A Moveable Feast

Our vacations are often defined and remembered by the food we’ve consumed while away. We’re epi-curious, always seeking the next place to achieve veggie nirvana. Well, I’m happy to report and recommend a place for herbivores and carnivores alike.

If you’re within a 1,000-mile radius of Nashville, consider dining at PM, whose food nearly moved us to tears and speechlessness. They cater to a plateful of palates, specializing in burgers, sushi, and vegetarian fare. I exaggerate not (and Beni would agree), tonight’s dinner was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We shared the PM Sushi Roll (Thai basil, peanut sauce, pickled radish, daikon, vegetables), Peanut Sauce Fondue (crispy tofu and toasted foccacia), Gyoza Pot Stickers, and the dish above, their Holy Basil and Crispy Tofu Penne (cashews, edamame, market vegetables).

(Question: what is typing’s equivalent of “speechlessness”? I want to know the name of the frame of mind I’m in.)

In honor of that person I know who loves to ask about where things fall on all-time favorite lists – Where does this bike ride rank in your top 10 of All-Time Favorite Bike Rides? Does that buffet we just housed crack your Favorite Buffets Ever? – I offer you a smorgasbord of memorable experiences in veggie dining (in list form, of course):

Favorite Vegetarian Restaurants

1. The Naam Restaurant (Vancouver, BC)
Dragon Bowl, miso gravy, sesame chips, Naam salad, shredded beets

2. Bulan Thai Vegetarian Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA)
Mushroom Tom Kah, Jungle Curry

3. Laughing Seed Café (Ashville, NC)
Brown rice and avocado sushi, Harmony Bowl

4. Seva (Ann Arbor, MI)
Yam fries, veggie Reuben

5. Chicago Diner (Chicago, IL)
Nachos, “buttermilk” pancakes, grilled tofu sandwich, cookie dough peanut butter vegan shake

6. Inn Season Café (Royal Oak, MI)
Budapest mushroom soup, Tofu Arame

Best Meal at Veggie-Friendly Restaurants

1. PM (Nashville, TN)
See above

2. Postcards Café (Hanalei, HI)
Hanalei Taro Fritters, vegan chocolate silk

3. Cosmic Pizza (Eugene, OR)
Pomme D’Amour

Veggie Delights, These Are Not: The Rotten Veggies

1. Chowpatti International Vegetarian Cuisine (Arlington Heights, IL)
“If you do not like yelling, you are not my customers!” – our sendoff from the belligerent and intoxicated owner after we’d expressed our concerns and dismay over his treatment of his employees

2. Country Life Vegetarian Restaurant (Chattanooga, TN)
Cold, lifeless food served by cold, lifeless people.

3. Lois’ Vegetarian Haven (Berrien Springs, MI)
The food was actually good; the religious propaganda, not so much.

4. Vegetarian House (Portland, OR)
Same reason as above – see here.

5. Herbivore (San Francisco, CA)
We were expecting a San Francisco treat but got food that wasn’t much better than Rice-A-Roni.

6. Moosewood Restaurant (Ithaca, NY)
Overhyped. They need to spend less time publishing cookbooks and more time in their kitchens.