Mill City Vegan Visits Washington, DC

Not only does this post include a few of our vegan favorites in Washington, DC, but we had quick layovers in Chicago and also discovered that Amtrak is actually quite vegan-friendly.  

Between visits to Smithsonian museums and various memorials and monuments, here were our DC highlights:

Java Green. I had visited this all vegan place on a previous trip to DC. It's definitely worth a return visit. I had the Vegan Chickn' Java, which includes soy chickn', roasted red pepper, spinach, Daiya cheese, and veg-mayo. 

Java Green

Cafe Green. Located near Dupont  Circle, this is the sister restaurant to Java Green. I had another sandwich, the "Steak and Cheese" sub. Definitely a winner! 

No vegan should visit DC without at least one trip to Sticky Fingers Bakery. The fantastic options aren't limited to just the sweet stuff. My two visits this time included a Chili 'n Cheese Dog and Cheesy Mac. To finish things off, I had a wonderful cupcake one day and a Cowvin Cookie the next. Unbelievable! 

Sticky Fingers Bakery

Sticky Fingers Bakery

We also had a quick meal at Whole Foods Market near the Friendship Heights Metro station and breakfast at a little neighborhood joint called Pumpernickel's Deli.Thanks to our veg friends for showing us their vegan-friendly neighborhood deli a short walk from their home.  

It had been three years since I last traveled on Amtrak. I've still never ordered their vegan meal. They request that you order it a few days in advance of your trip. The extremely pleasant surprise, however, was the fact that they offer a vegan burger in the lounge car (the less formal option compared to the dining car).  I love the fact that they label it as "Vegan Burger" on their menu. This means that you're not put in a position of asking the staff whether the veggie burger is vegan, only to get a confused look or surly review of the list of ingredients. 

Vegan burger at Amtrak's lounge car

A great thing about traveling between the Twin Cities and DC on Amtrak, in addition to being more eco-friendly than flying, is that there is enough time to indulge in Chicago's vegan dining options each way. On the way out to DC, we made it to Karyn's Cooked, which has definitely become one of our favorite places in Chicago. On the way back, The Chicago Diner satisfied our appetites as it always does. 

The Soul Bowl at The Chicago Diner