Plum Bistro Dishes Up One of PETA’s Top Five Grilled ‘Cheese’ Sandwiches

Vegan Options Soaring at Hot Spots Across the Country

For Immediate Release:
March 31, 2015

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Just in time for National Grilled Cheese Day on April 12, PETA’s “official” tasters are releasing their picks for the Top Five Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Seattle’s Plum Bistro beat out a throng of competitors to take home third place for its Pesto Grilled Cheese sandwich, which boasts a mouthwatering mix of vegan cheddar and mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms, and grilled onions.

“The Pesto Grilled Cheese’s to-die-for blend of cruelty-free flavors makes it a shoo-in for our top five,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “With animal-friendly cheeses easier than ever to find across the country, PETA encourages everyone to trade dairy cheese in for a cheesy vegan treat.”

As documented by PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—cows exploited for their milk are genetically manipulated to produce up to 10 times the amount of milk that they naturally would and are mutilated, often without receiving any painkillers.

Top honors went to Strange Matter in Richmond, Va., for its sandwich The Revenge, which features vegan ham, jackfruit, and Field Roast between two vegan grilled cheese sandwiches. Taking second place is the Vegan Grilled Cheese, courtesy of Ballyhoo’s Historic Seafood Grille in Key Largo, Fla., which contains house-made coconut-milk cheddar. Nabbing fourth place is the Bill Clinton’s Epiphany at Heywood Gourmet Grilled Cheese in Los Angeles, which is loaded with roasted red peppers, avocado, and gooey vegan cheddar. In fifth place is the vegan-upon-request Parmageddon at Cleveland’s Melt Bar & Grilled, which features potato and onion pierogi, sautéed onions, vegan cheddar, and fresh napa vodka kraut.

Each restaurant will receive a framed certificate. For more information, please visit PETA.org.