Viva Herbals

I really love Viva Herbals Pizzeria in New York City. When I stay in NY, I'm alway somewhere in the vicinity of it and they always have vegan slices affordably priced and ready to go! My favorite is the pictured slice covered in all things green. There is no tomato sauce on this slice, only a nut-free pesto. So green and delicious!

In addition to an awaiting plethora of vegan slices that they reheat in the oven for you before serving, there are also vegan garlic knots, soups, drinks, and a cooler full of sweets from Vegan Treats.

I will admit that many times in the past, I have been leaving dinner with friends and walking back to our hotel with my partner and we've stopped and picked up a slice from Viva Herbals to eat in the hotel room. It's kind of a tradition. When I was recently in NY, I wasn't eating quite that indulgently, but I did stop by and get this green slice and a kombucha for dinner one night.

At any rate, I really recommend Viva Herbals! Their ingredients are fresh-tasting and they have a variety of vegan pies ready to go. Since it's by the slice you can try a few different varieties if you're hungry (or dining with a friend).

The Herbivore Clothing Company

How do I love the Herbivore Clothing Company? Let me count the ways:

1. They make awesome, animal-loving designs.
2. They source high-quality, sweatshop free shirts to print on.
3. They carry other brands that are animal-friendly, high-quality, and sweatshop-free.
4. They have a really cute store in Portland.
5. I love wearing their stuff in the airport when I'm in transit because then lots and lots of people from all over see these messages.
6. I love love love that little piggie on my Bacon Had A Mom shirt. He so did.
7. They are generous and do awesome things to raise money for animal rights groups.
8. They are all around good dudes.

Herbivore had a break-in this week and are having a sale to help raise money to replace the glass in their front door, which was smashed. The code "brokenglass" at checkout will get you 10% off in their online store until tomorrow. I picked up a new laptop-sized purse because my current one has an actual hole worn through it (hoping it will become a Vegan Thing I Like) and would have gotten more if I had the cash!

Blackbird Pizzeria

Okay, so I have to really really apologize that the only photos that I have from Blackbird Pizzeria are of half-eaten food, but holy cow, this place is good. Back in June, we were traveling the East Coast for work and my birthday coincided with our visit to Philadelphia. I also lived in Philadelphia years ago and still have some friends out there, so I decided to have a birthday party! At Blackbird! With pizza and delicious cake!

Since we are friends with Mark, Blackbird's owner and chef extraordinaire, he kindly welcomed us with open arms. Our little party had a few pizzas (the Yukon with salty, thin-sliced potato is pictured along with what I believe is a custom pizza), sandwiches (they make a great Seitan Cheesesteak!), some experimental "wings" (also pictured), and an amazing "Oreo" (they were 365 brand) cake that Mark made just for the occasion! Seriously, how lucky am I??

A few of my friends who came out were not vegan, but had no complaints nor any idea that vegan food could be so tasty, so Blackbird was a big hit with everyone. Blackbird is located in the former Gianna's location off South Street and is doing vegan food way better (and for real this time)! If you are in Philadelphia, you MUST go! Also, I've gotta recommend going with a group so that you can try a little bit of everything. You will not be disappointed.

Tutti Frutti Soy Frozen Yogurt

I recently found myself in Baltimore for Natural Products Expo East with some of the crew from work, as we were there exhibiting. One night after the convention was over, we decided to treat ourselves to Tutti Frutti, a vegan frozen yogurt store! Tutti Frutti has a few different vegan (soy) frozen yogurt flavors to choose from and TONS of toppings. The people working were also really nice in looking up the ingredients to things like their chocolate sauce and chocolate chips (mostly high fructose corn syrup on that first one, so you're technically in the clear, but I don't recommend laying it on too thick!). They do have a wide variety of toppings including fruit, candies, cookies (Oreos were an option), nuts, and sauces. I tried to lean towards the fruit side with my sundae. You pay by the pound, which is something I'd never experienced with a dessert food, everyone got to make their own personalized concoction (you can even swirl flavors of yogurt), and you even get to pick from multiple spoon colors. I wouldn't say that the yogurt itself was mind-blowing in any way, though it was good, but the experience of going to a place like this is something that is not often available for vegans, so I thought it was definitely worth a visit!

Lou Malnati's Chicago-style Pizza

So, I live in Chicago. I'm not from Chicago originally, but now that I'm here, there's this whole "Chicago-style Deep Dish" thing and, don't you know it, there's currently no restaurant that I know of in the city making a vegan Chicago-style deep dish with a cheese alternative. Well, don't worry about that! You can get deep dish that is completely amazing without the cheese and Lou Malnati's will make it for you. We recently had out of town guests visiting (from Portland!) and knew that they had to try this local cuisine. There are a few things to look out for when ordering from Lou's, like that their usual pizza spinach is soaked in butter, but they also have a fresh version for the salads that they can substitute. You have to be pretty clear, but their dough is vegan and this pizza is worth the effort. We had ours with spinach, olives, and hot giardinera (another Chicago food that I had never eaten before moving here), all topped with tomatoes (Chicago-style). This baby is loaded, oily enough that I couldn't dream of missing the cheese, and supported by a perfectly crunchy crust. I've seen attempts made at eating this by hand, but these are fork slices, for sure. Next time you're in Chicago, this is a food that I recommend not missing out on.

Golden Krust at Newark Airport

My first trip to Newark Airport a few months ago was pretty miserable. We had just finished a week-and-a-half trip and were eager to get home. We get to the airport, return our rental, take the train with the too-tiny-to-navigate pods that people can't get their luggage out of quickly, get to our terminal, go through the security line, and discover that there is pretty much NO real food in the gate area (which is also really sequestered - this airport has a strange design). So, my partner goes back out of security and finds Golden Krust, a "Caribbean Bakery & Grill" located in the outer ring of the airport. They have fresh juice, but of course you can't bring juice through security (it being a liquid and all), so I go out and meet him, enjoy our juice, and we return back to our gate in plenty of time to leave.

On my most recent trip to Newark Airport, I was slightly wiser from my past experience. I stopped by Golden Krust before hitting up the (LONG) security line and picked up something security-line-friendly, a delicious fruit salad! Seriously, in terms of most airport food, and especially most airport fruit, this thing was like the Holy Grail. Super fresh, delicious, and not just a pile of dry melon with a few grapes (or a waxy apple, or two bananas shrink-wrapped against a foam tray). I mean, look at it!! Mango! Berries! Delicious! I ate half at the gate and half again a few hours later on the plane. Extra points for this being non-stinky plane food (it should be a crime to allow people to bring McDonald's on the plane).

I have not yet tried anything else available at Golden Krust. It is, as the name implies, all Caribbean food, which I am not much familiar with and I'm pretty sure would be decidedly un-vegan, but the fact that they are making fresh fruit and juices available to travelers still makes them a thing that I definitely like. Also, check out this Jamaican "Peanut Punch" that I found there (didn't try it, though). "Ingredients: Water, Peanut Paste, Soy Protein, Sugar, Flavouring." Interesting! Probably not something I would buy, but maybe you will??

Kabul House

Recently, I had the pleasure of my first Afghani meal at Kabul House in Skokie, IL (do not judge them solely on the many gross meat photos on their main page). Kabul House is a restaurant that was open in Skokie for a number of years, closed down, and has reopened sort of recently. They have a small menu that includes a delicious Vegetarian Platter. The platter comes with soup (tomato lentil or noodle vegetable, both of which can be served vegan with no yogurt on top) and contains four different dishes which are served with rice. The rice is long-grain and includes shredded carrots and raisins. The dishes are a sort-of curry, though they are differently seasoned than Indian-style cooking, and also a bit lighter overall. They included cauliflower, pumpkin, eggplant, and spinach. I loved all of these dishes, and when combined with the rice, they were even better. My favorite was the cauliflower with the eggplant coming in a close second. The spinach and the pumpkin, which was much sweeter than expected, were also good. If you ever have occasion to head to Skokie, I recommend stopping into Kabul House and ordering up some of this vegan good stuff. Just remember to order everything with no yogurt and none of the chutney-type sauce they bring to the table (it has a small amount of yogurt as well - but the bread is okay) and you'll be good to go!

Take a Hike Scone

The Vegan Thing I Like today is, I think, kind of unexpected. Bleeding Heart Bakery (multiple locations in the Chicagoland area) is known for their super sweet baked goods (some of which are vegan). Their cupcake icing is so sweet that they have a warning at the counter not to order it if you don't expect an explosion of sugar in your mouth. So, what's perhaps unexpected is that the item I like most of Bleeding Heart is one of their less sweet offerings - the perfectly amazing and delicious Take A Hike Scone.

This scone is darn near perfection. It's just sweet enough and loaded with seeds and dried fruits (no nuts or coconut, both of which I am allergic to - rejoice!). The inside is a bit cakey and crumbly while the outside is just a little bit crunchy. I seriously love this thing. Ever since the new, huge location opened up nearby work, I have to resist the urge to eat these more often. Fortunately, the price keeps me under control (it's worth it, but not always in my budget). Even though it seems weird, next time you're near the Bleeding Heart Bakery, I suggest that you pass by the cakeballs, cupcakes, and even the vegan donuts and go right for this baby! You will not be disappointed!

The Spiral Diner and Bakery

"The Mitch" Tofu Club with Potato Salad.

One of my favorite things about going to visit my mom in Dallas, TX is that I know we're going to go eat at the Spiral Diner (they also have a location in Fort Worth)! I love this place. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is comfortable, the staff is welcoming... what more could you want!? The food is satisfying, filling diner-style food without being heavy or overwhelming. They have a list on the wall of which ingredients are currently organic and a great list inside the menu of what "tempeh," "seitan" and other potentially mysterious ingredients are actually made of for the veggie diner first-timer. Each location has a great self-serve drink station with natural sodas on tap. In addition to being a great diner, they are also a bakery and always have a good selection of tempting vegan treats on hand so that you can end your meal with a cookie topped with a scoop of house-made ice cream anytime you like! The Spiral Diner also has a small "grocery" section at the front of each location with a few vegan staples, candies, books, tshirts, and more. Dallas is fortunate to have a place like this and I am fortunate to have another reason to visit Dallas more often!

Amanda Riester likes The Chicago Diner

Amanda Riester is a super inspiring lady and one of the newest members of the Upton's family, as she's recently started working with us to do in-store demos! Who isn't going to want to stop and chat up this lady when they see her sampling seitan in their local store!? She's a competitive body builder, recently winning first place in the ABA Natural North America 2011 and a former Golden Gloves boxer. So yeah, she's pretty awesome. In addition to that badassery, she's also a pit bull mom (me too!) and pet-loss grief counselor. She's the total package of kindness, compassion, knowledge, experience, and good lookin' to boot. What's not to like?! Amanda rocks!

The Vegan Thing Amanda Likes is the Chicago Diner (YUM!)!

What vegan thing do I like? Where do I even begin? I love so much! I suppose other then seitan, which I eat 4 times a day, my favorite vegan thing is The Chicago Diner. It is by far my favorite restaurant! Other then being on my couch cuddled up with my hubby and dogs while watching reruns of The Golden Girls, there is no place in the world I would rather be! I absolutely LOVE it there!

Photo of the Diner's Soul Bowl (obviously)
taken from VeggieDiner.com!

My favorite meal goes like this:
An appetizer buffalo wings with ranch. My main course is a gyro with sweet potato fries and for dessert the chocolate cheesecake with extra whipped cream followed by a cup of their delicious coffee with soy! Sometimes on Sundays, my mom and I drive all the way out there from Schaumburg just for a cinnamon roll and coffee.


When I was training for my last competition, my diet was so strict I had limited food options, but their soul bowl was the perfect meal for me! Yumm!

Monica Zibutis Likes Ras Dashen

Today's Vegan Person I Like is Monica Zibutis! She is a stellar wedding photographer and all around super great lady! She works weddings as a team with her husband, Chris, pictured at left. Seriously, if you are getting married anywhere in the world, hire Monica. In fact, even if you're not planning on getting married, you might want to consider it just to get your photos taken by these two. They regularly travel the country (and further!) to shoot beautiful pictures of beautiful people in beautiful locations. You can visit Monica's website here and her blog here. As you can maybe guess from her photo, Monica is getting ready to save us all by populating the world with a new generation of awesome vegans. I can't wait to meet her little human baby (which flavor she's having remains to be seen), but it would be great if s/he waited to join us until after the legendary Zibutis Thanksvegan celebration so that we can all still attend and chow down. See you in December, Zibaby!

The Vegan Thing Monica Likes is Ras Dashen Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago!

I like Ethiopian food, specifically from Ras Dashen in Chicago. I haven't had many pregnancy cravings but that is one thing I just cant get enough of! I liked it before too but lately we have eaten there every time possible that we have been in Chicago. the foods are so simple and delicious and while we usually feel very full afterwards, we never feel awful or greasy like we do after some meals out. 

In addition to attesting that Monica is awesome, I can also attest to the awesomeness of Ras Dashen where we just recently went out to eat WITH Monica and Chris! Monica even brings home extra injera bread to snack on for the next few days after a visit. She is committed.

Andrea Juracek likes Revolution's Tempeh Ruben

Today's Vegan Person I Like is Andrea Juracek! I love love love Andrea. She is a really cool lady and pit bull mom who started up an awesome Chicago pet rescue with her friends called One Tail at a Time. One Tail does a million cool fundraisers throughout the year (including Doga - yoga for you and your dog which I am honored to teach with my sweet dogs) and helps a seemingly endless amount of dogs find their way out of animal control and into foster, and finally forever homes. Andrea has a super big heart and is so dedicated to social justice for both animals and humans. She is a lady that I definitely recommend getting to know. She also likes great vintage stuff and her husband, Pat (who is a non-Vegan Person I Like)!

The Vegan Thing Andrea Likes is the Tempeh Ruben from Revolution Brewing.

The vegan thing I like is the tempeh reuben (no cheese, extra kraut) from Revolution Brewing in Logan Square. My husband and I went to Revolution when it first opened and this is what I got. The recipes at the time were still being worked out and at first it was not so great - it was just lots of bland tempeh on some bread. Since it was a new place, I brought it up to the manager just to give some feedback. She was happy I did so and comp'd us all our drinks! We decided to keep coming back since it was in our neighborhood and the beer was great. With every visit the food got better and better. The reuben has blossomed into this amazing sandwich that is perfectly seasoned. Revolution's vegan thousand island dressing and sauerkraut add in to make it one of my all-time fav sandwiches.

Tom Truty likes Portobello's Arrabiata Pizza

Tom Truty is today's Vegan Person I Like. Tom is a Chicago native who is now living in Portland, along with his wife Michele, featured just yesterday on this very blog! Tom is a really laid back, funny, and awesome dude. He is a practicing Tibetan Buddhist, so we share a lot of similarities in our spiritual paths and I love meeting people with dedication to deep down real deal self-discovery! Tom and I also share an allergy to nuts, so we can bond over the vegan foods that we are unfortunately unable to enjoy (though, the trade off of continuing to be alive is totally worth it)! Tom also has a blog which you can visit right here.

The Vegan Thing Tom Likes is the Arrabiata Pizza at Portobello in Portland.

The vegan thing I like is the Arrabiata pizza from Portland’s Portobello Vegan Trattoria. I’ve been there a million times…and I order this every time. The crust is perfect New York brick-oven crispy, but the cheese and fennel sausage soothe any ex-Chicagoan’s soul. It’s got chili-fennel marinara, cherry peppers, housemade vegan seitan sausage, basil, and Daiya. They recently changed the cheese over to a housemade cashew version, but they’ll use Daiya if you ask—which I do because cashews will kill me.

Kenny Torrella likes Dun-Well Doughnuts

The Vegan Person I Like today is Kenny Torrella! Kenny is the Chicago Campaign Coordinator for Mercy for Animals (blog here!) and I got to know him better as my co-conspiritor in planning the Chicago Vegan Chef Showdown MFA benefit a few months ago and I think he's great! Kenny is a driving force in making sure that we all have awesome vegan options when dining out in Chicago, as he is responsible for a number of local restaurants adding tasty vegan dishes to their existing menus. You can often find him out at the "kick off" events launching these additions making darn sure that no one in Chicago has any excuse not make delicious and compassionate dining choices!

The Vegan Thing Kenny Likes is Dun-Well Doughnuts in New York.

Photo from dunwelldoughnuts.com.

Dun-Well Doughnuts was started by my friend Dan, and his friend Chris. Not only do they make beautiful, delicious vegan doughnuts, they do it in style! These two whippersnappers' doughnuts have now been sold in NYC hotspots such as Lula's Sweet Apothecary, Blossom, Cocoa V, and more!


They're currently raising funds to open up a store-front in NYC and I don't know about you, but I would certainly appreciate an all-vegan doughnut shop in the Big Apple! If you donate to them you'll receive various prizes, everything from free doughnut vouchers, to having your own doughnut named after you, to having a private, doughnut-catered event!


They have less than a month and a half to raise another $11,500, so chip in today and reap your reward! Empower two awesome vegans today.

Ari Nessel likes Nessel Development

Ari Nessel is an amazing vegan, yogi, and phenomenally deep thinker who I met several years ago as a result of our shared enthusiasm for yoga, and specifically the teachings of Yogi Sri Dharma Mittra. I was fortunate, a year or so later, to spend time with Ari in New York during our advanced training with Sri Dharma and to have the opportunity to soak up much of Ari's knowledge which he has acquired through a seemingly unwavering devotion to self-realization through a path of yoga and meditation.

Ari is also a devoted father to his two boys, pictured with him, Jonah (age 4) and Deven (age 18 months). In addition to all of this, Ari is a successful, generous, and purposeful vegan businessperson, as he tells below. The Vegan Thing He Likes is his inspiring business, Nessel Development.

My favorite vegan product, if I can pitch for myself a moment, are my apartment buildings in Dallas. We are a vegan company that provides free vegan lunches to our employees and all food bought at our properties must also be free of animal products. Additionally, we make many efforts to run our complexes in an environmentally sustainable manner. First and foremost, we buy properties that frequently others would demolish and we make them beautiful (really, I mean it). Then, through numerous renovation improvements, the properties become much more water, electric and natural gas efficient. We even have available for residents dog parks and organic gardens at all of our properties. And, if a resident adopts a pet from a shelter while living at our property, we don't charge them a pet fee.

I know you were thinking of vegan food products, but maybe vegan businesses are another way of supporting this movement. Also, we donate a considerable amount to animal rights advocacy groups each year and even provide free housing and offices to Mercy for Animals here in Dallas. (Ed note: Having met MFA folks who were working and living in a Nessel Development building, I have to say that they sound pretty wonderful!)

(Second photo borrowed from www.nesselinc.com.)

Dan Staackmann likes Olive Ciabatta

The best way that I can think to kick off a whole month of Vegan People I Like is to feature my personal number one vegan person. He is my partner in all aspects of life, including at work (where he is technically my boss, though it never feels that way). He is my boyfriend, Dan Staackmann! Dan is the owner of Chicago-based seitan company, Upton's Naturals, where we both work and which takes us on so many vegan-centric adventures that I was inspired to start this blog. He is a natural entrepreneur, always encouraging people to take the leap into finding their own path towards meaningful work and a happy life. He's extremely humble and extremely easy to get along with. There is no one else on earth who I'd rather have as my partner or as my first Vegan People I Like entry!

The Vegan Thing Dan Likes is the olive ciabatta pillow from Fox & Obel in Chicago.

A vegan thing I like is the Fox & Obel olive ciabatta...perfectly crafted with a firm outer crust, air-bubble-filled chewy center, real olives (not sliced and from a can) and a cornmeal dusting below. Also, no ridiculous “dough conditioners” or additives... flour, water, olives, yeast, cornmeal, salt. Perfect. Like all good breads, best consumed within 8-12 hours of baking and NEVER put in a plastic bag. I challenge anyone to find a finer ciabatta in Chicago, or anywhere else.

Dan hit the nail on the head with this pick. I willingly vouch for these being some of the most amazing bread that you will ever eat. Well worth a stop. We often pick one of these up each for a snack when we're in the area.

Remedy Teas

Upon arriving in Seattle this past week, we visited some stores and were then hungry and wanted to go out for a bite to eat. It was about 9:30pm (11:30pm "our time") when we dragged ourselves out for a meal.

The first place we stopped at was a bar and I had inadvertently forgotten my ID in the hotel room. They still couldn't serve us food, but recommended another vegan place for dinner. When we arrived there, 45 minutes before closing, the waitress was incredibly rude to us telling us that they closed early so they could go home and that "maybe we had never worked a 12 hour shift before." Seriously. The third place we tried was also closed despite their hours posted on Happy Cow. Not knowing where to go next, we wandered towards the only lighted building in the area and fortunately, it was Remedy Teas!

Remedy Teas is an amazing little tea shop in Seattle that reminds me of Teany in New York in it's hipness and expansive tea menu. Upon entering I was delighted to learn that they were still serving food (now around 10pm) and we recounted our tale of arriving there only to eventually learn that the manager was a friend of the "rude server" restaurant owner (and was shocked at our treatment). Oh, fate. Remedy can make many of their sandwiches vegan and I opted for a Cuke Classic with vegan cream cheese and chives while my partner had a warm Tomato Fresha with vegan mozzarella. We rounded out this meal with a locally brewed kombucha and a chocolate chip green tea cookie to share (part of which is pictured). We also took a "deep sleep" tea to go with us which was delicious.

I definitely recommend Remedy Teas if you're ever in Seattle, especially later at night on a Monday or if you're in the market for a light meal or (obviously) tea! They were super friendly and hospitable and don't close before their posted hours say they will (which a local later informed me was a common occurrence in the city). The staff that we met was awesome, the space was really comfortable, the tea was perfect, and the food was perfect tea shop fare.

Irazu's Costa Rican Food

My boyfriend is the one who introduced me to Irazu, which is located in Chicago and serves Costa Rican food. Here, I'll give you his recommendations for vegan ordering while dining at Irazu.

First of all, get the oatmeal shake made with water. Don't get soy milk, just water. This is one of my favorite parts of going to eat at Irazu. The oatmeal shake (pictured) is sweet and cinnamon-flavored and pretty darn filling on its own! You should also get a Vegetarian Taco. It's $2.95 and you don't need more than one. If you're really hungry, get an order of Yucca Fries, which come with a garlic oil for dipping. Add to that a bottomless basket of chips and a squeeze bottle of salsa and you're set for a delicious meal at a low price (but remember that they only take cash!).

The one additional thing that is a great treat when they have it is the Lava Juice, which is just watermelon juice! Refreshing and tasty!

Cafe 8

In March we travelled to Tokyo, Japan where we found ourselves in a slightly more chaotic situation than anticipated when a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the country just after our arrival (literally, our plane had just landed - you can read about the experience a little bit here). At any rate, once we arrived at our hotel, we were beyond blessed to find a vegan cafe located just around the block in our little neighborhood of Nakameguro.

Cafe 8 was to become our "home base" outside of the hotel. We had two meals a day there, every day after we found it. Even when all businesses were closed because of the threat of nuclear rain, they opened up and let us inside to eat. At the end of our trip they worried about us getting out of the country safely as much as we worried about leaving them behind (and they sent us off to the airport with muffins for breakfast).

And let's NOT forget the food! It was great! Despite not being strictly Japanese, the flavors were still a major change from any vegan food I have eaten in the US. We tried a number of dishes while we were there from a tofu sandwich, vegetable soup, crusty fresh-made bread with tofu spread and plump raisins, curry, vegetables cooked in a staub, and more. And the desserts! They were incredible in that they were flavorful, but not as sweet as you'd find in the US. One of my favorites there was a bitter hot chocolate, though I also ate my fair share of banana bread pudding with a sweet cream on the side.

I could write a really long entry about the role that Cafe 8 and it's awesome employees played in making us feel at home in Japan, but I'll save it for another forum. Rest assured that I will be back someday under more pleasant circumstances and I can't wait!

Native Foods

On Saturday, we attended a complimentary pre-opening meal service at the new Native Foods location in Wicker Park (Chicago). The staff was wildly hospitable and the food was delicious. They also have a really comprehensive allergy menu which is great for those who need to avoid certain ingredients. It's easy to see why Native Foods has been so successful in California as they seem to have their business model down to a science. We were very excited also to meet Chef Tanya, the visionary behind this concept who is, as it turns out, a fan of our products. It is always wonderful to hear positive reviews from other people doing good things in the world of vegan food. If you are in Chicago (or California and haven't been yet), I strongly recommend a visit for a meal to Native Foods. Having only tried a few things, I can't give a definitive recommendation, but I really enjoyed their tempeh burger. Also, the Watermelon Fresca (watermelon, mint, and agave) was extra refreshing and is all-you-can-drink! The Wicker Park location opens today with more on the way for Chicagoians!