Vegan Portland Adventures

I’m home! Alan and I returned safely to California from our weekend getaway to Portland, Oregon, on Monday afternoon. We had such a good trip overall; you can read my previous two posts on what we did here and here.

On Saturday evening, we had the pleasure of dining with the ladies of Our Hen House, Jasmin and Mariann. If you’re a fan of their podcast like I am, then you know them both to be smart, witty and focused. They are the same in person as they are on the show and I very much enjoyed getting to know them better. In fact, I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that both of these women have shaped my veganism and my future by educating me on some of the most important issues in our world week after week. Their style, which combines positivity and a high entertainment value, makes the process interesting and not overwhelming. Two of my most favorite episodes of their show have included their interview with Dr. Fuhrman here and their interview with Jenny Brown, the co-founder and director of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary here.

And, although our group dined at the illustrious Portobello restaurant in Portland, I’m not going to write about the food other than to say it was very well prepared and delicious. My photos of the Portobello “steak” and the berry tart really did not turn out very well in the dim lighting. Sorry about that!

On Sunday, Jasmin and I checked out another local farmers’ market in Portland and then had lunch at a health food store. We both had the kale salad with a side of kung pao tofu. I also picked out a kombucha drink because I’m kind of loving those right now:

After lunch, I said goodbye to Jasmin, Mariann and Rose and went with Alan to the Portland Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden:

I understand now why Portland is called “The City of Roses”:

Before leaving Portland, on Sunday night, Alan and I had the opportunity to dine at The Veggie Grill! It was my first experience eating at one of these all vegan restaurants that are sweeping across the West Coast. I chose the kale salad:

Alan and I couldn’t resist sharing a side of the mac n’ cheese:

And, as our final indulgence on this trip, we each had a piece of the carrot cake. Incidentally, the menu states that desserts are made with no “refined sugars.” I asked for further explanation and one of the servers said this means they use apple juice and evaporated cane juice. Sugar is still sugar, but I think this type of innovative and responsible food preparation is a great start for a chain that is affordable, well-managed and 100% plant-based. Go Veggie Grill!!!

Well, that about wraps up my vegan adventures in Portland. What did I miss? I will be back in town for the Vida Vegan Conference in May of 2013, if not sooner.

I’ll be back here on Friday with the debut edition of Healthy Vegan Fridays, don’t forget to check out the info here if you want to participate.

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