Photo by Julia Comino

By Julia Comino, VRG Intern

When most people think of southern food, veganism would most likely not describe the images of dishes conjured. Even my own view of southern classics, as a vegan Deep South native, was not very inclusive of plant-based diets until I learned to cook vegan southern recipes myself. However, I had never found a fix to my cravings for southern classics until I visited New Orleans’ Breads On Oak.

Breads On Oak is a vegan restaurant and French Patisserie with two locations in New Orleans, Louisiana. The first location opened in uptown New Orleans on the historic Oak Street ten years ago, and since then, the owners have branched out with another location in downtown New Orleans. Voted #1 Vegan Restaurant in Louisiana by VegNews and Winner of Best Bread in Louisiana by MSN, Breads On Oak has situated itself in the New Orleans foodie and vegan scene. I had the opportunity to visit the Oak St. location this July and see for myself if this vegan food could quell my southern cravings.

My visit began with a walk down Oak Street accompanied by loud R&B music which wafted through the hot, humid air from the windows of a car parked along the sidewalk before I reached my destination. The storefront, a red brick building adorned with blue shutters and gold lettering labeling it “Breads On Oak,” looked lively through its glossy windows. Upon entering the restaurant, my senses were filled with the smell of baking pastries and the bustling of customers at the front counter. Right away, I spotted the owner, Chamain O’Mahony, whom I had spoken on the phone with previously to set up the visit. She welcomed me with a warm smile and a solid handshake, and after introductions, she gave a brief tour of the pastry display case, pointing out her favorite treat, their signature Rumbles (dense, energy-packed cookies, similar to oatmeal, seed, and raisin cookies).

After being shown around the shop, Chamain led me up a few steps to the back seating area for us to talk more about her business. The room was cozy with art hanging from the walls and a few upholstered sofas, at one of which Chamain and I sat down at. I began the interview by asking about Chamain’s personal dietary preferences. Laughing, she responded, “I’ve been vegan for a super long time. Before I knew how to say the word vegan.” Her reasons for switching to plant-based are those shared by many vegans. She felt that vegan diets allowed her a healthier life, her compassion for animals makes her unwilling to buy into the animal farming industry, and she worries for climate change impacts on the Earth if humans continue to eat high-carbon emission diets.

Our conversation continued with a discussion of the creation of Breads On Oak. The restaurant, the brain-child of Chamain and her husband, was first formed as an old-world style bakery and restaurant. Though it served vegan pastry options – thanks to Chamain’s baking talent – it wasn’t until a few years later that the shop made the switch to an entirely vegan menu. Chamain described the way that restaurant-goers began to prefer the vegan dishes over animal-based ones saying, “People realized that with the vegan pastries and things you can actually taste the flavors more.” As a Deep South native, Breads On Oak is not only one of few vegan restaurants I have happened upon, but it is also the first one that I have found a number of non-vegans praising. Breads On Oak was voted #1 Bakery in Louisiana by Yelp and Buzzfeed, as well as has a vegan king cake that has won multiple awards across New Orleans. Chamain explained how Breads On Oaks is changing people’s minds about veganism, saying “Southerners don’t expect it and some people are taken aback, but once they taste it they are a lot more open. You know, New Orleans, I felt like they needed it.”

With that, I was ready to try out Breads On Oak’s vegan dishes for myself. I was lucky to be joined by my friend who had volunteered to film for me in my sampling of many dishes off the menu. I started my meal with an oat milk, iced latte with lavender syrup, and cheese grits. The coffee was smooth, the coffee beans are sourced from a local roaster, and with a subtle floral taste. However, as a southern classic and one of my personal favorite foods, it was the grits I was most excited to try and they did not disappoint. The grits had a strong cheddar flavor accompanied by the fragrant flavor of green onion which was incorporated into the grits. Though my friend who had accompanied me had never been a fan of grits before, her opinion of the dish had turned more than favorable after tasting Breads On Oak’s grits.

After we had finished our first course, a waiter came out with our main dishes. At the owner’s recommendation, we ordered the Pumpkin Cheddar Biscuit and the Mighty Melt, and once at our table, the two made an impressive image. The Pumpkin Cheddar Biscuit was orange, flaky, and stacked tall with tofu scramble, vegan andouille sausage, tomato, greens, and topped with house made aioli. Although there are so many components to this sandwich, all of them blend masterfully together. The savory vegan andouille sausage highlighted the spiced sweetness of the pumpkin biscuit, and the tofu scramble was fluffy and moist. Upon my first bite, I knew that this would be my favorite dish.

Following the biscuit, I took on the Mighty Melt, which is named appropriately. The patty melt is served up on hearty whole-grain bread with Breads On Oak’s house-made beetroot veggie burger all topped with vegan provolone, roast tomatoes, caramelized onions, and pickled jalapeños. Biting into it, immediately I could taste the smoky veggie patty followed by the sweet fiery heat of the jalapeños. However, the stand out in this dish was the hearty whole-grain bread which was loaded with a variety of seeds.

I finished off my feast with dessert. I ordered a customer favorite, the Boston Cream Eclair, a brioche pastry piped full of rich vanilla custard and topped with glossy chocolate ganache. The owner, Chamain, was kind enough to gift us an assortment of her favorite pastries: the Thumbprint Cookie, Toasted Pecan Brownie, and a Butter Croissant. The Thumbprint Cookie and Butter Croissant both had a distinct, delicious buttery flavor from Breads On Oak’s house-made, vegan, and cultured butter. The Toasted Pecan Brownie was impressively moist for a gluten-free dessert and the toasted pecans added a rich, nutty flavor. However, my favorite had to be the Boston Cream Eclair which was a delicious way to end our meal.

Overall, Breads On Oaks stood out to me among other vegan restaurants I have visited. Each item felt thoughtfully and lovingly crafted with organic and fresh ingredients. The dedication that the owner and staff showed to making each dish robustly flavorful with their house-made meat substitutes, cheese, and butter added another level of flavor to each dish. I can’t wait to visit New Orleans again just so I can get breakfast at Breads On Oak and grab a Pumpkin Cheddar Biscuit.

Find vegan restaurants in the USA and Canada at https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php