Christian and I asked the concierge for a vegetarian dinner recommendation last night and lo and behold there is a vegan fast-food place a few minutes walk from the Hotel. I found myself initially a bit repelled by the idea as “fast-food” does not usually equate with healthy food. When we arrived at the joint it was a big barn-like place with McDonalds style lighting and the generic furniture and design you would expect. The difference was that all the meals were vegan but catered to those with a taste for ..well, burgers and fries and a great coffee to finished it from the Rave Coffee brand. So they had fake chicken and fake cheese and fake sour cream…that sort of thing, but they also had a few healthier options and my meal was really pretty tasty. I had grilled tempeh topped with a grilled Portobello mushroom and served with kale, fresh tomatoes and avocado. They also served a lovely glass of red wine and free filtered water in a big glass.
We were invited to complete a simple questionaire after dinner to gauge our experience of the restaurant. This gave me the impression that the place was a new concept but no, apparently its new to downtown Portland but has already been well established in several other cities and it began in California ( of course!).
I am delighted that the veggie grill exists as a kind of gateway restaurant for those not yet willing to embrace vegetarianism or veganism, or for those commited vege/vegans that still have a hankering for a fast food experience. Its comforting to know that these places are gaining in popularity and to imagine its potential to convert some meat eaters to the green side.
I am off to “Wholefoods” now to get me some organic salad for lunch and purchase some cruelty free cosmetics. Ah yes Wholefoods. I so love this place. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com
And did i happen to mention how much i am enjoying my stay in Portland? The people i have encountered here are exceptionally nice, the wine is great, theres lots of vege/vegan food options, really interesting design shops, the biggest and best book shop i have ever been in, great music being performed on the streets and to top it all off, its sunny and hot with no humidity!
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