VeganFabulous

the lowdown: Tommy O’s Pacific Rim Grill | 4101 SE 192nd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98683 | 360.892.2484 | Website | Lunch, Dinner | Entrees $8 - $14 | ***

Reasonably appetizing Vancouver option.

My 30th birthday is nearing and this year we decided to skip town and head to Montreal for the big celebration, however, I was torn at the thought of turning 30 in isolation from my friends and family. In previous years I have thrown parties where I ended up blistering drunk or hyper-stressed with party details. Either way I spent the next day fraught with regret. With hesitation, I threw myself a birthday party complete with Dove Vivi pizza and a Sweet Pea Baking Mocha Chocolate Cake. The party was a smashing success and I’ve never had so much fun at my own party! Not only have I learned to give myself second chances but I have begun to do the same for others, including restaurants.

Tommy O’s has now embarked on franchise status with a new location having recently debuted in one of the many tired strip malls blanketing Camas, Washington. This new restaurant turned out to be the perfect location for my grandmother and I to meet for our traditional birthday celebration. The decor of this classy brother establishment includes dim lighting, bamboo tables, and Asian inspired flatware. The menu is a step above but the service staff haven’t quite ironed out all the details. There are only two vegan options and I ordered them both, starting with the Tofu Wraps ($8) accompanied with sweet chili sauce and the Tofu Stir Fry ($12). The stir fry arrived very dry forcing me to ask for a serving of sweet chili sauce, but that completed the large dish of fresh vegetables and brown rice. Overall I was happy with the meal and experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for a vegan dish among the baron options in Vancouver.

the lowdown: Rose’s Restaurant & Bakery | 3205 SE 192nd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98683 | 360.891.4865 | Website | Items $4 - $12 | *

Oatmeal and bad service only.

I generally only go to Vancouver when I am meeting friends and family who live there, simply because I can rarely find anything good to eat. Rose’s happened to be the convenient choice last weekend, but at a frustrating cost of a wasted Saturday morning meal.

I feel the need to preface the review with the statement that the Vancouver location is the only Rose’s I have patronized. In addition, I knew very well that they would likely not have any viable vegan options, but the service we experienced last weekend was horrific. It took the waiter 15 minutes to tell me that the only vegan item on the menu was the “Corned Beef Hash”. When I told him for the second time that I didn’t eat meat he left and came back another 15 minutes later. I asked him about the oatmeal and he advised that they could make it with water. The food finally arrived 25 minutes after we ordered and was accompanied with brown sugar rather than the requested cinnamon. Although the oatmeal was fine, there is no sense leaving my house for it, especially with a fantastic easy version from the book Yellow Rose Recipes.

the lowdown: Tommy O’s | 801 Washington St., Vancouver, WA 98660 | 503.694.5107 | Website | Entrees $6 - $14 | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | *

One frightful vegan friendly option.

Will someone explain to me what is wrong with the food scene in downtown Vancouver? I wanted to meet my out of town (and hopefully soon to be Portland’s newest resident) friend who was staying in Vancouver, for breakfast a few weekends ago, but it was nearly impossible to find a breakfast spot. You’d think there would be some demand in the miniature Pearl, but when I asked around everyone’s only suggestion was Tommy O’s. Apparently Vancouverites don’t have high expectations, because this meal had me wishing I had never crossed the state lines.

Tommy O’s has everything going for it. Little competition, exotic decor (I’m stretching here), and friendly staff. Unfortunately the missing component is tasty food! I excitedly ordered the Kilauea and a cup of house Kona blend coffee. First off, I’ve had Kona coffee, in Kona, and it is excellent! This coffee tasted worse then the stale coffee they serve in the break room at work! The dish consisted of a pile of dried out tofu atop a dish of soggy vegetables covered in a spice heavy curry sauce. With food like this, it’s no wonder the Portland kids stay close to home.

the lowdown: BlackStone American Grill | 3200 SE 164th Ave, Portland, OR 98683 | 360.253.0253 | Website | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour | Entrees $7.95 - $26.95 | ***

I went to BlackStone
For my early birthday gift
Not my choice but fine

Suburbia eats
Usually boring joints
With inflated bill

I experienced
Novel appetizer plate
Of deep fried palm hearts

It was very good
This hearts of palm tree delight
Although meaty like

The entree was bland
Over-stuffed peppers with beans
You must hold the cream

Overall not bad
For fine dining in the Couv
I don’t expect much

the lowdown: Jerusalem Cafe | 106 E. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98660 | 360.906.0306 | Website | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Entrees $7 - $16

As with most Mediterranean joints, there are several vegan options.

I met up with my mom last weekend at the downtown Vancouver cinema to see the movie Lars and the Real Girl (which was excellent by the way). We decided to meet for lunch beforehand and I spent a good 20 minutes trying to find nearby places to eat. It is incredible to me how lacking Vancouver is for good food when just across the bridge begins a plethora of fantastic choices. Jerusalem Cafe kept coming up in my google searches so we decided to check it out.

My mother and I are both creatures of habit with the big difference being that I will try all different kinds of cuisine but stick with one dish at each. My mom only sticks with one kind of cuisine, which is bean burritos. I ordered the Veggie Mezza and she had the hamburger. The mezza was good and the service was friendly. Unless someone can identify other vegan friendly places I am going to say that Jerusalem is your safest bet if you find yourself trolling the happening streets of DT Vancouver.