Plan ahead. One of the obstacles to maintaining a vegan diet is group meals out. Calling ahead to a restaurant to ensure that a plant-based meal can be prepared is essential sometimes to a relaxed and enjoyable time out. Restaurants want your business and in this economy can't afford to lose it because they're unwilling to accommodate vegans. Diplomacy + straightforwardness = success!
I have just discovered you and I'm so glad! I too am a vegan feminist (also humanist) mum with a son. Mine is now 15! I had no religious upbringing and am essentially and atheist but have buddhist and pantheistic leanings. I blog about vegan recipes I use, style I like and all of my in your face opinions. You will notice by my spelling that I am a Canadian. I on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia.
ReplyDeleteLove this tip! Yes, a delicious vegan meal is possible (almost) anywhere. It really does usually just take a few polite requests. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteHi, Blasphemous Fiendess: I love your name! I got a chance to skim through your blog and it looks very fun. I am excited to have a new one to visit. Yay! And it is nice to "meet" you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, VV. There's an expression called "the vegetarian veto" in the restaurant industry, which essentially means that with a group of eight or ten ot however many, if there's a vegetarian who can't be served at a given restaurant, the whole party will dine elsewhere. Especially in today's rough economy, restaurants cannot be turning people away because the chefs are prima donnas or unable to accommodate. I'm a big believer in the polite inquiry. And you know what? Good chefs like challenges and to many a vegan meal is a challenge. Strange, I know. ;)
Great reminder, Marla! I generally won't go to a restaurant that doesn't post the menu on its website, or that doesn't have a website at all. (Seriously, what are you doing running a restaurant if you can't be bothered with a website?!) We're heading to Florida for a few days after Thanksgiving, and planning meals is looking to be a bit of a challenge.
ReplyDeleteYep, call ahead, VB. (Also, are you looking up things on HappyCow.net and VegDining.com?) If they can't be bothered to make you a decent vegan meal, they don't deserve your money. Have fun in Florida, by the way!
ReplyDeleteAlas, both those sites had nothing for Sanibel Island, where we're headed. But! I found a website with a huge list of Sanibel/Captiva restaurants, complete with menu PDFs, so I managed to get a pretty good list together. Muahahaha, vegan invasion!
ReplyDeleteActually, Marla, I just wanted to post that this picture could very well be my mother! How uncanny! And, of course, loving all your tips this month!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janey! I miss you too much!
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