Lots of Vegan Food in Rochester, NY {Part 8}
March 5, 2023
Another round of vegan food from Rochester! This rundown includes some repeats, yes. But it also has a few noteworthy newbies. Mostly take-out as we were all chilling in the Covid zone, my next report will be of date spots in the area.
Flavors of Asia
Above is my vegan Pad Thai from Flavors of Asia. They’ve got a separate vegan menu, which are three of my favorite words when placed together. It is a relief to have the v-bomb all about since there are sometimes sneaky animal derivatives that creep into authentic Asian cuisines.
1872 Cafe
Delivery from 1872 Cafe for an easy breakfast… tofu, spinach, tomato, red onion… real food, not super-processed packaged items.
Blue Taro
Blue Taro has a great menu of Vietnamese food with labeled vegan options. I was really impressed with the small plates I ordered, wanting more than a taste of one dish. I got the Gα»i Cuα»n or Fresh Spring Rolls: Julienne carrot, julienne cucumber, bean sprout, cilantro, lettuce, rice vermicelli noodle wrapped in rice paper and served with peanut sauce. So delicious! Fresh spring rolls are pretty easy to find in Rochester, but these are top notch and I believe the best in the area.
I was also in heaven eating their BΓ‘nh Bao: Home-Made Bun stuffed with a mix of glass noodle, mushroom, tofu, carrot, onion, green onion, cabbage, jicama. Very tasty! I wanted another one.
Another roll… deep-fried Banana Rolls tossed with cinnamon and sugar. What is better than a banana dessert?
Cinelli’s Pizza
Cinelli’s Pizza in Greece also has a separate vegan menu of traditional Italian favorites.
We got some garlic knots, a vegan barbecue chicken stromboli and some buffalo cauliflower with country sweet sauce.
Each was amazing. Here is the vegan barbecue chicken stromboli: vegan mozzarella, vegan breaded chicken, banana peppers, onion, and pineapple, served with vegan ranch on the side.
It was delicious! I inhaled it quickly with a bit of guilt as it was pretty darn big.
Country sweet cauliflower. Now I’ll admit, the Buffalo cauliflower invading all menus is a nice thing… but I am not a fan of Buffalo sauce. So I was very happy they offered a choice in sauces. Country Sweet is another regional sauce. But one I like a lot! This was perfect with the vegan ranch.
Yummy garlic knots
Ugly Duck & Black Cat Baking Co.
Just a quick stop at Ugly Duck Coffee for a oat milk latte and a chocolate chip cookie from Black Cat.
Wegmans
Wegmans is a thing… an adored entity… and I am a believer. They have plenty of vegan options, but here is a little bit of this time in Rochester.
This is their Kung Pao tofu, a prepared meal that is better than ordering most take-out. Besides the quinoa and rice pilaf it sits upon, the tofu is prepared well and is packed with flavor, the accompanying vegetables are not over-cooked, not saturated in sauce, it’s got texture and it’s a good portion for a quick lunch.
Because we were having angel hair and meatballs, I bought Wegmans brand “Don’t Have a Cow” vegan meatballs for my portion and a long baguette to make garlic bread from. The meatballs were not my thing. They’re pretty much the antithesis of my thing, but I wanted dinner continuity. Vegans, have you ever been motivated by that before?
Craving a sweet bite after dinner and a drink, we picked up Eat Pastry‘s cookie dough cups. Again, I didn’t really like it (being a chocolate chip cookie dough queen) but it served its purpose.
A salad I threw together after a Weggies visit because I was eating way too many grains.
Thanks Wegmans, for always having what I need.
Han Noodle Bar
I like to hit up Han Noodle Bar because it has a dreamy vegan bao. Vegan bao is not too available where i live in Brooklyn and it’s one of my favorite Asian bites. Soft, pillowy rice flour buns blow my mind, and more so when they stuffed with big pieces of tofu.
You wait for delivery and then they are gone in a matter of seconds. Ho hum.
Dicky’s Corner Pub
One of the oldest bars in Rochester, Dicky’s Corner Pub is the kind of bar I like. Dark, woody, with history (There’s still a trough around the bar where patrons could easily relieve themselves at!) But they also have vegan options on their menu! We visited as the snow began to fall.
Their Buffalo Tofu Bites… breaded and fried tofu smothered in your choice of sauce. It was like a dish of Chinese food tofu kind of. Yummy. Blue cheese sauce was not vegan… I think.
My vegan B.L.T. made with tempeh bacon. It was a cool spot at which to enjoy vegan food.
Swillburger
Ok, another stop at Swillburger! This is likely the spot that I hit the most while in Rochester. And here is our to-go bag… us on a receipt.
A couple of drinks on the Whack-a-Mole while we wait for our food.
Ah, beet burger perfection right there
Always worth a closer look!
Thanks for more vegan food, Rochester! There is still much to eat. In the meantime: