A look back at our October meetup

About 50 people showed up to our meetup last month at Nancy G’s Cafe. The seasonal menu prepared by Chef Khaliq Edwards was pretty great. My favorite dish was the fried green tomatoes with “goat cheese,” remoulade sauce, candied pecans and micro greens. Thanks to everyone who came out, and a special thanks to Elisabeth, the Czech Vegan, for her help organizing the event.

Fried green tomatoes and pumpkin creme brulee at Nancy G's. Photos by Brett Roegiers.

Elisabeth also celebrated her birthday that night, and she has a great recap with plenty of food photos on her blog:

I wish my Czech and Hungarian family was here to help me celebrate my birthday, but other than that I could not ask for a better birthday.

The restaurant graciously agreed to donate 10% of the night’s proceeds to Ahimsa House, a local nonprofit that provides shelter and care for the pets of domestic violence victims. Executive director Maya Gupta came and spoke about what the organization does, expressing a need for volunteers.

We originally thought we raised $115 for Ahimsa House, but later found out that was based on the total bill including tips. We still managed to raise $92, and I personally donated $25 to make up the difference.

Thanks again to all involved!

September meetup at So Ba

When I was at my friend Adrienne’s house for a dinner party last month, I saw that So Ba was marked on her calendar every Tuesday. Turns out she tries to make it there every week for the salt-and-pepper tofu. It’s that good.

Salt-and-pepper tofu at So Ba Vietnamese Restaurant. Photos by Brett Roegiers.

So when she said she’d been talking up ATL Vegan Drinks to So Ba’s owner, Nhan Le, and that he was down to host one of our meetups, jumping on board was a no-brainer.

I can’t thank Adrienne enough for her help organizing the event, which was held on Monday, September 19. The Vietnamese restaurant is known for its pho and they made us a vegan version of a similar rice-noodle soup, among a handful of other special items.

Menu

• Hu Tieu: Fresh rice-noodle soup w/ vegetable stock, tofu, bean sprouts, basil, jalapeño slices and lime
• Salt-and-pepper tofu: Fried w/ sauteed onions and jalapeño peppers
• Spring rolls: Tofu, lettuce, basil and vermicelli noodles in fresh rice paper w/ peanut sauce
• Seasonal vegetables in basil sauce: Served over rice or bun (Vietnamese rice vermicelli)

Hopefully So Ba will start offering vegan soup more often, especially with the cooler weather. But until then, you can get the spring rolls and salt-and-pepper tofu for 50% off with every Foursquare check-in, and for free every third visit. They also have $3 appetizers, beers and shots on Tuesdays.

If you didn’t notice, So Ba is just around the corner from where we met last month. I promise next time we’ll be in a new neighborhood. Stay tuned for details.

A look back at our August meetup

Last month we met at Graveyard Tavern in East Atlanta. The event made Creative Loafing’s daily list of 5 things to do and by the restaurant’s count, about 67 people showed up. Many thanks to owner Philip Christensen and manager Drew Gillespie for helping put the event together.

Sesame-encrusted tofu and coconut cake at Graveyard Tavern. Photos by Laura.

Chef Justin Bright made a few last-minute adjustments to the menu, adding a phenomenal “spare rib” stir fry and swapping out the vegan cheesecake for a coconut cake. It’s great to see chefs known for their meat dishes put so much effort into a meatless menu.

Laura has a nice write-up of the event over on her blog, and Adrienne also recapped the evening with more food photos and a great question:

If you were there, what was your favorite? Which dish would you like the Graveyard to offer on a regular basis – even as a regular special?

I vote for that “spare rib” stir fry. Any of the entrees, really. And if you didn’t know, Graveyard already offers vegan wings (and cheap beer) on Tuesday nights. Good stuff. Thanks again to all involved.

A look back at our June meetup

About 50 people showed up for the first ATL Vegan Drinks, held at Sauced on June 5. If you were there, thanks so much for the early support. And I can’t thank chef Ria Pell and her staff enough for taking such good care of us and putting together some amazing vegan dishes. I’m told several people who weren’t there for the event ordered off our menu, proving what we already knew: Vegan food done right is delicious.

Adrienne of Kandai Cakery has a great recap of the event on her personal blog:

As anyone who was there would tell you, the first event was an unparalleled success. Ria & her partner Kiki welcomed us like guests in their home (their third home!). Our servers were delightful even as they managed a way-bigger-than-expected crowd. The back porch atmosphere was eclectic and inviting, with three sets of family-style tables that encouraged mingling as best as possible. And the food – yowzah!

If you couldn’t make it, hopefully we’ll see you at the next one. Details coming soon.