A few days ago it was my birthday. A friend and I decided to celebrate it Vegalicious style in Portland, which is known for its great selection of vegan restaurants or restaurants that cater to vegans. Trust me, we were not disappointed! Here’s a photo journal of eating our vegan way through the city over the weekend. The first evening we went to dinner at Blossoming Lotus.

Our first appetizer was these yummy Crispy Artichoke Fritters. Crispy polenta breaded artichoke hearts, over a bed of greens, served with lemon-caper ranch dipping sauce.

This was their “Soup Du Jour” of the evening.

For the main meal we shared their Caribbean Phyllo Roulade. Sweet potato mash and jerked seasonal veggies, wrapped in phyllo dough, served with carrot habanero sauce and mixed greens dressed with hazelnut vinaigrette . [Swoon!]

We also shared this amazingly (surprisingly) delicious Tempeh dish that was on special that our waiter recommended. It had broccoli and brussels sprouts in a smoky sauce. Truly, who knew that Tempeh could taste this good?

The next morning we headed over to the South East side of Portland and ate breakfast at the “Hungry Tiger Too” that the concierge at our hotel had recommended.

We ordered two different kinds of breakfast burritos and then split them in half, so we could taste both kinds. They were amazingly good! The Hungry Tiger Too also serves the non-vegan population of Portland, but nevermind…that’s like being at a restaurant with Republicans. “Can’t we all get along?” Yes, we can!

After eating, we headed over to the Vegan strip mall close to “Hungry Tiger Too” to do a little shopping. There are  three shops. Sweet Pea, a bakery, which we didn’t get to try. We were too stuffed! Herbivore, a clothing/book/jewelry/handbag/card store. Plus “Food Fight”, a vegan grocery store.

At Herbivore I bought myself this t-shirt. Here I am modeling it.

“Only Kale Can Save Us Now”

Since it was my birthday, we continued to do some more shopping. Heading over to the Pearl District in the North West area of Portland that our concierge also had recommended. Here I spotted this beauty.

“Please do not ride me for pictures”

I bought my first pair of non-leather boots in Portland. I stumbled across this little corner store called Ether while I was standing outside with my pup waiting for my friend who was making a stop at Starbucks. One of the gals opened up the door and said, “Come in! Dogs are welcome too! I really just want to pet your dog.” Here’s a picture of me back at the hotel wearing my new boots. One word of advice if you buy a pair of non-leather boots. They scratch super easy, so wear with care! However, I’m not buying any more leather!

Before heading out for my birthday dinner we stopped in the lounge of the hotel, where they have an open wine bar every night. It’s also a great place to meet new people! Some were traveling alone. I got to chat with three people about the benefits of a whole food plant-based diet. Surprise! Surprise! (Lol!)

Nicole who had made excellent recommendations. She’s a vegetarian going vegan!

Pictures from the lobby where we’d hang out!

For my birthday dinner we were initially going to go to Portabello, but then we decided to try “Andina” instead as recommended by Nicole from the hotel. However, it was Cynthia – the concierge – who got us in!

 Andina caters to mainly non-vegans, but has a separate vegan menu. The place was hoppin’ when we arrived! The trio “Toshi Onizuka” was playing. Let me tell you, Toshi is a fantastic musician and the three of them were on fire! The crowd was a bit clueless to the talent that they had in front of them, but I got them clapping!

Toshi – one amazing talent!

At Andina, we started out with soup. A vegetable soup with white beans and roasted vegetables. It was absolutely amazing!

us

Next we had this amazing beet salad and roasted asparagus.

While we waited for our main dish the chef sent us this complimentary salad.

For dinner we had rice, roasted vegetables, and shiitake mushrooms.

Where does a plant-based vegan stay in Portland with a dog?

Of course at a place that has a “V” on its door!

We stayed at Hotel Vintage in Portland…

…and we would absolutely stay there again!

Happy New Year!

Make the New Year WOOFaVegalicious!