Ron Meisters asked about Portland and Salem, Oregon restaurants. I'm a
Portlander who doesn't get down to Salem much, so I can only help with
northern suggestions. My favorite place in town for veggie eating is
called Old Wives Tales, just about two minutes from downtown. It used to
be purely veggie, but has relaxed a bit over time, and now is probably
close to half and half meat and meatless. They always have a good mix of
veggie and vegan fare, and their cuisine includes dishes from just about
every culture. Their ingredients are fresh and their cooking techniques
are amazing. If you can't decide from their ample menu, they always have a
salad bar that is astounding, with lots of vegan choices. Besides a large
assortment of veggies, there are numerous international salads made fresh
there, and all the dressings are made fresh as well. It's easy to eat
healthfully here. However, they have awesome desserts, too. Dinners go
for $10-$12. Try the twig tea.
If you want some interesting "fast" food, there is Macheesmo Mouse, with
several locations around town. Extremely healthful, good-sized portions,
fat grams noted for each entree. Meals go for about $6 or so. My favorite
is the Power Salad, bunches of freshly steamed broccoli, rice and beans and
lettuce and cilantro. Everything is very fresh and lowfat, and there is a
wide selection of veggie entrees. They are extremely responsive to picky
orders. Make sure you try the Boss Sauce at the condiment bar, and their
fresh salsa.
The Leaf & Bean is a little far off the beaten path out on about 50th and
NE Fremont, but worth it for how yummy the food is. It's really great for
breakfast. There is not a huge selection, but you'll never be
disappointed, and it's the one place where you can get either rice *or* soy
milk in your morning latte. And they always have some clever veggie
sandwich concoction. The bread is to die for. If you decide to go here,
on your drive back down Fremont stop at about 39th, where you will find
Bagel Land. It's not a chain, and IMHO they have the best bagels in a town
that doesn't do bagels very well at all. Fresh every day, and like 12
different varieties.
If you want the best breakfast in town, the Hawthorne Street Cafe, located
in the hippest, grooviest part of town (sort of like Haight-Ashbury in San
Francisco, maybe a little grittier) is the place to go. It's an old
converted house with quite a varied menu, considering how small the kitchen
is. They always have numerous veggie choices and are very flexible about
making substitutions. Meals come in between $8-$10. Next door is a
Grateful Dead inspired shop where you can relive the sixties for a minute
and buy that bumper sticker you've been admiring.
The Indian restaurant Swagat and two Vietnamese/Thai restaurants, Thai
Orchid and Saigon Kitchen, are fabulous with lots of veggie options, but
not necessarily lowfat. If you want Chinese, the one place we feel we can
trust when they say dishes are vegetarian is the China Bay. Again, though,
not necessarily lowfat.
If you want to do some organic veggie grocery shopping, there are numerous
options: Food Front, Nature's Fresh Northwest, and Sheridan's. However,
our local Fred Meyer's (all over town) has a wonderful nutrition section
where you can buy almost any ingredient ever mentioned on this list. Just
don't buy bagels there! ;o)
Hope you enjoy your stay here!
Emily Swensen
Pyramus Online
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