Like I do now and again, I am standing aside for Josh to fill you in on some of our latest eating adventures.
Anyone ever been near Heathrow airport and found themselves hankering for some curry? Tell us all about it, Josh…
Hounslow hunger games
I’m getting drunk for you
Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer
I’m feeling romantic. Come with me as I spirit you back to 2005, the year I first met one of the true loves of my life. People often say you can’t help who you fall in love with and in that vein, dear FGV readers, I would like to introduce you to Original Pale Ale by Coopers Brewery.
A reasonably good buy
Come here often? Good, then you’ll know that I love roller derby, drinking vegan booze and overeating. If this is your first time visiting me, you’re about to get a crash course in what makes a fat, gay vegan extremely happy. Buckle up, friend.
A few weekends back, Josh and I rolled on into the inner-city district of Earls Court to take in an evening of contact sport, vegan cider and delicious cruelty-free food.
Drink for the next 8 months
If you are one of the 100 or so people who enjoy London Vegan Drinks on a monthly basis, you will love this news. If you have never joined us for one of London’s best nights out, you will no longer have an excuse.
Best vegan restaurant in the world?
Can we talk? I don’t want to sound nasty, but Philadelphia hasn’t been a model city when it comes to healthy or cruelty-free eating. From cheese steaks to hoagies, the city of brotherly love just loves to pile dead animals up in buns. The food for which Philly is famous for isn’t necessarily creative, either.
But hold on to you faux-suede fedora readers because there is a new sheriff in town. Vedge restaurant is not simply ringing the Liberty Bell for all creatures great and small, they might just turn out to be the finest vegan restaurant on the face of the planet.
The owners of Vedge had nothing to prove in my FGV eyes. They had already run the wildly successful vegan Horizons where the quality of food was of an unusually lofty standard. It’s South Philly location was always packed during my visits and I never left the premises without feeling like I had just enjoyed one of the best meals of my life.
Well, flash forward to a few months past the closing of Horizons and we find owners Kate and Rich have taken vegan fine dining to even more unbelievable levels of greatness.
The recently opened Vedge sits unassumingly behind a brick facade in Philadelphia’s Center City area. As Josh and I entered via the brief stone steps off Locust Street, we were faced with a gorgeous interior and seductive lighting. Some of the friendliest hospitality people I have ever encountered made sure we were comfortable and refreshed in the sumptuous cocktail lounge as we waited for our table to become available. My thirst was satisfied with a cold glass of lager as Josh opted for a scotch on the rocks. We were only on drinks in the bar and Vedge was already stratospheres above its competition.
Once seated we wasted no time in getting down to 5 star dining. A whole lot of world-class, vegan food was consumed by the pair of us and there is no easy way of getting it all down on screen. I’m just going to have to trundle through it, so sit back and experience the culinary delights of Vedge through the following photos.
99%
London Vegan Drinks is a week away and this FGV couldn’t be more excited. Not only is it one of the biggest and best vegan nights on the planet, but hosting venue tibits has promised to go all out to make sure our event is one to remember this December.
The first news that should get the crowds in is the new dessert menu being unveiled for Winter. The menu is the stuff of vegan dreams. tibits will be offering the following vegan desserts during December (many appearing at London Vegan Drinks!): berry crumble, blood orange cream, Bircher muesli, dates, fig cream, fruit salad, gooseberry fool, Mandarin cream, mango mousse, papaya, quince cream, Sharon fruit, sticky toffee pudding and wild berry cream.
You’re coming along, right?! Still thinking about it, hey? Well, listen up.
As a special treat for London Vegan Drinks, the food boat at tibits will be 99% vegan on the night. Yes, that is correct. 99% vegan in honour of us. It is stunning news and proof that tibits is a compassionate business committed to strengthening our community event.
Join us on Thursday December 15, 2011 from 6:30pm for a night of vegan drinking, vegan eating and vegan socialising. It is going to be the event of the season. I 99% guarantee it.
For full event details with information on how to RSVP, click here.
Make mine a gin & tonic
It is well-documented across this site that I am more than partial to a spot of cake now and again. I am also known to enjoy drinking. For years I have dared to secretly dream of an unusual combination of my two passions. Sure there are plenty of rum cakes being carved up around the world, but I had been longing for something fresh and creative.
Well, somebody must be on the same dream frequency as me as I recently enjoyed a delightful cake infused with a drinking spirit during my visit to the northern city of Manchester.
I was in town to attend a concert by pop/rock experts Ash when I decided to pay a visit to the upmarket restaurant know as Bistro 1847. This handsome vegetarian eatery is located in the centre of the city, just a short stroll from just about anywhere. I had sampled their wares once before, but that was a rushed visit and I was determined to delve a little deeper into their vegan options.
London Vegan Drinks review: November 2011
What do you get when you cram 100 people into a room in Central London, supply them with food and serve them alcohol? Why, London Vegan Drinks of course!
The London branch of the worldwide Vegan Drinks phenomenon is only in its third month but already has turned into a wildly successful event. Last night, close to (or over?!) 100 vegans and vegan friendlies descended on tibits in Heddon Street for food, drink and a whole lot of socialising. Vegan wine, beer, cider and juice flowed all night, as did the stream of people enjoying an event that already feels like a London institution.
tibits made a tremendous effort supplying us with extra vegan options on the food boat. It was a gesture that was greatly appreciated. Special items included kale salad, vegetable gratin, pineapple curry, tiramisu, cheesecake, sticky pudding, blood orange cream and mandarine cream. Everything was stunning. Like tibits on Facebook and let them know what you thought of their hospitality on the night.
So many thanks to everyone who made the evening the fabulous night out that it was. A special mention must go to Ms Cupcake and her bakery crew for turning up en masse. Much love to you all.
See you all the the December London Vegan Drinks!
*Thanks & love to The Vegan Butcher for the photos
London Vegan Potluck guest review: November 2011
The London Vegan Potluck was such a ridiculous success last night I have had to bring in a guest reviewer with a snazzy camera to whip up a pictorial review worthy of such a fine night.
Kick back, relax and enjoy the food-inspired ramblings and visual evidence gathering of The Vegan Butcher.
Last night was London Vegan Potluck 7 and if you missed it I feel very sad for you. It was a hell of a night, with tonnes of food from our event sponsor (Beanie’s Health Foods), lots of amazing vegan creations from the attendees, and an alarming amount of vegan booze (a trend I hope continues). Let’s recap, shall we?
London Vegan Drinks review: October 2011
We did it again. Wow. London Vegan Drinks took place last night in Mayfair and to say it was successful would be an understatement.
From the moment people started pouring into tibits, it was evident the night was going to be one to remember. Wine flowed, beer was consumed and a whole lot of people socialised well into the night as the basement room of the central London bar and restaurant came alive. The event was attended by more than 60 London vegans and their friends as a seemingly never ending stream of people flowed in and out of the venue.
