SXSW Vegan Eats

If you read PETA’s blog, The PETA Files, you probably already know that I and many of my coworkers were attending South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, over the last week. Because of my obsession with Mexican food and our proximity to the border, I had planned on consuming one of my favorite cuisines for every single meal while in Austin—until I came down with the flu, that is.

Before the sickness set in, I was able to check out a few Austin veggie joints and indulge in only one Mexican meal! Here are a few food highlights from my trip:

• Mr. Natural: This all-natural vegetarian restaurant features some of the healthiest Mexican food in Austin. At the Cesar Chavez location, I sampled vegan tamales, brown rice, refried beans, and a carrot-coconut salad (pictured here), all of which were delicious.
• Mothers: I technically didn’t get a chance to visit this restaurant, but my friends were sweet enough to deliver one of Mothers’ “TLT” sandwiches (tempeh, lettuce, and tomato) to me. The restaurant’s menu is quite diverse, featuring veggies, salads, sandwiches, lasagna, stir-fries, and a variety of Tex-Mex options, of course.
• Veggie Heaven: A small vegetarian restaurant that focuses on Asian-inspired dishes. I had to go for the tofu noodle bowl, but other popular menu items include the Protein 2000, bubble teas, and sweet buns.
• Whole Foods: The megastore on Sixth and Lamar was pretty much our home base during the trip. The expansive salad and hot bars offered a ton of vegan options on a daily basis that we couldn’t pass on. A few highlights include the grilled pineapple and tostones.

Other than that, I pretty much survived on Clif bars and The Bad Girls Club while fighting through a 103° fever in my hotel room. I guess there’s always SXSW 2009 to look forward to, when I can try again to fully explore the Austin food scene and try to make my “all Mexican meals” goal a reality.

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