@earthyshelley

[earthyshelley]

Copenhagen Eats

If we’re being completely transparent, I wasn’t overly psyched to visit Copenhagen, which—I’m fully aware—is a bratty thing to admit. Mostly, I was excited to visit my sister who was studying there for the semester. HOWEVER, let’s be thankful for the low expectations I set because my entire Copenhagen experience was flawless, and it effortlessly exceeded my (dumb) premature judgments.

Let me preface that for me, it was so easy to find vegan food in Copenhagen. Every café had oat milk along with other plant milks (oat is my favorite), every grocery store had pre-made (and surprisingly delicious) vegan wraps and sandwiches, and every 7/11 had vegan ice cream bars! However, if you have a certain spot on your list that you really want to hit, make sure you check the hours ahead of time since European hours in my experience have been somewhat erratic.

Here are the top places I ate at in Copenhagen (in no particular order):

Souls -- Melchiors Pl. 3, 2100 København, Denmark

The motto of Souls is: “Eat like you give a fork.” Very cute. I ate here twice and got (i) the warm potato salad and (ii) the avo smash. The warm potato salad was a legitimate salad with roasted sweet and white potatoes, marinated tofu, truffle dressing, artichoke, roasted nuts, kale, hummus, garlic bread, and cashew-curry dressing. The avo mash was avocado toast on rye bread topped with radish, sprouts, pickled onion, and cherry tomatoes.

Souls is a little pricey but the portions are good and the food is high-quality and filling. The staff was super friendly and the atmosphere was really chill. You wouldn’t know the entire place was vegan unless you were looking for it. They also offer take-away.

The Organic Boho -- Prinsessegade 23, 1422 København, Denmark

The Organic Boho has a much more vegan-y vibe, if you know what I mean. Full of very granola looking people, earthy tones, and woven wall hangings. I’m all for it. The food was so photogenic that when it’s served to you, you are convinced you’ve “made it” as an influencer. My mom, sister, and I split a falafel burger, fried cauliflower burger, and “The Love Plate,” which was a platter of avocado toast, fried cauliflower, sweet potato fries, chili mayo, falafel, salad bowl, veggie chips, bread, and plant based butter. Every morsel we inhaled was divine, and all of the meals were adorned with edible flowers. Zero complaints.

Madenitaly – Holbergsgade 22, 1057 København, Denmark

This was one of the places we had plans to go to before finding out they were closed. Madenitaly is an entirely vegan Italian restaurant. I recommend the ravioli, and if you’re with a big party I recommend getting a variety of pizza slices to sample since there are so many you should really try them all! Make a note to stop here on the day you visit Nyhavn (where everyone takes “the” Copenhagen picture – see above) since its close in proximity.

Nicecream – Elmegade 30, 2200 København, Denmark

Before or after you snag a vegan Magnum ice cream bar from 7/11, make a note to visit Nicecream! A vegan, organic, fair-trade ice cream shop, they have a cute poster inside with graphics for all the reasons to go vegan, and their ice cream is so good it rivals Boston’s FoMu. I got a chocolate frappe and I’d get it again and again. All of their ice cream is coconut milk based.

Torvehallerne -- Frederiksborggade 21, 1362 København, Denmark

A giant food hall with sneaky vegan options. By sneaky, I mean there aren’t giant green “V”s posted over everything. You just have to look, and ask. Everyone I inquired of here spoke perfect English. Expect some touristy prices.

Reffen – A, Refshalevej 167, 1432 København, Denmark

Reffen is a gathering of street food vendors hidden amongst shipping containers. It’s trendy, it’s cool, and it’s got some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. Not kidding. It’s difficult to get to, but the journey is well worth it. Grab whoever you can find, order everything you can afford, and then feast.

[earthyshelley]

Red White Japanese Vegan: First Impressions

New vegan options are popping up around Boston like daisies, just in time for spring. I got a chance today to saunter down Newbury Street and pick up lunch from Red White Japanese Vegan, which opened up this past weekend!

Located at 294 Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay, Red White Japanese Vegan is what you would call (and I just learned as a term) “fast-casual,” which essentially is counter service with a side of trendy interior design. The restaurant offers grain and green bowls, tea, and smoothies. That’s pretty much it.

I was immediately approached by a greeter upon entering the establishment, who kindly walked me through the menu. To be frank, it was a little confusing and awkward. The gist I got was that there are four different bowls with pre-fixed toppings that you can order. Otherwise, it’s build-your-own and set up the same was as Chipotle, Dig Inn, Sweet Green, Boloco, etc… You choose a base of rice and/or greens, then you choose the toppings and sauce.

It wasn’t clear what was included in each of the four menu-item bowls, and when it came to picking a sauce I just guessed at what I might like. I ordered the Power & Muscle bowl with red rice and Monk Curry sauce. The Power & Muscle Bowl ended up having red rice, kidney beans, broccoli, tofu, corn, red pepper, and greens. It was filling, but in the good way where you still feel light afterwards.

Everything was super fresh and prepared with care. I’m serious, watching them assemble the bowl was almost therapeutic. They spread each topping with intention and made sure every drizzle of mayo was pretty. I truly believe that when food is prepared with mindfulness, it tastes better. I also appreciated that nothing was drowning in oil and that each sauce option was clearly homemade and packed with additional veggies and distinct flavors.

I would go to Red White Japanese Vegan again, but their price point is going to make me spread out my visits. My meal was upward of $13, and I didn’t even get a tea or smoothie. Someone could easily order a $20+ lunch and not realize it until they’re at the register. 

Pros

Great service

Fresh, flavorful, and healthy ingredients

Not oily

All vegan

Good for when you want to take pictures of your food (lol)

Cons

Confusing menu

Expensive

No parking (unless you’re cutthroat enough for Newbury Street)

[earthyshelley]

Revitalive Cafe & Juice Bar

With my back against a brick accent wall, I take a gander at raw wooden tables, mismatched chairs, strategically placed greenery, flooding natural light, and one of those trendy, changeable letter boards. Am I in some Australian influencer’s kitchen? No, silly! I’m in Revitalive cafe, on the Massachusetts North Shore!

Specializing in organic smoothies and cold-pressed juice, Revitalive also offers soups, salads, grain bowls, acai bowls, vegan chocolates and other goodies. You can order ahead if you’re on the go, but otherwise it’s counter service and they call your name when your order is up.

The staff was friendly, and they let me know that even though only some items were marked with a Ⓥ, everything on the menu was vegan (weird, I know, the woman taking my order agreed with me that it’s confusing but she was like, “we just added a Ⓥ to the ones people asked about the most.”) Everything is also gluten-free.

I briefly want to mention that Revitalive sells “raw food and juice cleanses,” and that I choose not to promote any sort of “cleanse” as I believe (per science) that our bodies naturally cleanse themselves. We have our liver and kidneys for a reason, and here is a link to the US National Institute of Health stating:

There isn’t any convincing evidence that detox or cleansing programs actually remove toxins from your body or improve your health.

Additionally, here is an article published by Harvard Medical School that addresses juicing and cleansing, but I digress.

My friend and I ordered the Chili Avocado Bowl and the Save the Tuna Melt Sandwich.

RATING SYSTEM

★★★★★ - Would order every time. Absolutely recommend.

★★★★☆ - Would order regularly. Highly recommend.

★★★☆☆ - Would order again. Would recommend.

★★☆☆☆ - Would order if I had no other option. Would not recommend.

★☆☆☆☆ - Would never order again. Never recommend.

1. Chili Avocado Bowl - ★★★★☆ - Our signature house-made three bean chili served over brown rice with avocado, lightly steamed red pepper, kale crumbles and our tangy red-pepper Mexi-sauce

The Chili Avocado Bowl was served warm. It was flavorful and filling, and seriously who knew that chili could be aesthetic? The dish didn’t have too much of a kick, which I appreciated. It was really nice to be able to have substantial, nourishing meal that didn’t leave you feeling heavy afterwards.

2. Save the Tuna Melt Sandwich - ★★★★☆ - Our delicious GF sourdough with our coconut smoked gouda cheese or pepper jack toasted with avocado, spinach and our vegan herbed aioli.

First let me note that no part of the sandwich tasted like coconut, so don’t let that scare you off if you tend to ebb away from coconut flavors, like me. Second let me note that gluten-free bread gets a bad rap, and I think that it’s poor reputation is misguided. To be honest, I didn’t know the sourdough was gluten free until I looked up the description while writing this and in the end I actually feel bad I didn’t offer my friend a taste of this sandwich because I inhaled the whole thing.

I’ll be sure to add on to this review once I’ve tried more of Revitalive’s menu items -- because I WILL be back! I plan on trying some smoothies, juices, coffee, chocolates, and other meals in the future.

[earthyshelley]

Veggie Galaxy

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Veggie Galaxy is the vegan mecca. I discovered Veggie Galaxy accidentally during my first ever summer working in Cambridge, MA circa 2015. I distinctly remember missing my train home, deciding to wander the area, and then stumbling upon this magical place that looked like the diner version of Toy Story’s Pizza Planet. Best accident ever.

Located in Central Square, Veggie Galaxy will knock even an omnivore’s socks off. The menu is by default vegetarian (they offer cheese from cow's milk as well as eggs) but absolutely everything can be made vegan. The menu is packed with every classic diner dish you can imagine, plus they serve breakfast all day AND they have a completely vegan bakery!

Over the years, I have tried several items off of Veggie Galaxy’s menu. I’ll spare you the details and give you my go-to orders (all rated ★★★★★):

1. “Tuna” Melt - Chickpea “Tuna” Salad, Kale, Tomato, Aged Cheddar sub the aged cheddar for Veggie Galaxy’s House Cheese

2. The Club - Grilled Tempeh Bacon, Smoked Tofu, Fresh Tomato, Romaine, Raw Red Onion, Basil Pesto & Roasted Garlic Mayo*

3. Kendall Square - Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger, Roasted Red Pepper Puree, Onion Rings, Roasted Garlic Mayo, Baby Arugula*

*It is required, I repeat, REQUIRED that you get a frappe with each of these -- no excuses! Chocolate is my personal favorite. Also, all of Veggie Galaxy’s ice cream is locally sourced from FoMu, a local plant-based creamery that specializes in ice cream made in small batches, from scratch of course.

For sides, I tend to favor the french fries, but Veggie Galaxy’s potato salad is to die for, too. I would get the potato salad every time still if I hadn’t overdone it during my honeymoon phase with Veggie Galaxy, hence why I now opt for fries.

Notable pro-tip, if you put their house cheese on anything, it automatically becomes 5 stars. I have no idea what they make it out of, but it’s crack. Oh, and speaking of cheese, don’t forget to order an appetizer of mozzarella sticks--they’re vegan, and are melt-in-your-mouth good.

I could really go on for days about my love for Veggie Galaxy. The diner has won multiple awards, been noted in countless articles for their cuisine, and they pay their workers fairly (see the Close the Gap Fee page on their website).

Truth be told, I’ve been thinking about moving out of the Boston area but there’s just one thing holding me back, and that’s that there won’t be a Veggie Galaxy wherever I end up. I’m not being dramatic, it’s just that good.

[earthyshelley]

The Friendly Toast

Has anyone really ever had the desire to be surrounded by neon signage, a myriad of Chinese checkerboards, basketball hoops and doll heads as the smell of breakfast wafts through the air? Probably not, but if that’s what gets you going, then the Friendly Toast is right up your alley.

The self-proclaimed ‘eclectic diner’ (eclectic, indeed—the walls are Shrek green) has five locations in New England serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day. Their website boasts a creative dining experience, and while the eatery’s choice of decor is unique, the experience as a whole is pretty standard.

I like the Toast (I’ve never heard anyone ever call it “the Toast” but if we are being all creative and different then I’m gonna run with it), point blank because they have vegan options. That’s right, options, plural. Not just one, but several vegan meals, or meals that can be easily modified to become vegan. And every one that I’ve tried (see below) has been decent. They also have mimosa flights which, while unrelated to veganism, are delightful all the same.

I have had a few different meals at three different Toast locations (they have locations in Boston, MA; Cambridge, MA; Burlington, MA; Portsmouth, NH; and Burlington, VT) and I’ll rate them on a scale of 1-5 stars.

RATING SYSTEM

★★★★★ - Would order every time. Absolutely recommend.

★★★★☆ - Would order regularly. Highly recommend.

★★★☆☆ - Would order again. Would recommend.

★★☆☆☆ - Would order if I had no other option. Would not recommend.

★☆☆☆☆ - Would never order again. Never recommend. 

1. Vegan Breakfast Burrito - ★☆☆☆☆ - A flour tortilla filled with tofu, black beans, salsa, our avocado lime sauce, corn salsa & vegan cheese.

Full disclosure, this was the first thing I ever had at the Friendly Toast and I will never get it again. I don’t think that they actually know how to season tofu, because every tofu dish I’ve tried of theirs tastes like chili powder and nothing else.

2. So It Ve-Gan - ★★☆☆☆ - Tofu scramble with black beans, salsa verde, spinach, roasted red peppers, corn salsa & tortilla strips.

Retweet the above review, with some modification: The tofu is bland aside from the overdose of (what I assume is) chili or cayenne powder. And they could at least throw down some tumeric to make the tofu a scrambled egg-like yellow. I did like this dish more than the burrito, because I could mix everything around with the potatoes (which are also spicy) and drown it in ketchup. 

At some locations the chef will leave the spice off of the home fries, which I appreciated. TBH if they let you modify the dish by adding some avocado and a few more veggies without charging for each add-on, I’d consider getting this again. 

3. Return of the Mac Burger - ★★★☆☆ - Impossible burger, Mac-&-Cheese, lettuce, tomato. 

This is the best meal that I have had at the Toast. The original is not vegan, but if you order it veganized, they’ll make some swaps so that you get the Impossible burger, vegan mac-&-cheese, and a vegan bun! So hearty, I couldn’t finish it in one sitting. Comes with fries and pickles. They use daiya cheese for the mac-&-cheese, but I was told that they used to make their own vegan cheese. C’mon, Toast! Get back on that homemade cheese train, please!

4. Impossibly Bomb Wrap - ★★★☆☆ - A wrap filled with Impossible burger, vegan cheese, onions, roasted red peppers, mushrooms & avocado lime sauce.

This was good! My only complaint was that I ordered this as take-out and didn’t have any ketchup for the fries that came on the side. But this wrap is tasty and I appreciate that they didn’t just take everything from their Impossible Burger menu item and throw it in a wrap form.

5. Chocolate Chip Pancakes (vegan) - ★★★☆☆ - A vegan chocolate chip pancake.

Pretty standard, good old-fashioned, American pancakes. If you received a vegan one over one with milk and eggs, you wouldn’t know. The cakes are the size of your face and filling af.

I’m not sure if this is universal to all Friendly Toasts’ but every time I have attended one, the waiter has sat down at an adjacent table to take my party’s order at eye-level and every single time I am taken aback. Not that it really matters, but I feel like I go through this weird mini culture shock and I have to remind myself that it’s all just part of the groovy experience, man.

You will also leave every Toast visit with a postcard in hand. Full disclosure: it’s endearing the first time you get one with the check, but after your third, fourth, fifth visit nobody wants to take it, but you feel weird leaving it on the table because you’re not sure if there’s some rule prohibiting the waiter to take it back, and then you either bring it home to add to your personal collection or to toss it. It’s wasteful, and I’m curious if anyone has ever actually sent one.

Regardless, the next time that you want to grab some brunch, the Friendly Toast has plenty of viable options for vegans and non-vegans alike. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, the atmosphere is fun and full of conversation pieces, the portions are great, and the food is satisfying.

[earthyshelley]

How to go Vegan

*** DENOTES GRAPHIC FOOTAGE

The video that made me go vegan overnight: The Food Matrix - 101 Reasons to go Vegan

 For Health:

What the Health

Dairy is Scary

World Health Organization Says Meat Causes Cancer 

Blue Zone Studies 

Canada Removes Dairy from Food Pyramid 

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

For Animals:

The Best Speech You’ll Ever Hear

Carnism TED Talk by Melanie Joy

Earthlings ***

Dominion ***

For the Environment:

Cowspiracy 

Oxford University Study 

UN urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet 

Analysis and valuation of the health and climate change cobenefits of dietary change 

 An Answer for Every Excuse: Click Here

The Secrets Behind Food Marketing: Click Here