Sometimes it can be tough to be #vegan on the road. When you’re traveling – especially on business (and especially with or around others … not vegan others)… it can be hard to plan / find / take the time to find and enjoy a great vegan meal. There’s not a Spiral Diner on every corner… yet.
Oh, you can ask at ANY restaurant. Sometimes you’ll hear things like “Vegan? Of course! We have a great Mahi Mahi!” Or the dreaded “Certainly we can feed you! We have *grilled vegetables* and a salad!”
Which isn’t all bad, but sometimes they can’t even get the “no butter” thing right.
And it’s not for lack of trying. I think people generally want to help and support – they’re just not familiar with it. As any vegan will tell you, eating out requires asking a lot of questions… and sometimes, making your meal companions a bit uncomfortable. Not to mention a few sprints back to the kitchen and / or manager to get answers to questions they clearly don’t get enough (is there dairy in the _____?).
I went to a cool restaurant for lunch in Fernandina Beach, Florida yesterday. The server assured me they had great vegan options. I’ll give them credit for having a very nice baked marinated tofu… but that really doesn’t qualify as “options.” The server… after hearing I was vegan… went into fish options.
Oh – and before we even selected the restaurant… I asked a lady in a Honda CRV (with vegetarian stickers ALL over it)… where should we eat!?! She pointed to the restaurant next door to where we ate – and started raving about the fish options. As she was explaining that “as a vegetarian… I like fresh fish.”
Oh my.
Well.
We all know… we who choose to eat vegan… that there are some great options out there.
What are your favorites?
Is it the Ma Po Tofu at PF Chang? Or the Beans and Rice at On the Border? Or a veggie bowl at Chipotle? Or Ear Muffs with tofu at Moes?
What do you like when you’re on the run… on the road?