Not far from Portland is another healthy town, one that Jack Kerouac once hailed from (his statue is reading me a story in that photo). And that town is called Eugene! On our Pacific North West road trip, we were told to stop in Eugene on our way back home. Good thing we listened as there was much to grub on and I’m going to share all the info with you now!
The main reason we stopped was to be sure we visited the Pizza Research Institute. It was more then well worth it, I wish we had one in LA! A converted mechanic shop, the PRI has an ever changing menu but always scrumptious regardless of what’s on it. It is completely vegetarian and veganizing items is not hard at all. They really do have some wonderfully experimental dishes but each is a hit. The day we popped in I had a killer spinach soup with their ridiculous spiral garlic rolls and a slice a spicy tofu vegan pizza. I was in heaven! Check them out and even if it’s your only stop in Eugene, you must dine at the Pizza Research Institute!
I’m sure I’ve said this a thousand times and I’m glad to say it again, you can always find a healthy dish with Asian cuisine. Sweet Basil Thai is just that kind of place. All kinds of authentic Thai dishes, it wasn’t difficult to fin something that suited any special diet. I went straight for the I Love Veggies Stir Fry and requested the vegan sauce that went with it. They offer tofu, tempeh or veggies with any dish and are very helpful with all sorts of food allergies. If it’s Thai you’re craving, let Sweet Basil scratch the itch ; )
Just because I’m The “Healthy” Voyager, doesn’t mean that I don’t let myself indulge in a sweet or 2 every now and again. And I chose to indulge at Sweet Life! Organic and many vegan desserts, you can anything here from a pie to a custom wedding cake – yummmmm! I went for their Vegan Chocolate Silk Torte and savored it for most of my trip home.
An awesome lunch spot I stumbled into was the Laughing Planet Cafe. I went to town with all the healthy, low fat, veggie options that I had to take some on the road with me in our cooler to enjoy later ; ) I started with their plantain chips & spicy bbq dip and moved on to their Soylent Green Bowl which was full of healthy grains & greens topped with tempeh & delicious mushroom sauce. Mmmm! Then i took a vegan deluxe burrito for the road ; )
Finally, I will confess that I stopped into yet another bakery ; ( But I had no choice!! It was 100% Vegan!! Woot woot! Gotta support veggie businesses even if it means I must eat cupcakes ; ) And eat cupcakes I did at Divine Cupcakes. They’ve not only got vegan cupcakes but they have gluten, sugar & wheat free options so no one is left out of the sweet mix. You can pop in for freshly baked cupcakes (might I recommend the Red Velvet or the Lavender?) or take & bake options. And if you are so inclined, they ship! No more excuses, get yourself a cupcake ; )
I’m more then excited to get back to Oregon and Eugene is definitely on my return list ; )
