Do You Have Anything Vegan?

Happy Birthday to Jim: I took him to Las Vegas for his birthday weekend. And then I surprised him by flying out his BFF Hillari.

Best moment: we are sitting in casino having a drink and a snack, Hillari walks right up and asks if there was room for one more and Jim looks at her for a solid ten seconds like, “Why is this stranger asking to sit with us?” and also, “Why does she look so much like my BFF HIllari?” His brain caught up and it was an awesome reunion.

Best moment #2: birthday dinner at Crossroads Kitchen. We basically ordered a little bit of everything. And everything was a little bit more than amazing. This place is a vegan wonderland, delicious on every level. They also have a brunch on the weekends which is on our list for next time.

Crossroads Kitchen is a definite must when in Vegas.

Address: 3000 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas

Website: CROSSROADS KITCHEN

We stumbled by (walked by – we were not out drunk and stumbling into things) this coffee shop that we thought was part of a hotel but it’s just it’s own thing. Modern and sleek interior space, seating outside to people watch, and multiple vegan snack options. We enjoyed the biscotti and carrot cake bars very, VERY much. Our Americano coffees were equally tasty. More vegan options + plenty of choices for your omnivore friends, take a breather at Guillam amongst all your London travels.

Address: 31 St Petersburgh Pl, London (multiple locations as well, check website)

Website: GUILLAM

So our friends invited us up to where they live, right outside of Newcastle, to explore fun places including Beamish – “The living museum of the North exclamation point!” It was a blast traveling back in time but let’s all be thankful for running water and toilets inside our homes.

Alas, we needed to find food and damn did we find some great food at Vegano. Married owners Russell Herdman and Natalie Marino began their journey with a food truck before settling into their space in 2018. They could not be more lovely hosts and humans as they’re not just running a restaurant but also a small farm sanctuary.

How much did we enjoy this place? We were in Newcastle for 3 nights and we ate here 2 of them. Yes. That good.

Jim’s Choice: Deep Fried Ravioli with red sauce – perfect starter. Then follow it with one of their pizzas. The crust is outstanding.

Steve’s Choice: Burger & fries for the win – ask for side sauces – ALL THE SIDE SAUCES. There’s a garlic aoili that’s insane.

Vegano is well worth a stop in (or two – be like us – go a few times).

Address: 33a Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne

Website: VEGANO

Naomi Hallum hosts Raising GenV where they dive into the art of raising compassionate, mindful kids in a non-vegan world. Featuring activists, chefs, doctors, and more, each episode explores the joys, challenges, and real-life wisdom of vegan parenting. Tune in for inspiration and practical tips for nurturing kindness.

Season 1 guests include Dominick Thompson, Dr. Angie Sadeghi, Todd & Jody Boyman, Paige Parsons Roached, Shaun Monson, Dr. Kristi Funk, and more.

Add this great show to your follows.

Website: RAISING GENV

Just go.

Do we really need to convince you other than that previous statement.

Just. Go.

What do you want from us? How many times and ways can we say it?

Go. Now.

Seriously.

Run. Run to Mildreds. There are a bunch of locations, you won’t have to even run that far.

Ask anyone in London, vegan or not, and they’ll say, ‘Well, there’s Mildreds.’

Fine. You still want us to give you reasons? We’ve tried 2/3rds of the damn menu at this point. We’re basically stalkers…I mean fans. Big, big fans. Here’s how you – and we – know it: when we go, we have trouble deciding what to order because there are so many options and everything is so good.

Jim’s Choice: Green Tofu Salad – lemony, tangy, yum.

Steve’s Choice: Caesar Chick+N Burger – hearty, filling, yum.

FYI – recently we went and they had a tasting menu – which may or may not be a regular thing, don’t hold us accountable, we’re just stalkers…big, big fans – so it was the perfect solution for the indecisive (you don’t know us, mind yourself).

Why are you still reading this?

GO ALREADY.

Address: Multiple locations all over London, check website.

Website: MILDREDS

Chef Dalan Moreno is a spiiiiccccyyyyy cook, in the best way possible. The food here is so original, even when he plays off of and reinvents mainstays you’ve seen before. Bonus points for the portion sizes: they are huge.

Jim’s Choice: The Kale Salad is my fave with the tahini dressing. It’s fresh, light and lemony. For brunch, I’m all about the French Toast with the homemade strawberry jam. YUM.

Steve’s Choice: For lunch or dinner, you can’t go wrong with the Crunchwrap. It’s crispy and creamy and so so tasty. For brunch, try the Breakfast Sandwich if you’re not starving, but if you are, go for the Breakfast Crunchwrap. He puts an hashbrowns in the center. Order a side of the spicy mayo for some extra snap.

Address: 432 E Haley St Suite # A, Santa Barbara

Website: RASCAL’S

Lean into your healthier side with a meal at the Acai Girls in Notting Hill. From bowls to salads to brunch items, this place offers a bunch of vegan options as well as choices for your omnivore pals. Bonus points go out to the super-friendly staff behind the counter.

Must Have:

• Vegan Waffles with fresh fruit, dairy free yogurt and maple syrup. Pro-tip: ask for a side of peanut butter to come with it – so good to have a little savory/salty accompany your bite of sweet.

Address: 81 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill (check website for other locations)

FYI – this is such a fun street to walk up or down, either direction, both sides have tons of specialty shops and stores. Enjoy the waffles then walk ’em off (which I think we’ve recommended in other posts as well).

FYI Pt. 2 – they get busy on weekend mornings, especially Sunday – plan accordingly if you want to dine in, tables go fast.

Website: ACAI GIRLS

Now we know what you’re thinking: who goes to Paris for Italian food? Fair question indeed, my friends. But just like visiting anywhere, after a few days of a specific cuisine, you start craving other flavors. So on our fifth night in Paris, we were like what else can we have that doesn’t come with a free croissant? Calm down, that was a joke. Croissants weren’t free.

Off the beaten path, in the middle of a cozy neighborhood not far from the Arc de Triomphe, we found the charming and delicious Gusto Italia restaurant. Gonna start by letting you know this is not a full-on vegan only restaurant. That said, they had plenty to offer and they were happy to turn almost any dish on the menu vegan.

Highly recommend the Arrabbiata Pasta – which, yeah we know, is pretty much vegan wherever you go. It was damn tasty here.

Shout out to the owner and staff who were extra friendly. This place may very well be family-run ’cause they certainly made us feel like family. For a great meal in a quiet area, give Gusto Italia a try.

Address: 15 Rue des Acacias, 75017 Paris

Website: GUSTO ITALIA

The rumors are true: UNIQ is unique.

Steve here: I took my 80+ year old mom here and SHE loved it. And trust me, she is not someone easy to please when it comes to food. “Is this spicy??! I can’t have anything spicy!” Here’s hoping she’s not reading this. If she IS reading this, well then, HI MOM!

Every item on the menu is 100% plant-based and they’ve won multiple ‘Best of Phoenix’ awards including two this year alone. And they made Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US in 2024. So yeah, they got the goods and their goods are damn tasty.

UNIQ is located in a shopping mall and it can be a little tricky to find but then most smaller places are in Phoenix because they only allow signage so high as to not take away from their mountain views (I am not making this up, Google it). Fear not, you’ll find it and when you do, you’ll be glad you did.

Pro-tip – Get the Parmesan Truffle Fries. They’re worth it. You’re worth it. Never forget: fries tell no lies.

Address: 7730 E McDowell Rd Suite 108-B, Scottsdale

Website: UNIQ