Arizona. It’s known for its deserts and cacti. But when I recently spent a week in the Tucson area, I learned it’s pretty famous for its vegan/vegetarian food too.
I drove from Savannah, Georgia to Vail, Arizona with my friend Carolyn, her daughter Tammy and Tammy’s husband Steve. Carolyn moved there after retiring from teaching and I offered to help with the driving. I’ve known Carolyn for years and she’s always been vegan. She lives the vegan lifestyle. Now, I love my vegetables but when we first met, I didn’t think we’d be able to dine out together. For someone who truly embraces veganism, it’s not just about the food you eat, it’s about how it’s prepared too. So many restaurants offer vegan options but then prepare or display the food next to foods containing dairy or meat. I’ve never been inconvenienced by this fact. I appreciate and admire anyone who adheres to their convictions. (Tammy is vegetarian but mostly eats vegan and Steve doesn’t consider himself a vegan/vegetarian, but he eats a mostly plant-based diet too.)
Savannah has a wonderful vegan restaurant called Fox & Fig Cafe. You may think you won’t like vegan options, but if you try anything on their menu, you’re bound to find something to your liking. To me, good food is good food. So even before we set out on our cross-country adventure, I knew Tammy and Carolyn had spent time looking at dining options in all the cities we stopped in. First up: Earth Burger in San Antonio.
This is a picture of my Jackfruit BBQ sandwich:
A jackfruit is the size of a watermelon and if you didn’t know what it was, you’d think it was a mutant kiwi. I’d had jackfruit tacos at Fox & Fix and they were delicious so I knew this would be good. I didn’t know it would be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Not only did it taste like BBQ, it FELT like BBQ. A lot of the arguments I hear against a vegan diet have to do with texture. I’m that way with a lot of foods. If I don’t like the texture, it doesn’t really matter what it tastes like. But I would bet if you ate this sandwich blindfolded, you could not tell the difference. (Jackfruit is also available in cans. I bought some at Trader Joe’s while I was in AZ and can’t wait to make something with it. It’s very versatile.)
When we arrived in Arizona, my guests were eager for me to dine at all their favorite restaurants. I’ve heard a lot about all the places they eat at so I was ready! First up: Blue Willow.
This is a picture of my Roasted Beet Salad:
This is not quite vegan. There is some goat cheese on there…but it’s still plant-based and delicious. I love beets!
On our second night in AZ, we went to Lovin’ Spoonfuls. This is a completely vegan restaurant that’s been in business for a long time. I opted for a traditional burrito with black beans, rice, and avocado. But what Lovin’ Spoonfuls is really known for is their bakery. VEGAN DESSERTS?
Yup:
All that is vegan. Not vegetarian. Vegan. (And you might be surprised to know that another popular dessert treat is considered vegan-friendly too: Oreos. Nabisco won’t call them vegan because they could be cross-contaminated with milk from other products they make…but they mostly meet the criteria to be considered vegan.)
On our first Friday in AZ, we ventured out to see Tombstone. I saw where the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place. It was a cute tourist town…but the main event of that day was a little town called Bisbee. It was originally a copper mining town but now it’s a cute enclave for tourists.
See how cute it is:
Carolyn, Tammy and Steve took me to a cool outdoor restaurant called POCO. And unless you read the menu closely, you’d never know it was completely vegan.
There is some tofu listed in there but other than that, you’d be hard pressed to see anything different. I had a delicious quinoa salad and everyone shared a plate of vegan nachos:
It was all delicious!
We ventured into Tucson (my hosts live in a suburb called Vail) to explore and the delicious vegan food kept on coming. Not even a famous Arizona monsoon could stop us:
(That’s a lot of rain, in case you wondered…)
We ate at a place called Beaut Burger. Check out how cool it is:
The restaurant is built from repurposed shipping containers! There is a lot of fresh-air dining space and it’s pet-friendly.
But the best part of Beaut Burger is the burgers. Here’s a pic of mine:
It’s the B6: caramelized green peppers and onions, chipotle mayo and tomatoes. It was so good. I practically inhaled it!
After our meal, we headed to Presta Coffee Roasters. I wanted a chai from a local business and was told theirs was delicious. Keeping with my mostly vegan theme, I had one made with oat milk.
Delicious AND pretty:
Luckily, after all that, there was still room for dessert. Since I’ve known Carolyn, she’s raved about Cashew Cow. All their “ice cream” is cashew based. Again, if you can tell the difference between what I had at Cashew Cow and what you get in the dairy aisle at the grocery store, I’d be very surprised.
This is what I had:
I mean, a lot of us put nuts ON our ice cream…why not make our ice cream from it? Seriously, it was so good.
So, that’s how I’ll remember my week in Arizona: beautiful scenery and delicious vegan food. If you’re ever in the Tucson area, try some of the places I’ve mentioned. You won’t be sorry. You’ll be full…but you won’t be sorry.
**Special thank you to Carolyn, Tammy and Steve for being the most gracious hosts.
Humdinger 