7 Delicious Vegan Restaurants in Asheville
Photos courtesy of restaurants
Asheville, North Carolina, has become a mecca for seekers of all sorts and sensibilities — New Agers who believe its mountains are a powerful energy vortex; early 20th-century literati such as F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald; outdoors adventurers; and food lovers who flock to the craft breweries and farm-to-table restaurants that have sprouted like mushrooms after a good rain in the Southern Appalachians.
But the cozy mountain city of less than 90,000 residents surely has more vegetarian- and vegan-friendly watering holes per capita than other cities of similar size; it even had a two-day vegan festival in June. But if there are still relatively few all-vegan spots and a common overreliance on “harvest” bowls brimming with quinoa and green goodness, Asheville offers much to those who eschew meat and dairy. And true to Southern traditions (forget about the undiminished regional devotion to pork), Asheville’s vegan visitors and residents can find hearty breakfasts and sweets made without dairy products.
Plant
Plant is Asheville’s upscale vegan restaurant; don’t be alarmed by the fact that it uses “vegan” and “vegetarian” interchangeably. Using local and mostly organic produce, Plant is always reaching into the global pantry for ideas: a tofu bibimbap that nods to the Korean one-bowl meal sans the egg; seitan chile con “queso”; and a lasagna cruda with watercress pesto and slow-dried tomato.
Its menu features some mainstays whose ingredients and flavors change with the season. I’ve had different iterations of Plant’s take on the South Indian bread, uttapam, often made with rice flour, lentils and savory toppings baked into the batter. Plant’s latest is uttapam rolls with a coconut chutney, avocado and a chile-orange sauce.
But — and I never expected to say this — I go to Plant for delicious dessert (and because its patio is dog-friendly). Vegan or not. Somehow, Plant manages to churn out coconut-milk ice creams with nary a hint of “coconuttiness” and the telltale iciness that often afflicts such desserts. The blackout pie is a more refined cousin to Mississippi mud pie but still delivers an intense chocolate punch. Carrot cake, saffron crème brulee, and a “cheese plate” often round out the offerings.
Green Sage Cafe
Green Sage Cafe is a good choice if vegan biscuits are a priority. Green Sage’s are made of soy milk, a touch of sugar, and wheat flour that gives them a surprising nuttiness. From the brunch favorite of a tofu scramble (pictured at top) to a spicy peanut hempeh burger (pictured above), Green Sage is a crowd pleaser. Each day, the cafe has a handful of freshly brews teas to choose from. And if you go to the Westgate location (70 Westgate Parkway), you’ll be next to Earth Fare, an Asheville-based grocery chain that’s like a smaller, local Whole Foods.