a view from IU's sample gates onto kirkwood aveif you're blessed enough to live in portland, or--good for you and i'm totally jealous! bloomington, in is a wonderful place to visit, live, and be vegan. it's a gem, a huge blue stain in a really red state. for my entry today i thought i would brag about the place i call home. there are many vegetarians and vegans who live here so you can go into most restaurants and ask them questions and they won't look at you like you're from mars.
first restaurant, roots. it's on the square in downtown. it is also where i bought the obnoxiously expensive vegan shake. they make a country fried seitan, gravy, and taters that are vegan. their sweet potato fries are great too!
sahara mart: it's a small middle eastern grocery that carries many different kinds of ethnic foods and wines. good vegan finds there--and their olive selection is amazing! the business has grown to have two locations. it's the cheapest place in town to get silk soymilk (less than $3).
bloomingfoods co-op has three different locations. this photo is from the downtown store. the membership isn't that great of a bargain, unless you spend more than $900 a year. the prices aren't that great--as you can find comparable items at kroger in the natural foods section, or for up to 25 cents cheaper at sahara mart. i haven't been to the newest location on the near west side yet. the east side has a full line deli that is just AWESOME, and baked goods that are clearly labeled of all products-(in addition to VEGAN being in all caps) so you have no doubts in yo purdy lil' head whether it's vegan or not. i suggest the chocolate chip cookies, bbq seitan, and anything vegan off their hot bar.
yeah, yeah--you portland peeps got laughing planet ova there, but did you know the original one started here in b-town? yep. you can get just about anything there veganized, but my favorites are the 'holiday' burrito and the chili. you can even get tofutti sour cream on request!
just below the laughing planet cafe is soma coffeehouse. best fucking smoothies ever! seriously, i've been to chitown, nyc, olympia, memphis, kzoo, dtroit, etc.--all smoothies are subpar in comparison to soma's. best ones are the pb&j and the TD's peachy. they also have vegan baked goods to go with your coffee. if you're gonna have a foo-foo coffee drink, get the lewinsky.
first restaurant, roots. it's on the square in downtown. it is also where i bought the obnoxiously expensive vegan shake. they make a country fried seitan, gravy, and taters that are vegan. their sweet potato fries are great too!sahara mart: it's a small middle eastern grocery that carries many different kinds of ethnic foods and wines. good vegan finds there--and their olive selection is amazing! the business has grown to have two locations. it's the cheapest place in town to get silk soymilk (less than $3). bloomingfoods co-op has three different locations. this photo is from the downtown store. the membership isn't that great of a bargain, unless you spend more than $900 a year. the prices aren't that great--as you can find comparable items at kroger in the natural foods section, or for up to 25 cents cheaper at sahara mart. i haven't been to the newest location on the near west side yet. the east side has a full line deli that is just AWESOME, and baked goods that are clearly labeled of all products-(in addition to VEGAN being in all caps) so you have no doubts in yo purdy lil' head whether it's vegan or not. i suggest the chocolate chip cookies, bbq seitan, and anything vegan off their hot bar.yeah, yeah--you portland peeps got laughing planet ova there, but did you know the original one started here in b-town? yep. you can get just about anything there veganized, but my favorites are the 'holiday' burrito and the chili. you can even get tofutti sour cream on request!just below the laughing planet cafe is soma coffeehouse. best fucking smoothies ever! seriously, i've been to chitown, nyc, olympia, memphis, kzoo, dtroit, etc.--all smoothies are subpar in comparison to soma's. best ones are the pb&j and the TD's peachy. they also have vegan baked goods to go with your coffee. if you're gonna have a foo-foo coffee drink, get the lewinsky.other faves:
- siam house- yes, it's thai but you can tell them you're vegan and they'll give you plenty of options.
- anatolia- really good veggie moussaka
- samira-not sure of the veganness of the dishes, but they offer lots of vegetarian fare. one of the best lunch buffet bargains in town.
modern trends- not food related! a hair salon in the college mall that offers cruelty free haircare by two of the most eccentric townie ladies. i get my mane tamed there.
MOFO assignment: imagine that i'm not a broke ass vegan and i have money to go and visit you. tell me about your city, specifically where and what to eat.
I loved the tour! I had been thinking of doing a similar thing featuring Columbus. There are a ton of vegan-friendly places here in Columbus, a few of them being: Dragonfly Neo-V (very awesome, but very pricey), Whole World, and Benevolence Cafe. All delicious!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I'm a tard...where is bloomington? It looks awesome, especially that first pic with the lovely fall foliage in the background.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun tour! I had no idea about the Laughing Planet, I have one pretty close to me and I love the cuban and soylent green bowls.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you've heard plenty about Portland... but one thing I think everyone should do is go up to the Rose Gardens in Washington Park, hike up to the Pittock Mansion, and take in the amazing views of the city.
This is rahzh from the Hungry Hungry Veganos blog.
ReplyDeleteAwesome tour! We have a Laughing Planet here in Eugene,OR (the location part of the site even has an "About Eugene" section) as well. I love to just order the Pinto Bean & Cheese burrito (minus the cheese obviously) and made Vegan Deluxe (Vegan sour cream and guac). I don't see Bloomington listed as a location on the Portland site (which lists Portland and Eugene). Is the one in Bloomington a separate business?
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