As I reflect with pride upon my hometown team “the Boston Red Sox” for winning the 2013 World Series this past week, I would like to encourage world travelers to visit my amazing city! It is a city filled with lots of Americana history. The birth of our nation began here. Popular tourist sites include Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market, USS Constitution, Bunker Hill Monument, Boston Common and Public Gardens, Beacon Hill, the Freedom Trail, the waterfront and Boston Light lighthouse, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, the North End Italian neighborhood, and several first class history, science, and art museums. (Please refer to my previous blog post from 2010 regarding Boston sightseeing and other vegan restaurants).
While I have written in the past about much of the wonderful sightseeing and attractions here, I would now like to share a few updates regarding new vegan dining spots in town. As a side note, there are several noteworthy vegan restaurants in the surrounding suburbs. However, I am focusing on those which are closer to town and easier for tourists to find via public transportation.
“Root Restaurant” (Root Restaurant ) opened several months ago in Boston’s Allston neighborhood. They offer several, reasonably-priced vegan sandwiches, veggie burgers, and other simple yet tasty fare. Their menu serves “small bites” and “large bites”. Their fresh juices and weekend brunches are also quite popular.
For my appetizer, I selected the hush puppies. The sweet corn and jalepeno fritters are complemented with a homemade ketchup and aoli, My main entree was the eggplant caprese sandwich. The crusty bun was filled with crispy eggplant, tomatoes, basil, balsamic reduction, and creamy thyme. I enjoyed it immensely! I washed it down with a refreshing basil lemonade!
A new vegan cafe opened this past year in Cambridge (Boston’s neighbor). O2 Cafe(O2 Cafe) is located within the space of a yoga studio. The cozy cafe menu includes budget-friendly sandwiches, as well as a dessert case filled with sweets from Indigo Cafe in New Hampshire, and several smoothies.
I stopped by for lunch this afternoon and tried the Chuna Melt Sandwich on whole wheat bread. The vegan ‘tuna’ is actually made of chickpeas. It was deliciously flavorful with just the right amount of vegan cheese, tomato, and spinach!
My beverage choice was the Pumpkin Pie smoothie. This tasty drink consisted of pumpkin, coconut milk, pumpkin pie spices, banana, and dates. This is a special seasonal smoothie.
For dessert, I selected the lemon square bar. It was a scrumptious treat.
Diners were given a free sample of the cafe’s new housemade nacho cashew cheese with some tortilla chips. What a superb flavor!
This ‘new kid on the block’ is a great vegan dining option for those visiting the Harvard Square area.
Bostonians are very fortunate these days, as we have a superb vegan ice cream shop! FoMu(FoMu Ice Cream) is located in the Allston neighborhood, as well as a newer location in Jamaica Plain. Most of their vegan ice creams are coconut milk based with a few that are nut-based. Their menu includes sundaes, cones, and frappes. They even offer vegan versions of toppings such as oreo cookies, gummy bears, jimmies, and more! The counter displays vegan baked goods from a local baker.
I have tried several flavors and enjoyed each and every one!
I recently visited the shop and tried the seasonal pumpkin spice ice cream one week and the following week tried the apple cider donut flavor. Both were delicious!
Congratulations again to the Boston Red Sox! World travelers should pay a visit to this historic sports town with great vegan dining!