I live in NYC now, but Cincinnati is my hometown and one of my favorite cities in America. Each time I visit, I go to Melt Eclectic Cafe for lunch or Sunday brunch. It’s a favorite among locals and is located in a cool part of town called Northside. Though it’s very vegan and vegetarian friendly, the cafe also serves meat and dairy cheese, so its versatility makes Melt a wonderful spot to go to with my friends and family who aren’t veggie like me. We can all eat in harmony!
Last year, a couple of my family members moved to the gorgeous U.S. state of Georgia. Since a friend and I embarked on a road trip last week from Cincinnati, Ohio to Pensacola Beach, Florida, we decided to stop by Atlanta on our way back home. While we were there, we had brunch at Radial Cafe, an awesome green restaurant with several vegan options on the menu. I’m in love with this place and their mission, so I had to share it with y’all!
America has been hit by a juice craze that’s making many of us drop $55 or more on a colorful liquid cleanse. In New York City, we have so many juice spots that it’s hard to walk around Manhattan without stumbling upon a Juice Generation or Juice Press, two of the more well-known places that have popped up there. But it’s not just NYC that’s sippin’ on juice and juice. The craze has come to my hometown, Cincinnati, with Off The Vine juice bar.
Unfortunately, the end of February was the last week that New York City could spot The Cinnamon Snail truck on the road during regular business hours. It’s one of my favorite food trucks, and most of NYC also agrees this food is amazing. In 2014, The Cinnamon Snail was crowned Best Food Truck in NYC by winning the 10th annual Vendy Cup, thanks to their specialty sandwiches and doughnuts. At one point, I was having their lunch at least once a week in midtown Manhattan, and I always saw a line of hungry New Yorkers! Clearly, there was a huge demand for this vegan food, so it’s sad the truck is going off the roads.
Recently, my boyfriend treated me to a delicious dinner at Candle 79 in New York City for our anniversary. This restaurant is among the creme-de-la-creme of vegan spots in the city. It’s a must-try spot for vegan travelers, and now I know why!
If you’re trying to eat better by cutting back on meat, dairy, GMOs, etc, take a grocery trip to your nearest Whole Foods Market. It’s a great grocery store when you want to switch out your favorite snack foods for more Earth-friendly, animal-friendly, people-friendly and health-friendly options. Whether you want organic fruit and veggies or a new packaged food product you’ve read about, Whole Foods is bound to have it.
A couple years ago when I moved to NYC, I was surprised to find many vegan options at Costco in Brooklyn. There are even several organic and/or non-GMO products, as well.
Here are just some of the vegan items I noticed at the Costco location in Brooklyn, NY. I picked up most of these, and the kitchen is now well-stocked for vegan eating!
Spending a month in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio for Thanksgiving and Christmas was awesome! While I was there, I got to see some friends and family. Catching up with them meant I had lots of lunch and brunch dates at Park + Vine and Melt Eclectic Cafe – two of my favorite places in Cincy for vegan eats. I also had some tasty vegan dessert. Now, I’m back in NYC, a city with so many vegan restaurants and offerings. It’s one of the best cities in the world! Here is some of the vegan food I’ve had in Brooklyn and Manhattan the past few weeks.
In 2013, I decided to stop eating yogurt and try more of a vegan diet. I was a vegetarian at the time. Now, I consider myself a plant-based eater or a 99% vegan. I eat primarily plants, but I occasionally have dairy depending on the situation (like a birthday party where the cake has already been baked).
This blog is for people who want to make better eating choices, who want to eat more plant-based and need resources. I am not interested in making people feel excluded or like they need to be perfect. I often wonder if the more militant vegans understand that their tactics actually turn people away from veganism. I am interested in helping people eat less meat and dairy (or none at all!), not scaring them away from the vegan message of compassion.
In order to change your eating habits, you need to know what the heck you can eat! I assure you that there are SO MANY options; you just have to look and learn!
That’s Earth Balance Vegan White Cheddar Mac n’ Cheese up there, yummm.
Happy winter holidays, Cincinnati! Now is the time for all the holiday parties, gift-exchanging, work functions, traveling and spending time with friends and family. If you need to bring a treat to any get-together, try locally-made dessert. I recently had some delicious baklava in Cincinnati. If you’re in the area, you can get this baklava at two Whole Foods locations.
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