VeganFabulous

the lowdown: Alexis | 215 W Burnside, Portland, OR 97209 | 503.224.8577 | Website | Lunch, Dinner | Entrees $8.95 - $19.95 | ***

More work lunch choices!

Although my weekend was productive teaming up with The Clumsy Kid to register voters in front of People’s Co-Op, attending a Pentecostal church service in Oregon City for a class assignment, and catching a showing of Guys and Dolls at the Armory, I didn’t manage to dine anywhere new. As a result, this post reaches far back into the past to a lunch date I had with an old co-worker. This is his favorite place and for me it is another spot to put on the list of work friendly lunch joints.

At night, Alexis is in the heart of crack deals, homeless shelters, hobos, and strip clubs and seems an unlikely place for fine Greek dining. The restaurant entrance is quite inconspicuous and unless you knew what it was, you would think it was another gritty space trafficking in maleficence. In actuality, it is quite opposite. The expansive space opens to carefully prepared dining tables, nicely dressed servers, and articulately crafted dishes. Much to my dismay there is only one vegan friendly dish, but that is typical for work outings. At least the Gyros Vegetarian ($8.95) is very fresh and healthy. You will need to have them hold the feta but they are happy to do so. Another thing to note, their homous has a much lighter consistency and color than I am accustomed to, so don’t be alarmed if you think it looks like yogurt sauce. My only concern is if you visit after dark, leave your bike at home. Opa!

the lowdown: Morning Star Cafe | 510 SW 3rd Ave #100, Portland, OR 97204 | 503.241.2401 | Website |Lunch, Coffee | Items $5.50 - $7.25 | **

Cute coffee/sandwich shop and great location, yet avoidable.

Sure, there are cute girls behind the counter. Sure, the name Morning Star sounds kind of hippie which provides hope that they may extend their love to vegans. Sure, the location for downtown Portland employees is great and the prices are affordable. Nonetheless, the cute girls are rude and I can’t bump the image of prepackaged fake meats when I think of this place.

There are a few things that bother me about Morning Star Cafe. First, it is not the fact that their normal menu offers nothing without cheese or meat. In fact, their Specials menu has a permanent item called The Veggie ($6.75) which includes veggies and hummus, a side of chips, and is quite good. The problem I have is that each time I have been there, the person at the register claims they are new and don’t know what they are doing, and sandwiches are routinely served out of order. Additionally, the folks making the sandwiches are completely out of touch with what kind of bread they are using and the inner working of the sandwiches they are making. All of these complaints would be moot if they were in some form pleasant about their ignorance, but shockingly I get the feeling they believe it is a privilege for me to spend my lunch hour there. Luckily I have boundaries for that type of abuse. As for the everyone else, Morning Star is often packed with those who either don’t ask questions, are fooled by the name, or enjoy the abuse.

the lowdown: Give Pizza a Chance | Between 4th and 5th on Stark, Portland, OR | 503.333.4434 | Items $2 - $10 | ****

This food cart rocks!

StumptownVegans are Portland’s vegan food cart connoisseurs. If it’s a food cart that serves something vegan, they know about it. This especially comes in handy when I am trying to figure out a quick meal on a work lunch break. With their comprehensive reviews I know exactly what I am getting into before I go.

Admittedly, food carts are sometimes difficult for me. Many of them occupy dilapidated trailers or makeshift shacks whose cleanliness would surprise me if they met code. The row of carts on 5th and Stark is no exception. As I was slowly walking by each one looking for Give Pizza a Chance I cringed but as I rounded the corner, I was pleasantly surprised by the well cared for cart that serves pizza by the slice, whole pies, and calzones! As a vegan your options are limited to freshly baked items as the pizza slices ($2-$3) all contain cheese. Based on the StumptownVegans recommendation I ordered a vegan calzone ($7) which included my choice of any of the following ingredients: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives, and peppers. Although it took 20 minutes (record wait for food cart dining), it was well worth it. The piping hot calzone had the best crust and fillings around. I hadn’t had a calzone in years but I’ve never had one made with such fresh ingredients. If you are going to give any food cart a chance, let it be this one!

the lowdown: Shelly’s Honkin’ Huge Garden Burritos | 800 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205 | Lunch, Food Cart | Items $5.25 -$6.25 | *****

Way too easy to overeat at lunch!

I’m nearly thirty, no kids, unmarried, and own a home with my boyfriend. What’s a girl gonna do? Go to an attorney of course and get some legal documents written up to further the commitment! That fateful day happened this last week when I put my life in someone else’s hands (my hands are full too). Not only did I will everything I own to my boyfriend (which isn’t much), I gave him the authority to pull the plug and take over when I go Britney. Nonetheless, the epic moment passed quickly and we were hungry for lunch!

The Honkin’ Huge Burrito food cart has been my favorite for quite some time. Shelly, the owner, has some serious burrito kung fu and is always ready to hook you up. The line is generally 8 people deep but she is a pro at turning things around quickly. When you get to the front of the line you have three simple choices. Small, Medium or Honkin’ Huge and the prices are $5.25, $5.75, and $6.25, respectively. I ordered the small and requested no diary which knocks off $.50, bringing my lunch to a mere $4.75! Lots of love goes into Shelly’s burrito making. The tortilla is grilled to perfection and stuffed with rice, beans, onions, tomatoes, garlic, homemade salsa, and lettuce. To top it all off you have a choice of about 15 hot sauce varieties. A Honkin’ Huge burrito is an excellent way to celebrate your intensely romantic new commitment or lunch break.

the lowdown: No Fish! Go Fish! | 5th & Yamhill, Portland, OR | Website | Lunch, Food Cart | $6 Lunch Special | ****

Fantastic food on the go!

What do you do when your lunch plans are canceled and you didn’t bring a sack lunch because you thought you were going out? I go to No Fish! Go Fish! Truthfully, picking up food at the Fish is perfect for any occasion. Whether you are going stag or meeting a friend. Just be sure to have a back up plan if it starts raining. You don’t want to end up eating your food in the trough called the food court.

I remember No Fish! Go Fish! back when I first started working downtown eight years ago. After all these years the same guy is still serving up the fantastic fish and soup combo, which, due to inflation, is now $6. I can’t argue with that price though because you get two fish shaped crispy cornbread inspired pastries stuffed with a variety of fillings and a pint of the “Soup of the Gods.” Depending on the day you will have your choice of 3 flavors. I always pick the Dal but I’ve heard that all of them are great!

the lowdown: India Chaat House | 804 SW 12th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 | 503.241.7944 | Lunch, Food Cart | $5 - $7 & 5 course Lunch Special $5.50 | ****

Indian to go!

When it comes to grabbing lunch downtown, it turns out you’ll find the majority of the vegan/vegetarian options are at food carts. Knowing which food cart to go to can be problematic as there are a large number of them and they all look the same! If your lucky enough to know someone privy to the food cart scene then you end up finding the hidden gems!

The Indian Chaat House is a bit off the beaten path standing solitary on the corner of 12th & Yamhill. If you are like me and tend to judge eating establishments by the outward appearance, you may have never noticed this place. Luckily I have an incredible lunch partner who knows her way around town and for $5.50 we each enjoyed the 5 course lunch special! The menu clearly states that dishes are vegan upon request, the portions are enormous, and your food will be ready is less than 5 minutes. With only two picnic tables you will need to find an alternative place to dine or prepare to squat in the Starbucks outdoor seating at Pioneer Square.

the lowdown: Voleur | 111 SW Ash, Portland, OR 97205 | 503.227.3764 | Website | Breakfast (weekends only), Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour | Entrees $7 - $21 | ***

Go for the burger and fries!

A couple of weeks ago a frequent visitor to my blog, Chelsea, tipped me off to the veggie burger at Voleur. I used to work close to Voleur and always wondered what it was like and after her suggestion I made plans to try the burger and followed it by one of the best movies I have ever seen, No Country For Old Men.

Voleur is a low profile bar just a couple blocks off the main downtown night scene. It seems to be popular for large crowds as the loft was reserved for a private party and corner table comfortably seated 20 people, as a result, the service for smaller parties is somewhat disjointed, but not unbearable. To kick things off we ordered fries, which was an excellent second choice since the broken blender prevented hummus production. My main dish, my one and only choice and the reason I came, was the burger. According to the waiter it was a special version of the “Gardenburger” that contained no diary or eggs. It arrived loaded with fresh vegetables, a side salad, and kept me satiated throughout the movie.

the lowdown: Hush Hush Cafe | 433 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97204 | 503.274.1888 | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Items $5 - $9 | ***

Many wallet friendly vegan options.

Hush Hush has been mentioned several times as one of the best spots downtown for Mediterranean cuisine and judging by the line that began to form when the clock struck 12, I would say that lots of downtown lunchers would agree. I, on the other hand, don’t get it. Yes, the service is friendly. Yes, the food is cheap. Yes, the food quick. But do all of these positives automatically make the place great? I need something more.

Within 5 minutes of ordering, my friend and I dug into our lunches while trying to balance the wobbly table. I had the falafel wrap while my dining partner had the veggie wrap. My wrap was quite dry, there was an underwhelming amount of vegetables and although the pita bread is supposed to be fresh, it also seemed dry and crusty. Overall I felt under satisfied with my meal. Maybe I’m looking too hard for something and not appreciating what they do offer. If you need something quick and cheap, Hush Hush is your lunch spot. However, next time I venture out for lunch, I will head to the likes of Karam or check out some of the highly regarded food carts.

the lowdown: Romano’s Macaroni Grill | 300 SW Yamhill St, Portland, OR 97204 | 503.546.3040 | Website | Entrees $7.79 - $21.99 | Lunch, Dinner | ***

Special menu upon request, useful for building your own vegan dish.

I don’t normally patronize large chain restaurants but I sadly lose all integrity when offered a free lunch, especially on my employer’s dime. To be honest, I was quite surprised with the food, especially after I had called ahead and was told my choice was a garden salad.

Most Italian restaurants make their pasta fresh, thus it generally includes eggs. One upside of Macaroni Grill being a chain is that they make very little from scratch, especially not the pasta, so it is all vegan. This provides a lot of opportunities for anyone trying to make the most out of a work sponsored lunch. Simply ask for the custom menu and you can choose your own base, vegetables, and type of pasta. I ordered the wheat penne with a garlic and olive oil base, topped with basil, asparagus, and spinach. In fact, I started a trend because when others at the table saw me building my own dish, they followed suit. It’s surprising what people will do when they have options.

the lowdown: Cup & Saucer Cafe | 8327 N. Denver, Portland, OR 97217 | 503.247.6011 | Breakfast, Lunch | $5 - $9ish

Vegan friendly with tofu substitutions for $1 and soy cheese!

I had been to the Cup & Saucer on Hawthorne a couple times and always felt like it was a bit grungy. No, I am not talking about the clientele, rather I am referring to its cleanliness. Alas! They have two other locations and the N. Denver spot is fresh and clean!

We arrived around 11:30 and the C&S had just started hopping. The dining room is filled with overstuffed pastel booths, hipster servers and coffee while you wait (my favorite perk). Due to the tofu substitutions, there are lots of scramble options. I choose the garden scramble and had them hold the garden sausage because it sadly isn’t vegan friendly. Since I am torn between the NetFlix rating system and the recent “mandatory” employee survey I had to take, overall I would say the visit was somewhere between satisfactory and highly satisfactory or between a 3 or 4 (out of 5).