Vegan While Out: Busboys & Poets

I love everything about Busboys-laid-back vibe, fun music, beautiful artwork, and a lot of vegan choices on the menu.

Last week I ate dinner there with a couple of my DC friends. Ladies night!

 After peeking around their library I headed over and drove right in...

Falafel sandwich with cucumber, hummus, lettuce, tomato on pita & French fries

Delish!

I ate half to save room for dessert and left my leftovers at the restaurant. FAIL!

Vegan brownie & a scoop of vegan vanilla icream

I was in dessert heaven :-)

Vegan While Out: Capital Ale House

I get so giddy when I don't check a restaurant's menu online beforehand and discover vegan options on the menu. Score! The hubs and I spent this past weekend eating a lot, drinking a little, and relaxing without the boys.

We ordered black bean burgers and fries.  I thought the burger was decent but the one I make at home is better.  I did appreciate that the burger was handmade opposed to a frozen boxed patty. 

Hubby enjoyed his food.  

I'm always thankful when a traditional restaurant takes the time to add vegan choices to the menu, so I will definitely be back.

Here's a little video of the hubs and I enjoying a kid-free weekend.

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Vegan While Out: Strange Matter

I had lunch with my bud, Michelle at a restaurant in Richmond called Strange Matters. This was my first time visiting and boy did I goin on the vegan friendly menu.  

I should be embarrassed to show you my greedy I was but I'm not. lol Here goes....

I started off with dessert lol *shaking my head* Donut holes-Some were fried a little harder than I expected but overall pretty good

Appetizer-Tofu satay with peanut dipping sauce

Portobello cheese steak-delicious! Portobello mushrooms, vegan cheese, grilled onion & peppers

Lastly, I had a bowl of vegan mac & cheese....It was okay but the one I make at home is better.

Now you see why my stomach was hurting.

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What Does the Chef Have in the Kitchen?

Being a vegan in a world of meat and dairy can leave you feeling left out while dining out. Fortunately, many restaurants have added vegan-friendly options to their menu, as more people become conscious about the way they eat.

If you're visiting a restaurant that doesn't have an obvious vegan option on the menu, consider an excellent tip I learned from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. Colleen suggests that you take an inventory of what ingredients they do have in the kitchen and design your meal around those items.  

Here's an example:

Take a look at this basic restaurant menu I found on Google. Click here to see the full menu.

Even though at first glance there doesn't appear to be any vegan breakfast choices on the menu, train your mind to look at the different ingredients in each dish.  The waffles with seasonal fruit and whipped cream is the first menu item we will look at.  The waffles and whipped cream aren't vegan but we can ask for the fresh fruit. Also, the ham & sausage entree comes with hash browns and toast.  We can order the seasonal fruit, hash browns and toast and make ourselves a filling breakfast without much hassle.  

Let's take a look at the lunch choices.  I see there's a vegetarian pot pie (woohoo!) on the menu, but let's pretend that option isn't there. Looking at the menu further, we could order a meatless burger without mayo, or cheese and opt for the other toppings (mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onions) and a side of fries.

Look at that!

Eating out as a vegan can be challenging but using Colleen's approach can make these experiences a little easier.  

Visit the rest of my Vegan While Out posts and watch my YouTube videos below discussing more eating out tips.

Vegan While Out: Asian Diner-Lunch with Fam

I had lunch with my sisters and cousin yesterday and they discuss eating tofu for the first time. Enjoy!

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What I ate:

Basic salad with lettuce, cucumber & red onion

Dressing was tomato, carrots, and ginger

Avocado Roll

Sesame Tofu-lightly battered fried tofu with sesame seeds and broccoli