Yes, I have recently became vegan and no, this post is not to try to convince everyone to stop eating meat. It's a very personal choice and I'm just here to share my journey, and if I can educate some people along the way then it's just an extra perk. I've only been eating a plant based diet for couple of months and I'm learning so much every day. It makes me feel good when I make better choices when it comes to food and what I put in my body. I think the older I get (I turned 38 years young on July 19th) I become more aware of things that have impact on our bodies and lives. From food and cloths to your everyday products and cosmetics.
I gave up meat for a lot of reasons, from animal cruelty, environmental impacts and of course health benefits. What I didn't realize at first though is that veganism is not only about not eating meat. It's a very spiritual, life changing experience. It's almost weird to say but it changes the way you look at the world, the way you treat people and definitely the way you live your life. You become more aware and present in the moment. Your attitude changes and as a result of all that you live a happier, more fulfilled life. It is a journey though, it doesn't happen overnight but all you need is an open mind. Like one of my favorite YouTubers Sadia form 'Pick up Limes' said, when you go vegan you have to change your mind set and stop thinking about all the things you can't eat anymore and rather focus on all the new items you can introduce to your diet. You need to get excited. I'm not a good cook and I've never been particularity excited about cooking but after going vegan I got super inspired and I've been experimenting in the kitchen, being creative and trying new recipes. My husband didn't go vegan but if I cook I only make vegan dishes so I guess he eats what I prepare :) It makes me happy when he likes what I made and is genuinely surprised that everything tastes delicious. I'll make a separate post about my new favorite dishes that I cook at home. In this blog however I'd like to let you know about some of my favorite vegan restaurants I discovered in San Diego.
I can easily say that my journey so far has been easier than I thought. Maybe because even when I did eat meat and dairy I liked to eat healthy or maybe because there's a point in my life already that I didn't eat meat at all. When I was 17 years old I read some article about animal cruelty and I decided I won't eat meat. Of course my parents and everyone around me thought it's just a quick phase but I actually didn't eat meat for 8 years. Why did I start? At the time I moved from Poland to New York and I was eating out almost every day. It got hard after a while going out to the places that had very limited vegan/vegetarian options. A lot has change since then. There's a lot more vegan products available in the supermarkets and a lot of more places serving vegan cuisine. I want to take you along with me to discover the best vegan restaurants in San Diego and to learn more what's ok and what's not okay in the vegan community. Answer some of the questions like, is wine vegan? or why vegans don't eat honey? Hopefully you'll like it and get inspired.
My current favorite places is Kindred, located in South Park. The owner is Kory Stetina, who's also the creator of LOVELIKEBEER - a popular series of vegan and craft beer pop-up dinners, with proceeds going to charity. We celebrated my birthday dinner there with a small group of friends and everyone, including hard core meat lovers were pretty impressed on how well the food was seasoned, all the flavors and the presentation. If you planning on checking it out, keep in mind that the restaurant is very busy, especially on the weekends and they don't take reservations. The average wait for the table is about an hour to an hour and a half, but it is so worth it. Check out some of my faves.
Memphis BBQ Jackfruit - Pulled Soy Curls, Green Chili Aioli, Pickle, Onion, Dijon Mustard, Sourdough and Potato Chips
Hearts Of Palm
Seared Farinata Flatbread, Aji Amarillo Aioli, Crispy Trumpet Mushrooms, Cilantro, Lime.
Seared Cauliflower Steak - Orange Squash Purée, Tahini Beets, Puff Pastry, Steak Sauce
Skewers - Chargrilled Seitan, Chimichurri, Harissa, Horseradish Aioli w/ San Diego Soy Dairy Tofu
Soul Crush - Cornmeal Crusted Gardein, Parsnip Potato Mash, Broccolini, Creamy Cashew Beer Mac, Tomato Lemongrass Velouté
Beet Risotto -Fried Potato Scallops, Cashew Cream, Sweet Corn, Scallion Sour Cream
Wizard Bowl - Maple Spiced Carrots, Butter Lettuce, Crispy Tempeh, Poblano Tahini, Beets, Candied Pecan, Tofu and Champagne Vinaigrette
Dream Eater - Plantation 5 Yr Rum & 3 Stars Light Rum, Pineapple, Lime, Coconut, Hibiscus, Passionfruit, Aquafaba Fizz
Strawberry Shortcake - Buttermilk Biscuit, Macerated Strawberries, Whipped Coconut Cream, Holy Basil
Chocolate Cremeux - Black Pepper Créme Anglaise, Gingered Almonds, Rainier Cherries, Nasturtium
If you recently went vegan and you have some advice or suggestions please let me know in comments. I'd love to hear from you guys.
Virtual hugs
EWA