photo from Thrive Tribe Café

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Apothica Café, 3 Dexter St, Cumberland, RI 02864

Beverages play a starring role here. Flavors are “made in house, from scratch.” Besides hot chocolate, they serve locally roasted coffee in classic drinks, at least 16 specialty lattes at last count including:  Peanut Butter Maple and Cardamom Vanilla. When you visit Apothica, you can find out for yourself about their Hot Donna and Sacred 7. These are all in addition to a myriad of imaginative Moon Milks/Tea Lattes like Blue Lotus Lavender with Butterfly Pea Flower, Ashwagandha and more. You just might meet your Matcha with several wonderful flavors like Lavender, Rose, and Dragon fruit. Maybe a flash of inspiration will strike you as you sip their Lightning Bolt Lemonade or Elderberry Hibiscus—another of many possibilities, all fresh squeezed. Breakfast offers Bagels with vegan spreads, weekly rotating baked goods, a Burrito, as well as sandwiches and wraps with eggs and cheese, some veggie fixings, hot sauces or garlic herb spreads. Lunch brings a Mexican-inspired Wrap, a burger and a couple of Mac N Cheese varieties served with a cashew sauce. Their Apothica at Night menu serves up house-made basil-enriched, Penne alla Vodka, and they’ve reinvented the Pot Pie with a veggie version of edamame, carrot, potatoes, asparagus and a house-made biscuit. Enchanted by rosemary, lavender, gin, mescal, and maple, you might get happily Lost in the Woods of their vast Cocktail/Mocktail selections which include both Fig and Espresso Martinis, as well as a host of herb and fruit infused rum, gin and liquor blends. Is it one of those mornings? How about a Breakfast Cocktail, like Iced Coffee Spiked with black walnut vodka, or a rum, cinnamon, sweet almond Horchata? Maybe a Classic Mimosa or one of their more exotic flavors like Passionfruit would do the trick? Don’t forget Dessert: Gluten Free Fruit tart with vanilla custard, Crème Brulee or Warm Chocolate Cake drizzled with mocha for even more pizazz.

Dale and Dollips, 69 Main Ave, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756

Located a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, enjoy vegan comfort food in a diner with a 50s vibe. You can order wraps, sandwiches, salads, and more along with smoothies, sundaes, and vegan soft serve! This is a kid-friendly spot.

Matcha Thomas, 179 Main St., Beacon, New York 12508

A fast-casual, wellness teahouse offering purposefully crafted matcha (powdered green tea) lattes, seasonally inspired boba (bubble tea) drinks, and occasional classic treats. As a mindful and calming alternative to a typical coffee shop, Matcha Thomas underscores the value of thoughtfully executed menu items that are vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Their matcha is a cornerstone of their lineup and is high quality. Be sure to try the hojicha Thomas, milk & matcha, or milk + matcha boba. Expect the smoothest matcha blended with decadently creamy plant milk, accompanied with superbly chewy and slightly sweet tapioca pearls if you choose the boba drink. The teahouse itself is a sensuous delight, with Japanese and Scandinavian-influenced interior design elements, scents of rose and jasmine, and a forest scene projected on the wall in the shop’s lounge featuring nature sounds. Moreover, the business is family-owned and veteran-owned.

Melange Eatery, Main Street Market Bldg. (Basement), 406 E. Main St., Medford, OR 97501

Melange serves organic items as much as possible. They even grow some of their own produce. To name a couple of the “Small Plates” available, there’s veggie sushi varied by a myriad of sauces such as caramelized ginger peanut sauce, ponzu, cashew and sriracha, as well as pan seared “Scallops” with oyster mushrooms, fermented Chinese black bean, ginger aioli and cilantro cream. Some main dishes offered include A La King Encroute–Wild mushrooms, garbanzos and peas in a white sauce on puff pastry, Spinach Mushroom Crépes made of buckwheat in a roasted pepper cashew sauce, a variety of Bowls, a Deconstructed Lasagna of garlic roasted vegetables, almond ricotta and other ingredients. Besides “Rawsome” choices like their Burger or Spaghetti, they offer a Taco with a walnut carrot cumin filling, Salads and a Caesar Wedge–portobello “anchovy” with cashew parmesan on romaine. For dessert, they offer a version of cinnamon twist they highly endorse called Barefoot Twist. There’s also vanilla, berry or chocolate Raw Cheezcake, Raw Brownie and Coconut Tapioca. Check their deli case for additional possibilities.

Moss Vegan, 539 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225

Breakfast items include ckn’ n’ waffles with deep fried oyster mushrooms and a variety of fried pies. Lunch specials such as jerk chicken made with jackfruit or ginger chkn’ are served with rice, beans, and soup. Other main dishes are also available including a mini vegan fish sub, mac & cheese pie, and drumsticks with a choice of house-made sauce.

The Vegan Pantry, 34 Ross St., Barrie, ON L4N 1E9 Canada

Focusing on the “underserved” vegan, The Vegan Pantry offers a menu that is not only vegan but also gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Some might consider those qualities restricting, but, rest assured, this is one bountiful pantry. The bakery items steal the spotlight, with selections such as the Ah Caramel (a rich brownie topped not only with vanilla frosting and house made caramel sauce but also then dipped in vegan milk chocolate) and the Hello Dolly Bar (with a graham cracker crust and loaded with toasted coconut, pecans, and “oodles” of melted chocolate chips). But if you’re looking for something savory, they also offer vegan cheese; grab’n go items such as the buffalo jackfruit dip or their omelet mix made with chickpea flour; freezer meals that include the 6-pack of Cheezy Mozza Sticks, breaded with a mix of gluten-free breadcrumbs and herbs; and ready-to-eat pizza. If you are in party-planning mode, wow your guests and save yourself the stress by ordering from their selection of party platters, followed by a scrumptious party cake, like the carrot cake or the vanilla sponge cake with strawberry frosting.

Thrive Tribe Café, 60 Maple Ave., Barrington, RI 02806

The founders of Thrive Tribe Café are united by a love of coffee and a commitment to well-being. Starting with the coffee, you can choose from options such as a Dirty Vanilla Chai Latte or a Cappuccino–or if tea is more your beverage, there are iced and hot options, including a Matcha Tea Latte made with maple syrup and oat milk. And music to every vegan’s ears: three types of milk appear on the menu—almond, oat (regular and dark chocolate), and soy. In addition to crepes and arepas, they offer acai bowls, sandwiches, and toasts, as well as baked goods including donuts. In the spirit of healing and alignment, you may opt for the Chakra Acai Bowl, which is gluten-free and made with peanut butter plus a wide variety of fruit including pineapple and blueberries, topped with granola, goji berries, and chocolate chips. Or you may want to conquer the day by starting it off with The Boss Boss crepe—made with cinnamon almond butter, blueberries, maple syrup, granola, and powdered sugar.