Bay Area Vegetarians

News Flash for all Pizza Lovers – a new, all-vegetarian pizzeria (with vegan options) has opened in Mill Valley.

While we don’t know much yet (their website appears to be a work in progress still), we do know we love pizza and all the vegan fixings!

Ultimate Guide:  Tony Tutto Pizza – read it, rate it, review it

Lettus Cafe, located on Steiner St in the Marina, is now know as The Plant Cafe, same location, same menu. Just a different name.

Global Vegetarian Bistro has closed.  A new restaurant (new ownership) has opened in its place, the Dandelion Vegetarian Cafe serving vegetarian and vegan Asian food.  Thanks to Andy and Shalabh for the update.

Dandelion Vegetarian Cafe is the third successive vegetarian restaurant opening in this location since Good Karma moved to First Street.

Dandelion Vegetarian Cafe: read it, rate it, review it

Two new veg restaurant openings to report:

Royal Indian Cuisine – Dublin

Welcome to the first vegetarian restaurant in Dublin, especially notable since they switched from being a mixed restaurant.  Check ’em out.

Cafe Gratitude – Healdsburg

Cafe Gratitude continues to expand, adding a location in the “Olive Leaf” in Healdsburg, to its family of locations in San Francisco, San Rafael and Berkeley.

Join Veganauts to explore, celebrate and share vegan food with new and old friends at vegetarian restaurants throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.   Hosts are needed for the 2009 mission series.  As you can see from the 2008 schedule below, we like to travel to different parts of the Bay Area, with different types of food.

So, Indian, Asian, raw, East Bay, South Bay, SF, etc — pick your favorite and let me know when you’d like to host!  Eating out at Asian style restaurants is particularly fun because it means getting to try a wider variety of dishes than just eating out on your own.

Expedition 200802 : Leap Year Mission : Golden Buddha, SF
Expedition 200803 : Mission to Cafe Soulstice: San Mateo
Expedition 200804 : Mission to Souley Vegan: Oakland
Expedition 200805 : Mission to Udupi Palace : Sunnyvale
Expedition 200806 : Mission to Ital Calabash, Berkeley
Expedition 200807 : Mission to Manzanita, Oakland
Expedition 200808 : Mission to Cafe Gratitude: SF
Expedition 200809 : Mission to the New World: Oakland
Expedition 200810 : Mission to Planet Herbivore: San Francisco
Expedition 200811 : Mission to Fragrance Land : Cupertino

Responsibilities as an organizer:  Pick restaurant, date/time and coordinate that with me (it can be weekday evening, weekend — make it work for your schedule); send announcement to the SFBAVeg list.  Track RSVPs, reserve space at restaurant, greet guests as they arrive, and enjoy good food & fellowship over a delicious vegan meal!

We are fortunate to live in a geographic area that provides a variety of vegan flora throughout the Bay Area, so let’s take advantage of it and start planning our 2009 missions!

Veganauts was started in 2006 by Tammy & Chris, BAVeg co-founders, and they continue to lead vegan missions alongside guest mission commanders.

Veganauts is the perfect opportunity to host on an occasional basis while supporting BAVeg and your local vegetarian community.

To submit a Mission proposal, please email Tammy directly

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* Community Thanksgiving Events
* Carol and The Chicken Man Protest KFC
* News Bites
* Spotlight: Vegan Food Report
* Ultimate Guide Updates
* Heart Smart Cooking
* Event Calendar

Vegan holiday food is actually some of the easiest and tastiest food you can make (or buy). Below are recipes for holiday winter squash, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Cranberry sauce, green beans, salads, sweet potatoes…all the other favorites are already vegan, or so close you won’t need a recipe (Annie’s Goddess dressing instead of the tired old ranch dressing, green beans cooked in veg stock instead of chicken stock, etc).

The main dish is the big question. Tofurky? Field Roast? A big stuffed squash? That’s up to you and your personal tastes. My favorite Thanksgiving involved a six hour hike up a snowy mountain, followed by a feast of latkes (potato pancakes) with apple sauce and vegan sour cream. 3 carefully-chosen people and 7 dogs who were not actually carefully-chosen, being rescues, but they were well-loved. That holiday was so easy, and so fun—none of the stress, misery, heart attacks and animal suffering I was used to—that it set the tone and I haven’t celebrated a “traditional” Thanksgiving since.

If you’re celebrating with a crowd, try to arrange one of each centerpiece foods (Tofurky, Field Roast, stuffed pumpkin). Have a taste test and then you’ll know what you like in the future.

Plan ahead–read through these recipes and check out www.vegcooking.com for a huge new Thanksgiving food feature.  Don’t wait until the week before the holiday–the more you plan, the more you’ll enjoy this holiday of delicious food, friends and family!

Holiday Winter Squash
Mashed Potatoes
Cashew Gravy
Cornbread and Pecan Stuffing
Pumpkin Patch “Cheesecake”

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Reporter Richgail Enriquez takes a bite out of the Vegan/Vegetarian movement in the Bay Area. Watch this video news report as she explores local vegetarian restaurants. Runtime 4:43.

For more information on vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the SF Bay Area, visit the Ultimate Guide

Seed of Life is a new vegan restaurant in Berkeley.  Inspired by world cuisine, the menu currently features soups, green and grain salads, entrees including noodle dishes, wraps, and burgers.

Seed of Life shares the location with Vital Ital Calabash; they open when Vital Ital closes.

Thanks to Greg for the update.

Ultimate Guide – Seed of Life: read it, rate it, review it!

Tammy and I tried a new tactic this month.  Instead of a busy Saturday location or a busy college, we went to downtown San Francisco and leafleted commuters as they entered the BART stations.  Tammy and I handed out PETA Vegetarian Starter Kits and Jack handed out Vegan Outreach’s Compassionate Choices.  We gave out just under 600 in one hour!

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