Plum Bistro, Seattle

On our last night in Seattle, we had reservations at Plum Bistro in the Capitol Hill area. Plum Bistro consistently shows up as a restaurant in the running for the best vegan fine dining restaurant in the nationwide VegNews survey right next to Candle 79 and Millennium so I was expecting a very upscale restaurant. Boy, was I mistaken. From a distance, we noticed people dressed in shorts and t-shirts eating there and immediately realized that this was no Candle 79.  When we walked in, we were greeted by the hostess and noticed we were one of three reservations. I guess reservations are not required. She asked if we wanted to sit at a private table or the communal one. We chose the private 2-person table. The restaurant is very small and was very crowded when we got there. It also has an open facade so you feel like you are eating outside.

As I looked around, I was amazed at the casual dress of not only the patrons, but the staff. One of the waitresses was actually wearing a mini skirt and flip flops. It was then when I realized this wasn't an upscale restaurant at all.

The wine list was a complete joke. Of the ten or so wines, all of them could be ordered by the glass or by the bottle and there wasn't a bottle priced at more than approximately $30. I was so disappointed. One of them was just called, "Pinot Noir," with no indication of the region or winemaker. Really? The waitress allowed us to taste a couple and we ultimately went with a Cotes du Rhone. The funny part was that it was spelled as "Cotes du Rhode" on the menu and I was telling Zach that I'd never heard of that appellation only to find out it was just misspelled.  That's a pretty significant misspelling.

The menu is incredibly detailed as it lists each dish as well as their side dishes. It was divided into sections for burgers, salads, and entrees. They allow no substitutions on the sides that come with the entrees so you have to choose your entree with your sides in mind. That made the decision much harder. The entrees were either seitan, tofu, or tempeh based. They also offer raw entrees, mushroom-based entrees, and pizza.

We started with the Sauteed Cauliflower appetizer, which was cauliflower sauteed with garlic, chili flakes, and lemon. While it had a nice taste to it, the cauliflower was undercooked. It was way too crunchy for this dish.

For my entree, I ordered the Tempeh Vermouth, which was tempeh marinated in vermouth with an olive sauce, topped with olives and garlic. It was served over mashed potatoes and with grilled green beans. The tempeh had a light, but spicy taste to it and the sauce was a great compliment. I was pretty happy with my dish.

Zach ordered the Chipotle Glazed Peach Tofu, which was exactly as described. It had a peach sauce, a couple pieces of avocado, and grilled green beans on the side. It was one of the few entrees that didn't technically have two side dishes and Zach was disappointed with having a plate full of green beans. That said, the tofu itself was really good.

We asked for the dessert menu and was told there was only one dessert that night - a German chocolate cake so German chocolate it was. Unfortunately, it did not taste like German chocolate cake at all. It was okay, but we were so put off by the bad chocolate syrup and the random rosemary sprig that we didn't give it much of a chance. Why would you put a sprig of rosemary on a "German chocolate cake." When we inquired about the cheap chocolate sauce, we were informed that they used Hershey's brand chocolate sauce. Wow.

The entrees were priced at about $18 each and in the end the entire meal for both of us was about $77 so it was appropriately priced for the quality of the meal. In sum, we enjoyed the entrees, but were disappointed with aspects of the appetizer and dessert. The wine list is a complete joke. The ambiance leaves much to be desired and the waitstaff aren't very professional. In fact, they let a child crawl across the table next to us for most of our meal. For a place that is listed as a vegan fine dining establishment in Seattle, I would say that it is not. It is a fine casual restaurant. Just don't go with high expectations and your experience will likely be better than ours.

Plum Bistro
1429 12th Avenue E
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 838-5333

Chaco Canyon, Seattle

On our last day in Seattle, we headed over to U-Disrict, that is University District for you non-Seattle people, to eat at Chaco Canyon. Chaco Canyon is an organic vegan cafe that offers an amazing raw and cooked food menu.  They say they are 100% vegan, but they offer cow's milk for coffee so they are really about 98% vegan -- they get a thumbs down for that one.  But, other than that, I have no other beef with them.  :)

Upon walking in, we were impressed with the unique Southwestern decor and impressively high ceilings. It gave the somewhat small cafe a feeling of grandeur!  We walked up to the counter and spent some time perusing the menu before actually placing our orders. It appeared that they had nearly as much raw food as cooked food making it so hard to choose! From lentil burgers and pesto melts to raw green coconut curry and raw cilantro pesto pizza, their menu was extensive.  When we finally decided, I went the raw route and ordered the Enchilada Plate while Zach went the cooked route with the Mighty Mofo.

We took a number and had a seat at our choice of tables. I had also ordered a Starving Student juice, which was fresh carrot, celery, parsley and ginger for $3.15.  The juice had way too much celery though leaving a harsh aftertaste and making it too watery.

About 10 minutes later, our meals were served and they tasted as scrumptious as they looked. My raw enchilada plate had spiced zucchini with avocado and other veggies along with fresh herbs and cashew cheese in a raw tomato tortilla. The tortilla was topped with mango pico de gallo and fresh cilantro. It was a great mix of flavors. Everything was so fresh -- from the cashew cheese to the salsa -- it all tasted like it had just been made. The fresh salad it was paired with was great as well. It was delicious.

Zach was also very happy with his Mighty Mofo. This was a reuben sandwich made of housemade seitan, sauerkraut, grain mustard, cucumbers, and sprouts. It wasn't your typical reuben, but it sure was delicious. Zach said it was the best vegan reuben he'd ever had. I must say that I liked it too.

As we were walking out, we also bought a raw espresso truffle and a couple pieces of banana bread. They were yummy as well.

This cafe served some of the best food we had in Seattle during our short stay. At $11 - $13 per plate, the entrees and sandwiches weren't cheap, but they were appropriately priced given the quality of the food. By the time we left, there was a long line almost to the door so this place must be a local favorite. I would highly recommend going here for lunch the next time you are in Seattle. I know I will definitely be back.

Chaco Canyon
4757 12th Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 522-6966

Mighty-O Donuts, Seattle

The Mighty-O Donut shop is legendary in the vegan community. Nestled in the quaint little area of Wallingford, this all-organic vegan donut shop is a must-visit in Seattle. Although you can buy their donuts at many places throughout the city, I still recommend visiting the store for two reasons. First, you get to see the donuts getting made right before your eyes and secondly, you get to eat hot, vegan donuts! Okay, I'm already getting a bit excited writing about this so let me take a step back.

Zach and I went to Mighty-O on Labor Day, which was perhaps not the best day to go. Picture the anxious look on my face as I stepped foot in the vegan donut shop, took a look at their extensive menu, then looked down in the glass case only to find there were only a few flavors left. My feeling of excitement changed to panic as I looked down and asked if that was all they had. And, in fact it was, as they had been cleaned out by everyone who was on vacation that day. But, not to worry, they said they were baking more and if I waited 20 minutes, I'd get my pick of many different flavors. We decided to wait. As we waited we were offered a mini cinnamon donut that was delicious!

As I walked around the corner, I noticed the glass wall that allowed you to watch the donut-making machine. This was the coolest thing I've seen in a while! The dough was spit out of this metal machine in donut-shape into the oil and fried on both sides. It was so cool to watch!

Their menu lists donuts at three different price points with the most expensive at only $1.85. That is an incredible deal. All of their donuts are made with either a vanilla or chocolate cake donut base and topped with a variety of icings/toppings such as raspberry, chocolate, sprinkles, coconut, and nuts. With flavors such as Lemon Poppy, French Toast, Lots o Chocolate, Cocoloco, and Cuckoo for Coconut, how's a girl to choose?

When the donuts came out piping hot, we got the Raspberry Riot, a vanilla cake donut topped with vanilla and raspberry icing.  It was incredibly delicious.

Although I will admit that I was a bit caught up in the fact that it was my first visit to an all-vegan donut shop, the donuts were really delicious. Highly recommended!

Mighty-O Donuts
2110 N 55th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 547-0335

Sutra, Seattle

UPDATE: This restaurant has permanently closed.

As I was researching restaurants in Seattle while I was planning my trip, I came across Sutra.  From just what is stated on its website, one would think this was one of the top upscale vegetarian restaurants in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, though, I quickly realized it was not all I thought it would be.  The website didn't actually show pictures of the restaurant, rather just its sign. When we arrived, I thought perhaps we were at the wrong place, but sure enough, this tiny run-of-the-mill building with dumpsters next to it was the restaurant. Already, I wasn't feeling very good about this.

We had arrived a few minutes early so we took a short walk in the neighborhood. Sutra is described as a supper-club type setting with two seatings per night each Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.  Our reservation was for the first seating. At around 6:20 p.m., we went in and were promptly seated near the kitchen. It is a tiny venue that only seats 35 people, but at least there is enough room so you don't feel like you are sitting with the party next to you. The menu is described as 4-course prix fixe "vegetarian" menu.  It states that they can accommodate vegan diets so I was a little worried that this would be a cheese and milk heavy venue that would offer few vegan options. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised to discover that it was 100% vegan. When I called earlier in the day, one of the owners mentioned that they are actually all-vegan, but didn't state so online so as not to scare people away. I guess that is fine, but by stating that they accommodate vegans, one might think they don't serve vegan cuisine regularly. The Millennium in San Francisco also doesn't state that they are vegan on the website, but they don't mention they'll accommodate them. It seems silly and deceptive.

Anyway, we started off by ordering the wine pairing. We were served a Stefany Pizzolato Prosecco while we waited for the first course to be served. During this time, we did a visual scan and discussed the decor inside which was equally as unimpressive as the outside. It was nice that it was an open kitchen so you could watch the chef prepare each course, but the rest of the restaurant left much to be desired. The chairs were cheap folding chairs, the lights looked like they were from Ikea, and the silverware was Ikea-brand. Minus two.

Before they served the first course, the chef rang a gong to get everyone's attention, then spoke a bit about the dishes on the menu. I think that was a nice touch. The first course was described as "Chilled Yellow Watermelon-Lemon Basil-Fresh Cayenne Soup with an Arugula-Carrot-Pickled Fennel Salad finished Truffle Oil and Sesame Crisps."  Yeah, that really is what the dish was called. And not just this dish, but all of them were this descriptive. It was pretty silly.  It is one thing if he was trying to provide an ingredient list, but it is a whole other thing when this is actually the name of the course. Way TMI. The salad, served on a plastic plate, was pretty good. I liked the fennel and lemon taste together, but the sesame crisps just seemed random and unnecessary. The soup was incredibly watery and there was too much cayenne in it. The wine pairing was a white wine -- El Porvenir Laborvm Torrontes, which seemed appropriate.

The second course (I'll spare you the actual description) was a zucchini lasagna with roasted yellow peppers, spigariello (leaf broccoli), and cashew cheese. It was topped with arame, a sea vegetable, olives and a blue chili yuzu dressing. This dish was okay, but certainly not spectacular, and the arame and olives were unnecessary. It felt like the chef was trying to do way too much with each dish in an attempt to sound fancy.  The wine pairing was awful - a rich garnacha, monastrell, tempranillo blend. The dish should have been paired with a light white wine. The wine was overpowering the dish.

The third course was a purple potato gnocchi with capers, parsley and smoked chanterelles in a garlic hempseed sauce. It was served over a bed of kale and Black Cherokee heirloom tomatoes. Woah - there were way too many flavors in this dish! Again, way too much going on! It was very complex. The smoked mushrooms were very off-putting with the gnocchi -- if they had been sauteed in oil, it would have been a nicer flavor. The wine was a Esoterica Chavez-Leeds Vineyard Petite Syrah from "Nappa Valley." The wine was nice, but the misspelling ruined it for me. How does a restaurant misspell Napa?

The fourth and final course was a pecan-fig crusted tart with a caramel cacao coconut cream sauce. The dessert was okay, but not wonderful. I enjoyed the ice cream and thought it was the best part of the dish. The pairing was a wonderful Imbue Bittersweet Vermouth from Oregon.

While the dinner itself was only $35 per person with the wine pairings, tax, and gratuity, it cost about $170 for the two of us, which is not a cheap dinner. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with every aspect of the restaurant from the decor to the food. The service was okay, but nothing to write home about. For that kind of money, I'd expect something better. If you are looking for an okay vegan meal, you can give this place a shot, but don't expect it to be on par with Candle 79.

Sutra
1605 N. 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 547-1348

Sage Bakery and Cafe, Seattle

On this beautiful and unusually sunny day in Seattle, we headed over to Sage Bakery and Cafe in Capitol Hill for some vegan grub.  This tiny cafe had three high-top tables and stools as well as two outside tables as it was more of a carry-out place.

We grabbed a seat at a high-top table and treated ourselves to a little water as we perused the menu.  So a word about the menu - wow! Talk about vegan options galore! This 100% vegan cafe boasts an impressive menu featuring 12 off-the-grill fresh sandwiches, 5 vegan crepes, 11 signature burgers, baked goods, and options for ordering custom sandwiches. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least. After much discussion, we placed our orders.

I had one of their fresh ginger apple juices from Fresh Juice World, which was yummy. It was more of an apple juice with a little ginger, but that is better than there being too much ginger, which is more often the case than not. Our food took a little time as it is all freshly made, but we were okay with that because it stated that you will wait 15 minutes if ordering fresh food. I appreciated the heads up!

And when it came, it was so worth it. I ordered The Sweet Jamaican, which was a Jamaican spice tofu wrap on lavash bread. It was filled with Jamaican spiced tofu, smoked yams, grilled sweet onions, cabbage, lettuce, tomato and vegan mayonnaise.  It was absolutely delicious! The tofu had this great texture and spicy taste - this was tofu done right! I loved the presentation as well as the meal. The accompanying salad was very fresh as well.  It was pricey at $11, but well worth it.

Zach ordered the "Vegan Crepes." We have no idea why one of the vegan crepes is just called, "vegan crepes," when all of them are vegan, but whatever. I haven't had many (if any) crepes and I liked these. They were filled with oyster mushrooms and smoked seitan, then topped with vegan cheese "yease" sauce. Zach said they didn't really taste like crepes, but I still thought they were pretty good. The crepes were priced at $11 as well.

For dessert, we had a blueberry lime cupcake. The cake itself was delicious and the icing was a unique mix of blueberry and lime flavors.

Overall, we had a great experience at Sage and hope to go back the next time we visit Seattle. This is a great low-key lunch spot with incredible food.

Sage Bakery and Cafe
324 15th Avenue E.
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 325-6429