In October 2014, Francis and I journeyed from Melbourne to America, exploring various regions from the East to West Coast. We were a little concerned before we left that we would have trouble finding vegan food for breakfast, lunch & dinner but after spending a month in the U.S, we were actually overwhelmed by the options! Veganism is incredibly popular over there, particularly in Los Angeles, where health and image are a big priority and San Francisco, where equality is paramount. It was so much fun discovering cruelty free places to dine and capturing the vast array of healthy options. I would like to share my absolute favourite dishes from each region we visited and the memories that came with them!
Los Angeles
Santa Monica Boulevard – Hugo’s – Kale Burrito w Daiya Cheese
This was our very first meal after a 13 hour flight from Melbourne, so it was very special to me! After checking into the Ramada on Santa Monica Boulevard, we walked literally 10 minutes down the road to Hugo’s. This Kale Burrito was heavenly but so incredibly filling I could only eat a quarter of it! Daiya Cheese is used in everything in the U.S. It is definitely my favourite brand.
Hollywood – Vegan House – Soy Chicken Wings
That evening, we sat down for our first dinner off the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Vegan House served up ice-cold drinks and these Soy Chicken Wings that tasted so authentic, it was scary!
Santa Monica – Cafe Gratitude – Cashew Crepe w Coconut Yoghurt, Fresh Fruit & Maple Syrup.
This was one of my favourite memories. Sitting down to this delicious breakfast, with a freshly pressed Ginger Juice and my best friend of 15+ years walks in. I remember running over and throwing myself in her arms. She had been travelling for months, so it was so good to see her! We spent the day at Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier.
Venice Beach – Tender Greens – ‘Happy Vegan Salad’ w Green Hummus & Beetroot Quinoa.
Me, Francis & Graham (my bestie) spent the morning walking up and down Venice Beach. We finally found a chain restaurant named Tender Greens. The Happy Vegan Salad was probably the most delicious salad I’ve ever eaten. I ended up ordering it again the next day! Green Hummus is a beautiful thing!
Disneyland – Port Royal – New Orleans Section – Vegan Gumbo On Sourdough.
I will give you a tip now – Universal Studios was not vegan friendly. That day, we ended up eating Onion Rings and Watermelon. I know, strange combo! Disneyland however, knows how to do vegan food! This Vegan Gumbo from Port Royal was to die for. Filling and super tasty!
La Brea – M’s Cafe (Macrobiotic Cuisine) – Organic Oatmeal w Toasted Flaxseed, Fresh Fruit & Maple Syrup.
For those who have never traveled to the United States before, the rumours about obesity and unhealthy, fattening foods are true. Even the vegan meals come in ridiculously large portions. If that concerns you, I would recommend eating at M’s Cafe. All the vegan menu items are well-portioned and super duper healthy! Try their Carrot & Ginger Fresh Juice (pictured)
Vegas
Wynn Hotel – Terrace Point Cafe – French Toast w Fresh Fruit & Vegan Butter.
Out of all the places we visited, Vegas offered the least amount of vegan options. The good news is, the stunning Wynn Hotel is owned by multi-millionaire and vegan Steven Wynn. He has ensured that every restaurant and cafe in his hotel has a separate vegan menu. We walked all the way from our hotel (The MGM Signature) to the Wynn for breakfast and I have to say, it was worth every step in the hot sun! I mean…look at it!
The Bellagio – Sensi Restaurant – Vegan Tofu Scallops w Coconut Curry.
Wow! Talk about a fancy vegan dinner that tasted divine! Great memories associated with this meal. I devoured it before running off to Planet Hollywood to see Britney Spears live, performing her Greatest Hits! Night to remember!
Treasure Island – Kahunaville – Toasted Soy Cheese Sandwich w Tomato Relish.
Not all meals need to be super fancy. This toasted sandwich with soy cheese was the perfect lunch in between exploring hotels on the Las Vegas Strip!
The Venetian – The Canyon Grill – Portobello Mushroom w Quinoa & Veggies
I loved the presentation of this meal over the taste, although it was yummy! If you visit The Venetian, stop at the Canyon Grill for lunch while you’re there and ask for the vegan menu!
San Francisco
Loving Hut – Westfield Union Square – ‘Philly Cheese Steak’ w Slaw.
Welcome to Vegan Central! The moment we arrived, we saw posters advocating veganism and images of what happens to cows in dairy farms. It felt like home! San Francisco is such a diverse, beautiful city that you could rollerblade down the street, dressed as a Panda and nobody would blink an eye. It promotes freedom and individuality. It also has one of the biggest homeless shelters in the world, which take really good care of those less fortunate. The Loving Hut was our first vegan stop and it was so familiar, as we have a Loving Hut back home in Melbourne that we frequent often. There is also a Loving Hut in Vietnam, so stay tuned as we will be seeking it out in August!
Mission Street – Z’s Cafe – The ‘Berkeley Vegan Pizza’
Our first dinner in San Fran was of the colossal variety! I ate two slices of a delicious pizza that was bigger than me and left the rest to Francis!
You must try Pepples! So many flavours and so much deliciousness in every bite! You will find Pepples at the Fisherman’s Wharf, along with the Vegan Organic Market. We had so many options before boarding a ferry to Alcatraz!Beautiful day in the sun at Fisherman’s Wharf!
Mission District – Herbivore – Organic Oatmeal w Grilled Bananas, Quinoa & Maple Syrup.
Herbivore is 100% vegan and the perfect place to eat brekkie! Check out the Mission District for amazing plant based Mexican food as well!
We were only in DC for 2 days, but in that time we managed to see everything worth seeing. We stayed in The Capitol in a cosy Airbnb. Independence Avenue is situated in The Capitol and Sweetgreens is a Washington chain restaurant that offers delicious vegan salads with breads as sides. Filling and healthy!
K Street – Busboys & Poets – Coconut Tofu.
Busboys & Poets is the most beautiful bohemian restaurant. As you can see from the photo, the menus are filled with inspirational leaders and quotes of peace and love. They have an adorable library, where you can read and even borrow the books. Their Coconut Tofu was light and yummy!
New Orleans
Julia Street – Carmo Cafe – Carmo Salad w Pineapple, Avocado, Currants & Vegan Ham.
New Orleans is my absolute favourite place in the whole wide world! We spent 7 glorious days there and discovered so many veggie treasures! Despite the typical Nola Cuisine of Crawfish, Alligator Meat & Cajun Chicken, vegans are incredibly welcomed and there are endless options – if you’re willing to explore. I remember eating this salad and soaking up the southern sun with the love of my life.
Prytania Street – Seed – Deep Fried Southern Tofu Nuggets w Buffalo Sauce.
Seed is 100% Vegan and was literally a 2 minute walk from our Airbnb on Prytania Street. The entire city was decorated for Halloween – you could sense the hauntingly voodoo spirits in the air! Home to my favourite author and mentor Anne Rice (see ‘Meeting Your Idol’), after eating at Seed, I was ready to settle in the Garden District for life!
Magazine Street – Juan’s Flying Burrito – ‘SweetNGreen’ Spinach Burrito (make sure you ask for no cheese!)
All my life, I’ve read about the illustrious Magazine Street in Anne Rice’s novels, so to be strolling it, in the warm sun, felt like a dream come true. We stopped at Juan’s for lunch and devoured this delicious veggie filled burrito!
French Quarter – Bennachins – ‘Jama Jama’ w Sauteed Spinach, Ripe Plantains & Coconut Rice.
Bennachins is an African restaurant in the French Quarter. It is enchanting and romantic. The ripe plantains were juicy and so sweet. I crave it often!
St Charles Avenue – Santa Fe – Quesadilla w Daiya Cheese.
Feel like vegan Tapas? Check out Santa Fe on St Charles! You will need to ask for the separate vegan menu. Free refills on drinks!
Magazine Street – Pho Noi Viet – Vegan Pho.
This was the meal I ate before I met Anne Rice on Halloween Eve, so I saved it till last. I suspect we will be eating a lot of vegan Vietnamese Pho in August and if it’s as delicious as the one pictured, fill my bowl please!
Thank you for checking out my Vegan Guide of the U.S. I hope you check out some of these places, as they are well worth travelling to. I wanted to put up all my pictures, but that would’ve gone on forever, so I’m glad I got to share my favourites. You can eat cruelty free food anywhere you go, you just have to know where to look and have the spirit of adventure in your heart!
P.S. I hope you like the revamp for Peace.Love.Veggies. I will include a more intricate vegan travel guide to Vietnam & Cambodia, when I return late August.
All this vegan food looks so good. And what great descriptions of each meal and what was in it. I love coconut, especially coconut rice! I tend not to eat too much of that in one go as it can be very filling. Looking at these dishes, I seem to find the French Toast the most attractive and it has a big scoop of ice-cream (or cream?) to go along with it.
Love the new look and very excited to see the direction your blog is heading in xoxox <3
Thank you Mabel! It was all so diverse and delicious! I find coconut rice very filling too but it is such a weakness of mine! The French toast had vegan butter and yes it is one of my favourites too! Thank you for the support and encouragement my friend 🙂 looking forward to lunch next week! ❤️❤️❤️
Haha, coconut rice is also a weakness of mine! It goes well with anything 😀
I found out about this post through your Facebook. Funny it didn’t show up in my WordPress Reader, but then again, WP has been buggy at times. I also left a comment on your other post 😀 <3
Oh wow so odd! My phone is playing up and I am getting delayed messages hence my late replies 🙁 thank you for all your comments Mabel they make my day! Looking forward to your next post!!
This was all a little rich before breakfast 🙂 I should have stopped at the burritos. Perhaps I’ll come back for the Gumbo later. It all looks very delicious (and healthy 🙂 ) Nice to meet you.
Haha yes it’s filling just looking at it! The majority of the food was quite healthy and because we went on plenty of walks I managed to come back from the U.S. the same weight as when I left! Lovely to meet you too, thank you for stopping by!
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