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During our camping travels up the California coast last month, Peter & i had the opportunity to eat out a few times. In Pacific Grove, we happened upon the Central Avenue Bakery, not far from the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium.
This is a terrific bakery and restaurant, with tons of vegan options. It's also kosher, which was pretty interesting and rare. I talked to one of the owners, Tina, at length about her place and she was candid and refreshing. She also made her own vegan cheez which i sampled and then bought. So good. Highly recommended: http://www.centralavenuebakery.com/
They had a couple of bookshelves making up a nice library with books galore on everything from central coastal California to John Steinbeck (my fave author!) to vegetarianism and animal activism to kids' books and a bunch o'chairs and couches on/in which to read, snack, chat & lounge! How cool is that?
The view looking out the window.
The view toward the kitchen where chefs & bakers work magic.
I ordered the vegan pizza which was outrageously good. Peter had a breakfast burrito (and an Odwalla). For dessert we snacked on samples of their vegan Mexican chocolate cake. They were sold out of 'em so we only got to have a few bites (which is why there's no photo) but they were stellar.
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In Morro Bay (hi Crystal!!), another fave place of mine, we stumbled upon Sunshine Health Food and stopped in twice, both on our way up the coast and again on our way back down (the second time just to eat there!). A terrific health food store, they also have a sweet little eatery in the back. "Shine Cafe," with its solitary wood picnic table that everyone shares in the back in sort of a group setting, is very fun! Both times we ate there we ordered the same things because we so enjoyed 'em. Peter had amazing pancakes while i had two of the hugest, best tofu scrambles ever! (One is pictured below.)
A great place with cool peeps working there. Highly recommended!!
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Thank you to that great gal at http://thehouseofsimon.blogspot.com/ for my groovy CARriE package of Canadian sweets. My mailman delivered the box these goodies were in right to my door and handed it to me, swooning over the words "chocolate inside" so i gave him half of the Coffee Crisp. After i had a bite of it, i was REALLY sorry i had shared! HA! It was that good. The card was super sweet and the Canadian magnet & pins are SO cool... And she knew i'd been having a hard time finding Primal Strips so she sent me four different kinds!! Those maple leaf cookies are my faves...
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Here's an excellent read from The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer:
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A link to get info sent to you on veg stuff - books, clothes, food (even vegan dog food!), etc.:
Hope everyone is having a great week! 
38 comments:
what a great post! yum treats!!!!!
thanks for the links!
Looks like you found some truly groovy places during your travels. That bakery sound slike the kind of place I'd never want to leave! And what a super sweet care package from Carrie--those Canadian sweets look incredible! How nice of you to share!!
Great review :) I wish we had a place like that here...
I can't eat out in France, it is almost impossible to get French chefs to understand what vegetarian means! Paris is perhaps the one exception.
JudyMac
I love your posts. They are always so colorful & fun. I am glad you found that Cafe. Sounds like some good stuff. I may just have to post about the one Vegetarian/vegan cafe we have here that is inside a Health Food Store.
This post made me hungry! Keep it coming, k! :) You and your hubby are such a beautiful couple.
That bakery sounds like a real jewel! As for Canadian treats - you don't have Coffee Crisp in the US? Oh, my - no wonder you regretted sharing with the postman!:-)
Love all of the photos!
You sure found some great places to eat. Delicious food and friendly folks - awesome.
Those Canadian treats look so good! How nice of Carrie to send those.
I'm not a vegetarian, but I do love veggies, and that vegan pizza looks GOOD. :)
aw, that bakery - that bakery! all those places look so nice... i wonder if vegas will ever have places like that (besides that one place).
Isn't it fun to stop at health food stores/cafes? I love seeing what they stock and looking for rare or hard to find ingredients.
As always, your blog was a treat to read. (-:
OMG! I totally thought you and Pete were happily married! So sorry, Karen! :) Hahaha! :)
Wow, as always, you pack so much interesting stuff into every post!
Where I live, we just don't have so mnay great vegan/vegetarian restaurant options. (But we do have Coffee Crisp! Which reminds me, I haven't had one in a very long time...might be a Friday treat for me!)
And I really love the fact that Dr Spock went vegan for his final book...too bad so few people know about it. :0(
Your wonderful pictures make me hungry. How lovely to be having summer, is so cold here.
Mattie looks very happy on the beach.
I have a feeling Mattie would like some of those Primal Strips.
Just a hunch.
Oh, that pic of Mattie up there is precious. Her paws look big enough for a dog twice her size, LOL.
Such awesome looking photos. Looks like you two had such a great (and delicious) time. :)
Just stopped by again to say that Mattie is adorable:) And, thanks so much for linking to me... U are sweet:)
sounds like paradise, that place with the books, the snacks, and more!
also: Mattie's such a cutie!
I also agree on making a vegan gourmet trip to USA. I will have to print loads of info from your blog ;)
you're so inspiring!
awww, Mattie is such a cutie! Looks like yall had fun eating out while on your camping trip. Thanks for the links as well....
Happy Summer Mattie! Happy Summer Kleopatra!!
awww.... Mattie is so cute!
Happy Summer & Happy Mattie!
She is the cutest with those outstretched paws.
That veg pizza looks delicious and that Canadian care package is making my sweet tooth ache- how yummy!
Hi Kleo! Looks like you found some awesome eateries up North -- I could kick back for hours in the one with a library, seats to relax, & yummy food to munch. Carrie is a sweetie-pie with that box of goodies! Most of all, I love that photo of Mattie.
Thanks for the comment on my blog. Nice blog by the way!
Kleo, your posts are always so eclectic and thoughtful, but I have to say, my favorite part of this one is the celery-huggin' vegan power!
P.S. I'm back posting, way earlier than originally planned . . . just couldn't stay away!
Yum yum! I wish I could eat that vegan pizza! Haven't had pizza for ages...
I love your posts. Wow, sounds like you had a great trip with a good picking of veg places!
You and Peter go to the coolest veg places and have the best meals. Pizza looks fabulous! So does the tofu scramble.
I'm glad you liked your treats. The Oh! Henry bar is one of my favorites. There's plenty more where they came from! Have a great weekend. Give big hugs to Mattie (she's soooo cute) and as soon as I hear about Simon's results, I'll let you know. Thanks for your concern. XO
Hi kleopatra,
I followed the link you gave me and left a message, but I don't know if she will reply. Thanks for trying anyway :)
I let Alys do todays blog.
Have a good holiday!
JudyMac
What a great trip you had!! I love this blog so much - all of your posts are so fun and exciting to read!
Mattie is absolutely adorable!
It is so nice that there are many restos or places there where you can get a healthy foods and other stuff. I tried vegetarian food before and I really like it.
Wow.. what fun! The cafes look awesome...
Love the package.. and of course, Mattie is just adorable as usual... and the sunset on your last post.. wow!
I am in awe all the time by our beautiful earth... sometimes, it's hard to focus on the road when I'm driving.
Hi Kleo! Awww, Sunshine Cafe is the best. Your trip just keeps getting better and better.
I liked that read from the Charlotte Observer. It's unfortunate that his vegetarian chapter was scrapped. Isn't that society for you?
I'm lovin' your care package. She sent you all kinds of good stuff. I've never had a Coffee Crisp but boy oh boy does it sound good. You're so generous to share with the mailman.
Hey lady,
Just an FYI that you've been tagged with a meme on my blog: http://myburningkitchen.blogspot.com/2007/06/this-blog-has-been-tagged.html
Hope you can play along.
Darlene
Mattie is one cool cat....er....dog.
All those treats look amazing. With yumminess like this, I can't understand why everyone is veg or vegan. You really know how to live, Kleo.
Wow, you sure found some wonderful food places to visit. That bakery look awesome. How sweet they even had a bookcase of books you could browse. It sounds like you got to eat some very yummy food :)
Those restaurants look awesome - so homey and welcoming. I'd love to take a trip up the CA coast one of these days.
Packages of vegan sweets are the best! I used to love those Dare cookies but haven't eaten them in years - last I knew you could buy them in NY, but that's probably because it borders Canada... I adore anything maple. So funny that you shared with the mailman!
Wow, that sounds like a great meal! I'll have to try to make it there someday on one of my trips up north... Thanks for sharing!
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