Seattle is definitely the place to do it. Once you do some research, it turns out there are tons of vegan restaurants in the area.
I (warily) purchased my first vegan pizza from an all-vegan pizza place called Pizza Pi today. I was nervous because I’d purchased a vegan BBQ chicken wrap from a different place a few days ago and it was not a happy eating experience. It was spicy and tofu-y and leaky and gross. I was hoping this place would be better.
I went to pick my pizza up. The restaurant smelled good, like a real pizza place would. I brought Leo inside and no one complained or threatened to call the cops — another plus! The pizza was prepared in a timely manner and was actually LESS EXPENSIVE than regular pizza. No joke. I checked. A large pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut in my area is $18.99. My large vegan pepperoni pizza? Was $17.50.
The biggest surprise, perhaps, was that it came in one of those normal pizza boxes. You know, the white ones with red lettering that just say “Hot Fresh Pizza” on them. Like everyone uses. I don’t know why I expected the box to be made out of, like, hemp, and say “I AM A VEGAN PIZZA” all over it. The box just looked normal. I didn’t even dare peek inside until I got it home. When I finally opened the box, it looked pretty much like a normal pizza. The cheese was less melty, I guess, and the pepperonis looked more like little sausages than pepperonis, but, other than that, it didn’t scream “I AM A WEIRD PIZZA!” or anything.
I ate two pieces of it right away. I was starving (because I’d just run three miles, ‘natch), and I was prepared to chow down on this stuff, whatever it might taste like, but you know what? It tasted good. The crust was delicious. The sauce and cheese were a little sweeter than what you’d get at Pizza Hut, but I actually liked that. The pepperonis didn’t really taste like pepperoni, but they didn’t taste bad, either. After eating two slices, I waited an hour, realized I was still hungry, and ate another piece. And you know what? I don’t feel gross at all. This vegan pizza had none of the grease or the heaviness that a regular pizza has. Normally if I’d just eaten three pieces of pepperoni pizza, I would feel disgusting and my stomach would hurt and I would actually be able to feel the pimples forming on my face and I’d want to sit on the couch and watch TV and chain smoke and whine. But after three pieces of this stuff? I feel no different than if I’d eaten a healthy sandwich or something. How freakin’ awesome is that? I gotta be honest, kids, I’m really digging this vegan thing. I have more energy, and I’m just generally feeling better about myself. Plus: my skin looks way better! I haven’t noticed any difference in my exercise routine — I can still run for as long as I could before and I can still lift as much in the gym as I could before. Cool, right?
how can it be a vegan pizza if it contains cheese and pepperoni?
Oh the “cheese” and “pepperoni” aren’t real cheese and pepperoni. They’re vegan substitutes. Sorry for the confusion!
Is the Sunshine Cafe still there? It used to be this amazing vegan restaurant on University, just south of UW. You chould check and see, because their pumpkin risotto was to die for!
What’s the substitution made of?
I am curious.. I just googled “Vegan Restaurants in Winnipeg”
Have you had tofutti yet? I was too scared to try it, but the container sat in my fridge for about a month.
you aren’t one of those crazy hippies, and I can tell because you call it ‘this vegan thing’. go Sasha!
there is a restaurant in Canberra (OUR nation’s captial) that makes food entirely consisting of gluten, pretending to be non-gluten food. you can get a hamburger that contains absolutely no beef whatsoever and looks just like a real beef patty.
of course, you can also legally get weed in Canberra too.
Tofutti is so passé…Purely Decadent by So Delicious is where it’s at. It is sinful - literally. Oh, and if you haven’t checked out happycow.net I highly recommend it to find other yummy veggie restaurants in your area. Great, now I’m hungry…
Oh, man, I wish Pizza Pi would set up shop here in Reno, NV. It’s my dream!!
Glad you’re enjoying your vegan experience so far. :O)
Sassy
http://www.vegancoach.com
Oh, also check out the Flying Apron Bakery in Fremont. ALL VEGAN baked goods and it’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! I ordered a pumpkin pie from them for Thanksgiving. You’re still coming over, right? (that’s where we’re getting our wedding cake from too.)
Sasha,
Could you help a sister out with this vegan thing? I’ve been trying to convert for ages and I just can’t seem to. I’v already cut out red meat, but I just cant seem to take the leap. What convinced you besides the books? I know it would probably be the best diet for me too because I’m diabetic. Any suggestions?
Thanks
@Angelle
Honestly, it was the books. But the other convincing factor was that I started to feel sooo much better after just a few days. Maybe try doing it for a week or so? My guess is you’ll feel so much better you won’t want to go back. Also make sure to do plenty of research in your neighborhood so you know where you can buy yummy vegan food; you’ll never stick with it if you just eat carrot sticks all day.
The bad news though is I live in Paris…next to impossible to find vegan things, but I’ll try:) Thanks for the advice!
$18 for a pizza! :O In australia a large at pizza hut is $5.99!!