Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism/vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2019. Deadline is February 20, 2019. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2019.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan/vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

For details on the contest, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

If you happen to visit or live in Boca Raton, Florida, you may want to try out Artichoke & Vine located in an office building on the 2nd floor at 4800 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, FL 33431. This vegan restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. They make their own delicious “meat” alternatives and many other items served on their menu including condiments. We tried several dishes including the mock “crab” cakes (seen in photo).

For more information on this establishment, visit:
www.artichokeandvine.com

To see complete Vegetarian Resource Group online restaurant guide for the USA and Canada, visit:
https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Photo from Fancy Plants Café

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

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:

Fancy Plants Café
613 W. Briar Pl.
Chicago, IL 60651
A friendly neighborhood café that brews fresh coffee and espresso with a variety of delicious breakfast and lunch options, such as savory breakfast sandwiches and lunch wraps, delicious muffins and pastries, and a rotating soup of the day! The service is extremely friendly and the atmosphere is both calm and inviting. All of the vegan cheeses are made in house, and daily specials provide a surprise to any Fancy Plants Café regular, such as cinnamon pop tarts and almond cupcakes with lemon ginger frosting.

The Juice Merchant
3401 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
And
4330 Main St.
Philadelphia, PA 19127
And
920 Montgomery Ave.
Narberth, PA 19072
The Juice Merchant is just that, with a variety of fruit and vegetable juices, juice blends, and smoothies. If you’re interested in something more solid, they also offer salads, toasts, and fruit bowls.

Li’lL Nonna’s
1505 Town Creek Dr.
Austin, TX 78741
Li’lL Nonna’s is a vegan pizzeria located outside of The Buzz Mill coffeehouse/bar in Austin, Texas. Their menu offers a wide variety of New York Style pizzas and gluten-free options. All pizzas are topped with freshly made vegan mozzarella and organic tomato sauce. Order your pizza with delicious veggies or vegan meat-alternatives including beeteroni and smokey tempeh. Enjoy outdoor seating or take-out.

LoveOnYourLips Desserts
2100 Pleasant Hill Rd., #251
Duluth, GA 30096
Located in Gwinnett Place Mall, LoveOnYourLips Desserts offers amazingly delicious fruit and vegetable vegan cheesecake, specialty cakes, cookies, croissants, a variety of breakfast and brunch sweets, danish, rugelach and organic coffees, teas, ice-cream and shakes. Order by phone or email as the desserts are all small batch made and sell out quickly.

Nateure’s Plate
182 Charlotte St.
Peterborough, ON K9J 8T2 Canada
Nateure’s Plate is a newly renovated plant-based eatery/bar in Peterborough, Ontario. They veganize traditionally meat-based menu options, including mozzarella sticks with marinara and chicken parmesan. It’s great for a group of vegans/non-vegans, kids, and anyone looking to indulge in delicious comfort food.

Real Fake Meats
2278 Gottingen St.
Halifax, NS B3K 0H2 Canada
Real Fake Meats is a plant-based butcher specializing in vegan meats and cheeses. The offer a variety of specialty craft sandwiches and soups. Every month, they host a Balance & Brunch club with an hour of yoga followed by a family style brunch. You can order take-out or pick up one of their charcuterie trays for your next event!

Souly Vegan Café
4125 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd.
Durham, NC 27707
The vegan mac and cheese is a customer favorite, and tends to blow the minds of non-vegans. Meatless options of jerk chicken, buffalo bites, and curry chickpeas are staples of the menu. The décor and atmosphere reflects the Southern influences in the menu.

Photo: Broccoli Quinoa Burger from Broccoli Revolution

By Taylor Gale, VRG Intern

Having lived in Bangkok, Thailand for five months I learned tips and tricks on how to remain vegan while living abroad. It was not as hard as you think. Due to the Eastern cooking style, tofu was an option at almost every restaurant I entered into. Thankfully, there are also fresh fruit and vegetable markets at almost every corner you turn. The options for vegans were there, but the trickiest part of it all when ordering meals in restaurants was to make sure that they were completely up to the standards of being vegan.

Typically, it is not the main ingredients which make the meal not vegan, but it was the sauces and broths used in traditional Thai cooking which made it a problem. Fish sauce and chicken or beef broth is found in numerous Thai meals.

During my study abroad, I was lucky enough to have a Thai mentor, Auntie Sam. She taught me a few phrases to indicate that I was vegan for when I ordered food. The word “jay” (เจ) represents veganism. In order to be on the safe side of ordering, I also suggest to say that you do not eat fish sauce (chan/pom mai ghan nam pla) or egg (chan/pom mai ghin kai).

While in Bangkok, I ate at numerous vegan and vegetarian restaurants. One of my favorite vegan spots was, Broccoli Revolution (https://www.facebook.com/broccolirevolution) , which is located on Sukhumvit road. The restaurant is located within a chic area and the ambiance is very hipster. Plants were hung everywhere, everything was painted white or bright colors, they serve juice and organic wines, and every item on their menu is vegan! I highly recommend the Broccoli Quinoa Charcoal Burger; it is a packed plate full of delicious flavors. I went to Broccoli Revolution frequently with my non-vegan friends and every single one of them said that the burger was one of the best burgers they have ever tasted. The prices are very reasonable and the items on the menu are perfect if you like to order a bunch of plates to share with others!

Another favorite of mine is Mango Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurant and Art Gallery (https://www.facebook.com/MANGO-Vegetarian-Vegan-Reastaurant-and-Art-Gallery-821759707838666/), which is located off of Khao San Road. Their menu is expansive, so there are a lot of options for those who are picky. The workers were always super friendly and always had a smile on their face. An added bonus is that the shop owner’s cat wanders around the restaurant, playfully walking past the guests or sleeping on the cushions.

Khun Ta J Food Vegan Stall (https://www.instagram.com/khunta_jfood/) is another great place that caters towards vegans. As soon as I began looking over the options, the owner asked if I was vegan and began to give me recommendations on what to order. The stall is in the middle of a food market on the ground level of Gateway mall beside Ekkami station. You are able to order rice with one, two, or three toppings. The toppings changed a bit each time I went, but no matter what I ordered, the food was always fantastic! This is a great option when you need something fast and convenient!

For a more pricey and sophisticated meal, I suggest dining at the Veganerie (https://www.veganerie.co.th/menu/). Their vegan golden spring-rolls were to die for, as well as the Hawaiian veggie teriyaki burger! They serve up a diverse selection of desserts and plant powered smoothies. Although they opened up in 2016, the team has already expanded to having four locations. The Veganerie’s philosophy of food and acceptance of all dietary restrictions mixed with their creative and passion exploding recipes creates a welcoming environment for all types of people!

While adventuring and trying all of these restaurants I found other outlets of food, which met my vegan dietary needs. As I mentioned earlier, on almost every corner you turn in Bangkok there are fruit and vegetable stands. While they may carry fruits and vegetables that Westerners are accustomed to having, such as pineapples and mangoes, they also carry Eastern types of food, such as durian and rambutan. I highly suggest trying rambutan, which has a somewhat deceiving outer appearance due to its spikes and vibrant pink color, but on the inside it is a sweet fruit that is perfect for the hot weather in Thailand. What I do not suggest is buying a whole durian. While it is a popular Asian fruit, the smell and taste is so pungent, somewhat similar to a dirty locker room. As a foreigner I suggest tasting a durian flavored ice cream, that way you still get to experience the taste of durian but are not overwhelmed with the smell and amount of durian. The best part about these fruit stands is that everything you buy is packaged conveniently so that travelers and walkers are able to eat on the go. Although the fruit is packaged in a small plastic bag with a wooden stick, which is personally disturbing due to the environmental impact of plastic consumption, the packaging allows vegans and all others to have ample access to fresh and nutrient dense foods.

While in the U.S. we have convenient stores, such as Seven-11, WaWa, or Royal Farms, Thailand has a similar shop set up called Family Mart. It was at Family Mart and local grocery stores I was able to buy vegan snacks, which I carried with me whenever I knew I would be traveling to another country or just walking around all day. I bought oats to make overnight oats and tons and tons of packaged nuts and dried fruit. Dehydrated mango and seaweed snacks were a great snack, which was available pretty much at any convenient store.

When traveling in Thailand, I suggest to use the HappyCow app (https://www.happycow.net), which can be downloaded on your phone or computer. This app/ website is a great way to find fully vegan, vegan friendly, vegetarian, nut-free, etc. restaurants. You type in your location and specify what are your dietary restrictions and it will direct you with a multitude of places to choose from. It saved me many many times when there were language barriers between myself and the locals!

Who doesn’t enjoy dessert? Perhaps you might want to prepare a special dessert today for Valentine’s Day. You can find numerous dessert recipes from previous Vegetarian Journal articles by searching here:
https://www.vrg.org/journal/CookingAndRecipes.htm#cr-desserts. Enjoy making cookies, pie, biscotti, donuts, and more.

You can view The Vegetarian Resource Group Instagram posts here:
https://www.instagram.com/vegetarianresourcegroup/

The Vegetarian Resource Group Book Catalog offers a wide range of vegan books. Your purchases support our outreach!

The Vegan Lunchbox (for kids and adults)
Vegan for One
Simply Vegan
Gluten-Free Tips and Tricks for Vegans
The Kick Diabetes Cookbook
Vegans Know How to Party
Artisan Vegan Cheese
Plant-Powered Families
The Joy of Vegan Baking
The Indian Vegan Kitchen
The 4-Ingredient Vegan
The Almond Milk Cookbook
Vegan Microwave Cookbook
Vegan Soul Kitchen
Vegan Brunch
Vegan Meals for One or Two
The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook
Teff Love
Vegan Seafood: Beyond the Fish Shtick for Vegetarians
More Fabulous Beans
Grills Gone Vegan
Soups On!
Nona’s Italian Kitchen
Food Allergy Survival Guide
The Natural Vegan Kitchen
Asian Fusion
And so many more….

FREE media mail shipping for orders over $30 in the United States only! Inquire about shipping costs outside the USA before placing your order by emailing [email protected].

Visit VRG Book Catalog to order books online and support VRG’s outreach at the same time!

By Emma Giebel, VRG Intern

Nestled in the heart of the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore, Golden West Café’s yellow awning is a mild entrance compared to the extremely unique design of one of Baltimore’s best brunch destinations. The décor takes its inspiration from many design styles, such as bohemian and southwestern, which makes the restaurant resemble the thrift store of your dreams. It would be difficult to classify what type of restaurant Golden West is, especially since it contains two bars, one for tacos and one for alcohol, classic American food, Tex-Mex, breakfast, lunch sandwiches, and a rotating dessert menu. Golden West has a strong reputation of being accessible to people with many types of dietary restrictions, and their separate vegan menu is one that rivals any other in the area.

I had been to Golden West a couple times previously, but never as a vegan. With a new fresh outlook on my diet, I was slightly skeptical but also excited to try something different. For an appetizer, I order the sweet potato fries. Since sweet potato fries are one of my favorite foods of all time, I thought they would be a perfect start to my meal. When the waitress, who was hysterical and a great server by the way, put them in front of me, I was extremely excited. They were sliced into thin and perfectly baked sweet potato fries, and topped off with minimal spices that perfectly complimented the taste of the fries themselves. They were a perfect start to my meal and an option that I would recommend to any of my friends.

When ordering, I decided that I would get two entrées, one of which served as a perfect dinner hours later. I was originally very skeptical about the vegan French toast option, but one bite in, I knew that it was the perfect decision. The ciabatta bread was perfectly soaked in a mixture coconut milk and banana and topped off with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Since I do love banana, I found this breakfast option to be perfect. It may seem a little overpowering to some, but I thought it was a perfect substitute, especially if a carb-loaded breakfast is what you desire. For my second entrée, I decided to order the vegan burrito, and I was not disappointed. The large burrito came loaded with beans, potatoes, rice, and faux-rizo, and perfectly spiced chile sauce and salsa fresca. The red sauce and pico de gallo that coated the burrito was a perfect addition, and this lunch option served as an amazing meal that left me feeling full and satisfied, since the portion size was so huge (perfect for leftovers!). Having a taste of two different types of vegan alternatives at Golden West Café was a great decision, and shows that it is a perfect destination for any vegan looking for a wide variety of options when dining out.

For more information about Golden West Café, visit: http://www.goldenwestcafe.com/

For more information about vegan restaurants in the USA and Canada, visit: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism/vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2019. Deadline is February 20, 2019. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2019. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan/vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

For details on the contest, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

PizzaRox is a fast-casual restaurant located at 1880 N. Congress Avenue, Unit 150 Boynton Beach, Florida 33426. They use organic ingredients when available and offer many vegan pizza options that are clearly marked on their menu. The day we visited they had both Daiya cheddar and mozzarella cheese available along with a wide variety of pizza toppings such as organic baby arugula. You can also build-your-own salad.

For more information see: http://pizzarox.com/