Classic Soup & Salad

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: A leftover half of the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich from Millennium, and Vegetable Barley soup from Amy's Kitchen.

The Goods: Yes, we're still stuck on the deliciousness of our experience at the Southern Comfort Dinner, which you can read all about on our Press Pass blog. The sandwich was just as good two days later, and I am sad to say that there are no more leftovers from that glorious night, and now my waiting for next year begins. I'm also sad to say that this is the last day of Editorial Assistant Alexandra Chang at the VNHQ. We don't want to see her go, but we wish her all of the best. Happy Memorial Day to everyone—enjoy the long weekend!

Veggie Burritos and Guests

Chef: Alexandra and Taqueria Cancun

The Menu: Burritos filled with rice, black beans, avocados, and salsa, with a side of chips.

The Goods: It was a big day at the VNHQ. We had several visitors for lunch and to make sure everybody's appetite went satisfied, Associate Publisher Colleen Holland got burritos from local favorite Taqueria Cancun.  This meal never fails, and yes, I am currently eating the half of a burrito I saved "for later" while writing this. As for our visitors, we were lucky enough to chat with Back to the Roots founders Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora. These are the guys who created the VN Best of Show- winning mushroom-growing kit, with which we are obsessed. Also joining us was About.com writer Jolinda Hackett, who covers everything vegetarian on the site. With a conference room packed with talent, passion, and drive, it wasn't hard to have some great conversation. If you're in the Bay Area and are interested in learning more about Back to the Roots, check out their event in Oakland next Thursday evening, where they'll be showing off their new warehouse and providing food (plenty of mushrooms!), drinks, and entertainment. That's where you'll find us, at least.

South Indian Fare at Udupi

The Chef: Lyndsay and Udupi Palace

The Menu: The mixed vegetable uthappam with sambar and chutneys.

The Goods: The VNHQ is practically empty today, with everyone gone except myself, and our two editorial assistants, Anna and Alexandra. To liven things up a little, we decided to have a special lunch at Udupi Palace, which is just about two blocks away. The restaurant seemed to be unusually busy, but we received our food right away, and it was extra delicious, if I do say so myself. We wish you a happy weekend!

Pasta with Marinara Sauce

The Chef: Alexandra

The Menu: Linguine and marinara sauce with bell peppers, onion, and garlic (even though you can't see the veggies very well in the photo). And an orange.

The Goods: When I was younger, one of my favorite breakfasts was leftover spaghetti. Now it's my go to carb-heavy, comforting meal. There's something so satisfying about piles of pasta topped with thick tomato sauce (read more about other delicious sauces here), or any pasta dish for that matter. To add a bit more nutrition to the meal, I started with an orange. Hopefully I don't go into a carb coma anytime soon, especially since I have VN's third Twitter chat to look forward to tonight! We're talking with founders of some of the most successful vegan businesses including Sweet & Sara, Chicago Soydairy, Vegan Essentials, and Veggie Grill to chat about how to start a vegan venture.

Beet Salad

The Chef: Alexandra and Herbivore

The Menu: A giant roasted beet salad with soy chicken and avocado.

The Goods: Behold the mighty beet salad, large and hearty enough to satisfy anyone's hungry stomach. VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland surprised us today by treating the staff to a delicious lunch from Herbivore, and I knew exactly what I wanted to try. We're big kale lovers at the VNHQ, but deep down, I know I'll always be more loyal to beets (not that there's a real rivalry at all). With the added soy chicken and avocado, this meal filled me up more than the usual sandwich. Eating on the sunny deck didn't hurt either. Here's to a relaxing weekend!

Vegan Pizza

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: Vegan pizza with spinach, tomato, and Daiya pepperjack cheese.

The Goods: I recently moved to Berkeley, which is a vegan haven, and VN Editorial Assistant Alexandra Chang (a University of California Berkeley graduate) told me to head to Berkeley Bowl for its large produce section. She was not kidding. I felt like a kid in a veggie candy store. I might have bought my weight in kale and giant Fuji apples. So when I was running out the door this morning, I hadn't packed a lunch but I grabbed a tomato and some baby spinach. When I got to the office, I decided to make the VN staff vegan pizzas topped with fresh tomato, spinach, and Daiya pepperjack. We sat outside, enjoying the beautiful San Francisco weather. Instant mood booster, indeed.

Vegan Pozole and Greens

The Chef: Alexandra and Gracias Madre

The Menu: A bowl of pozole filled with spices, beans, and cabbage, and topped with crispy tortilla chips and cashew nut sauce. Plus, a large side of kale.

The Goods: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly offered to take me out to lunch, and let me pick the dining spot. I haven't been to Gracias Madre in a couple months and thought it would be the best way to ease into a sunny, beautiful weekend. The pozole was exactly what I needed, a belly warming and filling soup. It was also the perfect amount of food, which is surprising since I usually tend to eat enough for two or three. I even got a box (I honestly cannot remember the last time I had leftovers to take home) to keep my kale for later. Perhaps this is me turning a new leaf. Less indulging + more saving = savvy vegan. Or maybe I'll just go eat a Sjaak's candy bar in a couple hours. Who knows?

Vegan Cheesesteak

The Chef: Alexandra and Jay's Cheesesteaks

The Menu: A seitan cheesesteak packed with mushrooms, lettuce, pickles, and vegan mayo.

The Goods: Office Manager Lyndsay and I had originally planned on getting the highly recommended spicy BBQ chicken sandwiches from Rhea's Deli (sounds amazing, right?), but they had to deny us because their oven wasn't working. Lyndsay comforted me as we walked away from the land of broken dreams, our lunch seemingly ruined. Fortunately, all was well when we decided on a staff favorite, the trusty Jay's Cheesesteaks, for an equally as delicious sandwich. Upon ordering, the man behind the counter informed us that not only does Jay's have more than 10 different seitan sandwich options, they now carry vegan Italian hot dogs! We both still decided on cheesesteak, but I'm keeping my stomach ready for trying out those hot dogs in the near future. With SF Vegan Drinks tonight, I might end up eating one sooner rather than later...

Vegan Chicken Sandwich

The Chef: Jennifer and Herbivore

The Menu: Grilled soy chicken sandwich on French bread with a side salad and roasted french fries, and a green juice.

The Goods: After reading about the 7 Best Vegan Sandwiches, I really wanted to eat a big sandwich, so I headed to Herbivore. It did not disappoint. VN Editorial Assistant Alexandra Chang had the soy chicken shawarma, and we shared half and half because what's better than having one sandwich? Having two. After my first venture into trying green juice on this very blog, I found I actually like it and even ordered one at Herbivore. So the moral of the story, friends, try out something new. I used to turn away from green juice (it looked like sludge to me) but now I've made baby steps to enjoying it to the point where I'm considering buying a juicer. Need some green smoothie recipes to get you started? Check out Katherine Lawrence's two green smoothies on VegNews TV.

Indian Curry

The Chef: Alexandra and Sticky Fingers Bakery

The Menu: Home-made Indian curry with tofu, garbanzo beans, potatoes, and spinach on rice, plus a ginger cupcake with blueberry frosting from Sticky Fingers for dessert.

The Goods: While this isn't the prettiest meal featured on Café VegNews, it's definitely not lacking in the flavor department. Curries have to be one of my favorite foods, mostly because they are packed with amazing spices. I also love it when they're thick with vegetables, and this one is no exception. And since the VNHQ gets delicious deliveries every day, it's not hard to add another special element to lunch. The cupcake from Sticky Fingers satisfied my sweet tooth (no meal is complete without some form of dessert), and has me dreaming of visiting DC. Luckily, the Bay Area is an equally great place to be. There's tons of veg-restaurants and events (like SF Vegan Drinks coming up!), vegan luminaries come here to meet and discuss future books (check out VN Publisher Joseph Connelly's Press Pass post on Jeffrey Masson's book in the making), and of course, VegNews is here. You can't beat that.

Lemongrass Tofu and More

The Chef: Lyndsay and Sunflower

The Menu: A gigantic lunch for cheap, including lemon grass tofu, hot and sour soup, an imperial spring roll, salad, and brown rice.

The Goods: I haven't been to Sunflower since last year (too much Gracias Madre, I suppose), and boy did I miss it! So I begged editorial assistant Alexandra Chang and VN volunteer Robin Webb to go with me today. The dishes are full of flavor and totally satisfying, and do you see how much food is on that plate? This vegetarian lunch special is only $7.95! I don't know about you, but I'm impressed—and full, with leftover food to spare. I'll stop gushing about this great restaurant now, but speaking of cheap, check out some great decorating tips over at Savvy Vegan. Decorating on a budget is always a good thing.

Vegan South Indian Food

The Chef: Alexandra and Udupi Palace

The Menu: A mixed vegetable uthappam (rice and lentil pancake) with chutney and three amazing dipping sauces.

The Goods: We're back from Expo West 2011, and though it was hugely successful and bigger than I ever imagined, it's great to be back in foggy San Francisco. After spending a weekend munching on snack bars, chocolate, ice cream, mini quesadillas, pizzas, and burgers, I wanted one nice hearty meal to enjoy. Office Manager Lyndsay and I walked over to Udupi Palace, one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the city. The servings are huge, the service is super friendly, and there's nothing quite like a restaurant that makes you feel like it's night when it's day (hence the dimly-lit photo). Now it's time to go through all the amazing new products we scoped out this weekend! Jealous that we scored so much? Then enter in this week's giveaway to win something for yourself—a $100 shopping spree at MooShoes.

Kale Salad

The Chef: Alexandra and Herbivore

The Menu: The beloved marinated kale salad with soy chicken, avocados, tomatoes, and cucumber.

The Goods: Office Manager Lyndsay, VN volunteer Robin, and I ventured to Herbivore for a refreshing and healthy lunch. After a weekend spent indulging in baked goods, I definitely needed to do a mini-detox to start Monday off right. OK, so I had a Pepple's doughnut for breakfast, but who's keeping track? If anything, kale salad is so deliciously good for you, it reverses all the negative effects of previously eaten foods. That's (unproven, but highly likely) science for you! After going into cupcake overload this week—Food Network's Cupcake Wars airs Tuesday night, featuring two vegan bakers and VN's own Twitter chat with said bakers takes place the following night—everyone will want to believe my kale salad theory.

Vegan Cheesesteak

The Chef: Alexandra and Jay's Cheesesteak

The Menu: A super messy and delicious cheesesteak sandwich filled with grilled seitan, onions, spinach, pickles, lettuce, and vegan mayo. And let's not forget the fries on the side.

The Goods: It's been decided, cheesesteak sandwiches are the perfect Friday lunch meal. Hearty, comforting, and downright tasty, they're the perfect way to transition into the weekend. Editorial Assistant Anna and I filled our stomachs to the brim while debating which protein-filled meat replacement is the best, seitan, tempeh, or tofu (we decided on tofu and seitan). If that wasn't enough: we just got a giant box of baked goods in from Everyday Gourmet. Food coma, here I come. Speaking of indulgent meals, check out Associate Editor Jenn's recent Press Pass, where she takes on the sushiritto. Yes, that is a burrito-sized sushi roll.

Kale Salad and Lentil Soup

The Chef: Alexandra and Jeff (the boyfriend)

The Menu: A giant Marinated Kale Salad with Parma! sprinkled all over and a bowl of hearty lentil soup.

The Goods: With it raining so much in San Francisco I was very happy to stay indoors today with a home-cooked meal. I brought a huge kale salad that I let marinate overnight and then some, leading to the perfect texture (none of that toughness kale can have, and since it's so thick, no sogginess either). As per Managing Editor Elizabeth's advice, I also sprinkled a generous amount of Parma! all over the leafy goodness. Along with the salad I had a bowl of lentil soup—full of brown lentils, carrots, celery, onion—that Jeff made last night. Though he usually adds chicken to the recipe, he thoughtfully left it out so I could enjoy the soup as well (I personally think it's much better without!). If you're in the mood for making your own giant salad on the cheap, check out Elizabeth's Savvy Vegan post for some handy tips. Or if you're in the mood for puppies, take a look at the VNHQ dog mania going on right now!

Vegan Burgers and More

The Chef: Alexandra, Amy's Kitchen, Fry's Vegetarian, Ashera's Gourmet, and Wholesome Chow

The Menu: A taste test lunch feast of Amy's Kitchen Vegetable Barley Soup and Sonoma Burgers, Fry's Vegetarian Veggie Burgers and Chicken-style Nuggets, Ashera's Original Vegan Burgers, and Wholesome Chow's Lemon Poppyseed Cake and Gluten-free Chocolate Chai Cake.

The Goods: I ate it all! OK, I didn't, but I probably could have. Today, the VN staff enhanced lunch with a giant taste test of veggie burgers and meats, plus some sweets. While we all had our side meals (I brought the Amy's Kitchen soup from home), the burger patties and chicken nuggets were the highlight of the day. A good veggie burger is always welcome at the VNHQ, and we loved them all! Plus, the weather's beautiful in San Francisco, so we were lucky enough to eat our lunch on the sunny deck while puppies pranced (yes, these puppies do prance) and occasionally begged for food around us. It was a post-card perfect hour, soaking up the vitamin-D and attempting to tan. Wish you were here! Speaking of, our Publisher Joseph Connelly and Associate Publisher Colleen Holland couldn't join us, because they're in India on a VegNews Vacation (check out the photos here)! Lucky ducks. Well, we got cake, so there.

Green Salad and Tacos

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: Crispy tacos with beans, guacamole, and tofu spread, plus a huge green salad with shredded beets, avocado, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber with a Dijon dressing.

The Goods: So, you might be thinking that the picture above looks nothing like the tacos and salad I described. You might be totally right. Unfortunately, hunger got the better of me today, and I rushed out of the office sans camera. To make up for my thoughtlessness, I figured this photo of my all-time favorite Herbivore meal would suffice. That's right, the grilled faux-chicken sandwich is hands-down my favorite, and possibly my favorite sandwich ever. Why I didn't just order this today, I'm honestly not sure. Perhaps it was because I was distracted by the lovely conversation with Associate Editor Jennifer, and Editorial Assistants Anna and Alexandra, who were kind enough to share lunch with me. In case you're curious as to why Joseph and Colleen weren't on-hand at lunch, it's because they're currently en route for the thrilling second installment of VegNews Great Adventure to India!

Raw Lunch with Kris Carr

The Chef: Alexandra, Colleen Holland, and Kris Carr

The Menu: An entirely raw menu of green juice galore, marinated raw kale salad with avocados and mushrooms, almond paté to use in a veggie wrap with lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, and sprouts, and decadent coconut truffles.

The Goods: The entire VN staff has been looking forward to this glorious Tuesday, because today, we were graced with the lovely Kris Carr's presence. Yes, the New York Times bestselling vegan author of Crazy Sexy Diet, Kris Carr. And yes, she is as glowing, funny, and knowledgable as you'd imagine! We celebrated her visit with a massive raw feast—Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria made a giant jug of green juice, enough to get the Crazy Sexy flowing through our pH-balanced bodies. There was also plenty of marinated kale salad and almond-based paté in lettuce wraps to go around, all courtesy of our amazing in-house chef for the day, Associate Publisher Colleen Holland. Finally, the coconut truffles for dessert had our God pods glowing, as Kris would say. I could seriously go raw for this lunch (see photos here)! Other reasons we're totally in love with today: VN is giving away boxes of Vegan Sugar Cookie Mix to a lucky winner, just in time for Valentine's Day; our Savvy Vegan blog is up with great couch potato tips; and last, but certainly not least, Oprah is airing an episode entirely dedicated to veganism, and we're partying! Watch out world—vegans are rising to the top.

Almond Butter and Jelly

The Chef: Alexandra

The Menu: Almond butter and strawberry jam sandwich on cinnamon raisin bread.

The Goods: Last week I opted out of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich for some delicious pizza, but this week it seems that the simple sandwich is on every VN staffers mind (we're working on our upcoming March+April issue, so keep an eye out for a PB&J appearance!). I made a slight change using almond butter instead, and swapped out plain bread for some cinnamon raisin slices. Yes, I do like my sweet meals extra sweet. As my mom always informs me, "You aren't that healthy with all the sugar you eat!" So I have a little sugar problem, but with the help of Kris Carr's 21-Day Cleanse I'll hopefully be cutting back soon. You could also start delving into this lovely lady's book by entering this week's giveaway, where one lucky winner will receive a copy of Carr's new book and the January+February issue of VegNews where she is featured on the cover. Just remember to start cleansing after all the awesome vegan parties. I'm thinking after this Thursday's SF Vegan Drinks (where you will find me sipping on some tasty Bloody Mary's).

Vegan Pizza, Muffins, and Tarts!

The Chef: Alexandra, Paxti's Pizza, and Candle Cafe

The Menu: A vegan feast of Paxti's California Chicago "Stuffed" pizza with Daiya Mozzarella, a variety of Candle Cafe Vegan MiniMuffins, and Candle Cafe Tarts in both Chocolate Peanut Butter and Raspberry Linzer.

The Goods: After a three-day weekend, the VegNews staff was spoiled once more! New York's Candle 79 and Candle Cafe owners Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza visited the VNHQ, bringing with them plenty of amazing tarts and mini muffins (check out the photos at This Just In). My personal favorites: the sweet carrot mini muffins and the raspberry linzer torte. But really, everything tasted incredible, the company was great, and all our bellies were filled with sweetness. As Editorial Assistant Anna so accurately put it, "We have the best job ever." Oh, and let's not forget that our publisher, Joseph Connelly, also ordered a Paxti pizza full of red onions, spinach, and vegan pizza necessity—Daiya cheese (for all you pizza lovers out there, make sure to keep an eye out for our upcoming VegNews.com how-to pizza guide!). I'd never had Paxti's before, and I'm usually more of a thin-crust pizza fan, but this delectable deep-dish definitely had me on its side. And to think that I was originally going to have a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch...