Lupita's Cantina
209 Louisiana Ave., Perrysburg OH 43551
lupitas-mexican.com

We love the Carlos family of restaurants in the Toledo area as he always has clearly-labeled vegan options. We hadn't tried his newest addition, Lupita's Cantina in downtown Perrysburg, and so were excited to try it this past weekend.

Lupita's Cantina has three labeled vegan options: vegan street tacos, vegan enchiladas and a vegan taco salad. You get to chose your vegan protein, with two options: veef (imitation beef) picadillo or grilled zhrimp. We got the enchiladas with veef and the taco salad with zhrimp. We hadn't had vegan shrimp before and they looked so much like real shrimp that we asked the server to confirm that they were vegan, which they were. Both the imitation shrimp and beef were tasty and rich with flavor.

Both the enchiladas and taco salad had fresh ingredients and were more than enough food to fill us up (along with the vegan chips!). Each of Carlos' restaurants has some differences on the menu. We felt like Lupita's dishes were more heavy on the imitation meat with fewer vegetables, whereas Cocina de Carlos is the opposite.

The restaurant has a full bar with ten taps with local breweries, another nice touch for those who are interested.

Thank you, Carlos, for always having vegan options and for always trying something new!!!

We had curtailed our travel for much of the pandemic and so we were excited to finally try Chili Mustard Onions, an all-vegan restaurant in the heart of Detroit.  

This is a take on Detroit Coney Island restaurants except that everything is vegan.  And so think: dogs, burgers and fries. 

We had The Big Mock and the Chik'un Parm Sub. The sub used a breaded and deep-fried Quorn cutlet and plenty of great marinara sauce, smoked vegan provolone and cashew parmesan, all on a thick bun. The Big Mock mimics the Big Mac, except vegan style of course, using specially-seasoned Beyond Burger patties, along with a sesame seed bun, a house-made sauce, pickles, onions, lettuce and cheeze. The Big Mock really did remind us of the Big Mac, at least how we remembered it from many, many years ago. We got both their regular fries and also waffle fries.

The food was delightfully heavy and scratched an itch that we didn't even realize that we had! Don't go to Chili Mustard Onions if you are hoping for light food as everything is heavy. Think of vegan gluttony! Although they use commercially-available plant-based meat products (Quorn Chick'Un, Beyond Burgers, Smart Dogs), they aren't just slapping these products together but are seasoning them in creative ways and making the products into unique creations.

We saw that they have gyros as well with homemade seitan-based gyro meat. We didn't try one this time but will on our next visit!

We had a lovely lunch at Nourish, a cafe that is 100% vegan, with all its products soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free (of course) and refined sugar-free. They have mastered cooking and baking in their style and so we found no compromise in taste. They have a cooler of entrees and snacks goods for take-out or dine-in. We chose a mixture of items including a Buffalo mac-and-cheese, an Asian noodle salad, a mixed salad with beets and blueberries and a curry cauliflower salad. Dining in, they are able to warm up dishes for those who desire a hot meal. We enjoyed each of our dishes, with a nice (but not overwhelming) amount of spices, fresh vegetables and greens. This is creative and healthy comfort food.

In addition to the entrees cooler, they have a nice section of in-house baked goods. We sampled a few including a donut (our daughter's favorite), a muffin and a dessert bar. These were rich and full of great taste!

Blissfield is just a short drive for those of us in NW Ohio and Nourish should provide a great reason to make the drive and visit this cute little town. The staff are super friendly at Nourish, which made the visit even more special!

Frankly Plant Based Kitchen
Food Truck Serving the Toledo Area, Locations Vary
https://www.franklypbk.com/

We love Frankly Plant-Based Kitchen. They are a food-truck business that started off in Austin, Texas and – fortunately for the Toledo area – they moved their business here.

They use a homemade seitan dog that has a unique set of seasonings that make it delicious on its own. And then come the toppings! They have a set of standard flavored dogs that are on the menu each week, along with one specialty dog that varies from week to week. And then they have sides: french fries, loaded fries, coleslaw, mac-n-chz and golden broccoli.

Everything we have had is top notch and we routinely get dogs for our family members who are not vegan, too. Unlike some vegan comfort food, this food is actually not very heavy and so we don't feel gross the next day after filling up on dogs! Our orders vary, though it usually is a Jon Stewart (sauerkraut and Russian dressing) along with the specialty dog plus an order of fries. Check out Frankly's social media where they highlight upcoming locations and specials for the week. Their specials are delicious and creative, such as a Banh Mi dog and Green Chile Mac.

Check out their weekly schedule and make a plan to stop by!

We enjoyed getting Mindful Table items when they were selling them from Churchill's but are absolutely delighted that they have their own storefront in Levis Commons with a much wider array of items for purchase. 

Everything that they sell is vegan and everything is gluten-free. We know that a lot of our readers are allergic to gluten because we are often asked if items that we post about are gluten-free.

We have been several times to get take-out (everything is take-out at this point) and have enjoyed our food. They have a rotating menu usually with several hot items, some deli items that are in the fridge and a great selection of baked goods and treats. In general, their food is what we could call Midwestern comfort food and we find that it scratches an itch for some of our favorite childhood foods that we just haven't had since going vegan. We love their creamy pasta salads and one of our favorites was the Deviled Non-Egg Pasta Salad in which they nailed the delicious taste that we were so used to having at family picnics. Other favorites are the lasagna, which has a rich set of flavors, and a "Lobster roll."  The baked goods are also well done with interesting flavors (we especially liked a pineapple one), often with rich frosting.

Check out Mindful Table. It's 100% vegan and so you don't have to worry about cross-contamination, nor explaining things to the staff. For those who are gluten-free, this place is going to be essential for you! For those of us who aren't gluten-free, you are going to enjoy this food and appreciate its creativity!

We were sad when seeing that Bite Me Twice, a Toledo Mediterranean restaurant, closed, but were excited when Bite Me Twice's restaurateur opened up a new restaurant, Ameera Mediterranean Bistro in Sylvania. For those that liked Bite Me Twice (we did), Ameera has essentially the same menu. As such, we have updated our original review for Bite Me Twice to reflect our Ameera experience.

The items on their menu are clearly labeled vegan (other dietary restrictions are also noted when appropriate, such as gluten-free). Clearly labeling items is a simple thing that restaurateurs can do to help vegans feel comfortable; we feel uncomfortable relying on wait staff to help navigate menus, given that many wait staff are not trained well on what is and isn't vegan (we had a different restaurant owner offer us shrimp AFTER we told him we're vegan).  

The staff at Ameera were extremely friendly and were able to answer specific questions that we had about the menu. Questions about dietary choices are often treated by wait staff as a nuisance. The staff, including the owner, were excited to answer our questions. He takes great pride in serving vegans!

We ordered the 12 Vegetable Soup as an appetizer, as well as the Loubie. The soup had what we thought was a nice, homemade taste, with a broth that was light and tasty and not overly salty as many restaurant soups are. There were freshly cut vegetables including nice chunks of potatoes. The Loubie is a green bean dish sauteed with tomatoes and onions. We also ordered hummus and Baba ghanouj and had nice portions that were served with vegetables for dipping.

For an entree, we ordered the Baba Falafel roll. The roll was grilled and had a nice mixture of baba ghanouj, falafel, greens, pickles and parsley. It was our favorite this time around. The salad was a large portion and included a nice mixture of greens, pita chips, spices and it had a nice lemon dressing on it. If you're a fan of citrus, this salad has your name on it.

There was an apple bar and a peanut butter and jelly cookie for dessert. These were made by a bakery outside of Cleveland. They were just okay (we both preferred the PBJ bar). 

We enjoyed our lunch at Ameera and are glad that we were hungry when we went!

Jacky’s Depot Ice Cream Parlor in Maumee has closed for the season but each year after closing, they make Pumpkin Ice Cream Pies for Thanksgiving. This year they will again be offering a vegan version as well!

All their ice cream is made in-house, and last year they added a line of vegan ice cream. The recipe is coconut-based and is made with all-natural ingredients and as many certified-organic ingredients as possible, according to the company.
 
The pumpkin ice cream pies come in a 9-inch vegan graham cracker crust and cost $22 each. They will be available for pick up the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving from 5 to 7 p.m. Jacky’s Depot will place reminder calls or texts to all customers who order a pie.
 
Call 419-893-0216 to place an order or contact Jacky’s Depot through their web site (http://www.jackysdepot.com/wp/) or their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JackysDepotMaumee/). You just need to specify the type of pie (vegan or regular) when ordering. Jacky’s Depot’s homemade pumpkin ice cream and vegan pumpkin ice cream are gluten-free, however, the pie crust does contain wheat. Their gluten-free pie crust contains honey, so that is not vegan.
 
Jacky’s Depot plans to continue to have at least two vegan flavors in their dip case at all times next year – or more if the demand is there. If you have any flavor requests or general suggestions, please let them know!
 
Our Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie from Jacky’s Depot was a hit with our family last year at Thanksgiving—vegans and nonvegans alike!

We learned about Jane Dough through their vibrant social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram). This is a home bakery business run out of Woodville; they make vegan and non-vegan cupcakes and cakes. At the moment, they sell their baked goods at the Woodville Farmer's Market, though check their social media to see if they expand outlets. 

We have gone twice and picked up their vegan chocolate cupcakes with vanilla "butter" frosting the first time and this past weekend we picked up vanilla cupcakes with dye-free (beet-based) pink frosting. Each time, the cupcakes were extremely moist and the frosting was elegantly decorated, a nice special touch. 

They also make custom orders including cakes and cupcakes, with more flavors available vegan, including strawberry, almond raspberry and funfetti. Their designs are very creative and would be a great option for those seeking a beautiful and delicious vegan cake for that special occasion. 

We're excited that Jane Dough provides vegan options and we will continue to follow them and search out their delicious goods!

We're excited about Vibrant Vegan. Right now, VV is a pop-up that serves vegan food on Sundays from 11 to 7 p.m. They are located in the back of a carry-out in a strip mall on Hill Avenue. As of right now, there isn't any signage and so just head to the back of the Mini Mart, which has a kitchen, and place your order. You won't regret it.

They have a rotating menu (check their web site) with a soul food platter special as well as smoothie options and flavored waters. We ordered the Sunday special, which was a barbecue sandwich that mimicked pulled pork, using sweet potatoes. We've had lots of vegan BBQ sandwiches using jackfruit and so it was a real treat to have this option. The sweet potatoes were covered in a thick BBQ sauce that was tangy and sweet and then topped with coleslaw and then all fit into a bun. The sandwich was delicious and very unique!

There were sides of potato salad and baked beans, both which were tasty and complemented the sandwich nicely. The whole platter was filling but the food was not heavy. We find that a lot of vegan food achieves its tastiness with an over-reliance on oil. This food was tasty and healthy. 

We're excited to watch what's next for Vibrant Vegan. They offer a meal service and so make sure to let us know how that is if you try them. In the meantime, we'll be making sure to make Vibrant Vegan part of our Sunday routine!

One side note, plan on carry-out. There really isn't seating within the convenience store. 

We were excited to try out Rayoka because, during their initial launch, they had made a special point to reach out to vegans on Facebook to promote their vegan-friendly options. Also, there seemed to be some enthusiasm from the people who tried it out during their soft launch. As a guideline, we try to avoid soft launches and try to give a restaurant a bit of time to settle down before trying it out.

We ordered the vegan hibachi as well as two vegetable sushi rolls as appetizers, a shiitake mushroom roll and an avocado roll. The rolls were solid and served as a nice appetizer. The vegan hibachi comes with soup and salad. There were two soup options but only the miso soup is vegan. It was standard miso soup fare. We love standard miso soup and enjoyed it. For salad, you have one choice for dressing, a sesame-based dressing, which is vegan and tasty (NOTE: Updated based on a reader comment below that the ginger dressing is no longer vegan 12/02/21 - Thank You, Ashley!). The salad was iceberg lettuce, pretty typical for a Japanese restaurant.

The vegan hibachi is cooked in the back and brought to the table. You have the option of white rice or fried rice. Being health conscious, we chose the white rice. The hibachi included a nice mixture of vegetables: zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, onions and tofu. The flavor was quite nice, though a bit heavy in oil (it is fried after all), and the portion size was large. We should have had leftovers but we soldiered through and finished our plates.  

Overall, we enjoyed our meal. The vegan hibachi is a nice touch, but it isn't like the traditional hibachi served at the table with a chef who bangs knives around, lights things on fire and jokes with the table. There seem to be other options on the menu, though we were disappointed that the menu didn't have vegan items labeled clearly. We hope that in the future, there is clear labeling. The chef seems very creative and so we hope that there are also some special vegan sushi rolls created.

Finally, there is a full bar with a creative cocktail menu. We really appreciate Rayoka having vegan options and reaching out to the vegan community when launching their restaurant. We look forward to seeing its growth!

We were excited to hear that Basil Pizza and Wine Bar had expanded their menu to have vegan pizza options. The first time, we ordered take-out of their vegan Italian sausage pizza and enjoyed this very much. The pizza has a nice crust with red sauce, chewy vegan Italian sausage and a vegan-based imitation mozzarella cheese made by Teese in Chicago. If you're vegan, you get used to the unique textures and tastes of individual imitation cheeses and we were excited that Basil used a variety we weren't familiar with. We ate the full pizza in one sitting (no leftovers!).

For our latest experience, we dined in and were glad that we did so. First off, the server was very knowledgeable about vegan options and helped guide us. We had the minestrone soup as an appetizer, which is vegan without any modifications. We also had the Roasted Grapes, which were amazing. Grapes were roasted in olive oil and some salt, and served with micro basil. The grapes were also served with a wheel of vegan cheese, a very nice touch. (Update 5/8/19: we're told the vegan cheese wheel didn't make it onto their regular menu and is not available.)

This time, we ordered the Mama Lou pizza modified to be vegan. This is a vegetarian pizza: asparagus, leeks, oven roasted tomatoes, onion and rainbow Swiss chard. To make it vegan, we had to swap out the white sauce for olive oil and use the vegan cheese. This was a very tasty pizza as well. 

We love Basil and we feel like they are only going to get more vegan-friendly as they develop. They have a nice wine menu (with lots of options by the glass) as well as cocktail and beer menu.

We really enjoyed Basil and plan to be back again. And again. And again!