Massachusetts Vegfests

(me at the Worcester Vegfest yesterday!)

The first ever Valley Vegfest was held last weekend in Northampton, MA. It was small, but nice. I'm used to much bigger events, but I'm sure in time this will become much bigger.

Admission was free but there was a donation box. It was held in what looked like the cafeteria of a middle school. Not a huge place. We got there on the later side so we missed most of the speakers. 

The few free samples they had were excellent.  A company I didn't know about, Nuttin Ordinary, had delicious raw, vegan nut cheeses. They were from New Hampshire! There were kale chips to sample and some cool stuff from a local pickling company: Real Pickles.

Some of my favorite restaurants were there: Cafe Evolution and Christine's Bean Sprout. Purchased my favorite cupcakes but didn't see any "real food". I think Cafe Evolution may have had some earlier in the day but we got there too late.

It was a nice first ever vegfest out here and I look forward to a bigger one next year!

 (the cool tote bag I bought at Valley Vegfest)

 (Valley Vegfest stash)

(the school where Valley Vegfest was held)

Yesterday was the Worcester Vegfest!

It was huge. I mean, almost too crowded. We got there just after 11 am, when it started, and there was a huge line out the door all the way down the block. That's a bit much. Lots and lots of vendors, activists, animal sanctuaries, etc. We were starving when we got there, so we got some lunch at one of the vendors right in the front: Loving Hut. Tasty stuff. We continued on down each aisle....by the time we were ready to leave, it was pretty tough walking....squeezing between all the people. It was so crowded, I couldn't even see what some of the tables were selling/advertising! 

We got to taste some pretty good stuff: Treeline nut cheeses, Late July and Way Better chips, Eat Well Embrace Life hummus, Upton's Naturals, some kettle corn, vegan Shakeology, and Posha Green post workout smoothies. 

 (Eat Well Embrace Life hummus stand)

(awesome Treeline nut cheese vendor)

Some amazing vegan baked goods we came across:

....and yes, I purchased one from each (a chocolate donut, brownie, and raspberry filled cake)!

And guess who I saw??? Robert Cheeke!! I was too chik'n to ask for a photo with him :(

Some cool T's:

Vegfest Stash:

My baked good and cheese stash that I purchased at Vegfest:

 (Treeline Nut cheese: scallion and garlic soft cheese)

We had a good time at both Vegfests! Hopefully we'll go again next year! 

Have you been to any vegetarian food festivals recently?

Eat smart,

T.

A Vegetarian Cafe in Easthampton

(Fall in Easthampton, MA)

We've been in Western Massachusetts for almost 1 1/2 years now. (wow, has it been that long?) We love it here....lots of delicious vegan food to be found, great local breweries, Fall colors, friendly people, and little traffic.

Recently, we started teaching at the Williston Northampton school in Easthampton, MA and we discovered a cute little place right in town. We drove by it every time we went there, so we finally stopped in to try it. It's called Christine's Bean Sprout Juice Bar and Cafe. The first time I went in, I was by myself and picked up a delicious juice: the Green Monsta!

 (the Specials Board)

Next time, I brought S with me. On the specials board they had the "Ecstatic Vegan", which is brown rice and sauteed greens, topped with grilled marinated tofu and housemade peanut sauce. It was absolutely amazing!! I thought they could have added some other vegetables like broccoli and carrots or something, but it was great as it was.  S had the Green Goddess Salad and that was really delicious too.

(The Ecstatic Vegan, the 2nd time I got it)

(the Green Goddess salad)

I think we've been there 2 more times since. I've gotten the exact same thing each time. I noticed that each subsequent time we went in, the amount of greens were fewer (though they added a little red cabbage). Last time, though still good, there weren't too many greens and there wasn't even a teaspoon of sauce on top of the whole thing. Now, I probably could have asked for more sauce and I bet they would have given it to me, so maybe it was my fault. The owners are super nice so I'm sure that would not have been a problem. On the other hand, I hope they pile on the greens again and add a bit more sauce for next time! Still delicious though :)

They had a new special last time and S got the Fake Philee Sandwich (which we split). It was very tasty. All vegan. There wasn't too much filling in the sandwich  (seitan, onions, peppers, cheese sauce), but it was quite tasty! The side of coleslaw was good too (no mayo, yay!).

(the Fake Philee sandwich)

They do specify what is Gluten Free and/or Vegan on the Specials board and on their menu. I think that's great! Some items, like the Fake Philee can be made vegan upon request. I still have yet to try one of the soups.

They seem to have a lot of baked goods behind the counter. Unfortunately, I don't think they are vegan, but they do specify that they are Gluten Free.

I'm glad to see that there are many people coming in and out of there. It's a relatively new business and the restaurant business is a risky one. I hope it's here to stay! We're definitely going to keep going for lunches every so often. Haven't tried their coffee yet...perhaps that's next.

Visit their Facebook page, as their home website seems to be empty still. You can see their regular menu there and they post their specials as well.

I give this place a 4 out of 5 stars....if you are near Easthampton, it's definitely worth a visit.

Do you have any favorite eateries in New England?

Eat smart,
T.