PETA’s Top Picks for Fabulous Food and A-List Celebrities
Psst—do you want to catch sight of celebrities and enjoy top-notch vegan food?
Then let me clue you in on a little secret—popular fine-dining big-city establishments like New York’s Candle 79 and Los Angeles’ Crossroads aren’t the only places where you can do some serious noshing and stargazing. You can also catch celebrities at a few other vegan restaurants miles away from Hollywood and way off Broadway. Try these star-studded winners:
- Sublime Restaurant & Bar, Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Pam Anderson celebrated her 40th birthday party here, the site of award dinners honoring Kathy Najimy, Iggy Pop, Jorja Fox, and Joan Jett. There’s a picture on the wall of towering basketball whiz John Salley hoisting petite restaurateur and Sublime owner Nanci Alexander aloft, just for fun, and Peter Max painted the fountain art. Among others spotted enjoying the gourmet fare are Paul McCartney, Alicia Silverstone, Alec Baldwin, Bob Barker, Kevin Nealon, Marilu Henner, Chrissie Hynde, Joanna Krupa, Tommy Lee, Daniella Monet, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Tia McDonald, and Mickey Rourke. Sublime has won PETA awards for its sublime vegan mac and cheese and delectable Apple Crumb Pie à la Mode.
- Green New American Vegetarian, Phoenix, Arizona: Pamela Anderson, Steve-O, Pauly Shore, Fred Schneider (of The B-52s), Rip Esselstyn (author of The Engine 2 Diet), and various members of Agnostic Front, AFI, and Fall Out Boy—not to mention all the other vegetarian-friendly celebrities who have eaten at Green—can’t all be wrong. We understand that “Material Girl” Madonna and former President Bill Clinton ordered carryout from Green (separately, we’re guessing). We’ve previously recognized Green for its vegan chicken sandwich, vegan buffalo wings, and vegan ice cream, but now it’s for who’s eating that deliciousness.
- Woodlands Vegan Bistro, Washington, D.C.: Soul food like soy chicken-fried steak with sweet potato mash and collards go down well with glitterati guests and rap royalty, such as Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Russell Simmons, Kal Penn, John Salley, Ginuwine, Darrin Henson, and Jason Mraz. Woodlands was also hired to cater for Kanye West when he was in town. Wow, that vegan spread looks good! #jealous
- The Chicago Diner, Chicago, Illinois: The chicken-free wings and dairy-free ice cream at the Chicago Diner have received rave reviews from the local media as well as culinary awards. The Chicago Diner has hosted a vegan Thanksgiving and waited on celebrity diners such as Lady Gaga, Joan Jett, Ellen DeGeneres, Kesha, and Matt Watson. It’s no wonder that a city that boasts eateries like this was voted “one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the U.S.” by one of the best-known connoisseurs of vegan food in the U.S. (PETA, of course!).
- Plum Bistro, Seattle, Washington: The vegan grilled cheese is so good that it won an award from PETA, and the mac and cheese got an honorable mention, too. Perhaps that’s why Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck, and Jennifer Garner have all been spotted there!
Clearly, vegan food isn’t just mainstream—it’s also sought after by trendsetting celebrities. So, if you can’t make it to one of these A-lister picks, simply take PETA’s Pledge to Try Vegan for 30 Days, rent a movie, and enjoy the food and the show.