raise the red lentil: watertown, massachusetts

There's almost too much for a vegan foodie in and around Boston, and when my wife and I are only going to be in the area for a meal or two, whittling down the options can be nerve-wracking.

One eatery that tops our list is Red Lentil, which sits on a sunny street in Watertown, Mass. The portions are huge, the salads are crisp, and the appetisers -- oh, you crave the appetisers for weeks when you get back home.

If you're staying in downtown Boston, the sesame-encrusted seitan strips are reason enough to venture to Watertown: succulent and chewy, with a sweetish sauce that isn't too overpowering but instead is just right for the charred-tasting edges of the seitan and perfectly offset by tiny pops of sesame.

The zippy house-made barbecue sauce that comes with the soy chicken strips is pretty darn good too.

When we first visited last summer, my wife and I split a vegan caesar salad, two appetisers and an entrée. We walked out with takeout containers and enjoyed another hearty Red Lentil lunch the following day ... and don't get me wrong. We are both eaters. There was just way too much to finish in one sitting.

Red Lentil posts specials daily on Facebook and Twitter, and when you're there the owner just might stop by your table for a friendly chat.

Watertown, MA
Best Bet:
* Red Lentil: Vegan and vegetarian restaurant. 600 Mount Auburn St, Watertown, MA.
Web: http://www.theredlentil.com/

[Laur]

Image: Sesame-encrusted seitan strips at Red Lentil; taken by me in July 2010.

killer foodswings: brooklyn, new york

A friend of mine uses her Facebook page for sociological data-gathering, or so it seems, since she posts a poll question every morning. This morning, the question was: "Wings, how do you like them and where do you get 'em?"

Oh, I couldn't reply fast enough -- the buffalo drumsticks at Foodswings are to die for. The sauce is perfect, spicy enough to make your eyes water and tangy enough to make you drool a little just thinking about them. They taste just as bright as they look, which is exactly what you want in a hot wing.

Foodswings, for those who aren't in the know, is a vegan fast-food joint in Brooklyn. I've been known to travel hours by car and train just to eat there, and you should too. Unless you live in Brooklyn, in which case you probably live at Foodswings anyway. Also, they're open wicked late, especially to a girl who lives in the Berkshires.

And try the pistachio milkshake. Creamy and thick, it's the perfect cooldown after you gorge on the buffalo drumsticks.

BROOKLYN, NY
Best Bet:
* Foodswings: Completely vegan fast-food joint. 295 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY. Web: http://www.foodswings.net/.

[Laur]

Image: Drumsticks at Foodswings (buffalo on left); taken by me in August 2010.

returning to eden: bar harbor, maine

Finding food can be tricky when you venture outside vegan-friendly cities. But sometimes the trip you want to take isn't in New York or San Francisco, and then you have to do your homework.

When my agave and I got married in September 2008, we did the traditional "honeymoon immediately following the wedding" thing -- we got up the very next morning and drove several hours from the Berkshires to Bar Harbor, Maine. We had never been there before, but we had always loved Ogunquit and the southern part of Maine, so we decided to indulge our love of hiking and spend a week in and around Acadia National Park.

Internet searches had revealed very little in the form of vegan establishments. We had scoured Happycow and countless other sites in the hope of something special, but had come up empty-handed.

So we rented an adorable little cabin from Emery's Cottages on the Shore, which is a property that sits a few-minute drive from the park and has its own little beach; best of all, though, many of the cabins have kitchens or kitchenettes. We brought all kinds of foods to make ourselves -- pasta and sauce, cereal and almond milk, bread and peanut butter, fruits and snacks and so on -- and that really saved us.

Until the last couple of nights, when we discovered that Bar Habor actually did have a vegan restaurant. We were walking down the street when, lo and behold, we saw a sign announcing the presence of Eden, Vegetarian Restaurant. We went in for dinner that night, and oh, and it was fantastic: Gourmet but satisfying, starting with a delirium-inducing olive-fennel tapenade served with long crispbreads. The menu varied every night, but every dish we tried was infused with magic.

And then Eden closed. They were closed for renovations and then open again, and then closed again, and we never got to eat there after that trip. On our most recent Bar Harbor vacation, this past September, the restaurant looked like it might never open again.

But hurrah for good news: Now their website says they'll be open this June, so all you Bar Harbor-goers will be able to treat yourselves. I don't know when I'll next hit the good state of Maine, but I hope Eden is still around when I'm there. Get the good food while you can.

More to love
I just love the smell of a good natural foods store, and A&B Naturals not only smells great -- that combination of hippie teas, essential oils, herbs and nutritional yeast that you wear on your hair when you leave -- but it also offers up lots of tasty snacks, baked goods, smoothies and more. Great spot to pick up vegan moisturiser if you forget yours. Not that I would know.

As a natural café and market, Tamarind is laid-back, and the separate vegan menu is a welcome addition to the rustic town; Mt Desert Island Ice Cream makes amazing sorbets in cool flavours like blueberry-basil and peach-prosecco; Siam Orchid has drool-worthy fare that can be made vegan; and Café This Way does a good tofu scramble for breakfast, though tofu scramble is kind of a boring option. Reel Pizza Cinerama is supposed to be good for a vegan pizza (if only they would ever show anything I wanted to see on my trips to Maine so that I could check it out). Morning Glory Bakery is supposed to have vegan and gluten-free options, but when my agave and I were there in September 2010, they never had anything vegan any of the times we stopped in.

BAR HARBOR, MAINE
Best Bets:
* Eden: Completely vegan restaurant. 321 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME. Web: http://www.barharborvegetarian.com/.

* Tamarind: Natural foods café and market, separate vegan menu. 16 Mt Desert St, Bar Harbor, ME. Web: http://www.tamarind.me/.

* Mt Desert Island Ice Cream: Offers vegan sorbets. Two locations: 325 Main St and 7 Firefly Lane, Bar Harbor, ME. Web: http://www.mdiic.com/.

* A&B Naturals: Health-food store. 101 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME. Web: http://www.aandbnaturals.com/.

[Laur]

Image: Sorbet at Mt Desert Island Ice Cream; taken by me in September 2010.

places to go, (vegan) things to eat ...

Food is the best part of travel. I'm out of town for business or pleasure at least once a month, and most of my travel planning revolves around food. Because it's necessary, of course -- what vegan wants to be trapped in Orlando hotel hell with no edible options? -- but also because it's fun to read online restaurant reviews and find out what's best to try.

This blog will be a few different things: a guide to vegan eateries around the world with thoughtful, honest reviews; a collection of food photos that prove "vegan" doesn't mean "restricted" or even necessarily "healthy"; a way to share all the links and info I collect on inviting places for vegans to visit; and most of all, I hope, a lot of fun.

A little about the vegan foodies: My honey (or, to be more vegan-PC, my agave) and I live in the Berkshire hills of Western Massachusetts with our mischievous cat, Frances. I did my undergrad and grad schooling in Canada, and now I'm a magazine writer and an editor; my agave does graphic design for a marketing company. We love food, travel, Frances and each other. Maybe even in that order.

Anyway. Tell me, what's your favourite vegan foodie destination?

[Laur]
Image: Vegan BLT from Aux Vivres in Montréal; taken by me in April 2010