By Gene Slothour-Hudnall

Cafe Rio confirmed to us in June 2018 that their rice is not vegan because it
contains a margarine that contains whey. See:
https://www.caferio.com/nutrition/allergen-info

For info on other restaurant chains, see:
https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For info on vegan and vegetarian restaurants, see:
VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide

Thank you to Elsa Spencer, PhD (in nutrition) who staffed The Vegetarian Resource Group booth at The Richmond VegFest. Though muddy from previous rains, the weather stayed dry. Elsa had about two 2 dozen in-depth nutrition conversations with inquirers, several of whom were diabetic or pre-diabetic, some of whom were wanting to limit sugar, carbs, or gluten. Another fun bonus – a new non-profit radio station was there and Elsa went on the air and gave a shout out for VRG and for the festival – fun!

If you would like to volunteer at VRG booths, please email Gene at [email protected]

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group

A&W CANADA STARTING JULY 9TH, 2018 WILL CARRY THE VEGAN BEYOND BURGER. They have over 900 locations.

Create and submit a video relating what you want to tell others about vegetarianism and/or veganism.

Some possible topics: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism and/or vegetarianism, water usage and vegetarianism, veganism and animal rights, or other vegetarian topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You may submit a video you have already made.

Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others. Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video, to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media. Deadline to enter this year is July 15, 2018.

Details on the contest can be found here:
VRG Video Contest

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan dinner at BUSBOYS AND POETS in Washington, DC (About three blocks from the DC Convention Center) on Sunday, October 21, 2018 during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG advisors Reed Mangels PhD RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Mark Rifkin, MS RD, Debra Wasserman, Charles Stahler, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. All are welcome.

MENU
APPETIZERS:
BBQ Vegan Chicken Bites
Crispy Brussels Sprouts (Brussels sprouts with shallots, agave vinaigrette)
Tabbouleh (Quinoa, parsley, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice)
ENTRÉE: Beans and Wild Rice (black beans, fresh guacamole, pico de gallo)
DESSERT: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
Fountain Drinks and Iced Tea included

MUST PAY AND RESERVE IN ADVANCE: Send $35 per person (includes tax and tip) with names to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
Call (410) 366-8343. Or pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write DC Dietitian Dinner in the Comments.

NAME:
# Attending X $35/person = $
NAMES OF ATTENDEES:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Email:
Phone:

Donation towards professional outreach: $
Total enclosed: $

All MLB parks are included in the guide, which begins with 50+ venue pages. Listings currently include NCAA Division I venues, professional sports venues, and amphitheaters. (They’ll be adding more venue categories in the future.) Visit: https://www.veggiehappy.com

By Jamie Donohue, VRG Intern

Despite Upton’s Breakroom’s reputation as an iconic vegan staple in an up-and-coming Chicago neighborhood, you would never guess this from its humble appearance. In fact, I accidentally drove past it as I searched for some large, trendy bistro set up in an abandoned brick warehouse (in my experience, most trendy Chicago restaurants look like this).

Upton’s Breakroom is a small, white-walled cafe nestled into the corner of Chicago’s Ukrainian Village. While the exterior appears fairly normal, what most people may not notice is the large Upton’s Naturals seitan factory behind the restaurant – the company produces popular meat alternatives found in grocery stores such as barbeque jackfruit, Italian seitan, and bacon mac and cheese. The benefit of attaching a restaurant to the factory is that dishes are created to best utilize the texture and flavor of Upton’s Naturals products, and it also serves as inspiration for the customers to recreate their favorite menu items at home.

Upton’s Breakroom serves al pastor-style jackfruit tacos, Bahn Mi sandwiches, Italian beef subs, and bacon seitan, all of which is possible for anyone to make using Upton’s products. Overcome with the amount of delicious options, I ordered the bacon mac and cheese, bahn mi, Korean BBQ tacos, and vanilla soft serve ice cream – that’s right, they have vegan soft serve! I brought the food home with me to share with my family, and we immediately understood why Upton’s has become such a Chicago staple. Everything we ate was flavorful, interesting, and truly inspired. I also loved knowing that I could easily recreate the mac and cheese by simply stopping at my local grocery store and finding the product in the vegan section.

Overall, Upton’s is a fantastic place to stop by for a quick lunch or hearty dinner any time of the year. Their soft serve flavors change throughout the summer, just in case you want something a little more exciting than vanilla (lucky for me, it’s my favorite flavor). The service is quick and efficient, and you can take your food to go or dine in if tables are available. The prices are also quite reasonable, considering the restaurant’s popularity, location, and quality.

To find vegan and vegetarian restaurants in your area, check out The Vegetarian Resource Group Restaurant Guide at VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Alternative names: HPMC, hypromellose

Commercial source: combined plant (wood or cotton), mineral & synthetic (often referred to as “semisynthetic”)

Used in: baked goods, sauce mixes, salad dressings, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, personal care products

Used for: thickening, stabilizing, retaining moisture, emulsifying, binding

Description: Derived from wood or cotton and mineral-based chemicals such as calcium bicarbonate along with petrochemicals, there are different types of HPMC depending on the nature & quantity of the petrochemical parts used. HPMCs are becoming popular in foods as alternatives to gelatin or gluten because they are functionally similar to them. They are not digestible and so have no calories. HPMCs are also widely used in pharmaceuticals & supplements. They have many industrial applications including construction, paper & textiles.

Manufacturers:
Greg of JRS Pharma® sent us documents that confirmed the following about their HPMC products: “…manufactured from cellulose pulp originated from wood (e.g. Western Hemlock, spruce)…Manufacturing raw materials are methyl chloride, propylene oxide, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, calcium bicarbonate and water…There is no contact with material of animal origin during the manufacturing and packaging process of VIVAPHARM® and VIVAPUR® HPMC. Greg added: “I was able to confirm that propylene oxide is derived from petrochemicals…”
http://www.jrspharma.com/pharma_en/products-services/coatings/vivapharm-hpmc/

Leo of Orison Chemical Limited® wrote in an email that their HPMC is derived from cotton.
http://www.orisonchem.com/hpmc.html

Further information:
https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/jpps/index.php/jpps/article/viewFile/8870/7398

Classification: Vegan

For information about other ingredients, see:
https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

If you are attending any of the events listed below, be sure to stop by The Vegetarian Resource Group table and say hello! We’d love to meet you.

• Vegetarian Summerfest
https://summerfest.navs-online.org/
The festival starts July 4th, but we’ll be there July 6th – 8th, 2018
University of Pittsburgh Johnstown
Johnstown, PA

• Thrive Vegan Market
https://www.facebook.com/events/197364197656861/
Saturday, July 7th, 2018
6 East Lafayette Ave
Baltimore, MD

• Roots Vegan Fest
http://rootsmkt.com/third-annual-vegan-fest/
Saturday, July 21st, 2018
Clarksville, MD

Photo from Arata

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: VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at:
Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Arata
67 2nd Ave.
New York, NY 10003
Another offering by Chef Matthew Kenney, Arata brings a Pan-Asian perspective to plant-based dishes. Entrees include buns and noodle bowls. Desserts include cake and parfaits. Reservations recommended.

Celesta Restaurant
1978 N. Farwell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53215
With ramen, lasagna, tacos, and mac and cheese, everyone can find something to love at Celesta. This restaurant features daring small plates like Beet Carpaccio and Asian Mushroom Tartare. If that’s not your style, there’s always a vegan turkey club or a buffalo tofu sandwich. Be sure to try the Rosewater Lemonade or one of the house cocktails.

Cinnaholic
The Rotunda
727 W 40th St., Ste. 137
Baltimore, MD 21211
Cinnaholic offers over 30 flavors of gourmet cinnamon rolls — and they are all vegan! Some include Almond, Blackberry, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cream Soda, Key Lime, Root Beer, & Pomegranate. Toppings range from Cookie Dough Chunks to Shredded Coconut and everything in between. They offer other sweet treats including cookies, brownies, muffins, specialty pie rolls, and baby buns (mini cinnamon rolls). If your sweet tooth has still not been sated, have a Frosting Shot!

Donut Alliance
4311 Harford Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21214
Enjoy a wide variety of gorgeous vegan donuts. Please note that they might sell-out of donuts before closing time.

Greedi Vegan
1031 Bergen St.
Brooklyn, NY 11216
Perfect for the consumer who wants only the best on their plate– vegan, healthy, fresh, locally-sourced, beautiful, not too expensive, and delicious! The restaurant offers vegan versions of popular American and Southern food, infused with inspiration from international cuisine. The menu boasts popular dishes like sliders, tacos, and nachos– all veganized! Ingredients are sourced fresh from farmers markets and create healthy comfort food alternatives. The menu ranges from sweet gluten-free Pancakes with Berries and Coco Cream for brunch, to a savory Greedi Spice Bowl for lunch. Patrons enjoy the small, trendy space with friendly staff. Outdoor seating and indoor stools are available, and take-out is popular.

Jacked Up Tacos
Orlando, FL
For location see: www.facebook.com/jackeduptacos
Jacked Up Tacos is a food truck that makes fresh vegan tacos from scratch, which even non-vegans can love! Offerings include jackfruit, vegan chorizo, and vegan beef strips in tacos or in sandwiches, as well as nachos and even the Impossible Burger. Follow their Facebook page to see where they’ll be next, or just stop by your local food truck rally while in the Orlando area.

Next Generation Pizza
2895 McFarlane Rd. Bay D
Miami, FL 33133
Miami’s first 100% vegan pizza place! Part of the vShops, a collection of vegan restaurants in Coconut Grove, Miami, this pizza joint offers an array of unique options. They currently have five pizzas including Blue Magic, a blueberry, onion, ricotta and mozzarella pizza served with parmesan. The vegan meats and cheeses are house-made and many of the ingredients are organic. Make sure to use the underground parking lot next door and ask for validation to get a discount on the parking fees.

Planted in Hamilton
225 John St. S, Unit 1
Hamilton, ON L8N 2C7 Canada
Planted in Hamilton’s goal is to help people realize how delicious food can be, even when made with no gluten or animal products. This entirely vegan and gluten-free restaurant offers a menu with a wide variety: chickpea wings, meatball philly subs, sweet potato street tacos, and papaya pies are guaranteed to satisfy any craving. Planted also provides recipes on their website, so anyone can make their own restaurant-quality dish right at home. Check out their website to see upcoming events, including wellness retreats and live music.

Rosalinda Restaurant
133 Richmond St. W.
Toronto, ON M5H 2L3 Canada
Located in the Financial District, this modern and spacious restaurant is decorated with plants and features colorful meals. Tacos, tostadas, and churros are just some of the raved-over options. This is a great spot to grab drinks and a bite with friends in a laid-back atmosphere. Reservations required for large groups.

ZeeZee’s
32 Market Square SE
Roanoke, VA 24011
This vegan sub shop serve salads, subs, smoothies, and desserts.