After sending off the last guide, I ended up in a conversation with a friend of mine about eating in NOLA. Naturally, being a vegan, she wondered if I would make one that is specifically catered to eating vegan goodies in the city. Thankfully, I have spent nearly a year being a vegan while living with my most recent ex, so I have vegan eats on lock, too! So here you are, vegans, an unofficial foodie guide specifically for you.
As you can probably guess, vegan food is not huge in Louisiana. If you google map vegan foods, even the restaurants that are listed are only listed because they have vegan options. To reduce this list to only the purest of vegan places would leave me with only four places to talk about (scheduling more vegan dinner dates as we speak); nevertheless, I will mark the impure locations with a (VO) so you know that place just has some options for your dietary needs and is not dedicated to the vegan cause.
Breads on Oak ($) - this little cafe is the best for vegan breakfast. They have a decent assortment of vegan breakfast pastries that pair perfectly with their strong coffees. If you like to feel your flesh jolt out of your body, their coffee is a must. They also offer small sandwiches as a lunch option, and while flavorful, are not my favorite things in the world.
The Green Fork ($) - this place definitely runs like european cafes. You grab a salad or bottled drink to go and order some blended goodness at the register. However, everything that they have in their little grab-n-go fridges is delicious. Sure, it is just salads and sandwiches, but it is a welcome change of pace when you are craving something fresh and crisp. The LOLsmoothie drink is also one of the most satisfying things I have ever put in my mouth.
Superfood bar ($) - if you ever eat here, know that everything is made with true passion and love for the vegan lifestyle. Their grilled cheese and smoothies would be my life if I were a vegan. The chef is mega passionate about her food, and everyone there can talk to you for hours about healthy living. This place is really underrated for all the goodness they serve up – you should definitely visit.
Seed ($$) - the first two star place and one of my favorite places. This place serves bomb brunch, bomb lunch, and a phenomenal dinner. This is the kind of place where vegans bring their non-vegan friends to try and convert them. I was so skeptical about this place, but I really wanted to find a place my then girlfriend and I could agree on. Their cookies taste like real non-vegan cookies, and their cocktails are always on point. I could order the eggplant pomodoro every day of my life and be perfectlyhappy with my choices. Their chicken and waffles paired with their classic mimosas used to be my go-to Sunday brunch order. After eating, enjoy the small private park on camp street and discuss how healthy you feel.
Carmo (VO, $$) - so this place does serve meat. However, if you're the kind of person that is onlyreading this for some healthy eating options, Carmo is a good spot to hit up. They serve maybe the freshest deli sandwiches I have ever had. They even give you a generous amount of avocado on it without needing to ask (as a "Millennial," the amount of avocado I can get on my food totally matters). However, I do prefer going here for dinner. The cocktails are actually unique and not a standard cocktail marked with some different decoration made by a unique-looking bartender. I had some peanut concoction last time I was there and it tasted heavenly. I do not even really like peanut butter.
Did I mention for one entreé, they served pulled pork on a giant plantain patty? Yes, you heard me correctly. Giant. Plantain. Patty. I know, I am about to go grab a plate, too.
Killer Po-Boys (VO $) - so I wanna start off by saying I love the glazed pork belly po-boy. I could shove two of these po-boys down my throat in one sitting and not feel even a tinge of remorse. I wanted to put this place on the map because not only are their po-boys delicious, but their vegan po-boys are pretty great too! Try the roasted cauliflower sandwich – it may be the only sandwich to ever get me to eat cauliflower.
The Sneaky Pickle ($$) - a standard bywater location with a hip atmosphere (cool art on the walls and reclaimed wood furniture - you know the deal); this spot is definitely making its mark with their creative approach to vegan food. I had a tofu barbecue meal that was so spicy, half of the reason my eyes watered was in sheer surprise. I will not lie, sometimes the descriptions on the menu make me nervous and uncertain, but every new item I try takes me by surprise with the way each bite delights my tastebuds.
Shake Sugary (VO $) - another bywater spot in the general area of the Sneaky Pickle, but with a little more of a deadhead feel to it. Just thinking of their baked eggs is making my mouth water as I type this up. Their pastries, sandwiches, and breakfast foods are all created with a homemade love that I can feel from my heart to my toes. I wish they had an Uptown location so I could drop by for a coffee and baked egg more frequently, but for now, Shake Sugary remains my breakfast love affair after weekend sleepovers in friends' bywater homes.
Those are some of my favorite spots for vegan foods in the New Orleans area. Now, I am off to stuff my face with some pomodoro at Seed...
