Veggie alternatives: where non-meat is as good as meat
Kelly Glueck
-Staff Writer-
With a growing concern about where food comes from, it is no surprise that nearly 20 percent of all college students consider themselves vegetarian, according to Jonathan Safran Foer, author of “Eating Animals.” One of the more difficult tasks of trying to live a different lifestyle is finding tasty, meatless alternatives. Below are some of the best-known and loved vegetarian and vegan restaurants around St. Louis.
Local Harvest Cafe
The most accredited restaurant on the list, Local Harvest was named Top New Restaurant last year by the Riverfront Times, and within the top 60 restaurants in St. Louis. Local Harvest, located off Morgan Ford Road, uses only produce, butchers, and manufacturers from the metropolitan area. While carrying local favorites such as Schafly and other O’Fallon beers, Local Harvest also features an exclusive selection of rotating wines and seasonal cuisine for herbivores and carnivores alike. While in the area, make sure to check out the Local Harvest grocery store across the street and pick up some Billy Goat potato chips. Local Harvest also hosts one of the largest farmers markets in the area in Tower Grove Park from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
Mokabe’s
Located across the street from Tower Grove Park at the corner of Arsenal Street and Grand Avenue, Mokabe’s is never vacant and open late, making it a popular spot among college students. Featuring the largest menu of the bunch, Mokabe’s menu carries an array of carnivorous and herbivorous options for breakfast, lunch, and a variety of late-night favorites, such as coffee and baked goods. Students are often seen eating lunch on the patio, enjoying a nice twitter break on the free wireless network. Mokabe’s is also LGBT friendly and promotes the equality and tolerance of people of all appetites.
Bleeding Deacon
The Bleeding Deacon is the perfect place for anyone looking for a smoky dive. This dimly-lit bar is on the corner of Chippewa Street and Gravois Road and carries a fully-stocked bar with a rotating beer selection of about 60 different types of draft, bottled, and canned beer. The Bleeding Deacon serves all homemade sauces and dressings accompanying its authentic menu, printed cleverly on old 1970s album covers.
Vegadeli
This year, the Riverfront Times has listed Vegadeli as Best Vegetarian restaurant in the greater St. Louis area. Vegadeli is 100 percent vegan, 50 percent raw and Kosher certified. There are also several gluten-free items on the menu. Located in the Hilltown Village Center in Chesterfield, Vegadeli prides itself in carry health conscious items, boasting “Nothing fried, frozen, or artificial.” If vegan food is a foreign concept, this is the place to forget how great cheese and dairy really are.
Sweet Art
Sweet Art on S. 39th Street has the aesthetics and the menu for everyone. This cafe, bakery, and art gallery thinks that the way something looks should be as sweet as it tastes. Sweet Art features a small vegan and vegetarian lunch menu, as well as a vast selection of custom made cakes, cookies, and, most importantly, cupcakes. Sweet Art has a “buy two, get one free” cupcake happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
