Caffrey's Deli

I just had the vegan version of the Three Pepper Chicken sub at Caffrey's Deli.  They'll put hummus on the sub in place of the mayo. Good stuff. Caffrey's is located at 3008 Lyndale Ave. S.

Vegan Three Pepper Chicken Sub

Mesa Pizza

After spending a bit of time at Art-A-Whirl, we stopped at Mesa Pizza, a popular establishment selling pizza by the slice in Dinkytown. I absolutely love the vegan slice. There are a number of fine pizza places around town these days, but I'm not aware of another in Minneapolis that sells vegan pizza by the slice. They don't have vegan cheese, but this pizza is completely satisfying without the cheese. They load it up with roasted peppers, artichokes, spinach, carrots, and onions. The crust and sauce are great. The prices are reasonable. For people who are younger than me, they have late-night hours!

Vegan slice at Mesa Pizza

Vegan Waffles & Vegan University

If you're sticking around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for at least part of your Memorial Day weekend, here are a couple of events on Saturday:

Vegan Waffle Party! Saturday, May 28 at the Fuller Park Building at 48th Street and Grand Avenue South in Minneapolis from 10am to Noon for a deliciously fun vegan wafflepalooza! Bring the kids, bring some toppings to share, and bring a BIG plate to fit all the vegan waffle goodness you can. Please be sure to bring vegan items if you wish to share them (no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no honey, no animal by-products).

And...

Vegan University. Are you vegan-curious? A new vegan? Someone who just simply loves kale? Well then May 28th is your lucky day. Come on out to the Vegan University workshop at Ethique Nouveau and get your vegan on! Vegan extraordinaires Dallas Rising and Al Nowatzki will be on hand to answer any and all questions you have about going - and staying - vegan. From shopping tips and Thanksgiving dinner to moral arguments and shoes, they’ve got you covered. After the workshop, you’ll have the chance to get set up with one of our many helpful vegan mentors. This event is from 1-3 at Ethique Nouveau, 317 W. 48th St. 

Vegan University: It’s like college, but without finals and all the debt. And it’s vegan. 

Forks Over Knives - My Reaction

I attended an advance screening of Forks Over Knives last night. Even prior to its release, the documentary film has been called "vegan propaganda" by some who insist that people should eat animals and their secretions. So I went into this movie with a big question on my mind: "Will non-vegans who watch this movie simply conclude that it's nothing more than shallow propaganda?" After seeing the film, my conclusion is that anyone with a little bit of an open mind will find the movie to be very compelling. At the very least, I think that most people who see the Forks Over Knives are going to walk away convinced that there are health benefits to cutting back on the intake of animal-based products. The film combines exhaustive research and powerful personal stories to demonstrate the devastating results of diets centered around meat, dairy, and eggs. Eating fewer of these products means less obesity, less diabetes, less cancer, less heart disease...the list goes on.

I was impressed by Forks Over Knives. It's an important and powerful film and I certainly plan on recommending it to friends, family and co-workers who I think are able to walk into the theater with an open mind. It certainly reminded me that there is more I can and should do with my diet, like eating more whole foods and fewer processed foods. For those in the Minneapolis area, the movie opens at the Lagoon Cinema this week.  See my previous posts and the film's web site for more information.



 

Seward Cafe and Franklin Freeze

Green Bean Earth Breakfast at the Seward Cafe

I spent part of this beautiful Sunday at two Franklin Avenue establishments in the Seward neighborhood. I had lunch at the Seward Cafe. This place has been serving veg-friendly food since 1974. The Seward has always been one of those places where you feel confident that they aren't confused about the meaning of the word "vegan." Today I enjoyed a half order of the Green Bean Earth Breakfast, in which they substitute pinto beans for eggs in the dish that also includes hashbrowns and broccoli.  I also sprinkle a generous amount of nutritional yeast on top. It comes with a side of toast and you can help yourself to excellent jam. My wife seems to order this dish every couple of weeks, and I'm now hooked as well.

Following our lunch at the Seward Cafe, we traveled a couple of blocks east on Franklin Avenue to Franklin Freeze. I found out late last summer that this place has vegan soft serve ice cream. I only made it there one time before they closed for the season. May 7th was the first day of business this year. The ice cream is my personal favorite: Temptation by Chicago Soydairy. And Franklin Freeze has 24 flavors that they'll add to the ice cream!!! You can choose from three sizes and they'll mix two flavors in a single serving. I had a combination of raspberry and banana. My wife ordered German chocolate. Loved it! I'm pretty sure I'll be a regular here over the course of the summer. Franklin Freeze is just one more reason why Seward is probably Minneapolis' most vegan-friendly neighborhood. 

Vegan soft serve ice cream!!!  

 

Franklin Freeze

  

Poly Styrene - I LUV UR SNEAKERS

I ordered Poly Styrene's new cd, Generation Indigo, the day it was released in the U.S.  Checking out the new release, I was so thrilled to see the lyrics to the first song, I LUV UR SNEAKERS. Any song that includes references to vegan shoes is an instant hit with me:  

the canvas

the color

the rubber toe

no animal died

or lost its soul

in the production of

your beautiful sneakers

I'm still mourning Poly's recent death. Ever since hearing an X-Ray Spex song on a local independent radio station when I was about 16 or 17, I've been enthralled with that band and Poly's work. From her solo record Gods and Goddesses, here is another vegetarian reference that Poly included in her music:

Talk about religion
I say don't do no thing no harm-no no
Talk about religion
I say I'm vegetarian


She'll be missed.

Brunch at the Triple Rock

Vegan french toast

Tofu scramble with home fries and toast

We had a great Mother's Day brunch at the Triple Rock today. The rest of the family ordered vegan french toast and I ordered the tofu scramble. While I'm not certain the Triple Rock has the best tofu scramble in town (maybe a three or four-way tie for first?), their vegan french toast is absolutely fantastic. Combine it with the home fries and you'll definitely go home full and satisfied, without spending a fortune.

Forks Over Knives - Complimentary Passes to May 16th Screening

After my last post I was contacted by a representative from Paramount Pictures authorizing me to offer free passes to anyone who would like to check out a screening of Forks Over Knives at Minneapolis' Lagoon Cinema at 7:30 on May 16th.  Note that this will require that you create a gofobo account, which takes 5-10 minutes. Here, loyal readers of Mill City Vegan, are your instructions:

To obtain your tickets please follow the steps below:

1. Go to: http://www.gofobo.com/screenings/forks_over_knives/767439?pc=VDJBMFk5NkQ%3D 

2. Enter RSVP code= T2A0Y96D

3. Print passes

Forks Over Knives

The Minneapolis premiere of the movie Forks Over Knives will take place on May 18th at the Lagoon Cinema. A book signing will happen at Whole Foods Market from 3:30 to 4:30. The 7:00 p.m. screening of the film will include a panel discussion. According to the online synopsis of the film, "Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called "diseases of affluence" that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn."

Those names are familiar to anyone who has read (or listened to, as I did) The China Study. Tickets to the screening and panel discussion are apparently available now at Whole Foods in Minneapolis. Regular screenings of the film will start May 20th at the Lagoon, according to the Forks Over Knives web site.  

Living Green Expo

Check out the annual Living Green Expo this weekend, May 7th and 8th, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Among the many exhibitors, ARC will have a booth and Dallas Rising will present "Veganism 201" at 2:00 on Sunday.