If you know me at all, and if you pay even 1% of attention to the nonsense I spew on this blog, you know that I will travel for vegan food. Like, really, really far. Mostly recently I hauled my bum all the way to Greece for a Vegan Festival.
Well, I went to Greece for more than the festival, but I did pick the dates I did specifically so I could eat my way through the Vegan Life Festival.
I get questions all the time about how difficult it must be to be vegan. And let me tell you, it really isn’t challenging at all. All it takes is a tiny bit of research before heading out into the world, and I have yet to be disapointed.
Enter Berkeley, California.
During my last trip to the Bay Area, I read about The Butcher’s Son, a vegan delicatessen and bakery and knew I needed to take a trip in. And a special thank you to my mom for taking the journey with me and dealing with my ridiculous excitement.
The place is all vegan, with a handful of gluten free options. The food was excellent, though a bit heavy. Absolutely perfect hang over food if you find you’ve indulged a bit too much the night before.
That restaurant aside, Berkeley has a plethora of fully vegan restaurants, and loads of restaurants with vegan options. We stuffed ourselves so fully with our first stop, I (very sadly) couldn’t hit every single restaurant, as is forever my dream.
Simply wandering through town, I came across a ton of signs for vegan food. Veggie Grill was another we passed, just a few minutes walk from The Butcher’s Son. An option for much healthier food, if that’s what you’re after.
Continuing on after doing some book shopping and relaxing in the sun at the Berkeley campus, I poked my head into Cream and was delighted to find 2 GF, vegan flavors. Certainly not the most amazing ice cream I’ve ever had, but a wonderful treat and worth the stop if you’d like something sweet.
And, as you probably know, recreational use of marijuana is legal in the state of California. If this is something you’re into, continuing on from Cream, you’ll run into Hi-Fidelity, one of the many dispensaries the area has to offer. I didn’t snag any pictures on my stop, but when I asked about the vegan edible options, I was very pleasantly surprised to have a ton of choices, and the person helping me was very knowledgeable about what was safe for me to consume.
While searching for another vegan restaurant that seems to have gone out of business (boo!), I came across a few signs for vegan food at various restaurants. Overall, Berkeley is a pretty safe place to eat as a vegan. It is common enough in the area that you shouldn’t be met with blank stares when you ask for the vegan options.
Will you be adding Berkeley to your stops for the delicious vegan foods? Have you been before? Let me know int he comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
