vegansaurus!

Guest post: A vegan guide to Madison!  »

So, you’re a vegan in Madison, Wis. Maybe you live there, maybe you’re traveling through. You may have a lot of despair in your heart, because you know that in Wisconsin, underneath the earth’s crust is a river of molten cheese. You may have also discovered that everyone born in Wisconsin is composed of pure cheese. In fact, if you were to shake my hand right now, it would melt.

Yes, the dairy industry is a proud part of life in Wisconsin. It can seem that there’s cheese at every turn (the streets are made of cheese), butter on every vegetable, and mayo in every salad. But if you know where to look, Madison can be a vegan’s delight.

Things I, Rachel, a vegan, ate at Madison restaurants: a list for your pleasure

• Lemon poppyseed cheesecake
• A BBQ jackfruit sandwich
• Tangerine champagne cake with raspberry filling
• A crab cake sandwich
• Split pea soup
• A grasshopper (a brownie with mint frosting)
• A scone
• So many muffins I am now known as “The Muffin Man”

AND MORE! “Lead me to this smorgasbord, Rachel,” you are saying to me right now. Forward!

The Green Owl Café
Located on Atwood on the near east side, The Green Owl Café is Madison’s first vegan/vegetarian restaurant. I went there twice in two weeks and wish I could transport it to Oakland so I could LIVE there. The most outstanding part of both meals was the desserts, which they make in house. The waitress said “Vegan lemon poppy seed cheesecake” and I screamed so loud it deafened her. I was like a hippo, making loud noises and eating everything and probably sweating from all the joy.

BBQ jackfruit sandwich

Tangerine champagne cake

Himal Chuli
Did you know that Madison has more Nepalese restaurants than any other American town? We have two, and they are next door to each other. Himal Chuli is where you go if it’s 2 degrees and hasn’t stopped snowing in three months. The food will warm you AND prevent scurvy! Their vegetarian menu is extensive, but I recommend the momochas and the takari (your choice of 2 vegetable blends). WARNING: the roti is made with yogurt!

Chocolate Shoppe
You can’t go to Wisconsin without eating ice cream. IT’S THE LAW. Luckily for us, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream is locally made and has soy options! My favorite flavor is the espresso oreo. The photo you see before you was taken when I ate ice cream for lunch one day. TREAT YO SELF.

The Willy Street Co-Op
This is the Rainbow of Madison, y’all. I ate like 55 muffins here? I also consumed a grasshopper as big as my head (see photo). The baked goods at this place kind of put the Bay Area to shame, you guys. The only thing they were missing is Cinnaholic rolls.

I left Madison with a sad heart and tight pants.

Rachel orders one pancake with her breakfast burrito at Saturn Café, just so she can cover the burrito with maple syrup. She organizes the SF Vegan Bakesales and is the genius behind @sfveganbakesale. Will you marry her?

It’s time for another SF Vegan Bakesale! Who’s baking?  »

Hey Bay Area! The next SF Vegan Bakesale is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 30—that’s next Sunday! The profits for this bakesale will go to Performing Animal Welfare Society, which is an awesome organization that helps rescue and find sanctuary for animals that have been “victims of the exotic and performing animals trade,” as well as “investigat[ing] reports of abused performing and exotic animals, document[ing] cruelty and assist[ing] in investigations and prosecutions by regulatory agencies to alleviate the suffering of captive wildlife.” So awesome!

If you want to bake for the SF Vegan Bakesale, contact organizers Rachel and Heather on Twitter or via email, and let them know what you can do. Presumably lots, because you love the animals!

We’ll see you next week on Sunday, Oct. 30, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in front of Herbivore, at 983 Valencia at 20th Street in the Mission!

[photo by digiyesica via Flickr]

The January 2011 SF Vegan Bakesale: SUCCESS!  »

Thank you to everyone who came out and bought things on Saturday! You helped us raise $2,000 for the benefitting organizations, Mickacoo and Muttville.

A king pigeon modeled a fancy pigeonkini!

People were thrilled about these cashew-cheese-filled, chocolate-covered dates!

We went from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at which point the leftovers consisted of maybe three jars of Frankie’s amazing pickled carrots, exclusively*. Thank you to Speesees for letting us take over their sidewalk—did anyone take advantage of the 10 percent discount for SFVBS customers?

If you missed the whole sale well, first, TOO BAD, and second, you can still donate independently to Mickacoo and/or Muttville—they can always use the extra money. Us, we’re going to split that $2,000 to hopefully help out a lot of pigeons and senior dogs. We’re so grateful to every one of you who came, to volunteer, to buy, to drop off delicious treats and leave—you’re all lovely human beings, and we hope to see you in a couple months at the next one. If you want to be on the baking and volunteer list, email Laura!

*Next time everyone buy these because delicious.

Kelly Peloza of Vegan Cookie Connoisseur is at Saturn Cafe TONIGHT!  »

Yes, that’s right. I had no fucking clue. Dude, vegans! When you’re doing an event here, let a Vegansaur know! We will promote the crap out of it. Anyway, GO! Meave loved her book so much that she is baking from it for the SF Vegan Bakesale TODAY! So why not go eat your weight in oatmeal cream pies and then go meet the lady behind the vision? In case you can’t see the Facebook invite because UGH FACEBOOK, it’s at Saturn Cafe (2175 Allston Way in Berkeley) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 15th.

Anyway, I don’t have much more to say than that as I woke up at 4 am with anxiety that nobody will come to the bakesale and I’ll have to eat all the oatmeal cream pies myself. Actually, it’s not so much anxiety as it is drinking water every hour to stretch out my stomach. Athletes prepare, people.

[oatmeal cream pies from Meaverly!]

The next SF Vegan Bakesale is Saturday, Jan. 15!  »

We were rained out in December (boo!) but we’re back for more! That’s how we do! The new! and improved! bakesale will take place in the Mission in front of Speesees at 1415 Valencia St. (between 25th and 25th Streets) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. That’s about three blocks from BART so NO EXCUSES and we’ll see your lazy asses there. Speesees is also offering a 10 percent discount on their adorable organic baby and kid clothing to all bakesale attendees. I know your friends are having kids like crazy so no reason not to buy them cute crap. This is America, after all. Consume!

Oh yes, all monies from the bakesale will still benefit the wonderful non-profits, MickaCoo (pidgy rescue!) and Muttville (senior shelter dogs!)!

SO THE QUESTION IS: Can you bake??? YEAH YOU CAN, WHAT ELSE YOU GOT GOING ON? NOTHING!!! (How rude!) Anyway, Let me know!
Above: Robin counting bakesale money like a boss. Let’s make it rain for the animals! Further, I took this photo so I ain’t linking to SHIT!