Men's shoes at Rack Room Shoes

For vegan casual and athletic shoes, there are plenty of options (such as many of the New Balance styles).

For men's dress shoes, though, it is a lot harder to find non-leather choices. I was happy to find some snazzy, all man-made material shoes at Rack Room in Cary yesterday: Borelli Mason shoes.

They are pretty nice looking, reasonably comfortable, and - hey - cheap too! I particularly like the brown ones.

Also, see the posts about women's shoes here and here.

Simply Thai - Durham/RTP

This little restaurant opened in the always-depressing Big Lots strip at NC-54 & 55 near RTP. It was "Simply Thai and Sushi", but has since dropped the Sushi part. The menu at lunchtime had a lot of options in the $6-$7 dollar range, and almost all of them let you pick Beef, Chicken, Shrimp, Tofu, or Vegetables. So there are lots of vegetarian options! The waitress was careful to point out that one of the soups had chicken stock when she realized that several people were ordering tofu dishes. I tried Drunken Noodles with Tofu and it was very spicy (but not TOO spicy) and delicious.

Address: 4731 N.C. Hwy. 55, Durham
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtplunch/380926658/
(Much nicer on the inside that in looks from the outside)

CLOSED: All Vegetarian Asian Restaurant - Bright Palace - Cary, NC

Bright Palace
1207-J Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC
919-468-7238

I ate here with friends tonight. It is an ALL veg. Asian restaurant. It is huge, nicely decorated and the menu has so many selections that it's a little overwhelming. They have faux meat and sushi, but also a large selection of vegetable dishes.

They are so new that they don't have a website yet. They will also eventually have dim sum, but do not offer that at this time either.

Abyssinia - Ethiopian - Raleigh

Pretty much the only Ethiopian restaurant in the Triangle, and certainly rated as the best, according to people I've talked to.

Get the Vegetarian Combo. It gives you a taste of everything.


http://abyssiniarestaurant.net/vegetarian.html

Vegan Ranch Dip - In the Store!

This isn't a restaurant post, but I stumbled upon a vegan ranch dip mix and had to share it with other vegans looking for a decent ranch!

Lipton makes a vegan ranch powder that is in the Kosher section of the grocery store. I take a tub of Tofutti Sour Cream and mix in the packet of ranch. I found you only need about 1/2 a packet. You can adjust it to suit your taste, but I found that you don't need much of the ranch powder to make a flavorful dip.

Anyway, easy vegan ranch dip/dressing is not only a dream anymore! Yay!!!

P.S. Lipton makes several powdered soups that are vegan and can make great dips. The French Onion and even Beefy Onion are vegan. I believe most of the "Recipe Secrets" packets they have are vegan, but check the labels. Again, just dump it into a tub of Tofutti Sour Cream and you're on your way to easy party dips! No one will even notice they are vegan!

Belted Goat - Fearrington Village - Pittsboro

I will give them credit for offering a veggie wrap sandwich in their cafe (plus, they have cute cows, goats and a donkey to visit with at the village entrance).

I am surprised over and over again by the number of restaurants here in NC (even "rural" farming towns) that accomodate vegetarians and vegans....

It's a good sign for the future of dining in this area!

http://www.fearrington.com/village/beltedgoat.asp

Carolina Brewery - Pittsboro and Chapel Hill

We went for a brewery tour and stayed for lunch.

They offer a black bean veggie burger as well as a good selection of other veggie items, all marked clearly with a carrot icon to signify that it is vegetarian.

http://www.carolinabrewery.com/downloads/CB_menu.pdf

General Store Cafe - Pittsboro

Who would have thought that in a little town like Pittsboro you can find a decent vegan meal? I was surprised and happy to find the General Store Cafe, which does have a nice variety of vegetarian and vegan items on their menu. (We tried them for dinner before a trip to the Carnivore Preservation Trust, which is another place I recommend in Pittsboro).

The General Store Cafe even offers tempeh in place of meat in any of their burritos! They also have a veggie BLT, but it is vegetarian and not vegan. (They sub smoked mozzarella in place of the bacon).

http://www.thegeneralstorecafe.com/home.html

Serena Restaurant & Bar - Durham

Has several vegetarian options, including the "TAG" - Tomato, Avocado, Gardenburger

http://www.serena-rtp.com/menus/Serena_Dinner.pdf

HOURS
Open Monday - Friday
NOW OPEN ALL DAY! Come join us for an off-site meeting with the team, a late-late lunch or early break on the way home.
Lunch: 11 AM - 4 PM
Evening: 4 PM - 9:00 PM

FEATURES
Always Smoke-Free Dining
Outdoor patio dining (weather permitting)
Free Wireless Internet Access
A location central to Chapel Hill, Durham AND Raleigh guests within 1/4 mile of interstate 40.
Wheelchair accessable - no stairs or obvious obstacles for those with limited mobility.

LOCATION
Serena Restaurant and Bar is located at 5311 South Miami Blvd, Durham, NC 27703. Our location is within 1/4 mile of interstate 40. We're on the very southeast edge of Durham, the northern tip of Morrisville and the eastern edge of Research Triangle Park.

Abbey Road - Hamburgers etc. - Cary

Offers a few vegetarian (not vegan) menu items. A veggie burger can be substituted for any of their burgers.

http://www.abbeyroadgrill.com/cary.bar.grill.restaurant/abbey.road.to.go.menu.for.pdf.conversion.htm

Little Caesars Pizza - Nationwide

From their website: http://www.littlecaesars.com/

Vegetarian Options at Little CaesarsLittle Caesars wants to help meet the growing needs of our vegetarian customers and offers them many appropriate menu choices. Vegetarian diets that allow dairy products can easily be planned to meet nutritional adequacy using any of the Little Caesars vegetarian-style pizzas. Little Caesars pizzas can be ordered with cheese-only or with any of our fresh vegetable toppings including onions, green peppers, and tomato slices. Mushrooms, ripe olives, and pineapples are also available toppings. Banana pepper rings can be added to give some "zip" to any vegetable-topped pizza.

Please note: Topping selection varies by location. Visit your local Little Caesars Pizza restaurant for topping availability.


For the Strict Vegetarian Diet (Vegan Diet) A strict vegetarian diet requires a little more planning for nutritional adequacy because it may require special conditions such as no animal by-products. Little Caesars' pizza crust is made with a quality, high-protein flour and contains no animal products or by-products. The sauce is made from crushed tomatoes and is seasoned with a special blend of herbs and spices - it also is made without animal by-products. This means that customers who are strict vegetarians can order a Little Caesars vegetable pizza, without cheese, and still fulfill their needs.

There are other items that can be special-ordered from our menu that are acceptable for a strict vegetarian diet. For example, Crazy Bread® can be ordered without Parmesan cheese along with an order of Crazy Sauce® on the side.

Announcing VegAsheville!

Everyone that is veg in NC knows that Asheville and surrounding areas are very veg friendly, but in trying to plan my own trip I found that there is no single dedicated website of vegetarian/vegan listings.

So that is why I've created VegAsheville - to aide other veg*ns in their travels to the mountains. This new blog will encompass all of Western North Carolina, as I dig up more info.

I hope everyone finds it helpful!

Blue Corn Cafe - Latin American - Durham (Ninth Street)

Too full from Twisted Noodles and Soy Cream from Francessca's, we were unable to try Blue Corn Cafe, but strolled by it and stopped to read the menu and were intrigued.

They have a separate Vegetarian section on the Dinner Menu, with the disclaimer that the items are not vegan, but that they can be prepared vegan. A few appetizers appear to vegan also, and any place with fresh Guacamole is worth a try to me.

It may just be a contender for our next Date Night.

http://www.bluecorn-tosca.com/bc_home.asp

Thai Spices & Sushi - Thai - Cary

This restaurant is the one that has gone into the space where Mama Wok was once located.

It looks like they've expanded the Vegetarian menu item selection since they first posted a basic menu before they opened.

We have yet to try it but it looks like they did a nice renovation to the interior and if they are as good as their website claims, hopefully we'll have a new favorite place in Cary for takeout (although it's still not Chinese and we're still, still searching - suggestions welcome!).

http://www.thaispicesandsushi.com/ThaiSpice_Test/vegetarian.php

986 High House Rd.
Cary, NC
(919) 319-1818‎

Francesca'ss Dessert Caffe - Durham

Fun place to visit on Durham's 9th Street, with vegan soy ice cream. We tried the hazelnut and chocolate flavors, with some tasty decaf to go with it.

http://francescasdessertcaffe.com/

Saladelia Cafe - Breakfast/Sandwiches/Salads - Durham

We didn't try this place but saw it on our way into Twisted Noodles - it's in the same shopping center. I noticed the "Vegemeaty" logo truck in the parking lot and was curious. They even have a Vegetarian Resource Group sticker on their door by the entrance.

We grabbed a menu and peeked inside. It looked to hold a fairly large amount of tables and the atmosphere was nice. It was almost completely empty though since it was about 8pm on a Saturday night and I'm guessing this is more of a lunch spot. They also do catering.

According to the menu:
-They use free range eggs and claim to use "fresh/homemade/Organic" ingredients
-They always have a Vegetarian Soup option on the menu
-You can get Soy Milk in your coffee (I know it's not THAT exciting, but not every place offers this - Panera and Bruegger's and other cafes like it usually don't, so it's something at least)
-Juices on the menu, like the Orange Juice, are always squeezed fresh
-They offer Free Wireless in the cafe

From what I can tell, they are very Vegetarian Friendly, but if you are a strict Vegan you might have trouble finding too much. Although, they do have a Greek Sampler platter that you could easily pick 3 vegan items to include in the platter.

* My suggestion to the Owner would be to add Scrambled Tofu to the Breakfast Menu. Anyone in NC is hard pressed to find a breakfast place if they are vegan and a cute cafe to have a leisurely breakfast or brunch is a much-needed niche to fill.

I'd be all over any place I could get a vegan breakfast burrito and a soy espresso drink on a lazy Sunday morning (when I'm too lazy to make it all myself!)

4201 University Dr # 100
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 489-5776

http://www.saladelia.com/home/

Twisted Noodles - Thai - Durham

We tried this place for "date night" and found ourselves at a run down strip mall, a little overdressed and left with too much time on our hands due to the insanely quick service, but hey, who's complaining? We had a nice time (in the 30 minutes we were there!)

They do have a beautiful fish tank with pretty blue and yellow tropical fish, and fast service is a good thing. We were just hoping for a little more I guess. It is lacking in decor and ambiance though and we noticed they weren't playing any music either.

But despite all that, I give this place a high rating. The location doesn't matter, the food was tasty and it's good to know it's a casual place we can grab a quick bite at in the future.

The menu used the words "vegetarian" and "vegan", which is a HUGE plus. The menu also says most dishes can be prepared with tofu or vegetables subsituted for meat.

We tried the "Vegan Delight" and "Potato Corn Cake" for appetizers. Both items are deep fried and much like a tempura. I suggest getting one or the other, otherwise it's too heavy before your meal.

For entrees we tried the Thai Spicy Salad (with Tofu instead of chicken)and the
Tom Yum Chili Oil Noodles (served as an entree and not a soup and with Tofu for the "meat") - Rice noodles, bean sprouts, cilantro and scallion in lemon grass and chili oil soup broth with your choice of meat or summer style with no soup

I suggest giving this place a try for a dinner out with friends you need to catch up with or lunch on the run. If you ARE planning a date night here, make sure you either have a LOT to talk about or a Plan B as to where to go next, or the date might over with in the same time it normally takes you to get through the Drive-Thru at Taco Bell. :-)

4201 University Dr
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 489-9888
www.twistednoodles.com

P.S. We went to Francesca's Dessert Cafe afterwards (review posted as a separate entry - http://francescasdessertcaffe.com/)

Raleigh Times Bar - American Menu - Downtown Raleigh

We haven't tried this place, but I just thought I'd note that if you are Downtown, but away from Glenwood (by the Imax/Moore Square area), this place at least has a veggie burger (but not much else on the menu for veggie people).

http://www.raleightimesbar.com/

Satisfaction Restaurant - Burgers/Pizza - Durham

Sports Bar/Restaurant with Pizza, Burgers, Salads etc. and a separate vegetarian menu.

http://www.satisfactionrestaurant.com/NEW%20DINNER%20MENU%20FINAL_files/page0006.htm

Spinner's - Veggie Burger - Wake Forest

A reader named Laura wrote us:

Hey,
I love your blog. Thank you so much for the great info! I just wanted to let you know that Spinner's in Wake Forest will let you substitute a veggie burger for any of their burgers (8? choices).

There have been a couple of times that I have gone and they were out, so people might want to call ahead and ask if they have veggie burgers ready. It's great to have a local place to grab a burger. :)

Do you happen to know of any way (website, local store) to purchase Worthington products? (Wham, Chickettes, Fripats,etc)

Thanks,
Laura


Thanks, Laura! We'll have to give Spinners a try!

I haven't seen Worthington products in local stores. I think we bought some Skallops in Wilmington, but that isn't exactly local. I searched online and found them at Amazon. You might also check Pangea or VegeFood.

Lotus Leaf Cafe - New Menu! - Cary

Lotus Leaf Cafe now has an expanded vegetarian menu!

http://lotusleafcafe.com/

*Update: I believe they are now closed all day Sunday and don't appear to have dim sum anymore :(

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

CLOSED - Pao Lim - Indo Chinese - Durham

According to a user comment this restaurant is now closed. It's a shame too, this was a nice place with good food.
---------------------------------------
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!