Vegetarian Travels. The best restuarants we visited on our trip

Pittsburg Sunrise

On a recent trip we visited Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Ann Arbor, and Atlanta. We saw Liberty Bell, Pittsburg’s steel bridges, the original Washington monument, and the largest football stadium in the US. In between seeing all the great sights we at some amazing and some mediocre restaurants. In this review we will share our favorites from each city with some serving traditional vegetarian food like margherita pizza to unique dishes such as a vegetarian Philly cheesesteak.

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania- La dolce vita

Margherita Pizza

While we only ate out Twice in Pittsburg, and La Dolce Vita doesn’t have an extensive or creative vegetarian menu; It does have good pizza. The Margherita pizza has a chewy and dense exterior crust while staying thinner in the center acting as a perfect carrier for the sauce cheese, and basil. The shredded basil on the pizza was the strongest I have tasted, and infused the whole pizza with a strong earthy flavor despite not being woodfired. The cheese and sauce were good. The amount of cheese was perfect, but my one complaint would be the sauce lacks flavor and is to heavily applied making the pizza liquidy. Overall we loved the restaurant with elegant and quiet atmosphere, friendly service, and competitive pricing for a pizza of this size.

Philadelphia, pennsylvania- Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal Market is located in the center of Philadelphia next to Chinatown and tucked under an underpass of what once was a railroad shed Reading Market provides a bustling lively market atmosphere and amazing food making it well deserving of its spot as the #1 best market in America. The market is packed and its massive scale and clustered stalls makes it maze like. While wandering around we saw so many great looking places each serving different food, but all looking equally great. We ended up deciding on bao buns and a vegan philly cheesesteak. We got the Curry Tofu Bao’s from Bao & Bun studio and were very satisfied. The bun has a pillowy texture that carries the tangy spicy curry sauce and tofu perfectly. The bun is also topped with pineapple, pickled onion, green onions, and an bread like crispy topping. The pineapple adds sweetness without an overpowering pineapple flavor. The crispy toppings paired perfectly with the bao balancing out the soft dough and tofu with a crunchy bite. The vegan philly cheesesteak was filled with chewy seitan instead of beefsteak along with grilled peppers ,onions and vegan cheese. This was a great sandwich, but I would prefer regular cheese as its vegan counterpart just doesn’t taste the same. Overall I believe any vegetarian option you find at Reading Market will be great and that Reading Market deserves its title as best market in America.

Baltimore, Maryland- The PaperMoon DIner

In Baltimore we ate at The Papermoon Diner a dinner that served both traditional dishes as well as cleaner options and had a unique whimsical atmosphere, with the restaurant being covered in toys and knick-knacks. We ordered a spicy chili honey tofu wrap and an omurice omelette plate. The Wrap was filling and the filling was balanced between greens and tofu. The sauce wasn’t very spicy but still tasted good. The sauce is very runny which made the wrap soggy so it may be better to ask for it on the side. The omurice omelette was a better value meal as for the same price it came with a large veggie and rice filled omelette with a side of greens and toast. Overall the omurice was decent the egg was slightly dry on the outside but the tender vegetable inside made up for it. On an unrelated note I found some banana water at a Baltimore grocery store and had to try it. It was reasonably priced and is a must try if you like banana.

Atlanta, Georgia-Chattahoochee food works

Sweet and Spicy Vermicelli bowl

We didn’t get many pictures while in Atlanta or at Chattahoochee food works, but we did get good food. There were stalls for Thai, Vietnamese, Hibachi, and a shop focused on egg sandwiches which was unfortunately not open the day we visited. We all got good from Banh Mi station getting a Sweet and Spicy Tofu Vermicelli bowl and Tofu Banh Mi. The Banh Mi was large with very crispy bread and the vermicelli bowls tofu was well seasoned and the sauce very spicy. Chattahoochee food works is also great for dessert afterwards we order one dessert from three different places and weren’t disappointed by any of them.

Ann Arbor, Michigan- Detriot filling station

Saving the best for last we have Ann Arbor Michigan. Every restaurant we ate at here was perfect in all aspects making it very difficult to choose a favorite. We decided on Detroit Filling Station because not only was the food good, and the service fast and friendly, but because of there 100% vegetarian/vegan menu. Every dish at this restaurant looked delicious with a variety of cuisine options including American, Thai, Vietnamese, and Mexican all providing vegetarian takes on classic dishes. The wraps and sandwiches are served with homemade potato chips and a pickle spear or can be upgraded for 3 dollars to the soup of the day. We ordered the Tempeh Reuben with the standard sides and a buffalo soy curl wrap with the soup of the day which was lentil soup. The Tempeh Reuben was excellent the sauerkraut and rye’s tanginess balancing the marinated tempeh’s sweet and nutty flavor. The Buffalo wrap was huge and could easily be shared between 2 people especially with the lentil soup add on. The soy curls were chewy and the ranch was lightly applied not making the wrap soggy. Lastly the lentil was worth the upgrade with chunks of diced vegetable and an aromatic Indian spice flavor.