May Your Mouth Writhe with Glorious Tastebud Boners from Checking Out This Food Porn

From Sweet Melissa...



Spinach Salad with busty artichokes, plump sun-dried tomatoes, juicy olives, and sweaty (pine) nuts in a maple vinaigrette that just makes you wanna drizzle it all over your naked body (except for the horrible stickiness factor which is making my mind freak out right now):




Sweet potato fries with a length and girth perfect for inserting into your mouth:





Chocolate peanut butter torte that will ride you until you're exhausted and your heart's all rapid-fire and you think you might lose control of every muscle in your body and wet yourself with joy (it really IS that good):





And last but not least, the ladies that made this food porn possible...

ATTENTION, LADIES & GENTLEMEN: I’M ABOUT TO ROCK YOUR WORLD

(If you live in Cleveland, that is)

'Cause you know what?

I've been working on compiling all my vegan-friendly Cleveland restaurant reviews in one easy-to-access location, and

SLADDAM!

It's all done:


(Click on pic to visit)

So check it out.

Comment.

Leave suggestions for new additions to the restaurant list.

Post a comment on the restaurants you've eaten at to balance out the reviews.

And most importantly, love me. Love me like you do. Oh yes, baby. Do.

Two More Vegan-Friendly Cleveland Establishments, Working to Service You (Hee)

I *knew* I was forgetting something. With all this talk of ass tubes, I totally forgot that I have two new vegan-friendly Cleveland hotspots to share with everyone.

The first is Breadsmith in Lakewood:



Breadsmith
18101 Detroit Avenue
corner of Detroit and West Clifton
Lakewood, OH 44107
216-529-8443
(For those of you familiar with Nature's Bin, it's about a block or two down.)

Type of food: Breads (duh) and a plethora of vegan sweets



Hours (as of 3/4/2009):
Monday: Closed
Tuesday ~ Friday: 7am ~ 7pm
Saturday: 7am ~ 5pm
Sunday: 8am ~ 4pm

And either I am either RIDICULOUSLY blind, or the lovely folks at Breadsmith just recently added on a vegan page to their website, so woot to that! (Just realized that the one I was originally looking at wasn't the Cleveland-specific Breadsmith page--der.)

Breadsmith's vegan MENU





The second is Treehugger's Cafe in Berea. (Thanks to Janet and QBL for bringing its existence to my attention.)



Treehugger's Cafe
1330 Bagley Road Unit 1
Berea, Ohio 44017
440-342-4901

Hours (as of 3/4/09):
Monday-Thursday: 7:00a-8:00p
Friday & Saturday: 7:00a-9:00p
Sunday: 10:00a-8:00p

Type of food: Sandwiches, soups, salads, all-day breakfast (items that are vegan or can be MADE vegan have a little V next to them)
MENU



I've not eaten (or grabbed numblies) at either place yet but plan to and promise to post some reviews when I do.

Until then:

Your assignment is to go check them out yourself and get back to us on what we're missing.

GO!

NOW!

Now That's Election Night!

Wow. What a fricking night. I feel like an asshole even writing about it because no matter what I say, it's going to sound underwhelming in comparison to the joy welling up in so many people's hearts across the country right now. So instead of going on and on about what a great thing it is and how truly excited I am to have been alive for such a historical day (trite!), I'll instead yammer on excitedly about how I rung in Election Night: With vegan philly cheezsteak sandwiches, vegan mac n' cheez, and cheap vegan beer.

Take that, Republicans!

Yes, I started off last night at Now That's Class, a local bar that boasts a DELIGHTFUL variety of veganosities.



11213 Detroit Ave.
Cleveland, OH
216-221-8576

Tuesday Night they have $4 vegan philly cheese steaks, $2 vegan mac n' cheez, $2 vegan potato salad, and half-off Great Lakes beer during Happy Hour, which--holy crap--what a deal! And in case you didn't notice, all of those are VEGAN VEGAN VEGAN.

Throughout the week, they also offer up a variety of vegan Mexican foods as well, from enchiladas to tamales to empanadas.

And on Sunday, they have vegan breakfast for dinner, serving a variety of breakfast foods between 6 and 9pm for your vegan dining pleasure.




I heard about this place quite a while back--you may actually remember me posting about it here. But I somehow have managed to avoid actually getting my ass out there up until this point.

But finally: FINALLY!

And seriously: What a truly great place. They have a constant lineup of concerts, and a quite impressive space for their shows. Apparently they sometimes have a skateboarding ramp set up in their concert area when a show isn't going on. They have old school video game machines. They have a jukebox. And they have vegan grub grub grub.

So I was pleased to find myself there, glued to the television set, on election night.

As my friend Kevin said (and I take great liberties with my not-quite-so-verbatim quote), "When people ask what I was doing when I found out Obama was elected president, I can proudly say, 'I was eating vegan philly cheezsteak.'"

And eat philly cheezsteak we did. Having met up at 7:15, we realized that they didn't start serving philly cheezsteak until 9. So in the interim, we gorged on some chips & salsa, and a potato-spinach enchilada which I delightfully realized was made by the dude at the West Side Market whose Mexican food I've always dug. I was actually pretty stuffed after that, but at 9, once the smell of cheezsteak started wafting through the air, I could hardly resist ordering more, so P and I split a cheezsteak, and I also ordered a side of mac n' cheez. And seriously folks: This was really really good food. And not in that "well, it's not that great but it's vegan, so I'm gonna get excited about it anyways"-type way, but genuinely genuinely really fricking tasty. I was really really surprised. And for only $6. I mean, I felt like I was in on a secret being there--like I was a little bit conflicted between thinking "my god, how is it that more people don't know about this palce" and thinking "this is gonna be OUR little secret, lest it get overrun by the mainstream."

But because I love you, I'm letting the cat out of the bag. Get up there, ASAP. Preferably on a Tuesday night. And GORGE THE FUCK OUT OF YOURSELF.

The only thing I was slightly disillusioned with was people's utter lack of interest in the fact that it was election day and a momentous day in U.S. history. Which I found even MORE surprising 'cause when you head off to a bar that's pro-vegan, that has a Thursday Bike Night where if you ride your bike up there, your first beer is free, and where punk apparently still reigns, you kind of expect people to be a little bit invested in politics, even if it's bitterly or angrily or disgustedly. But when we first got there, as results were just rolling in, they had two tv's blazing with Two and a Half Men and nary an election result in sight. The bartender was a doll though and let us turn on another tv so that we could keep our eye on how things were going. So we spent the first part of the evening talking very minimally and craning our necks every five minutes to see what was going on.

Then, as the place filled up and more televisions were switched over to the news, we kind of expected everyone to be communally glued to the television. Instead, just two or three folks stood around gazing at the tv while everyone else milled about disinterestedly. And when we realized that Obama had taken Ohio and harriedly blurted out our excitement, the people at the table next to us ACTUALLY GAVE US THE ONCE OVER, as though they were too cool to be excited. The general air--dare I say it--was a little bit "Feigned Disinsterested Hipster-y," as though it wasn't "cool" to actually be engaged in the events of the evening.

So I must admit, with regard to Election Night, I was kind of happy when P and I finally left and trotted off to an Election Party instead, because the overwhelming indifference in the bar would've sapped all the excitement I felt upon hearing that Obama had won.

And I'm glad we DID trot off, because instead of cool hipster nonchalance, we got to ring in the election of our new president with excited cheers, tears, and musicians busting out Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" on piano while everyone threw hugs around, cheered, and sang along.

And here I probably should insert my thoughts and feelings about what it felt like to ring in our first African American president, but I'm thinking the majority of you are on the same page as me so I really don't have to say a word.

Other than: Hell yes.

Which is two words actually, but BITE ME--WE DID IT!

Melt Bar & Grilled

So in lieu of recipes today, I have a new restaurant for all you Cleveland Vegans to check out if you haven't already:



Apparently there's a restaurant called Melt Bar & Grilled in Lakewood (which I'd heard of before but not really given much thought to since it specializes in grilled cheeses which, well, typically aren't real vegan friendly, given the fact that the focal point of grilled cheese is usually, um, CHEESE--you following me here?). But apparently IT'S VEGAN FRIENDLY!! I have yet to check it out, but I've heard nothing but good things: fantastic sandwiches, great atmosphere, and an excellent beer selection.

So get the hell over there and check it out. And then report back to me as to what you thought of it. And/or fricking be generous and buy ME some vegan sandwiches so I can draw my own conclusion.

Anyways, here's the info on what they have that's vegan, straight from the owner/chef of Melt:



Hello, Lindy Loo,

We actually have alot of great selections that are vegan. All our vegetable based sandwiches can be made with vegan cheese or without cheese. The mushroom melt, roasted veggie sandwich and peanut butter and banana can all be made vegan.

We have a 3 bean vegetarian chili and roasted garlic tomato soup on our menu everyday which are both vegan. We also make a daily soup which is sometimes vegan. Our fried tofu starter and all our salads can be vegan.

So as you can see, we have many vegan options. Let me know if you need any more info.

Thanks!!

Matt Fish


FOLLOW-UP (REGARDING THE MARGARINE THEY USE):


Hello, Lindy Loo,

The margarine that we use is exclusively vegan all the time. It is a total vegetable based product.

Glad you had a chance to come and check out the restaurant. Also very glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself and your food.

Let me know if I can help in any other way.

Thanks
Matt Fish

Melt Bar and Grilled
14718 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-226-3699
Website & Menu

Clevelanders Ho!

Looks like there's gonna be a vegan brunch on Saturday, and I'm hoping to drag my ass out with a friend or two. If anyone else is planning on going, give me a shout in my comments section (or drop me an email--yes, I've now included an email link, but you're gonna have to figure out where it is yourself, my foxes), and perhaps we'll be nice and let you eat with us, in all our awesome pot-bellied glory.

Also brought to my attention this weekend is the existence of the indubitable and indomitable Now That's Class Club/Lounge, dishing up the punk, vegan-style. So you best check them out as well, if you know what's good for you.






[Click each for a bigger version]
Thanks, Crystin, for the head's up!

New Vegan Pizzeria in Cleveland

12906 Madison Ave.
Lakewood, OH 44107
(216) 226-4000



Vegan Menu
(current as of 2/1/2008):


Toppings: Mushroom, Tomato, Onion, Black Olives, Green Olives, Mild Pepper Rings, Jalapeno Peppers, Pineapple Chunks, Green Peppers & Chopped Garlic.

Vegan Meats: Pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, Meatballs, Chicken Strips, Beef Strips, Salami,& Ham (Dr. Ross calls this Abra'ham'...It's Kosher)

Salads

• Large Fresh Garden Salad: Fresh Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Black olives, Green Peppers, Vegan Pepperoni, & Vegan Cheese $5.95



• Large Antipasto Salad: Fresh Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Banana Peppers, Black Olives, Vegan pepperoni, Vegan Salami, Vegan Ham, & Vegan Cheese $6.95

Oven Baked Sandwiches

• Vegan Meatball: With Sauce & Vegan Cheese $6.95



• Vegan Italian: Salami, Pepperoni, Ham, Cheese, Pepper Rings, Onion, Chopped Lettuce, Tomato, Vinegar & Olive Oil. $7.95

Pasta Penne

All Pasta dinners come with side salad

• Plain sauce $7.95


• With Chicken $10.95


• With Meatball $10.95

Side Orders

• Jo Jo Potatoes (8) $2.25


• Garlic Bread Sticks $3.95

Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Cleveland

(If you live in Cleveland, that is)

'Cause you know what?

I've been working on compiling all my vegan-friendly Cleveland restaurant reviews in one easy-to-access location, and

SLADDAM!

It's all done:


(Click on pic to visit)

So check it out.

Comment.

Leave suggestions for new additions to the restaurant list.

Post a comment on the restaurants you've eaten at to balance out the reviews.

And most importantly, love me. Love me like you do. Oh yes, baby. Do.

* * * * * *


I have one more recipe to post for the week, but unfortunately I got home too late last night to upload pictures and whatnot. Perhaps tomorrow.

To tide you over until then, I present you with a list of the best vegan-friendly restaurants in Cleveland, Ohio... in case you ever happen to be in the neighborhood.

(It's funny because I always feel the need to apologize when I deviate from the normal posting of recipes--since it's a food blog, I feel obligated to stick to that for some reason. But I was thinking about it just now, and really, if I wanted to post about stuffing vegan cupcakes in my panties and walking around with them like that all day, it's my prerogative. In fact, if I wanted to post about stuffing vegan cupcakes in my panties and walking around with them like that all day WHILE DRESSED UP LIKE GEORGE W., I could--and there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it! So read this! And love it! And stop being so demanding! *Sobbing*)




TREMONT SCOOPS
2362 Professor Ave.
Cleveland OH
216-781-0352
Type of food: Ice cream and desserts
Website
Comments: Hurray for Marianne and the magic she works on veganizing cold treats! Vegan specials often change: They typically have some sort of vegan pie-slices available, but the flavors vary depending on the week. They also have tried-and-true vegan goodies that stick around regularly in their cases (ice-cream sammiches, choc-covered bananas, fudge-bars) and, for special occasions, you can special-order vegan ice cream cakes and pies.
Recommendations: Cookie ice-cream sammiches, vegan oreo pie



NOW THAT'S CLASS
11213 Detroit Ave.
Cleveland, OH
216-221-8576
Website
Type of food: A bar that serves vegan brunch Sundays nights from 6 to 9pm, and vegan specials on Tuesday nights.
Comments: They also frequently feature bands, and they have different drink specials from night to night (for example, one of the nights, your first beer is free if you ride your bike there).
[Read more from me about it HERE]



MAMA MIA'S
12906 Madison Ave.
Lakewood, OH 44107
216-226-4000
Menu
Type of food: Italian/pizza.
Comments: They only have two booths, so it's more of a take-out atmosphere.
Recommendations: I recommend their vegan meatball subs. Delish.
[Read more from me about it HERE]






MELT
14718 Detroit Ave.
Lakewood, OH
216-226-3699
Type of food: Sandwiches and bar food
Website
Menu
Comments: They have two vegan cheezes, so you can order most vegetarian sandwiches with vegan cheez subbed in. They also have a plethora of other vegan options--you can read letters from the owner detailing them HERE
Recommendations: The Kindergartener with vegan cheddar (or American--can't remember which one they have) with avocado and tomato added on.
[Read more from me about it HERE]



SZECHWAN GARDEN
13800 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, OH
216-226-1987
Type of food: Chinese
Menu
Comments: The have a full zen-menu, all of which is vegetarian. Including (as long as I'm understanding them correctly) bizarre things like vegetarian chicken legs, vegetarian squid, and vegetarian ribs, among others. Not sure how much of these are VEGAN as well, but definitely worth checking out to inquire. If you DO find out, holler. Either which way, even if some of their faux-meats/seafoods aren't vegan, they have plenty of tofu and veg dishes that surely are.
Recommendations: Vegan sweet n' sour "chicken," babies!





TOMMY'S ON COVENTRY
1824 Coventry Rd.
Cleveland Hts., OH
216-321-7757
Type of food: Diner-esque.
Menu
More info...
Comments: They know their vegan stuff, so inquire when you have questions and you should have no problems getting answers. Some of the vegan stuff is marked as such, some is not. They have vegan mozzarella though which they'll gladly substitute on your salad.
Recommendations: French onion soup (sans cheese), veggie burger, BBQ seitan sandwich, taco salad (all of which are vegan or can be made vegan)



JOHNNY MANGO
3120 Bridge Ave.
Cleveland, OH
216-575-1919
Type of food: World cuisine
Menu
Comments: They are super-helpful when it comes to veganizing stuff--just ask. Basically, you usually just need to say "veganize it" and they'll hook you up without you even having to say another word. If you get a big-plate, the portions are ridiculously generous.
Recommendations: Pad thai (veganized--just ask); burrito big-plates (my fav is the mushroom, tomato, garlic one and I add on avocado and black beans)--ask to veganize; fried tofu (ask for vegan dipping sauce); caribbean french fries; and the Tingle to drink.



MINT CAFE
1791 Coventry Rd.
Cleveland Hts., OH
216-320-9915
Type of food: Thai
Menu
Comments: Everything is cooked in vegetable oil. They will gladly alter meat dishes for vegans/vegetarians. In fact, the menu stresses that if you'd like your dish prepared a certain way, let the staff know and they'll hook you up. Just be sure to ask about ingredients in their sauces--many of the curries contain fish sauce, but they will very helpfully alter them for you if you let them know.
Recommendations: Red, masaman, and pik king curries with tofu--make sure to inquire about fish sauce. Also, definitely order a mango smoothy with bubbles. They rock.




WEB OF LIFE
25923 Detroit Rd
Westlake, Ohio
440-899-2882
Comments: Every fricking thing on their menu is vegan, so you can go hog-wild. Plus, you can grocery shop while you wait for your order--how cool is that, dammit?
Recommendations: Pepperoni pizza, "fish" sammich, bbq-"chicken" pizza, pot pie.




ANOTHER LEVEL II
621 E. 185th St.
Cleveland, OH
216-383-0882
Type of food: Home-cooking
Review
Comments: All vegetarian with a ridiculous amount of mouth-watering vegan items on the menu. It's a small place, a few booths and a counter, but you get a lot of TLC from the folks working--the two women who waited on us were some of the sweetest, cheeriest folks I've ever met--and they're all about hooking you up with vegan food.
Recommendations: Vegan mac n' cheese, "fish" sandwich.
[THIS APPEARS TO BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED--THE LAST I HEARD THEY WERE RELOCATING)




EL TANGO TAQUERIA
14224 Madison Ave
Lakewood, OH
216-226-9999
Comments: The owner seems to be clueless and determined to be unhelpful when it comes to vegan items, but if you ask the right employee, some of them know their shit. I was told that the burritos are vegan if ordered without cheese and their "sweet sauce." They also have the standard chips and salsa as well as a soup or two that's vegan if ordered without cheese. The burritos put Chipotle to shame (they're like the size of an upper extremity), so they're definitely worth the money.
Recommendations: Their veggie burritos, no cheese, no "sweet sauce." Tortilla chips and three-salsa combo.







PACIFIC EAST
1763 Coventry Rd.
Cleveland Hts., OH
216-320-2302
Type of food: Japanese
Comments: In my group of veggie friends, many of whom are well-versed in sushi restaurants, this is a favorite (in both Cleveland and in general). I've only had sushi at about three different restaurants myself, but Pacific East definitely stands out among those three restaurants. Plus, it's cute and hip inside, like a little taste of NYC in Cleveland.
Recommendations: Side salad with ginger dressing, miso soup (apparently has fish in the broth), sweet potato sushi (arghlghlghlhglhglhgl) and avocado sushi.



THAI ORCHID
7329 Mentor Ave.
Mentor, OH
440-942-6752
Type of food: Thai
Recommendations: Tofu royale (ask for no fish sauce)







MAMA SANTA'S
12305 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH
216-231-9567
Comments: Mama Santa's has, hands-down, the best pizza in Cleveland--you'll find few who'll argue with you about this. And, thankfully, it's just as mind-blowingly good, even without cheese. And it's vegan. It's saying something when the crust and sauce of a pizza can hold up fantastically on its own without a hint of cheese.
Recommendations: Large cheese-less pizza with pepperoncini.