggie Hosamaki Combo and an noodle entree that was a HUGE portion for one person.

I highly recommend this place and we hope to go back sooner than later. It's nice enough that it would make a good date spot and laid back enough that it's a fun place to go with friends.

http://www.sushibluescafe.com/index.php

Crisp - Salads/Wraps - Crabtree Valley Mall Food Court

This is a new place we discovered at the mall food court.

It's a salad/wrap place that does made-to-order salads and wraps. They also have soup. The special of the day was veggie chili, but I got them to make me a Santa Fe salad wrap, substituting tofu for the chicken. Tofu on a food court menu is rare and an exciting change, so that's why we gave this place a shot. Another exciting thing we found at the register was a basket of The Alternative Baking Company vegan cookies! So we bought one of those too.

The fact that this place offered tofu AND had specifically vegan labelled cookies made this place stand out. It's a very new chain so please check it out if you're at the food court.

http://www.crispsalad.com/our_menu.php

http://www.alternativebaking.com/

Trilussa - Italian - Chapel Hill

Dilip mentioned this restaurant on the Independent Weekly comment section of the recent article they did on area veg. restauants in the Triangle.

Article:
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A173336

Haven't been here yet either but an Italian restaurant with a separate vegan section is exciting!

http://www.ibiblio.org/finedine/Trilussa/menu.html

Twisted Noodles - Thai - Durham

Have yet to eat here, but can't wait to try! It says right on the main page that all entrees can be made either vegan or vegetarian! Yay! Looks good.

http://www.twistednoodles.com/menu.html

Veggie "Hamburger" Options - Nationwide

I thought I had posted about veggie hamburgers on here, but writing about Gardenburger in my last post made me think of it and look it up, and I don't think I have.

I'm sure most people searching already know of the places serving veggie burgers, but just in case, I thought I'd post the ones I know of. Most are NOT vegan, but if you are not vegan or are in a pinch, these places will work if you have to avoid the "portobello burger" or the "pasta primavera" (or other random "vegetarian menu items" and just feel like a burger).

PETA has "the best" restuarant burgers listed at this site: http://www.vegcooking.com/gb_vegburgers_chain.asp

And "best of the rest" (veggie burgers at all other restaurants) at this site:
http://www.vegcooking.com/gb_vegburgers_bestrest_chain.asp

*I'd also like to note Hamburger Hamlet (which is a chain, at least in the DC area, if anyone makes a road trip). They let you sub the veggie burger for any of their burgers, and they specialize in gourmet topped burgers, so you can have a nice selection.

Also, I'm pretty sure any place serving a veggie burger will let you put that patty on any specialty burger on the menu, so try that too...even at Burger King, if you just have to have that Whopper, but don't eat meat and don't want what they put on the regular "veggie burger".

I just wish (and hope...and pray) that a chain restaurant or fast food place will put the Boca or Gardenburger Vegan Chik'n patty on the menu. They are SO much better than any "veggie burger" and I know it would be a hit. Oh well, I can dream. It WILL happen, I just have to be patient (and make suggestions at local chains).

New Restaurant - Mimi's Cafe - Cary

I don't even know if they are open yet, but a new building has popped up on Walnut (really?) next to Cary Towne Center. It's called Mimi's Cafe and of course I've Goggle'd it already. Here is the website http://www.mimiscafe.com/
I've looked over the menu items and while there are no vegan items on the menu, there are several VEGETARIAN items, even on the kids menu, which is kind of exciting. Interestingly enough, they have a menu by "Lifestyle" section and only list "Carb Concious" and "Low Fat". Maybe we all need to march over there and demand our lifestyle be on there...or maybe not.

It's just nice to know that there is a new place that *might* accommodate us veg*ns. There are a few salads and wraps that look good if you leave off the chicken and cheese. Hey, sometimes I have to eat with my non-veg parents and co-workers so it's good to know.

At least by making some substitutions "our" voice might be heard. (Actually, I think that worked at Fuddrucker's about 10 years ago because I clearly remember ordering a "bun with fries" and getting a suspicious eye from the guy at the counter and now they have Gardenburger on the menu...so I know it wasn't just me, but I'd like to think I contributed anyway) :-)

Women's Shoes - Manmade Non-Leather - Hudson Belk

I was in Belk looking over clearance items when I saw some cute shoes. No way they were vegan, righ? I was wrong! Yay! Plus, they were half off, so I only paid $25 for them. Anyway, the brand name is Kim Rogers in case anyone wants to look it up. They look like "quality-made" leather shoes (i.e., more expensive than PayLess)and are very comfy too. Good find!

Peking Garden - Chinese - Raleigh, NC

It's been a few months since we last ate at Peking Garden, but I had to write a post on this restaurant because I keep forgetting to and this restaurant should NOT be forgotten!

This is a beautiful restaurant inside, with many vegetarian options on the menu. They also have a sister restaurant in Downtown Raleigh called Cody's, which we have not tried.

By far the best dish we've tried at Peking Garden is the Tender Crispy Tofu. It's fried, but not overly greasy or heavy. All the food at Peking Garden is fresh and light like this.

They also have vegetable egg rolls, spring rolls and dumplings.

Defintely worht a vist if you haven't tried it already! There's even a movie theater in the same shopping center if you want to make it a "date night".

This is another restaurant that we wish was closer to Cary - definitely worth repeat visits.

http://www.pekinggardenraleigh.com/

Shanghai - Chinese - Durham, NC

Due to the unfortunate closing of Mama Wok in Cary, we have begun yet another search for a truly good Chinese restaurant. Shanghai is out of the way for takeout if you live in Cary, but if you are in the Durham area it is definitely worth the trip.

I have to admit I had low expectations since every other Chinese place we've tried with high hopes turned out to be disappointing or just average.

Shanghai is a real, sit-down Chinese restaurant, the kind that gives you hot tea free (not common in NC in my experience). It's very close to the Chinese restaurants I remember from the MD/DC area and not just a hole in the wall with pictures of food on the wall behind the register with 2 tables to sit at if you decide to eat there.

We only tried 2 dishes - the Szechuan Tofu and the Curry Tofu, but both were very good. We also had the vegetable egg rolls (not spring rolls, egg rolls - it's so hard to find veggie ones in restaurants so I was excited) and the vegetable dumplings. The dumplings were the only in NC that I've tried so far that were anywhere close to the ones I had in the DC area. The dough is fresh and you can tell the dumplings do not come frozen from a bag. Again, I was very excited.

We will definitely be back to Shanghai restaurant to try more vegetarian dishes. They have a good selection on the menu, and even some included in the daily specials.
They even have lettuce wraps with a tofu option, so now there is another option besides PF Chang's if you want to try it somewhere else.

I only wish they were closer to Cary so that they could become our new takeout place, because I know they would.

http://shanghai.ypguides.net/page/o4ce/Select_Vegetable_Tofu_Dishes.html

Eden's Vegetarian - Eclectic - Smithfield, NC

We saw this place on Happy Cow and thought we'd take a Sunday drive to check it out. The owner, Alex, who is originally from St. Lucia, and has been a vegetarian himself for about 30 years, is on a mission to create healty, vegetarian/vegan food that tastes great. Being located in Smithfield, his goals are admirable.

I highly reccomend a drive out to eat at this restaurant. It's not too far from the Triangle, it took us about 45 minutes from Cary. I suggest calling first, as his hours depend on the expected business that day, although he is open at the hours listed at the end of this post. He also does a Thanksgiving dinner for those who'd rather let someone else cook.

The restaurant is in a beautiful Victorian house and Alex and his wife were very friendly. It was a very intimate dining experience, as we were the only guests in there, but it gave us time to talk to Alex and learn more about his cooking and background. Before our meal was over, a large church group showed up - so he does not lack business, but being in Smithfield, I guess it's not the first place to eat on most people's minds.


My husband and I shared plates and tried some of everything. Alex featured 2 meals that day: Curry "chicken" and chickpeas with choice of sides or "BBQ ribs" with choice of sides. Sides were spinach brown rice, beans and rice, sweet potatoes, broccoli and carrots and collards and onions. Each person gets an entree, a rice, a vegetable and salad comes with the meal.

We also tried his vegetable soup as a starter and his homemade foccacia with garlic, sea salt and olives was delicious. He also made his own iced tea which had rosemary in it, which was also very good.

He warned us not to eat too fast or fill up too much on tea and bread and we assured him we wouldn't - but he was right, by the time our meal came we were stuffed halfway through and couldn't finish. I felt bad because he had created such a lovely meal for us and we were't able to take it to go. Next time we'll have to pace ourselves better. The meal was reasonably priced for all that food and wasn't more than around $12-$15 for each of us.

Granted, it's not a trendy nightspot or a place for a quick bite, but for a catered event, lazy Sunday meal with good friends or a romantic dinner, this place is perfect. The fact that this place exists at all, let alone Smithfield, NC is amazing. Please support his efforts to promote vegetarian lifestyle.


Eden's Vegetarian Dining
709 S 3rd St, Smithfield, NC 27577 (at Holt, inside the Dupree House)
919-938-3880
Vegetarian, Vegan-friendly, Organic, International, Catering

Accept credit cards.
Open Tue-Fri lunch 11am-2pm
Sun 11am-7pm
Tue-Thur dinner 5:30-8:30pm by appointment only

http://www.edensvegetarian.com

Area Vegan Events - Thanksgiving - Triangle Vegetarian Society

For those new to the area, there is a local Triangle Vegetarian Society that hosts events, potlucks etc.

They also host the country's largest all vegan Thanksgiving Event, which is held at an upscale restaurant in Durham. Tickets are purchased ahead of time for a specified time slot. Food is served buffet style, but is both delicious and displayed elegantly. They also sell raffle tickets for an array of vegan goods.

We went this year for the first time and were very impressed. It was a nice experience to be surrounded by compassionate, like-minded people. We highly recommend going with your family, vegan or not, for a break from cooking and for some wonderful food.

http://www.trianglevegsociety.org/thanksgiving07/index.html

Penang - Malaysian & Thai - Chapel Hill

Good food in a clean and artistic atmosphere.

It clearly says on the menu that almost every dish can be made "vegetarian or vegan", which usually means substituting tofu.

http://www.penangnc.com/

We have tried the:

(Appetizer) Satay Tofu - Crispy fried tofu stuffed with cucumber and bean sprouts with peanut sauce.

Thai Lemongrass Chicken (Substituted Tofu) - Sauteed chicken with lemongrass, fresh pepper, tumeric, chili, lime juice and coconut milk.

Basil Eggplant - Eggplant with pepper chili in tasty Thai basil sauce.

By far the Thai Lemongrass Tofu (Not Chicken) was the best, but everything was very good.

Fiesta Mexicana - Multiple Locations

We ate at the one in Wakefield -

Here is the chain's website:
http://www.fiestamexicanarestaurante.com/raleigh.wake.forest.clayton/index.php?&MMN_position=1:1

Standard Raleigh area Mexican food, but we were impressed that when we clarified we didn't want cheese or dairy on anything, the waiter did make sure to inform us that they do use sour cream in the guacamole. So they win vegan points for that.

Rosetta's Kitchen - Asheville

We've had some road-trips lately, and had some terrific food in Asheville. Even though it is about 4 hours from Raleigh, we still wanted to mention some of the great vegetarian stuff for anyone headed out that way.

Our first stop (literally, our first stop right off the highway getting into Asheville) was at Rosetta's Kitchen. This place is fantastic! The dingy/artsy atmosphere and the pierced & tattooed workers all fit right into the Asheville cultural vibe, and the menu of vegan options was impressive. We had a smoky tofu sandwich that was delicious - highly recommended. We also tried the mock-chicken salad sandwich. It was OK, but didn't measure up to our favorite (the one Jeremy makes at the Cary Whole Foods). We also wanted to try the Tempeh-lo Wings, but they were sold out! The old people at the next table were eating the last of them. We SO wanted to steal a few, but managed to contain ourselves. Maybe next time. And there WILL be a next time, because there were so many other things on the menu that we still want to try.

Their web site is here: http://rosettaskitchen.com/index.html

And the menu is here: http://www.blueridgetogo.com/vendors/43.pdf

Compassionate Living Festival - Durham

http://www.animalsandsociety.org/conference07.htm

October 5-7, 2007 Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center4700 Emperor Boulevard, Durham, North Carolina 27703

Please join us for the 22nd annual International Compassionate Living Festival, featuring esteemed authors, academics, activists and artists united for positive change on behalf of animals worldwide. The conference will feature leaders from many areas of animal activism, from grassroots to national campaigns, focusing on how everyone can “become the change” the world’s animals urgently need.

Support Local Farmers and Humane Treatment of Farm Animals

This weekend we went on the local Farm Tours. We went to the ones this past spring as well. Last time they were the Chapel Hill area and this time we went to Holly Springs and Louisburg.

http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/

Buttons are sold at Whole Foods (and other places). For $30 the button gets you access to the farms for both days or you can pay $10 per farm.

It's a great way to buy fresh produce and support local farmers. If you eat eggs, it's a sure way of buying humane eggs.

Last spring we went to Fickle Creek Farm and this time the two that stood out were Amazing Acres and Mae Farm.

Amazing Acres is more of an educational farm geared toward children. They have potbellied pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks and a goat. http://www.getoutsideandlearn.com/

Mae Farm is primarily a hog farm, but I have to respect the owner, Mike Jones for providing a true free-range home for his pigs. Their food is all natural, no pesticides and the animals appear happy. I know they still have a horrible fate, but if you had to pick the lesser of two evils, this would be it. Encourage meat-eating friends and family to purchase from farmers like this (while still encouraging vegetarian diet).

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A160706

http://www.maefarmmeats.com/index.shtml

At the end of the Mae Farm tour I was even able to hand a couple of vegetarian brochures to a man and his mother who were on the tour. I could tell by the questions he asked the farmer that he wanted to know more about factory farming. I gave him these privately after the tour (I don't recommend harassing the farmers).

All in all, these tours are informative and fun. It's always a joy to watch the piglets play and the chickens dust-bathe and also to remind myself why I don't eat meat.

Keep an eye out for the tour schedules every year and bring a group to go. It's a good way to get your foot in the door to introduce to your friends and family issues like factory farming, organic farming etc.

Taste of Thai - Raleigh (Falls of Neuse)

Tried this place over the weekend. Nice sit-down restaurant, friendly waitress, good presentation.

We ordered:
Appetizer - Vegetarian Fresh Rolls
PAD MAKUA - Sauteed fresh eggplant with sweet basil,carrot and bell pepper.
CHOO CHEE - Thick & strong flavorful curry with broccoli ,kaffir lime and coconut milk.

There is a separate menu with faux meats on it, but the appetizer we tried to order wasn't available, but the waitress did say that the other entrees with faux meats were available. Maybe if we go back will will try one.

http://www.tasteofthairestaurant.net/nc/index.php?&MMN_position=1:1

Greek Fiesta - Multiple Locations

Another great place for hummus etc. Be sure to sign up on the pad at the register with your e-mail and birthdate. They will e-mail you free coupons for food on holidays and your birthday. We just had a lunch feast over the weekend with our coupons. A vegetarian platter, drink and two extra plates of hummus and pita for only $7.99. It was way more that we should have eaten but we had a coupon!

http://www.greekfiesta.com/