Plum Bistro

French toast with maple syrup and seasonal fruit

While my kitchen is still in a bit of a disarray from my recent move, I thought this would be a fun chance to share some photos of one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle: Plum Bistro.  Plum Bistro is located on Capitol Hill and serves brunch, lunch, and dinner.  They also have several cafes located around the city as well as a food truck and market at Seattle Center.

Makini Howell is the Executive Chef and Owner of Plum Bistro and her food is incredible.  I am anxiously awaiting her new cookbook (to be released in April 2013) that is now available for pre-order through Amazon.

I usually go to Plum Bistro for the weekend brunch (pictured), but if you are looking for the best sweet potato fries, spicy mac 'n' yease, or tempeh in the city, Plum Bistro is a must.

Strawberry rhubarb pancakes with creme fresh

Strawberry rhubarb panini with avocado, augula, and balsamic 

Besides the amazing food, I love the funky interior of the restaurant and the big doors they open during summer (you can see some great interior pictures on this blog.)  All of the food served at Plum Bistro is vegan with a focus on sustainability and seasonality. If you are visiting Seattle with a mixed group of eaters, be sure to stop at Plum Bistro as even meat-eaters and vegetarians will find something hearty and delicious to enjoy.

Have you been to Plum Bistro before?  What are your favorite dishes there?

San Francisco: Part 1

Here's what you need to know about traveling with me:  I have eating pants.

Yes, that's right.  You heard me: eating pants.  And I'm not afraid to use 'em.

My partner and I traveled to Napa Valley and San Francisco last week for a wedding and it was the perfect excuse to explore some new vegan and veggie-friendly places.  Since we were on a tight timeline, I ate my way through most of the city for three days straight.  So, get your eatin' pants on, get ready to salivate, and let's check out some of the yummiest places in the Bay Area.

Our first day began with a breakfast at Herbivore in the Mission District.  They have two locations in San Francisco and also one in Berkeley.  Herbivore has a great breakfast and brunch menu with a nice variety of light and hearty options.  They also have fresh vegetable juices and were kind enough to make me a custom juice!  I opted for the corn cakes with black beans, salsa, guacamole, and vegan sour cream.  Ashley had the french toast with sour dough bread and real maple syrup along with a strawberry milkshake (with coconut ice cream).

I arrived tired and hungry from traveling, but this place quickly turned my mood around.  Not only was the service fabulous, but the food was excellent.  I tend to be weary of restaurant breakfasts because I typically find them greasy or too heavy, but not at Herbivore!  Both of our dishes were filling and satisfying while still tasting fresh and healthy.  This is definitely my kind of breakfast!

After breakfast we decided to do some exploring around the city and learned that the Bart (the Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the fastest and easiest way to get around.  Of course, that's assuming that your partner didn't lose her ticket, use yours to exit the gate, and then leave you stuck behind.  It's also assuming that she did not have to go buy another ticket to bring back to you, but it still wouldn't work so then you had to beg a security guard to let you out.  Live and learn folks.

We spent most of the afternoon walking around downtown while I patiently waited for my stomach to digest so we could hit the next spot on my list: Source.  Source is a "multi-dimensional dining experience" which focuses on creating a unique atmosphere through taste, sight, and sound.  Given my recent journey to eat more mindfully, I was curious to check this place out.

I loved their focus on fresh, seasonal, organic food, and the atmosphere was definitely relaxing and enjoyable. (Any restaurant that plays Brandi Carlile and KT Tunstall is alright by me!) Their menu and drink selection is amazing.  Most of the menu is vegan, but there are vegetarian options as well. 

I started with their raw blueberry yerba mate lemonade which was the perfect balance of yerba mate tea with a sweet, fruity twist.  It took me about fifteen minutes to decide what to eat, but I finally settled on the Spicy Pepper Onion Burger.  Their burger patties are their own unique blend of beets, celery, carrots, lentils, mushrooms, brown rice, fresh herbs, soy protein, onions, and garlic.  You even get your choice of salt and sauce with your fries. Yum! 

Since no vacation would be complete without dessert, a few hours later I went looking for the perfect sweet treat.  My iPhone directed me to a place right across from our hotel called Loving Hut in the Westfield shopping center.  Loving Hut is a vegan chain that has locations all around the country.  (Who knew a vegan chain even existed?)  They had a mix of tofu dishes, curries, and veggie sides, but I was too stuffed to try much besides dessert.  I settled on the pumpkin cheesecake and was not disappointed.  It was the perfect way to end our first day in the city!

Eating Raw in Las Vegas

International Sampler

You'll never guess where I just returned from. Sin City herself... Las Vegas. Okay, it's not what you think. I didn't go there to gamble, elope, or party into the night. I went to visit my grandfather and spend some time with family. My plan was to spend some time by the pool; reading, relaxing, and thinking about food.

What I didn't expect was to come back with such an appreciation for my life. There's nothing like standing in a smoky, chaotic casino to make one appreciate their home in a beautiful, green city. As much as I try, I know that I take things for granted. My next meal. My partner. My job. My apartment. My health. I just assume that those things are going to be there tomorrow. I am very lucky that so far I have been able to count on these things. But, every day brings changes and who knows what will happen later.

the Beet “Cheese” Burger

I share my immense gratitude with you in hopes that it might inspire you to take a vacation and get some distance from your own life for a bit. Of course I wish that I had taken a vacation somewhere so wonderful that I never wanted to leave the place. But, how lucky I am to have wanted so desperately to come back home. For me, that tells me that I am doing everything right in my life. I couldn't have asked for anything more from a trip.

Now, let's talk about food. Being a healthy vegan in Vegas is hard, but doable. I was lucky to have had a full kitchen at my fingertips (and a suitcase large enough to fit my juicer!). Nonetheless, I still ventured out a bit. I was intrigued by the only raw cafe in the state of Nevada: Go Raw Cafe & Juice Bar. There are two locations and I went to the one on the Eastside. They have an entire raw foods menu and salad bar. They also carry packaged raw items (e.g. kale chips & raw bars) as well as a large selection of books and supplements. The next time you find yourself in Vegas, I hope you end up eating as well as I did.

“Salmon” Sushi

Horchatas and Plum Bistro

This weekend I discovered horchatas. This weekend changed my life. If you've never tried a horchata before, here's what you need to know:

• it's an amazing sweet, cinnamon-y, and creamy beverage
• the traditional version is made with rice milk (thus, dairy-free!)
• it originated in Spain, but is now popular all throughout Latin America

I tried it at Plum Bistro and loved it enough to come home and immediately make a batch of my own. I've been drinking it every day since. Other horchata recipes that I've found tell you to make the rice milk from scratch. This sounds like a great idea, but I went ahead and used pre-made rice milk. Other recipes also call for sugar, but my preference is agave. You be the judge. Here's how to make your own little cup of heaven:

Serves 2.

2 cups rice milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbs agave (or to taste)

Blend the rice milk, almonds, and cinnamon together. Strain using a nut milk bag. Add the agave and vanilla extract. Serve over ice.

And, before we get too far off the subject, I highly recommend you check out Plum Bistro on Capitol Hill. We went for brunch and had a fabulous meal of Mexican Tacos, Biscuits in Chili Chorizo Gravy, and Sweet Potato Fries covered with fresh aioli. The restaurant itself is beautiful and no one can complain about a 100% vegan and mostly organic menu. Happy Summer!

Pancakes, Pizza, & Protein Bars

Since I am graduating soon, the subject of "what's next?" keeps coming up. Everyone wants to know, "what's your plan?" and "what are you going to do with this degree?" In the past, I have been the gal keeping herself awake all night worrying with a million questions and stories in her head. I have never been the person to trust the universe and allow its process to unfold before me.

However, I am happy to report I am now learning to be more present in the moment. Of course, that's not to say I haven't thought about what's next. I'm just not letting the ambiguity weigh me down anymore. Instead, I'm enjoying my life in the right here and right now and trusting that following my passions will guide me in the right direction.

At the moment, the only thing I can be sure of is that the next phase of my life is going to involve some darn good food. So, I'm putting my energy and focus into that. After all, what you focus on expands. My summer is going to be delicious. :)

Until then, a little help from some vegan restaurants will have to do. I have mentioned Pizza Pi before and I will mention them again because they are just that good. They are completely vegan and have a wide-range of pizzas and toppings. I tried their gluten-free pizza crust over the weekend and it was fabulous. Their pizzas and desserts are fabulous enough that I've heard people say, "I can't believe this is vegan!" Yep, vegan food is that good.

Before my class on Saturday morning, Ash and I carved out just enough time in our busy lives to sit down to breakfast. Portage Bay Cafe was the perfect place for this. Their philosophy is sustainable, local, organic food and they have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options for breakfast. You have to get there early enough (7 or 7:30 am) to avoid the line, but it is worth it!


And finally, if you're in need of some vegan, gluten-free protein on the go, Bumble Bars are delicious. This was in my bag of goodies from VegFest that I got for renewing my Vegetarians of Washington membership. The main ingredients are sesame and flax seeds and they are also much lower in sugar than traditional protein bars. Yum!

Eating Vegan in Portland

If you are ever in Portland, I would highly recommend eating at Vita Cafe on NE Alberta. This is now my new favorite eating spot! Everything I tried here was amazingly tasty - and not greasy! They are mainly vegetarian and vegan and have a wide selection of tofu and tempeh dishes. Their sandwiches are absolutely delicious (the vegan club sandwich is pictured above) and they also have a wide selection of vegan salad dressings. This is a great place to take fellow omnivores because even they will be able to find something wonderful here. Ashley had the vegan chili burger and couldn't get enough.


I had read about Vita Cafe a few years ago in an article in Vegetarian Times. Vita Cafe was voted to have the best vegan mac & cheese in the Pacific Northwest. After many vegan mac & cheese disasters of my own, I was skeptical, but they blew my skepticism out of the water. Bottom line: this place is amazing. If you live in Portland, drop everything you are doing and go there now.

If you like Indian food, I would also recommend Indian Oven on SE Belmont. I have been here several times before and am never disappointed. Great portions, great prices, and lots of vegetarian & vegan options. Their curries are amazing and I also liked their Bhindi Masala (seasoned okra cooked with onions and spices, pictured here).


Looking for tasty vegan brunch? No sweat, head to Cup & Saucer! They have three locations, but I've only tried the one on SE Hawthorne. They have a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan scrambles, pancakes, and other tasty breakfast delights. They also serve meat and dairy if you're traveling with an omnivore crowd.

Finally, after all of your hard work finding these great restaurants and eating this amazing food, you're going to want dessert, right? That's when you need to check out Voodoo Doughnuts. I've heard about this place for years, but didn't feel compelled to go until I heard two things: 1) they have a TON of vegan doughnuts 2) their donuts are less sweet than Mighty-O. Yep, I was there in a flash.

The hype was true. They have an entire rack of vegan doughnuts - almost an overwhelming variety! As good as these doughnuts were, they were still pretty sweet (which is too sweet for me). If you're looking to please a bacon-loving friend, Voodoo Doughnuts has a bacon maple bar that left Ashley speechless. If you're looking to please a pig, keep this last one secret because the bacon maple bar seems pretty addictive. :)

Here's the insider info: The original location on SW Third Ave is always crowded with a line out the door. However, if you check out their second location on NE Davis, there's still a line, but at least here you get to wait inside.

Injera, Kale, and Food Justice

Tonight I went to a publication party for Our Food, Our Right: Recipes for Food Justice, a food justice resource guide and recipe book created by The Food Justice Project of the Community Alliance for Global Justice (CAGJ). It's an absolutely awesome resource and includes tons of information - everything from climate change & agriculture to urban gardening to local resources and recipes. There's even facts about workplace sexual violence against farmworkers and low-wage immigrant women. I'm still digesting (both literally and figuratively) all the information from their book, but I'll have to keep you updated on what I learn.

CAGJ also had their famous baked kale. And it was the extra curly kind. Yum, baked kale... this organization spoils my taste buds every time I see them. What a good reputation. :)


I also have to do a shout-out for Hidmo at 20th and S Jackson St. I had never been here before, but it was an adorable restaurant with great food and music. They also have delicious vegan food: Injera (a traditional flat, sour, bread) with salad, red lentils, yellow lentils, cabbage, spinach, green beans, and okra. This picture does not do it justice.