Vegan Food and Cooking

The five best vegetarian/vegan dishes in Denver

Denver's a great town for vegetarians and vegans, as the Best of Denver 2013 attests. In that issue, you'll find accolades for Best Vegetarian Green Chile and Best Vegan Market, as well as many more green categories. But if you're looking for the best plant-based dishes in the city, look no further ... More >>

Door 86 vegan cheese is packaged paradise

Although there are many good meat replacements on the market, a decent dairy-free cheese can be tough to come by -- and you can forget about a cheese memorable enough to pair with a glass of wine. Daphne Medina, creator of Door 86 Vegan Cheese, to the rescue. She's accomplishd the impossible, as tho ... More >>

City, O' City is doing seriously well these days -- and comedy helps

It's easy being green these days, thanks to City, O' City and WaterCourse Foods, which are already off to a big year. "Business is really good," reports owner Dan Landes. "We're seeing newer and newer faces." But that doesn't mean they're younger faces: The biggest demographic growth has been in men ... More >>

Kale calling: Five dishes featuring the antioxidant powerhouse

It's been a good year for the cabbage family. First crispy Brussels sprouts elbowed their way onto menus, and now kale is following in its cousin's footsteps. At True Food Kitchen, which I review this week, this leafy green is used in many ways: as a drink, with apple, cucumber, celery, lemon and gi ... More >>

Sexy Pizza's vegan options get us hot and bothered

Denver has plenty for the discerning plant-based diner, especially pizza. This town has so many good vegan pies that it's getting increasingly tough to pick a favorite. One thing we know for sure: The vegan and vegetarian pizzas at Sexy Pizza are swoon-worthy, especially on that delectable, decaden ... More >>

Veggie Girl: The five best things I ate last year

This past year was a good one for vegan food in Denver, what with the opening of Nooch and the continued success of such events as VegFest and other regular gatherings of herbivores. And I reaped the rewards eating out for Veggie Girl, because local restaurants have really stepped up their game. Her ... More >>

Mellow Mushroom gives vegan eaters a pizza the action

Mellow Mushroom seemed like the perfect place to celebrate the passage of Amendment 64, what with its giant, color-changing psychedelic mushroom motif. But this pizza chain is based in Atlanta, and last time we checked, Georgia wasn't anywhere close to legalizing marijuana. Still, we'll give a thumb ... More >>

Maggiano's offers vegetarian and vegan options for fans of Italian food

When you've got a ton of people to feed and no one can agree on anything but a chain, Maggiano's can be a good choice -- even for those on a plant-based diet. If you know how to order, you can avoid the meat on the Maggiano's menu and have an enjoyable vegetarian meal. See also: - Flights Wine Caf ... More >>

Vegan zucchini bread for a sweet seasonal treat on Meatless Monday

There are so many monster zucchini ready to harvest in our garden that we're planning to make zucchini bread. A lot of it. And take it to friends and coworkers. And probably complete strangers. This vegan recipe (adapted for mile-high altitude from The Joy of Vegan Baking) is moist and delicious. An ... More >>

Eden is a retreat for plant-eaters and carnivores alike

The venue formerly known as Swallows has kept its Pride-friendly vibe but polished up the kitchen and the decor as Eden. Chef Ching-yuan Hu has created a weekend brunch spread -- with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options -- that fills the dining room, but the dinner menu is also a testament to ... More >>

The vegan pizza at the Marquis Theater is a show-stopper

We've found some very good vegan pizzas in town, including this year's Best of Denver award-winner. But the pie to beat in 2013 comes from the oven at the Marquis Theater, which has minimal seating for diners -- but plenty of entertainment while you wait.

Yak and Yeti's veggie fare takes us higher than Everest

The upstairs dining room of the Arvada Yak and Yeti is like an eccentric grandmother's attic, with its slanting ceilings and a shelf of books with such archaic titles as Communications in the Future (written in 1982). There are also enough cultural artifacts adorning the walls and shelves to stock a ... More >>

Homemade vegan chai for an afternoon pick-me-up on Meatless Monday

No one's saying you have to go meatless just because it's Monday -- but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we're offering an animal-free recipe. Beat the heat with a spiced drink with a little hit of caffeine to keep you going. This recipe (inspired by The Joy of Vegan Baking) us ... More >>

Doron Petersan vegan cookbook signing at Tattered Cover

Food Network's Cupcake Wars winner and vegan-evangelist Doron Petersan will sign copies of her new cookbook, Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Tattered Cover, 2526 East Colfax Avenue. Petersan will also be slinging vegan treats, alongside local vegan ... More >>

Cupcake Wars champ Doron Petersan on Sticky Fingers' Sweets

Doron Petersan is the owner of Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats shop in Washington, D.C., but folks around here know her as the vegan cupcake warrior who slayed the Food Network's Cupcake Wars and Cupcake Wars All-Stars competition, alongside Sticky Fingers' head baker Jenny Webb. Petersan's become som ... More >>

Cupcake Wars champ Doron Petersan onSticky Fingers' Sweets

Doron Petersan is the owner of Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats in Washington, D.C. -- but folks around here might know her better as the vegan cupcake warrior who slayed the Food Network's Cupcake Wars and Cupcake Wars All-Stars competition, alongside Sticky Fingers' head baker Jenny Webb. Petersan ha ... More >>

Sweet Science

Sub-Culture serves a dozen vegetarian (and vegan-optional) sandwiches

During its short time on the map, Sub-Culture has become very popular; it opened last year and has already garnered a Best of Denver award as the Best Non-Sports Spot for Watching Games. But we were more concerned with the food than the atmosphere when we swooped in to pick up lunch (after ordering ... More >>

The vegan fare at Hops & Pie makes us jump for joy

Hops & Pie is an ideal neighborhood establishment: simply furnished, small enough to have a strong sense of intimacy -- but with a big beer list. As a bonus, the kitchen offers not just several vegetarian options, but also vegan dishes. One look at the menu, and moving to the Berkeley neighborhood j ... More >>

Country skillet potpie (vegan-style) for a hearty meal on Meatless Monday

No one's saying you have to go meatless just because it's Monday -- but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we're offering an animal-free recipe. With the chilly weather this past weekend we decided to skip salad, and instead grabbed some fresh fingerling potatoes and yellow baby ... More >>

The 27 Social Centre hosts monthly, mostly vegan Secret Cafe

Okay, so it's not really a secret -- although it is tucked away inside a printing shop. In an attempt to introduce their home to a wider group of people -- and occasionally focus on something other than politics -- the collective organizations at the 27 Social Centre, 2727 West 27th Avenue, have lau ... More >>

Bombay Bowl's vegetarian and vegan options are quick and delicious

Lose some, win some. Last August the original Bombay Bowl in Englewood closed rather than pay a rent increase, but the remaining Denver location was recently featured in the the New York Times. And despite the off-hour of our visit -- 3:30 p.m. on a Sunday -- business was steady at the fast-casual I ... More >>

Chocolate-chip vegan scones for a breakfast treat on Meatless Monday

​​No one's saying you have to go meatless just because it's Monday -- but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we're offering an animal-free recipe. If you've tried our banana walnut muffins or peanut-butter cookies, then you know vegan baking isn't nearly as difficult as i ... More >>

Wake up and smell the coffee: Snooze opens today in Boulder

Lori Midson​Beginning at 7 a.m. this morning, early-rising college kids from the University of Colorado stumbled into Snooze, the fifth outpost from brothers Adam and John Schlegel, who opened the original Snooze, a breakfast and lunch joint commanding mind-blowing waits, in the Ballpark 'hoo ... More >>

Deronn Turner serves up vegan soul food at private dinner parties

​Deronn Turner is a cookbook author and soul-food warrior in this town; originally hailing from Oklahoma, Turner knows what down-home cooking should taste like. And she makes that evident during occasional private dinner parties thrown with friends, where she takes over the kitchen and cooks u ... More >>

VegFest 2011: Top five food products

​We came, we saw, we took pictures and now we're sharing them with you. There were all kinds of products available at VegFest 2011 on Saturday, but we managed to settle on five favorites, starting with this gourmet mushroom kit that grows 'shrooms in recycled coffee grounds. (Oyster mushrooms, ... More >>

Compassionate Cooks' Colleen Patrick-Goudreau talks about her VegFest topic, her new book and more

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.​Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is the founder of www.compassionatecooks.com and the author of three must-have cookbooks for plant-based eaters: The Joy of Vegan Baking, The Vegan Table and Color Me Vegan. She'll be speaking at VegFest tomorrow at the Jefferson County Fairgr ... More >>

Elana Amsterdam releases Gluten-Free Cupcakes

Marble cupcakes with vegan chocolate frosting.​Elana Amsterdam had been baking healthy, high-protein desserts since the early '90s -- and then in 1998, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. One thing seemed to lead to another, and the delicious result is the local author's latest work, Gluten ... More >>

Today: The Great American Meatout

​It's never been easier to go vegetarian or vegan, and the annual Great American Meatout (which happens every year on or around March 20) is a fantastic reminder of what we can do for our bodies and for the planet by simply changing our eating habits. Keep reading for a rundown of Meatout even ... More >>

Mercy for Animals has a solution to Taco Bell's legal woes: Go vegan

If there's hardly any beef, then why not go vegan?​Taco Bell has been sued by Alabama-based law firm Beasley Allen, which claims the chain was using too little beef in its "beef." And because this country loves meaty litigation, Taco Bell turned around and sued right back, claiming that not on ... More >>

New Year's Eve.,..for vegans?

A reader has sent an urgent plea: I have irresponsibly neglected to make NYE dinner reservations in a timely fashion and now I fear I may have run out of options. We're going to the White Rose Gala, and doing it up black- tie style to boot, so I'm hoping to find somewhere suitable for dinner ahead ... More >>

The Rebellion tosses out vegetarian and vegan pizza pies

​There are no tables inside the Rebellion, 2231 South Broadway, and although the patio offers extensive seating perfect for sunny Colorado days (summer and winter alike), you might not want to wait for clear skies to get your pizza fix. Understandable. Thankfully, the pizzeria offers deliver ... More >>

Walter Bond puts his neck out for vegans

Walter Bond, aka ALF Lone Wolf​Going one better than wearing his heart on his animal-product-free sleeve, Walter Bond, the activist who yesterday pleaded guilty to torching the Sheepskin Factory on Colorado Boulevard this spring, rocked a major tattoo in his mug shot. It might make you think ... More >>

Tonight: Root Down hosts a raw vegan dinner

A Flickr photo.​Think a raw vegan diet sounds like the most boring food choice on the planet? Root Down chef Daniel Asher hopes to change your mind with his five-course raw vegan dinner. He dishes up a different feast every Tuesday, focusing on local produce. All raw, o course. The dinner is a ... More >>

The Rebellion surrenders to vegan bolshevists

The Rebellion has become headquarters for a vegan revolt​For those who have no qualms about digging into a couple of Double Stacks, vegan cheese on pizza might sound horrendous, right up there with fake bacon. But no one's complaining about the vegan, non-dairy Daiya cheese now offered at Th ... More >>

Hail Seitan!

Vegetarians unite at the VegFest and Health Expo.

Bite Me

Having Your Cake

Check, Please!

Readers give our food critic something to chew on.