New England EditionI spent probably too much time on my trip over the past five days thinking about where and what I was going to eat next. But I discovered some fantastic experiences and learned a lesson about the value of researching before traveling.
Come along! (
All photos taken by me.)Where To Eat
The Other Side, Boston
I always loved this place but I {heart} it a thousand times more now for being so vegan-y. This punk cafe offers several vegan options and has little red Vs near menu items that can easily be made so. I had a tasty buffalo-sauce tempeh sandwich one night and a magnificent pile of vegan nachos (with homemade salsa and veggie chili) a few days later. Nachos = my weakness!
Crema Cafe, Cambridge
Super best soy cappuccino of my life. I didn’t try the food, but the menu had some amazing-sounding things, like a sandwich with sweet potato, apple, and hummus.
Diesel Cafe, Somerville
Lesbians have the best taste. The soy cappuccino was not bad, and they have vegan baked goods.
Wheeler’s Ice Cream, Boston
I used to work a block away from this (at Buddhist and Eastern Spirituality publisher Shambhala) and never knew it was there. It’s no Lula’s, but they have a rotating list of flavors and all those I tried the other day were pretty good. Went with the pumpkin, which was spectacular: mildly spicy and refreshing.
Harvest Co-op, Cambridge
Love love love this natural market. Seriously the biggest selection of organic and vegetarian products I’ve ever seen. Bulk foods aisle is stellar.
2 Cats Restaurant, Bar Harbor
Went there for the tofu scramble, but also had organic fair trade coffee and soy milk; plus the happy garden porch made for great ambiance.
A&B Naturals, Bar Harbor
Small but full of heart, this natural grocery store had all kinds of good trail snacks, like my favorite Larabars, Clif Nectar bars, and Food Should Taste Good chips. I got an incredible local bread there from Sea Island Bakery, called Miller’s Wheat, that’s thick with flax and sunflower seeds.
Bar Harbor Tea Co.
You don’t even have to be vegan to go here, and it’s wonderful to bask in the spicy and sweet aromas of their imported teas.
Where Not To Eat
Fish House Grill, Bar Harbor
Eek. Lovely place and people, but hard to find something vegan to eat. By hard I mean impossible. Even the side dishes and soups come already made with butter and milk. I ended up with a tiny iceberg lettuce salad. But that’s okay!
Jordan's Restaurant, Bar Harbor
Omnivores go there for blueberry pancakes, but for me it’s the kind of place where your only option is to eat a banana in the car once you leave.
Lobster pounds, Bar Harbor area
This is the thing to do on Mount Desert Island, apparently, but these ubiquitous roadside grills where you can select the poor soul who will meet his end for your dinner made me very sad.
Where Maybe To Eat
Hi-Rise Bread Co., Cambridge
I used to work here and I stand behind their quality, but unfortunately they put a lot of butter into their pastries, muffins, and scones. However, several of their awesome breads are vegan, like the wheat boule, delicious raisin pecan loaf, and baguettes. The other morning I went there for coffee and was snootily told they were out of almond and soy milk, so took my business elsewhere. So, hit or miss.
Ice cream shops, Bar Harbor
These are everywhere, and surprisingly some of them had non-dairy options like Maine blueberry gelato and soy ice creams. So you don’t have to be left out!
