Tuesday, March 23, 2010

MFA Benefit concert – This Friday, March 26th



In support of opening a new office in Dallas, Mercy For Animals (MFA) is organizing a benefit concert this Friday, March 26th, at The Cavern. Show begins at 8:00 pm (doors at 7:00 pm), $5-10 donation (or more!). Check out some awesome bands and help the animals!



mfa_rockout


The show will feature five local veg-friendly bands including Museum Creatures, Division Of Power, Soft Environmental Collapse, Saboteur, and The Shortest Distance.



SEC


Soft Environmental Collapse
saboteur


Saboteur
Division_of_Power


Division Of Power
Museum_Creatures

Museum Creatures
TheShortestDistance



The Shortest Distance



About MFA

Dallas got its introduction to Mercy For Animals and its founder, Nathan Runkle, during the 2009 Alan Ross Freedom Parade when more than 60 volunteers marched on behalf of the organization.

During that visit, Runkle also screened Fowl Play, a documentary produced by MFA exposing inhumane treatment of factory-farm laying hens, to the media at a dinner hosted by Spiral Diner. While MFA had no formal presence in Dallas at the time, it made sense for an organization focused on defending the rights of animals raised for food to establish roots in a food-centric city such as Dallas.

Since then, former Dallas Vegan blogger Eddie Garza has worked on numerous fundraising activities for MFA. Thanks to his efforts and that of many generous donors, the establishment of a local MFA office has become a reality. We’re happy to have MFA in town to join so many other great organizations in defending the rights of all animals.



MFA Benefit Concert
$5-10 Donation (suggested)
Friday, March 26th
8:00 pm (doors open at 7:00 pm)
The Cavern

1914 Lower Greenville
Dallas, TX

Monday, March 22, 2010

Dallas Vegan Weekly – March 22nd

A relatively quiet week ends with a rockin’ bang on Friday…

Is there something we missed? Email us at events@dallasvegan.com to get your event listed.


Dallas Vegetarians Thursday Meetup
Thursday, March 25th
7:00 pm
Bengal Coast
3102 Oak Lawn Avenue, Ste 116
Dallas, TX 75219

The Dallas Vegetarians Meetup is an easy-going bunch that meets at various DFW spots on alternating Sundays and Thursdays. R.S.V.P. at their website and join them this Thursday at Bengal Coast, a great Dallas restaurant with lots of vegan-friendly options.


mfa_rockout

MFA Rock Out for the Animals
Friday, March 26th
8:00 pm (doors open at 7:00 pm)
The Cavern

1914 Lower Greenville
Dallas, TX

Celebrate the opening of Mercy For Animals’ (MFA) newest regional office in Dallas with awesome company and some great bands. Your $5-10 donation benefits MFA and their efforts to defend the rights of all animals.

Stay tuned later this week for more information about this great event!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Whole Foods at Park Lane - Cupcake Bar

Okay, real talk—we’re officially in love with the cupcake bar at the new Whole Foods!

Take a look this totally vegan chocolate cupcake, filled with vegan chocolate pudding and topped with vegan buttercream. Hella good!



(Hint: You’ll have to ask about daily vegan options…they’re not clearly marked on the board.)

Monday, March 15, 2010

Dallas Vegan Weekly – March 15th

Openings galore highlight this week – Check it out…



Flagship Whole Foods Park Lane openingIMG_1813

Dallas’ newest Whole Foods opens today, Monday, March 15th. If you don’t have time to stop by this week, Drew gives us a sneak preview…

Whole Foods Park Lane
8190 Park Lane, Suite 351
Dallas, TX 75231


Bliss Raw Cafe – Preston Center opening

It’s now easier (and cooler in the summers) to get your Bliss on in Dallas with a new store location opening in Preston Center this Wednesday, March 17th at 11:00am. With an expanded dining area, this location will accommodate more diners inside than their currently location (although we’ll still love visiting the original).

Skip the green beer for St. Patty’s day and head to Bliss for a green smoothie and other fabulous raw creations from the raw chefs at Bliss.

Bliss Raw Cafe & Elixir Bar
6005 S. Berkshire Ln
Dallas, TX 75225


Beginner’s Raw Potluck - Garland Organic Raw Vegan Meetup

If you can’t quite make it to Bliss but want to try raw out on your own, visit the Beginner’s Support & Potluck event Sunday, March 21st at 5:00pm to learn some tips and tricks and sample some tasty raw food.

Beginners Support & Potluck
Sunday, March 21st at 5:00pm
Register at Meetup.com for location and more details

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Whole Foods Sneak Preview





Whole Foods new Landmark store at Park Lane is set to launch tomorrow and we took a sneak peek:





A raw bar featuring raw vegan items, Kombucha taps, and more:




Design your own cupcake bar - yes, there will be vegan cupcakes!



Flavored olive oils and balsalmics on tap in the expanded bulk area:


An expanded selection of our favorite vegan products and new ones, including Upton's Naturals:


Complete line of Vega Sport items, as well as a huge selection of other health and nutritional foods:


Expanded raw foods section including special displays for Dallas' own Hail Merry:




And, of course, the mysterious Cart-o-Lator to get all those groceries to your car:


Plus, much, much more!

8190 Park Lane, Suite 351
Dallas, TX 75231 USA

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A Dallas Vegan in NYC

IMG_1328

It’s no surprise why New York is a must see (and taste) destination for vegans. Not only are there more vegan/vegetarian restaurants there than in any other city in the US, but they’re condensed in such a small area that getting to each takes no time at all (anytime you cram 8.3 million people in an area 10% smaller than Dallas, the law of averages is going to be on your side).

Compared to Dallas, it’s obvious the depth of vegan goodness is much greater in NYC, but what about the breadth? For instance, New York has Curly’s Lunch, a funky little vegetarian diner with great mac & cheese and burgers – but Dallas has it’s own funky little diner too (ours just happens to be award winning and all-vegan). However, last time I checked there were no all vegan/vegetarian sushi bars in Big-D.

So what else are we missing? What can a motivated Dallas entrepreneur do to fill the gap? Let’s take a look at some of the highlights…

Cocoa V

Vegan. Chocolate. Wine. Three words that sound great together, also describe the menu at Cocoa V - a vegan chocolate boutique and wine cafe in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC. If there’s anywhere in Dallas you can get vegan wine & chocolate, we’ll be there – stat.

New York3

assorted chocolate truffles
Chipotle

Yes, I know – a 1500 mile trip to vegan Mecca and we’re talking about a chain restaurant? Well it just so happens that this particular location was one of two in the country to offer a new burrito option –the Garden Blend. Worth mentioning because with recent large chains such as Sprinkles making news offering vegan cupcakes, there’s hope that others might join the bandwagon.

New York1

Garden Blend burrito and Brooklyn Brewery beer

Vegan Treats

While Soy & Sake, an all vegan/vegetarian sushi joint, was truly unique – I was most satisfied with their desserts, courtesy of Vegan Treats.

Vegan Treats, a bakery out of Bethlehem, PA, delivers their vegan bliss weekly by truck to several nearby cities including Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and (luckily for us) over 40 different restaurants in New York City.

Forget about vegan for a minute – Vegan Treats creates some of the most amazing desserts - vegan or otherwise – I’ve ever tasted. With a 2008 Peta “Proggy” award for best vegan bakery, its no surprise why so many restaurants forgo making their own desserts and rely solely on Vegan Treats.

New York

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Bomb, Key Lime Cheesecake, Death by Chocolate
Candle Cafe

We ended up saving the ultimate eating experience for last. Candle Cafe, sibling restaurant to Candle 79 (VegNews magazine’s 2009 Restaurant of the year), was a mind-blowing example of what a completely vegan fine-dine restaurant can achieve. The presentation was what you expect in any traditional fine-dine restaurant - absent the bones and flesh. But presentation means nothing if the food isn’t up to par, and Candle Cafe doesn’t disappoint. I can honestly say this was the best meal I’ve had in years.

IMG_1557

Porcini crusted seitan with garlic-shallot-potato mash

So what about Dallas?

Should Dallas strive to be more like NYC?

Absolutely not! – just as it shouldn’t strive to be more like Austin or Portland or any other notoriously “vegan friendly” city. Dallas is as atypical of many large US cities as it is of most other cities in Texas, so why would we want the vegan culture to be like everyone else? There are enough uniquely talented and dedicated people in this city to make it a vegan destination on its own.

Dallas prides itself on its plentiful restaurants anchored by world-class chefs – most very willing to accommodate vegans with a special dish upon request - but the mere fact that it is a special request implies it’s an afterthought. While we may not have an all vegan fine-dine restaurant any time soon (or vegan chocolate wine bar, or all vegan sushi, or…), any number of local chefs could take the challenge and put a a vegan section on the menu. At the very least, a single vegan entree (even if “accidentally” vegan).

The key to making this happen includes letting your voice be heard. Ask the wine bar down the street to carry vegan dessert items from local purveyors like Amy’s Raw Chocolates and Hail Merry. Write to Chipotle and tell them why they should expand the Garden Blend burrito to Dallas. Tell your favorite chef how much you would appreciate him putting that special dish he makes “just for you” on the menu. Not only is this good for all of your fellow vegans, it’s good for those omnivores to see that, in fact, there’s more to vegan food than lettuce.

While I loved the NYC experience, it only helped me to visualize the great potential we have here in Dallas. Let’s put our collective will together and make that visualization a reality!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Dallas Vegan Weekly – March 8th

Great events happening this week in Dallas. Check it out…

Dallas Vegan Drinks
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
6-8 pm
Idle Rich Pub
2614 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TXdallasvegandrinks2

Come celebrate St. Patty’s day a little early in a traditional Irish pub. Enjoy happy-hour drink specials and enjoy great company with a veg*n-friendly crowd.


BVST Meatout 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
10 am-3 pm
Center for Community Cooperation
2900 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX

“GIVE PEAS A CHANCE”

The Black Vegetarian Society of Texas presents their annual Meatout celebration at the Center for Community Cooperation.

The event is free, so grab the family and head on down for some interesting activities including a vegan cook-off, health screenings, door prizes, and more.


Vegan 101 Potluck
Saturday, March 13, 2010
1:30 pm
Lake Cliff Park
N. Zang Blvd at E Colorado Blvd, Dallas, TX click for map

Join the Vegan 101 Meetup group for a vegan potluck at Lake Cliff Park (near Spiral Diner in Dallas). This group of vegans always puts on an awesome potluck, so whip-up your best vegan dish and head to the park for a day of food and fun.


Have an event you would like featured here?
Email us: events@dallasvegan.com