photo from CHLOE

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: www.vrg.org/restaurant

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:

CHLOE, 185 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012

Chloe aims to incorporate “thoughtfully sourced ingredients.” There are some gluten-free options. A couple of the Appetizers are Butternut Nachos with butternut-cashew cheese, spicy maple seitan, mango salsa, avocado, and coconut lime drizzle and seasonal Summer Corn Mac made with corn-cashew cream, pine nut ricotta, and jalapeño pesto. To get to the “meat” of the matter, you might try Chloe’s house-made Classic Burger featuring butternut-cashew cheddar and charred Trumpet mushroom on a brioche, or Avocado Burger with corn and Calabrian chili aioli. Feeling spicy? How about the Hot Italian meatballs with cashew mozzarella, basil pesto, and almond parmesan, amped up with Arrabbiata sauce and hot cherry tomato jam? The “meat” in all three is a blend of mushrooms, walnut, and soy. One Salad option is seasonal Farmers Market with greens, cucumber, watermelon radish, minted pearl couscous, white balsamic vinaigrette, oven dried tomatoes, tofu feta, edamame hummus and grilled bread. One of their Sides is Spicy Cashew Kelp Noodles crafted with chili cashew sauce, scallions, black sesame, and crushed peanuts. Raw, organic Cold Pressed Juices are among the many Beverage options. For Dessert, a myriad of Cookie choices includes Cinnamon Espresso, Rocky Road, and Vanilla Caramel Chocolate Chunk to name a few. There are also Cupcakes and Cakes, Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread, Matcha Soft serve served in a coconut, Tiramisu, and more.

Coffee and Plants, 12334 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604

Their mission is “to help the planet one cup at a time!” Enjoy a wide variety of coffee and tea, as well as muffins, croissant, danish, cookies, pie, and more. They also offer an avocado sandwich and JustEgg coconut bacon sandwich during breakfast and lunch.

Providence Vegan Deli, 783 Hope St., Providence, RI 02906

An old-school deli offering a variety of innovative, high-quality seitan, carefully made classic deli sandwiches, a tasty assortment of salads, and more. Their variety of types of seitan are created in-house on a daily basis. Sandwiches are flavorful, fresh, and consistent with the spirit of traditional deli versions, featuring fresh bread from a nearby bakery and huge portions. However, it’s all vegan! A few menu items seem to have a cult-like following among devoted customers (the “Frank” Italian grinder sub, the Cannonball sub, and Potato Salad come to mind). Some other customer favorites include the Firestorm spicy grinder sub, the Big Toona grinder sub, Olive Medley, Dropdead Kale Salad, and Artichoke Salad. There are a few gluten-free options on the rotating menu. Orders can be placed online or in person, and there are a few tables available on site for diners. The shop is located on the east side of Like No Udder (with which they share a space), only four miles from the Massachusetts border.  In addition, the location is wheelchair accessible, with no steps or stairs on site. As for parking, please note that there is a small lot in front of the building, as well as street parking available.

The Modern Vegan, 304 N. Main St., Royal Oak, MI 48067

Enjoy a wide variety of items including Popcorn Chick’n, Breakfast Potato Skins, Cauliflower Wings, Breakfast Burrito, various skillet dishes, waffles galore, pasta dishes, wraps and sandwiches, and so much more. They also offer floats and shakes.

The Vegan Cupcake Factory, 115 Wholesale Ave. NE, Huntsville, AL 35811

A great place to get vegan cupcakes, smoothies, and meals. Perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth! Desserts include The Banana Cream cupcake, The Strawberry cupcake, The Creamy Walnut cupcake, cupcake parfaits, and more! Breakfast items include pancakes and vegan sausage and for lunch enjoy a veggie burger with fries.

Veganica, 124 Church St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Veganica strives to serve flavorful, organic meals from scratch. They have some gluten-free options. They describe their colorful ambiance as “wildly artistic.” Stained glass fixtures add an Art Nouveau vibe.  Appetizers include two grilled Oyster Mushroom choices–either BBQ or Grillin in an herb vegetable marinade. Pizza choices abound. Select either the 10” Personal Pie or a slice. There’s Mackin’ Out—their popular Mackin’ Cheeze on homemade pizza crust with pasta shells, sweet potato truffle cashew cream, smoked shiitakes, and roasted broccoli, Philly Pizza with cashew cheese, peppers, onions, sherry garlic cremini mushrooms, and arugula; Roma Pizza with cashew cheese, slow roasted Roma tomatoes, caper Kalamata tapenade, pesto, and arugula to note a few. Sandwiches Forget the BLT, Veganica has recreated it with a vegan twist. S-P-L-A-T Sandwich showcases smoked Shiitake mushrooms, Pickles, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato, and Caesar spread on a fresh baguette. There’s also Angelica Sandwich with lemon rosemary tofu, lemon pesto, roasted carrots, and roasted onions on a fresh baguette, or Banh Mi of smoked tofu, house mayo, kimchi, avocado, fresh cilantro, and lettuce on a fresh baguette. There are a couple of Salads too. If you’re hoping to make some sweet memories, Pastry possibilities include Chocolate Brownie, Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie with a chocolate base, chocolate chips, hazelnuts, and orange zest; Chocolate White Chocolate Cherry Cookie featuring a chocolate cookie, white chocolate chips and dried cherries; Coffee Cake and more.

Wish Tree, 437 W. Main St., North Adams, MA 01247

Based on what they feel is in their employees best interest, Wish Tree has chosen to be tip free, so their menu prices reflect the included gratuity. “Vegetable forward,” they aim to source most of their ingredients locally.  As such, the menu may constantly vary. They offer gluten-free options and are working to expand them. If you email or phone them in advance, they’re open to discussing dietary allergies. The following are current menu examples of their cuisine. Small Plates include two peach based salads—one with greens, cultured cashew blue cheese, and elderflower vinaigrette, šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup) with dill and deviled potato, and Mini Tacos featuring Royal Corona bean purée, mozzarella, sweet potato, arugula, sunflower, and aioli in corn tortillas and more. Large Plate options are garlicky Polenta “Pizza” topped with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, served with blistered shishitos and cashew-hemp ranch, Pierogi crafted with roasted beet, potato, dill–butter, caramelized onion, grated fresh horseradish, cashew sour cream, and cardamom applesauce, as well as Spicy Green Curry with pepper, bamboo shoots, fava beans, basil and jasmine rice, and more. Dessert is Lemon olive oil cake with cashew mascarpone, blueberry coulis, and a mint leaf.