Paul McCartney Names Portland Most Vegan-Friendly City
We’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time. Vegan food is popping up in school cafeterias, fine-dining establishments, casual eateries, and food trucks. And one city is leading the way.
At Paul McCartney‘s sold-out concert in Portland, Oregon, “the cute Beatle” joined PETA Vice President Dan Mathews to congratulate Mayor Charlie Hales on Portland’s award for Most Vegan-Friendly City in the U.S.
As he handed the mayor a bouquet of roses carved from vegetables, Paul said, “The City of Roses is the city of the future.”
“Portland’s vegan hot spots aren’t just restaurants,” added Mathews, “but a summer camp, a punk-metal bar, a strip mall, and even a strip club.”
Paul made sure to snap up a box of gourmet vegan cheeses from Vtopia Restaurant & Cheese Shop and seitan cold cuts from Homegrown Smokehouse and Deli.
Portland took top honors, thanks to its plethora of unique eateries and dishes, including the egg- and dairy-free baked goods and ice cream sundaes at Back to Eden Bakery and the more than 20 vegan artisan cheeses—plus pepperoni melts, paninis, and cheesecake—at Vtopia. Homegrown Smokehouse serves up tasty meat-free barbecue and cheesesteak subs, tempeh ribs, and Mac No-Cheese; Portobello Vegan Trattoria prepares lobster mushroom potato cakes, ravioli, tiramisu, and house-made coconut ice cream; and Petunia’s Pies & Pastries serves everything from vegan biscuits and gravy and Belgian waffles to blue-corn tacos and vegan grilled cheese. Even Portland’s iconic Voodoo Doughnut offers vegan doughnuts.
Rounding out PETA’s 2016 ranking of the Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Cities are Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, San Diego, Honolulu, and Seattle, as well as Austin, Texas, and Richmond, Virginia.
