Vegan Food in Seattle

I had a blast in Seattle, and I wish that I didn't have to come back. Vacations are the best AND the worst, aren't they? You get to enjoy yourself, rest a bit, clear your mind, and then, BAM! You're back in the real world. Ugh. Last night I went back to work after having a major exam in class in the morning, and my brain was truly fried. There was one point during a cash transaction that I made the cash register start ringing and I just started at it, having no idea what to do.

It was a fun moment.

Alas, even though I'm back I'm still going to rave about all the good food I had while I was up north. I am beginning to realize that as much as I enjoy the food in Portland, the bigger cities really have more options that we just don't have here. There are multiple gluten-free and vegan bakeries in Seattle, not to mention the plethora of vegetarian and vegan restaurants that dot the city. Of course, the price of living up there is quite a bit more expensive, and because of that, I'm currently taking a break from eating out, because I spent a LOT of money on my vacation. I definitely need to build back some of that savings before I go out again.

The cinnamon roll at Flying Apron.

I went to Cafe Flora on Friday. The food there really blew my mind. I haven't had as good of food since I went to Portobello a few months ago. Their menu is fantastic; I didn't realize they also had a cookbook, so as soon as I got home I put it on hold at my library. I put down a good amount of money on the food, though, so beware - if you want a great meal, save up a bit before you go!

The tasty berry scone at Flying Apron.

The display case at Flying Apron.

On Saturday, I discovered Flying Apron and Portage Bay Cafe, and then Flying Apron again. What can I say? I'm a sucker for consistency; once I find something I like, I run back to it again and again and again...but that's beside the point, because I'm here to talk about food. And delicious food it was.

More of the display case.

More amazing food at Flying Apron, complete with a Halloween spiderweb!

And even more of the display.

The vegan hash at Portage Bay.

At Flying Apron (the first time), I shared a berry scone and cinnamon roll with my friend. At Portage Bay I tried their vegan hash. Wow. I couldn't believe how tasty it was. It honestly put tofu hashes in Portland to shame, no joke (sorry, Portland vegan scrambles!). Then, back at Flying Apron for dinner, I had some ravioli. Now, I haven't had ravioli in a loooong time, and the fact that this was both vegan AND gluten-free just blew my mind. I was in food heaven. It was lovely.

My ravioli at Flying Apron.

The selection of savory items at Flying Apron.

On Sunday, my friend drove me up to Wheatless in Seattle. They had so many options it was difficult to choose, so I chose both breakfast (a breakfast sandwich with a biscuit that I swear was stolen directly from KFC) and dessert (a sweet potato muffin that was moist and delightful). After that, we headed over to the Ballard and Fremont Farmers' Markets, where we picked up all sorts of fun things: Chantrelle mushrooms, locally made hard cider, and fresh spinach and butternut squash.

Because we picked up the fresh vegetables, we decided to do dinner in on Sunday evening. Because it was also Halloween, and my friends had to work Monday morning, we thought it was all the more appropriate to spend the night in. I picked up the rest of the needed ingredients at PCC Market, which was just down the street from my friend's place. The market reminded me a lot of Zupan's, but it also sold a few locally made items, so I was able to pick up dessert items for all three of us from Wheatless in Seattle, Flying Apron, and the store's own bakery.

For dinner, my friend made an amazing mushroom/spinach/onion pasta dish with a white wine and olive oil sauce, and I made a side salad with fresh tomatoes and avocado. I need her to give me the recipe so I can make it myself, because it was fantastic.

Whew! What a weekend! I returned on Monday (my actual birthday) and ate out at Blossoming Lotus with a good friend. We enjoyed the squash dishes that were the specials for the night. It was a great way to end the special weekend.