Guest Post by Joy Erickson

Five Guys Burgers and Fries may sound pretty scary for a vegan or vegetarian.  My friend Joy is here to tell you otherwise.  She has been vegetarian for many years.  She is an avid runner, animal activist and blogger.



This is Joy



  You can read her blog called "Yes Charleston...there is a blog" by clicking here.  En-JOY her vegetarian find at Five Guys!...

Five Guys:  By Joy Erickson

After being completely convinced that this place was completely focused on providing meat products and such, I went in with much hesitation. I only had intentions on purchasing fries. However, after walking in and learning of the cheese vegetable sandwich (and also just vegetable sandwich), I quickly learned they had the pleasure of serving all kinds of eaters.

 The sandwich was spectacular. Grilled mushrooms (separately from the cow), lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and onions mixed with a nice cheddar cheese sqooshed in between the nice sesame seed bun...it was truly heaven in my mouth. In addition, the potatoes used to make the homemade fries were nicely labeled on a blackboard in the restaurant. Needless, to say..I was very pleased and will frequent five guys over and over.

Five Guys:  http://www.fiveguys.com/index.aspx

Mellow Mushroom

Mega Veggie with Daiya Cheese AND my recycled napkin!

Mellow Mushroom has VEGAN CHEESE!  End of story..done...go there!  :)

Mellow Mushroom has very yummy pizza.  They have the best crust and a huge variety of toppings.  To "top" it off, he he, they have Daiya Vegan Cheese as an option at no extra charge!

Daiya cheese is tapioca based and completely made out of plant based ingredients.  It melts and taste just like mozzarella and can be found in any health food store...and at your local Mellow Mushroom!

http://www.daiyafoods.com/

Try any veggie topped pizza with some yummy vegan cheese! 

Check out Mellow Mushroom of Charleston



ROTI ROLLS

Roti Rolls is an international food truck!  They came by our office park today and fed us some amazing food!  Find them on facebook here  and Twitter here.

They are a local company that uses only the freshest and local foods they can get their hands on.  They have a different menu all the time depending on what they have available.  A "roti roll" is an Indian or Pakistani flat bread made from stoneground flour. This is the base of Roti Rolls dishes!

Today they had two options on the menu; one meat option and one veggie option. 

The veggie option was called the funky farmer and it was very yummy.  You must love spices to eat at Roti Rolls because it was HOTTTT! 

The Funky Farmer had - Beer braised Collards, Curried Turnip & Potato and Pickled J Fields Veggies!

Be on the lookout for Roti Rolls to come to your neighborhood.  Make sure you follow them on Facebook or Twitter.  It is always great to have vegan food delivered to your place of business!! 

To be extra eco friendly, bring your own plate and reusable napkin so that your meal is waste free!! 

Guest Post by Jennifer Knowles!

The beautiful yogi, Jen Knowles has written a blog about her most recent meal at the restaurant BLU.  Jen and her husband, Mark are joyful vegans and know all the great spots to eat in Charleston!  Jen is a  massage therapist in the area and Mark is a Jivamukti Yoga teacher.  They are one talented couple!  Enjoy her blog about their amazing vegan dinner!

BLU  By: Jennifer Knowles



Blu is a beachfront restaurant located within the newly remodeled Holiday Inn on Folly Beach.  You'll have a great meal no matter what time of year you go, but the outside Tiki bar is definitely worth checking out in the warmer months.  The menu has almost nothing vegan, but when you call ahead Chef Jon Cropf will amaze you with what he can come up with.  And word to the wise, they get their veggie shipment on Fridays and almost everything you eat on that day is from Kennerdy Farm, local and delicious! 

Salad

We started with an heirloom tomato soup with micro basil.  The salad entree was baby beets (red and golden), arugula, macadamia nuts, truffled baby peaches, with an olive oil and sea salt dressing.  Between salad and main entree they gave us a "snack" of pickled baby peach drizzled with a fig vincotto on grilled baguette. 



"Snack"





Entree



The entree was cracked barley with N.C. apples, fennel, peanuts with a cider foam finish.  We ALSO were treated with a dessert of peanut butter and oat cookies and fresh berries.  Every dish is a piece of art and incredibly delish.  Another great thing about this meal is the price.  For this entire dinner, a starter, 3 courses and dessert, we paid only $30.00 a person.

 
Go see Chef Jon at Blu anytime of the year for a spectacular meal and Thank You Mary for letting me share and keeping Charleston eating healthy!!

Below is Jennifer Knowles Contact information for much needed massage therapy!

Jennifer Knowles
Licensed Massage Therapist
Certified Thai Massage Therapist
JKnowles.massage@gmail.com
http://www.jenspa.net/
843.345.7370

Please also check out her husband Mark's website for yummy vegan recipes, restaurants, yoga classes, cooking classes and more.  Click on Bahama Yogi

Taco Spot

Dear Charlestonians,

If you are looking for the best vegetarian tacos and burritos, I have found the place...

TACO SPOT in West Ashley on Ashley River Road!

Taco Spot is a cool little restaurant tucked away in the Carriage Lane Shops.  When you walk in, you are greeted by friendly staff and a huge menu!  There are many options on the menu that are vegetarian and vegan!  Not only is the food great, they are very Eco friendly.  Each dish is served on a reusable plate, they use real silverware AND they recycle!

I ordered the VEG BURRITO (sans cheese).  It came with black beans, Spanish rice, lettuce and the kicker...tomato-cucumber pico!!  The last ingredient is what made the burrito.  It tasted fresh with just the right amount of spice!  They have many sauces to choose from on the bar.  I used the banana curry sauce which was amazing with the burrito.

Sauces

Me enjoying my burrito!

Next time I go, I am told to try the Spicy Ginger Wrap!  This includes warm green tomato chow-chow, Spanish rice, green peas, pico and lettuce.  This is tossed in a spicy ginger cucumber dressing..And guess what...?  The chef said the dressing is vegan!  Yuuummm!

Definitely check out Taco Spot for a yummy, fresh, healthy and affordable breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack! 

Moe's

"WELCOME TO MOE'S"- VEGAN STYLE!

Moe's is a fast, fresh and veg friendly place to eat.  Since you can make your own dish, you can customize to meet your needs.

I order the Art Vandalay which is a vegetarian dish.  Then I build it myself. 

First I start with a whole wheat tortilla.  Then I add rice, black beans and peppers and onions.  Next I slop on the guacamole and salsa and call it a wrap!  :)

It is filling, satisfying and tasty without the meat, cheese and sour cream! 

The VEGAN ART VANADALY contains 600 calories and 13 grams of fat. It also brings 18 grams of protein and 29 grams of fiber!!

Compare that to a "Homewrecker" with meat, cheese, queso, sour cream, guacamole and salsa:  1051 calories and 49 grams of fat.  46 grams of protein and only 20 grams of fiber.

For less calories, order the compassionate choice with no meat or animal products!

Red Orchid's China Bistro

Red Orchid is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Charleston.  The menu reminds me of P.F. Changs and I LOVE PF Changs!   They have great vegetarian and vegan options.  Tofu is on the menu along with a lot of vegetables.  The food is great and the prices are great as well.  

Red Orchids is located in West Ashley on Sam Rittenburg Blvd.  Click here for the menu.

For starters, try the vegetarian lettuce wraps.  They are tofu and vegetables stir fried in peanut sauce and spicy sauce.  Then you spoon a bunch into a lettuce leaf and gobble it up.  They are so very good.  I can eat the mixture without the lettuce!

Here is a picture of my General TOFU!  It is cooked perfectly and taste great.  If you eat meat, you would never know it's not chicken.  I also got a spring roll.  I am not sure that their spring rolls are vegan.  (the wrapper may have egg in it?!)  Check with your server or pass on the sides.