Texas State Veggie Fair Vegan Fried Foods Contest – Call for entries

If you haven’t yet heard about the Texas State Veggie Fair, then you may not have seen our announcement from several online media sources last week (including Hanna Raskin at the Dallas Observer). Point being – we have a huge event happening on October 16th, 2010, that we want YOU to be a part of.

Your first opportunity to join in the fun is to sign up for the Vegan Fried Foods competition. It’s almost impossible to not be aware of the crazy fried foods available at that other not so animal-friendly fair. The big problem with that competition is that hardly any of the items are vegetarian, let alone vegan. Here’s your chance to show the world how fun and creative vegan cooking can be (like Tofish & Chips, pictured right).

Put your vegan frying skills to the test and compete not only for cash prizes – but more importantly, bragging rights for being the winner of the inaugural competition.

Space is limited to 15 contestants, so sign up as soon as possible. Visit this page for more information and how to apply.

Not a cook?

Stay tuned for information about how YOU can be a guest judge at the competition!

Protest Week in Dallas!

Okay, so this isn’t an “official” protest week per se, but there sure has been a higher-than-usual frequency.

Besides their veg-leafleting at the West End this past Monday, Mercy For Animals made local and national headlines with their “Biohazard Crew" protest encouraging shoppers to "Recall All Eggs, Choose Vegan!" MFA Texas Campaign Coordinator Eddie Garza had this to say about the event:

We had an amazing turnout! Our 'biohazard crew', decked in white jumpsuits, rubber gloves, face protection masks and holding signs that read 'Recall All Eggs, Choose Vegan', sent a clear message to Dallas -- that choosing a compassionate vegan diet is the best way to prevent animal cruelty and to protect their own health, as sickness and disease runs rampant on factory farms.

There’s no eggs-aggerating the fact that the Dallas Observer has been all over the vegan news scene the last couple of days (hopefully you’ll forgive the pun after reading some of the stories)…

Robert Wilonsky had the first scoop on MFA’s activities on Monday…followed by a great egg-protest write-up courtesy Andrea Grimes on Tuesday…continuing with a mention of the PETA vegan feed-in by the Lettuce Ladies going on Thursday.

Aside from these special protests by two big organizations, we can’t forget to mention Animal Connection Texas and their longstanding weekly protests of DFW area Petland stores, held every Saturday (various times/locations). Their commitment to standing up for animal rights in our community for such a long time is certainly commendable.

So, the moral of this story is - there are ample opportunities to get active as a Dallas Vegan and we’re getting noticed more and more everyday. Keep up the great work!

PETA Lettuce Ladies Veggie Dog Giveaway
Thursday, August 26
12:00 pm
In front of City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street
Dallas, TX

MFA Vegan Food Giveaway and Outreach
Friday, August 27, 2010
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Pacific Ave. (between Market and Lamar Sts.)
Dallas, TX

ACT Petland Protests
Every Saturday
Various Times/Locations

Vote for Dallas Favs in 2010 VegNews Veggie Awards

Each year, VegNews magazine holds its annual Veggie Awards, a comprehensive “best of” list as voted for by readers. To win a category is truly an honor, as VegNews is highly regarded worldwide as a leader in vegan news, trends, and lifestyle info.

This year, Spiral Diner is on the ballot for “Favorite Vegetarian Restaurant.” They won Restaurant of the Year in 2007 – help them bring it home once again!

Also on the ballot for “Favorite Nonprofit Animal Organization” are our friends at Mercy For Animals – let’s get them a win (after all, it was their Vegetarian Dining Campaign that got us Daiya cheese in the first Tex-Mex joint in Dallas)!

While your at it, why not issue write-in votes for “Favorite Animal Sanctuary,” Serenity Springs Animal Sanctuary and of course, Favorite Blog – DallasVegan.com!

 

2010 VegNews VeggieAwards
Deadline for entry – August 31st

Vegan BBQ! MFA Launch Party This Saturday (FREE)

Mercy For Animals (MFA) is holding their “official” launch party this Saturday from 12:00pm – 4:00pm at their office pool located within Cityscape Dallas Apartments.

Since their opening in March, MFA has organized many leafleting, feed-in, and other events aimed at increasing awareness in Dallas for their cause – establishing and defending the rights of all animals.

As if the launch is not occasion enough to get to the party, they will have vegan desserts provided by Spiral Diner and veggie dogs and burgers graciously sponsored by Bliss Cafe.

So be sure to RSVP and make your way to the MFA Pool Party to meet some awesome veg*ns and celebrate this exciting event with the MFA crew!

MFA Launch Party & Vegan BBQ
Cityscape Dallas Apartments
Saturday, July 24th 2010
12:00pm – 4:00pm
6467 Melody Lane
Dallas, TX 75231
R.S.V.P. EddieG@MercyForAnimals.org
or call 214.609.4066.

Sol’s Nieto Mexican Grill…*The* Vegan Tex-Mex Destination?

In this economy, it seems almost a weekly occurrence that a retail store or restaurant closes its doors. As a way of combating these tough times, many restaurants are looking for ways to help increase their customer base (and cash flow). One such restaurant, Sol’s Nieto Mexican Grill on Mockingbird Lane, found potential in making a simple tweak of the menu to attract a completely new crowd they'd never even thought of.

After receiving a sample of Daiya vegan cheese (via Mercy For Animals’ Vegetarian Dining Campaign), management at this well-established family-owned restaurant took a chance and added it to the menu shortly thereafter. As a result, they’ve already experienced increased traffic as new customers call/visit to confirm that the rumors of vegan-friendly Tex-Mex are true.

As it turns out, Sol’s already offered many vegetarian options that could be made vegan by omitting the cheese. All beans (refried and borracho) as well as the rice contain none of the “usual suspects” (chicken stock and lard) as in most other Tex-Mex establishments. By adding Daiya vegan cheese (one of the hottest new vegan cheeses to hit the market), Sol’s positioned itself to become the vegan destination for Tex-Mex in the D/FW area.

So, what does that mean to Dallas vegans? Many foods that were previously a distant memory are now all of a sudden “back on the menu”. Things like…

Cheese & Veggie Quesadillas…

and Cheese Enchiladas…

and my favorite, Cheese & Veggie Chimichangas…

Sitting down to a gooey, cheesy plate of nachos and a frozen margarita on a patio is truly a Texas tradition (if not a religion). So much so that many long-time vegetarians thought they'd never be able to ditch dairy. By adding vegan cheese to the the Dallas Tex-Mex dining scene, Sol's turns this into a "cruelty free" tradition available for everyone.

Sol's Nieto Mexican Grill
6434 East Mockingbird Lane
Dallas, TX
(214) 826-5564