photo from Dreamstate Cafe

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: www.vrg.org/restaurant

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor, 1135 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10025

Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor describes the fare as “comfort food reimagined with completely plant based ingredients, and a focus on sustainability.” They list some gluten-free options too. Corn tortilla Taco choices include savory sweet Korean BBQ with green onions, hoisin crema, purple cabbage slaw or smoky Al Pastor with spiced jackfruit, roasted oyster mushrooms, chilis, and pineapple. Shawarma with House pollo, a warm spice blend, hummus, tzatziki, tomatoes, and pickled onions as well as Barbacoa with Chunk Steak pulled and slow cooked in herbed adobo sauce are flour tortillas. Some of their Sandwiches are Beer Bratwurst cooked in Cigar City brown ale, topped by spiced brown mustard, queso, and sauerkraut on a pretzel bun and seasoned Bacon Jam Burger with “house made” smoky bacon jam, caramelized onions, and vegan cheddar cheese on a brioche. Shareables include Nachos, Guacamole, and more. Crisped Fig and Arugula flatbread features warm vegan cheese, walnuts, black mission figs, and sautéed onions topped with arugula and balsamic glaze. You might treat yourself to Sigmund’s “handmade,” Brooklyn-inspired, toasted Bavarian Personal Pretzel with spicy brown mustard, or share the Über Pretzel which also has sauerkraut. On a sweet note, there’s the Churro Donut “Pretzel,” “hand-spun,” fried, sweet sourdough with cinnamon sugar and dulce de leche dipping sauce.

Dreamstate Café, 2558 Lyndale Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55405

Dreamstate Café offers creativity and variety throughout their abundant menu. Lunch and dinner selections are similar. Among many choices of Small Plates, there’s Yucca Fries with Mojo Verde and corn crema; Coffee Black Beans and Rice with potato threads jalapeño sour cream and cilantro; Sweet Potato Sopes with Cashew Chevre, curtido (cabbage relish), Chimichurri spice, and pepitas; King Oyster Mushroom in lime coconut broth, chili glaze basil oil, shiso leaf, and crisped rice noodles; and Delicata Squash Donuts with Vodka Tempura Black pepper-orange-tequila glaze. Handhelds include Maitake Tacos; seitan Corn Beef Sandwich featuring “House” Kraut, smoked Gouda, chili crisp aioli, and mustard on rye; Fried Chicken Sandwich serving up a “housemade” patty, lemongrass slaw, and pickled fennel on a brioche; and Pub Burger with beer cheese, bourbon aioli, onion on a Pretzel bun, to note a few options. Some Entrées are Lions Mane Steak with roasted corn sauté, black bean mole, radish, and avocado purée; oyster mushroom Scallop Linguini showcasing “House” pasta, Alfredo sauce, and almond cotija; and Mushroom Dashi (“House”) Ramen with crisped tofu, kimchi, soy caramel, fried peanuts, furikake, and cilantro. Saturdays and Sundays, Brunch has some items similar to those above, with some twists, but also different dishes like Curtido Benedict with sweet potato sopes, cashew chevre, Hollandaise, and cilantro; Sweet Potato Biscuits and (wild rice mushroom) Gravy, sausage, smoked Serrano agave, and scallion; a Weekend Poutine of “House” fries, wild rice mushroom gravy, sour cream, fried tofu mozzarella, and smoked paprika; as well as Waffle of the Moment, Yucca Hash, and more. They offer a wide array of inspired Cocktails and Mocktails as well as Coffee Drinks with intriguing blends of ingredients. There’s a daily Happy Hour, too.

Fry Baby Donuts, 69 Chenango St., Buffalo, NY 14213

To keep things interesting, Fry Baby Donuts aim to rotate their specialty menu every two weeks or so, while trying to keep popular items like Pain au Chocolate and Almond Bear Claws in constant rotation. Pastry lovers, besides yeast raised goodies like Ring Donuts, Filled Donuts, and Apple Fritters, they offer “vegan all butter” laminated pastries too. Donut flavors run the gamut from maple glazed to raspberry jalapeño, as just two of many examples. Additionally, they hope to offer savory pastries in the near future. Speaking of savory, they also have both Frozen and Hot (on certain days) Pizza—individual and large in Cheese Pepperoni, BBQ or Buffalo Chkn and other rotating varieties.

Jacq n Diane’s Juice Box, 3034 Grange Hall Rd., Holly, MI 48442

Jacq n Diane’s Juice Box wants you to “Get your healthy on.” They note that they prepare dishes that are”100% vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free… made from scratch using real, whole ingredients…,” with “…no-added sugars, artificial flavorings…”Believing… good music is nourishment for your soul…,” they also hope you’ll enjoy the music they have playing and the local artists’ work that graces their walls. As the name suggests, Jacq n Diane’s Juice Box offers a myriad of juices and smoothies. There are also Rockin Rice Bowls such as Teriyaki with Basmati rice, sautéed veggies, raw cashews, green onion, and “house made, oil free” Teriyaki Sauce. Some Sides are Broccoli Raisin Salad with red onion and sun flower seeds in a creamy cashew Dijon dressing, rotating “house-made” Soup, Super Slaw with cabbage, carrots, green onion, kale, and parsley in sunflower seed dressing, and Creamy Herb Potato Salad in a house-made cashew herb dressing with red onion and mustard. Loaded Nachos offers “organic” corn chips with house-made vegan chz, “fresh house mild salsa,” cashew sour cream, guacamole, and optionally walnut taco crumble. Sandwiches and Wraps include Mother Clucker with savory jackfruit “chick’n,” caramelized onion, tomato, greens, mustard, and “house-made” cashew ranch on toast. The Reuben features sauerkraut, cashew 1000 island dressing, cheese, and “corned” jackfruit on bread. One of their Organic Salads, Beet Salad combines greens with pecans, red onion, avocado, and your choice of dressing like Rosemary Balsamic. Dessert might be a slice of rotating seasonal Pie or Double Chocolate Pie made from cacao, and all “organic ingredients.”

Pucker Up Vegan Eatery, 307 Delannoy Ave., Cocoa, FL 32922

Offers plant-based bowls, sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Breakfast items include crispy chick’n on a buttermilk biscuit and eggs benedict with ham and hollandaise sauce on an English muffin. Deli sandwiches include the house-made turkey and tempeh bacon avocado melt and the bacon bleu with a quarter-pound chargrilled patty, tempeh bacon, bleu cheese, and peppercorn aioli. Sweets are also available including the pistachio cake with silky cream cheese frosting and the chocolate peanut butter cake.

The Tin Thistle Café, 1972 Sherman Ave., North Bend, OR 97459

The Tin Thistle Café is a Celtic-themed café serving vegan burgers, bowls, pasties, tacos, and more. The Village Burger is made of oats, walnuts, and spices and is served five ways including regular, fiesta, BBQ, Tuscan, and teriyaki. The Punjabi salad bowl includes red lentil dahl, brown rice, spicy cilantro chutney, and white sauce. Cauliflower tacos are made with roasted seasoned cauliflower, black beans, veggies, Sriracha aioli, and fiesta sauce.