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Vegan Toledo

Vegan Toledo Blog

Dégagé Jazz Café

5/31/2016

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Dégagé Jazz Café
301 River Rd, Maumee OH 43537
www.historiccommercialbuilding.com/content/degage-jazz-cafe
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Based on a recommendation on our Facebook page, we headed to Dégagé Jazz Café on Friday night to taste some delicious vegan food and to hear some good jazz music. This restaurant is in a historic building in a residential Maumee neighborhood and is currently the only venue in town devoted to jazz music. It’s also one of the few restaurants that has a separate menu for vegetarians and vegans.

Make sure to ask for the vegan/vegetarian menu as the regular menu is fairly meat-heavy. On the veg menu, there were several options for appetizers; we chose the buffalo cauliflower “wings”—basically cauliflowers doused with buffalo sauce and served along with some crackers and bread. There were several salads—we split the “chef’s choice” salad, which included a mixture of greens, tomatoes and other vegetables. There are two entrée choices: a carrot-vegetable version of osso buco and a chef’s choice of pasta that is vegan and gluten-free. We ordered both and found them to be delicious. Finally, there is a vegan chocolate mousse that was delicious—we were glad we ordered two instead of splitting one!

We were seated indoors, which was our top choice as we wanted to see the band (which was great). There is also some outdoor seating (still close enough to hear the music). They have a full bar with a decent wine menu and rotating craft beers on tap. And we just loved that we could have options at every step of the way. Although there was only one dessert choice, it was delicious and we were excited to have a rich chocolate-based treat. We felt stuffed!

Our only suggestion to the restaurant is to better advertise the vegetarian/vegan menu. It’s not part of their online menus, and we couldn’t find any notice that it even existed on their regular menu. In fact, as we were leaving, we ran into friends who were disappointed that they weren’t told about the menu as they might have tried one of the items. A simple line on the regular menu (a separate vegetarian/vegan menu is available upon request) would help spread the word.

Thanks to Airen Meyer for the recommendation!
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7 Little Cupcakes

5/28/2016

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7 Little Cupcakes
1021 Sandusky Street
Perrysburg OH 43551

www.7littlecupcakes.com
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While we believe in the health benefits of a whole-foods, plant-based diet, there are special occasions where a treat is in order. When we got married last November, it was important to us to have a traditional wedding cake, but we still wanted it to be 100% vegan. We were very pleased to find a company nearby that, in addition to traditional baked goodie, also offers vegan (as well as gluten-free) options.

The price seemed about in-line with a traditional wedding cake. We scheduled the cake about a month and a half in advance, at which time we discussed logistics and our general thoughts on the cake design. About a week before, we followed up to lock the design down. We were trying to decide between fresh flowers and artificial decorations. The shop does not provide either, but will place flowers or decorations you purchase on the cake when they are setting it up. After reading about how many of the flowers we liked are poisonous, we opted for felt flowers and hot glued little sticks on them ourselves so they could stick them into the cake. We also opted for a traditional love bird topper from a local craft supply store.

No one would have guessed the cake was vegan at the wedding. The kids rallied for more pieces. We got a layer of white, one of chocolate, and the smaller two layers were strawberry. We liked all of them. The icing was really thick and super sweet, but that's a traditional wedding cake for you. We were out of our frozen leftover cake pretty fast! As a bonus, the business will make you a one-year wedding anniversary cake as part of your wedding cake purchase, so there's no need to freeze your top layer.
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Article: The Challenge of Getting Clear Menu Information

5/28/2016

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This article does a great job detailing the difficulty of getting clear information when visiting a restaurant. Though it focuses on greenwashing and not vegan issues directly, we wanted to share it because trying to obtain accurate information on dishes for vegans is just as big a challenge. And also, it's good to see some checks and balances on farm-to-table claims.

We know most of our readers know that feeling, when a server tells you something is vegan and they didn't go back to the kitchen first. Sometimes you feel confident that they know what vegan means, and other times you get that queasy feeling that you're either going to get a dish with cheese in it or you're going to have to be "that guy" who insists on them going back and getting more information.

We have been served an item that we were told is vegan, but when we returned to the same place a couple months later (the menu had not changed, but it's possible the recipe had), we were told the item we'd been served before was not vegan. Who do we believe? We err on the side of caution and try not to dwell on the fact that we probably ate something that wasn't vegan.

http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2016/food/farm-to-fable/restaurants/
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Star of India

5/26/2016

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Star of India
415 S Reynolds Rd, Toledo OH 43615
www.starofindiatoledo.net
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Update 03/29/17

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We were delighted to find on a recent visit to Star of India that, not only did they still have great vegan options on their lunch buffet, but they now have a full vegan dinner menu as well as delicious homemade vegan desserts!

There are several Indian restaurants in the Toledo area and all of them have good vegan options. We are highlighting Star of India first because they have a sign out front advertising that they have vegan food. (This is in contrast to one national sub chain that bragged about converting vegans into meat lovers--would like to see your data!)

We tried Star of India's lunch buffet and when we were there, there were several vegan options, including pakoras (also gluten-free), chana masala and a lentil dish. Although the items weren’t labeled vegan, the server was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about serving vegans.

During lunch, you can also order off the menu (no buffet for dinner, only the menu) and there are lots of vegan options. The server said that all but two vegetarian dishes could be made vegan. In fact, he said that based on one regular customer’s suggestions, the chef had worked on vegan recipes. To us, this showed a great openness as well as demonstrated the power of positive suggestions.

We highly recommend Star of India and applaud their willingness to promote that they serve vegan food!
4 Comments

Article: Why Plant-Based Diets improve your health

5/26/2016

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There are lots of reasons to go vegan, including environmental, animal cruelty and health reasons. I (Mike speaking here) was motivated to go vegan because of a long history of heart problems on the male side of my family. I realized that if I didn’t do anything, I would soon be on blood pressure medicine. There has been a lot of good scientific research out there linking cardiovascular health with a plant-based diet. Even if you don’t go 100% vegan, increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables and minimizing meat, dairy, and oils can make a big difference. Since being on a vegan diet, my blood pressure has gone from pre-hypertension levels to regular levels of blood pressure. This article details some of the reasons why a plant-based diet makes a difference from a health perspective:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/8-ways-plant-based-diet-protects-your-heart/
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5th Street Pub

5/24/2016

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5th Street Pub
105 W 5th St, Perrysburg OH 43551
5577 Monroe St, Sylvania OH 43560
5thstreetpub.com
Pizza can be challenging for vegans in that a lot of places hide mediocre crust, sauce and toppings with huge amounts of cheese. It is possible to get vegan pizzas at a lot of chain places, though generally we find ourselves unsatisfied with the end result. Fortunately, 5th Street Pub exists to show you that vegan pizza can taste delicious!

You have to order a build-your-own pizza with the red tomato sauce. Then you have plenty to choose from in terms of herbs and vegetables: grilled zucchini, marinated mushrooms, several types of tomatoes, garlic, fresh oregano and basil, Brussel sprouts, asparagus and artichokes (plus more). Make sure to specify no cheese as a topping or as a last-minute dusting that is common among pizza places. You also may want to hold the drizzle of olive oil for a healthier meal. The dough is a thin crust, Neapolitan style pizza baked quickly in a brick oven.

We find that by splitting one pizza, we are almost full. Side options include a build-your-own salad, homemade potato chips, a daily vegetable and homemade applesauce. With one of the sides and a pizza, that is usually enough for both of us. There is a nice rotating choice of beers on tap, as well as mixed drinks and wine.

We have only been to the location in Perrysburg, which can get quite crowded on Thursday through Saturday evening, though the wait is usually not that long (one tip is to request seats at the counter facing the oven as those are almost always open and it's fun to watch the pizzas being made). We have not yet checked out the location in Sylvania, though it looks like the menus are the same.

​
This review was written based on the Perrysburg location.
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Qdoba Mexican Eats

5/19/2016

1 Comment

 
Qdoba Mexican Eats
​129 S Main St, Bowling Green OH 43402
www.qdoba.com
This is a make-your-own burrito type place and as a vegan you do have options. There is cilantro lime rice or brown rice, black beans or pinto beans and fajita vegetables, as well as a variety of salsas that range in spiciness. Also, they have sauces, though all have cheese in them except for a BBQ one. We like that guacamole doesn’t cost more (as it does at Chipotle), but the overall price is roughly the same, as the base burrito price seems a bit higher here. Unlike Chipotle (or Moe’s Southwest Grill, a national chain that has yet to make it to our area), there is no tofu option.
So the good news is that you’ll find something to eat at Qdoba. But we prefer Chipotle if we have the choice.
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Registry Bistro

5/17/2016

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Registry Bistro
144 N Superior St, Toledo OH 43604
www.registrybistro.com
We must admit that we have a soft spot for Registry Bistro and that it is perhaps our favorite fine dining restaurant in the area. In terms of vegan options, chef Erika Rapp always makes sure there is at least one clearly-marked vegan entrée on their seasonally rotating menu. It is always comforting to see a clearly-marked item on the menu as that removes any ambiguity and confusion. For our ideal restaurant experience, however, we would like several choices so that we can both sample a vegan entrée and share our food. Nearly every time the chef has been able to accommodate us by creating an off-the-menu vegan entrée that is often even better than the dish listed on the menu. The restaurant prides itself by using locally-sourced seasonal vegetables and these spontaneous dishes are often creative mixtures of what is currently available.

The menu is generally heavy on the meats, though we have found the servers to be very knowledgeable about possible modifications that can be made and so there are generally choices between several appetizers and salads. Finally, every time we have gone, they have had a vegan sorbet, often blackberry cabernet, available for dessert. We don't ever expect that there will be vegan dessert options when we dine out and so this is always a nice treat!

We love how they have refurbished the ground floor of the old Secor Hotel and created an atmosphere that is contemporary, with a space laden with rotating single-artist art shows. The cocktail menu has unique takes on classic cocktails (Rachel recommends the Retro-Fashioned!), the craft beer menu has something for all and the wine menu is one of the best in the city. Also, we feel like the prices are quite reasonable for the dining experience that you get. Check it out!
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Bangkok Kitchen

5/15/2016

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​Bangkok Kitchen
582 W. Dussel Dr., Maumee OH 43537
bangkokkitchenmaumee.com
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I think this may be tops for us in Toledo in that it provides plenty of options for vegans, the food is tasty and often healthy and there is a great vegan dessert! There are lots of choices, though too many to list here. Our standbys are the drunken noodles and pad thai (clarify no egg on it!), which are both savory and heavy. There are appetizer options including spring rolls (which we usually avoid as they are deep fried) and summer rolls (healthier option because they are not deep fried), both made with tofu, as well as a deep-fried tofu dish.

If we want to eat somewhat healthy, one of us gets a noodle dish and the other gets the vegetarian rice noodle soup (Guay Tiew), which is very light for Thai food. Typically, we top off our meal with the coconut ice cream dessert, which is made in-house and is a nice treat to share. There are plenty of other dishes to try, including ones with eggplant, broccoli and stir-fries. The menu is fairly standard fare for Thai food, but the food is delicious. Friends of ours from Central Michigan always make a point to stop here while driving down I-75 as the food is that good.

The only thing keeping this from being a perfect choice for vegans is that the menu doesn’t provide clear labels of what is vegan or not. We have found that the servers are good at identifying what is vegan or not, and removing eggs or fish sauce. Just, as always, make your dietary needs clear up front!
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Cocina de Carlos

5/9/2016

4 Comments

 
Cocina de Carlos
27072 Carronade Drive, Perrysburg OH 43551 (near Krogers)
205 Farnsworth Road, Waterville OH 43566
www.cocinadecarlos.com
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​Cocina de Carlos deserves a special award from Vegan Toledo in that we think it is the only restaurant around that has a special portion of their menu devoted just to vegan items. There are five items on the menu that are clearly labeled vegan: Vegan Tarasca Soup, Vegan Azteca Fajitas, Vegan Street Tacos, Vegan Pineapple and Vegan Enchilada Dinner (it appears the soup is not available at the Waterville location). All dishes except the soup come with vegan refried beans, guacamole and Spanish rice. As all vegans know, there is a huge amount of relief when finding a menu that clearly labels items as vegan as you don’t need to ask questions, explain and negotiate with the server and chef.

All of the dishes are excellent though we warn that the portion sizes are large. Our typical order for the two of us is the fajitas along with the bowl of Tarasca soup. The soup is relatively light (broth with pinto beans and cactus) whereas the other dishes can be heavier. We applaud Cocina de Carlos for clearly labeling their menu and providing multiple options for vegans!

We also note that the Perrysburg location carries 5 Rabbits beers, a microbrewery out of Chicago founded by Mexican-Americans and generally delicious!

This review was written based on the Perrysburg location.

4 Comments

PETA Fast Food Guide

5/9/2016

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This website at PETA has wonderful advice on how to find vegan meals at fast food restaurants and national chains. We advocate patronizing local restaurants whenever possible but realize that sometimes, especially while on the road, that you need to stop at a chain. This site has great suggestions.

http://www.peta.org/living/food/chain-restaurants/
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Pita Pit

5/6/2016

2 Comments

 
Pita Pit
3819 Haverhill Road, Toledo, OH, 43612
2903 Dorr St, Toledo, OH, 43614

30 S St Clair St, Toledo, OH, 43604
522 E Wooster, Bowling Green, OH, 43402
pitapitusa.com
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Here you can build your own pita, similar to building your own burrito at Chipotle or Qdoba or a sub at Subway.  You order the base of the Pita and then get to pick and choose sauces and veggie toppings.  The four base options for vegans are falafel, spicy black bean, garden, and hummus.  You can choose a wheat or white pita or order it fork style as a salad.  They have a spicy red pepper hummus, a traditional version, as well as guacamole—all which are vegan.  Veggie/fruit toppings may vary across location but there are a healthy amount to choose from including mushrooms, sprouts, green peppers, jalapeños, lettuce, spinach, red onion and pineapple.  With sauces, ones that are okay include BBQ, buffalo, hot sauce, secret (spicy vinaigrette), yellow mustard, balsamic vinaigrette, Dijon mustard, Italian, ketchup, raspberry vinaigrette, sun-dried tomato pesto vinaigrette and Vidalia sweet onion. 
 
You can order online as well (they deliver) and there is an option (filter by dietary preference) to click on that shows you only the vegan options (that is how we determined which sauces are vegan).  If you order the spicy black bean patty or falafel, the default is to grill it on the same grill that they grill the meat.  They can microwave your product separately. 
 
Pita Pit is a nice vegan option for quick food that is healthy and tasty.  

This review was written based on the Bowling Green location.
2 Comments

Kabob It

5/6/2016

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​Kabob It
132 E Wooster St, Bowling Green OH 43402
www.facebook.com/kabobitbg
Westfield Shoppingtown in Toledo
www.facebook.com/kabobit
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This is a go-to place for vegans in Downtown Bowling Green.  At least once a week, I order Combo #4, which consists of a plate of tabbouli, baba ghanouj, hommous, lentil rice, and falafel--$6.99.  There are other vegan options too including vegetarian grape leaves, garlic potatoes, and green beans.  Your carnivore friends will find things to eat including the traditional Mediterranean meat fare as well as hamburgers. 
 
The décor is nothing special but the staff are extremely friendly.  One healthy hint: their default is to pour an extra drizzle of olive oil on top of the baba ghanouj and hommous.  I ask for them to refrain from doing so, just as way to protect my heart a bit more.  Despite what people tell you about the health benefits of olive oil, less oil of any kind is better for your health! 
 
There is another Kabob It at the Franklin Park Mall.  We haven’t been there but assume that things are similar.  

This review was written based on the Bowling Green location.
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Two Foxes Gastropub

5/6/2016

1 Comment

 
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​Two Foxes Gastropub
121 S. Main St
Bowling Green OH 43402

www.twofoxesgastropub.com


I wandered into this gourmet burger joint on a stroll in downtown Bowling Green for lunch and wanted to see what they had that was vegan friendly.  Based on their menu, there was nothing vegan; there was an eggplant taco but that had egg in the breading.  The waitress was apologetic (that isn’t always the case) and promised to ask the chef if he could make anything off-menu.  He proposed two options, a salad with grilled portabellas and roasted tomatoes, or a sandwich made of the same toppings on sourdough bread.  I chose the former.
 
It was delicious, with the roasted tomatoes rich with garlic and thyme and the portabella mushrooms grilled deliciously, all topped with a maple bourbon vinaigrette.  The chef came out and mentioned that they rotate their menu frequently and that they are considering more vegan/vegetarian options, though it is difficult because they don’t get that many requests.  If you do go here, I recommend that you call in advance to ask for a vegan option.  The lunch crowd was a bit thin on the day I went and so it was possible for him to whip up something special.  It has been our experience that when restaurants hit their rush period, they are less willing and/or able to make special meals.
 
Another plus of this place is that they have a nice list of rotating craft beers on tap and in bottle.  ​
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