Opinion

‘The Most Important Restaurants of the Decade’ ∞

December 19, 2019

I’m a sucker for lists like this, and I love seeing such strong representation for places that love vegetables. And two especially stood out on Food & Wine’s list:

Vedge, Philadelphia, 2011

The expressions “plant-based” and “vegetable-focused” feel borderline cliché at this point, but that wasn’t always true, especially not in the elevated dining space, where patrons historically expect steep checks to include showy meats, or at the very least caviar. At Vedge, husband-wife chef team Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau made it dangerously easy to justify spending lots of money on vegetables—with surprising dishes like a giant wood-roasted carrot that easily rivals any steak, broccolini “carbonara” made with Israeli couscous, and a luxurious rutabaga fondue. Jacoby and Landau, who helped pioneer this new mode of plant-based dining back in the ‘90s with Horizons, cracked a new level of visibility with the critical success of Vedge. —Maria Yagoda, Digital Restaurant Editor

Vedge is the restaurant I want to eat at most. It’s a bright star in the vegan sky, and it may be *the* North Star for people looking to think about vegetables in a different way.

Superiority Burger, New York City, 2015

Brooks Headley had a laser-focused mission, succeeded wildly at it, and made the restaurant world a better place. Six years ago, he was an award-winning pastry chef who would make veggie burgers just for kicks. Then he did a veggie-burger pop-up, which eventually became a six-seat East Village institution with groups of people always eating outside. It’s not like Headley invented plant-based fast food, but he’s the best at it, and he’s influenced so many other concepts in the past few years. The Superiority staff never stops churning out experimental vegan hits, like their Italian hoagie, cold pizza salad, and tahini ranch romaine salad. Last year, Headley thought it’d be cool to get intensely into focaccia and sell it only on Fridays. May this place stay open for a thousand years. —R.G.

And Superiority is just special in every single way. I adore so many parts. Weekly-repeated specials, daily specials, small menu, and a constant focus on seasonal things. All those combine to make for a unique experience every time I’ve visited, and I’m grateful for it.

It makes sense that Sqirl and LocoL are on the list too. All are ambitious and interesting in their own ways.

I hope in the next few weeks we see more lists that help contextualize America’s invigorated interest in vegetables and fresh eating more.

‘The Origins of the Vegans: 1944–46’ ∞

December 1, 2019

John Davis for VegSource on how the term ‘vegan’ came to be:

The idea of living entirely on plants has been around for a very long time, it was just the word ‘vegan’ that was new in 1944. During the 19th century there were endless debates between those who added eggs and dairy produce to their plants, and those who did not. From 1847, the word ‘vegetarian’ was used by both, with or without various appendages.

Here’s how the word came to be:

The group would also have discussed the rather clumsy name ‘Non-Dairy Produce Group’, and begun the process of looking for something better. The initial informal name change was to replace ‘Non-Dairy Produce Group’ with just ‘Non-Dairy Vegetarians’, possibly agreed at a meeting, or maybe just unilaterally by Watson later that month. In his 2nd Vegan News (February 1945 p.2) Watson reported: Before the appearance of our first issue [November 24, 1944], Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Henderson suggested the word “Allvega”, with “Allvegan” as the magazine title. It was from this that the word Vegan was taken, and recently Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have written stating that they prefer the shorter version. There is no way of knowing how they were initially pronouncing these words. ‘Vega’ was the name of a London vegetarian restaurant at that time, which might have provided some inspiration. It is possible that the Hendersons’ suggestions were made at an Attic Club meeting, though neither they nor Watson ever mentioned that, or he might have received their ideas later by post (probably from Fay, signing as both). By “recently” in the above quote from February 1945, Watson is saying that the Hendersons gave their support during the three months after the publication of the first Vegan News.

And I love that our history of the word gets wrapped in the telling of a story at a funeral:

Another view of the origin of the word vegan emerged at Donald Watson’s funeral in 2005: Speaking at Donald’s funeral, Janet [his only child] mentioned a day that Dorothy and Donald both attended a dance. During the event the two started discussing the founding of a new society; and Dorothy came up with the word vegan as a possible name for it, on the basis that its letters are the beginning and conclusion of vegetarian.

‘Can Netflix’s Vegan Documentaries Convince Me To Quit Meat?’ ∞

December 1, 2019

For Refinery 29, Jazmin Kopotsha writes honestly about the experience of a carnivore watching vegan documentaries:

I’m embarrassed to say that my stumbling upon [Cowspiracy] and guilting myself into watching it more than five years after the rest of the world is an accurate (and disappointing) metaphor for my approach to veganism. I know it’ll make a big difference to the planet. I know there are both health and sustainability benefits. But like many of us with memories rooted in the smell of roast turkey for Christmas dinner, burned burgers on the barbecue over summer and late night McNuggets/KFC/kebabs, I’m reluctant (and lazy) to make such a huge change to a part of my lifestyle that I really enjoy. There. I said it. I’m sorry.

The whole piece offers an interesting perspective on some of the vegan-focused documentaries on Netflix.

I don’t think anything has been better for veganism than the combination of documentaries and Netflix. I bet it has inspired more people to try vegan food than anything that has ever come before.

‘Vegetarian and Vegan Los Angeles’ ∞

December 1, 2019

I found an incredibly in-depth history of vegetarian and vegan food in Los Angeles from Eric Brightwell. Check out this part about the first vegetarian restaurant in LA:

By the late 1890s, there were devoted vegetarian restaurants in New York City, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco — but none in Los Angeles. In 1900, associates of John Harvey Kellogg‘s Battle Creek Sanitarium opened Los Angeles’s first dedicated vegetarian restaurant on 3rd Street. Perhaps restaurant naming conventions were different back then as it was imprecisely referred to in print as both “the Vegetarian restaurant” and “the Vegetarian café.”

This article is overflowing with interesting tidbits, but it’s especially nice to be able to see actual photos and even videos of some of the restaurants — especially the Kellogg’s spot that opened up beside Angel’s Flight.

I loved the bit about raw food being called “unfired food”. And I wasn’t surprised to see the massive connection between veggie-eating with religion and cult.

And it’s fascinating to see the power of a novel and its influence on American dining:

Upton Sinclair‘s novel, The Jungle, was published in 1906. Although Sinclair hoped to The Jungle promote socialism, most readers were more affected by the descriptions of run-of-the-mill health violations, unsanitary conditions, and gruesome violence of the meatpacking industry. Sinclair noted of the reaction, “I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident, I hit it in the stomach.” In its wake, a wave of vegetarian restaurants opened and a directory of vegetarian restaurants in the US from that year listed 57.

It’s hard to imagine anything having that kind of power today.

Cookbooks: Our Five Favorites & Deconstructing What ‘Vegan’ and ‘Plant-based’ Mean ∞

November 29, 2019

Episode 6 of the Vegan-Carne Alliance podcast is live.

Vegan-food lover C.W. Moss talks with carnivorous chef Jesse Mullenix about their five favorite cookbooks, how religion has touched veganism, and which vegetarian cookbook Jesse has seen in many restaurant kitchens. Later, Alex Irit joins them both to discuss what ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ mean now (1:17:58).

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Find it on:

‘Will 2020 Mark the Rise of a Vegan Voting Bloc?’ ∞

November 20, 2019

Nadra Nittle for Civil Eats:

Animal welfare advocates point out that, while vegans make up a small percentage of the electorate, voters of all dietary backgrounds are increasingly concerned about animal cruelty and climate change—particularly the large carbon footprint of animal agriculture. Through platforms that discuss the human toll of concentrated livestock farming, candidates can make a compelling case for why animal welfare should matter to Americans—vegan or otherwise.

“The relationship between factory farming and climate change has really changed the conversation; it’s been a great gateway to discuss how issues of animal agriculture aren’t just about animals but also the people who work in factory farms or food processing plants—they’re more likely to have injuries—and the contract farmers who are very heavily in debt,” said Diane May, director of communications for the advocacy group Mercy for Animals. “There is a way to talk about these issues really holistically in a way that allows people to care about them, whether they are vegan, vegetarian, or eat meat.”

Case in point: Last week, the Senate unanimously passed a bill making certain types of animal cruelty a federal felony, following the House of Representatives’ unanimous support of a similar bill last month.

This will become a wedge issue, but a much milder one. I’d love to see more discussion of animal welfare, from how they’re kept and live their lives to how they’re slaughtered.

Most states have absurd laws that make it illegal to film inside slaughterhouses. They’re afraid that people will see what happens and won’t have the stomach for it. And they’re right, which is why someday people interested in their food (vegan or not) will make this a part of what they look for in their politicians’ platforms.

‘Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Cities’ ∞

November 18, 2019

From sprawling metropolises to small towns, businesses are updating their menus with exciting animal-free options—which isn’t surprising, considering that the number of vegan Americans has increased by 600% in just three years, according to research firm GlobalData. In fact, The Economist dubbed 2019 “the year of the vegan.”

PETA’s annual top 10 list of vegan-friendly cities is always a fun list for me. I wish they were a little more clear about how they’re making their decisions and rankings. Is it based on the amount of all-vegan spots in that city? The quality of the food? The average Yelp score? The percentage of how many places offer vegan options? Whether anyone still pronounces “vee-gunn” as “vay-gun”? How many people inform the decisions on this list? I have lots of questions.

It’s been a few years since I was really eating in San Francisco much, but I’m really surprised that it’s number one. Shizen is great. Same with Berkeley’s Butcher’s Son — but that’s not really in SF. They must have made tremendous leaps, because when I was there it was sometimes difficult. Of the things they list, I have only had about half — so honestly I should probably bite my tongue. I’m excited to get up there and try everything they mention.

For the record, I also have lots of problems with their LA list too, but that’s a whole nother post.

I couldn’t believe Austin isn’t on the list. Just because of how people talk about its hippie culture, I assumed it’d be somewhere on the top 10. Or Philadelphia. I assumed Vedge and V Street would have some pull there. Lots of people think Vedge is in the running for best vegan restaurant in America. I really want to go to Detroit, and this list makes it seem even more appealing. And Orlando using the pull of The Mouse is a glorious move.

Does anyone else do lists like this? I’m looking forward to HappyCow’s too.

‘No One Is Ever Vegan Enough for the Vegan Police’ ∞

November 15, 2019

Darcy Reeder for Tenderly:

When we try to catch each other on vegan technicalities, we’re just tearing down potential allies. Our world is big and complicated and no amount of personal effort will lead to 100% vegan purity. For example, the steel and rubber in cars (and bikes!) are usually made with animal fats.

So let’s acknowledge no one can live perfectly, but that’s not a reason to give up. We can do the best we can while realizing that an obsession with purity (especially when directed at others) reads as classist. I chose the store-brand cookies over the organic, definitely no-bone char ones because I was trying to (survive in Seattle and) feed a party full of people while earning $10/hour. I earned that low wage working as the pastry chef at a vegan restaurant, where the owner prioritized no-bone char sugar, but didn’t pay employees a living wage.

The Vegan Police’s classism shows up in other ways too. Maybe some vegans can afford new, vegan shoes, while other vegans will keep wearing the leather shoes they owned before going vegan. Can’t we agree both choices are valid?

This article speaks to many of the problems in veganism, which can be classist, sexist, and racist. As a vegan, I try to celebrate any carnivore using animals less in any way. More veggies, less butter, less meat. All of these steps are going in a good direction. And I apply the same approach with people doing their best to be vegan. We have to understand that it’s intentionally difficult to discern what is and isn’t vegan. Labeling is scarce (though getting better!) and reading the ingredient lists can be undecipherable.

All we can do is our best.

Mezcal and Mole: A Year in Oaxaca with Jesse Mullenix ∞

November 13, 2019

Episode 5 of the Vegan-Carne Alliance podcast is live.

In this episode, vegan-food lover C.W. Moss (aka me) talks with carnivorous chef Jesse Mullenix about his time in Oaxaca, Mexico. Jesse talks about drinking the finest mezcal from a gas can (1:10:50), radish festivals (53:25), exploring the massive food markets to find the best food (1:18:08), and how to barely survive the Day of the Dead festival (1:27:20).

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Find it on:

‘A Mexican Vegan and The Five Stages of Food Grief’ ∞

November 7, 2019

Nicole Valadez with a personal reflection on being Mexican and going vegan:

My biggest problem was waiting for me back in Houston where I’d have to face my very traditional Mexican family and tell them that I could no longer indulge in our Thanksgiving feast. I wondered if I should just skip the holidays all together – postpone my big news until the new year and hide out in D.C., far away from judging eyes. But missing a Mexican holiday, let alone two, would be even worse than becoming the family’s first vegan.

And then she follows with the 5 stages of what I call “hungr-ief” and the discussion that ensues. For anyone out there afraid to explore, every year it gets a little better. The same thing happened with my family and if we all give a little it goes a long way. I try to make extra food and share it with as many people as I can. After all, Thanksgiving is about gathering together—with whatever food feels right for you.

✏️ by C. W. Moss