Monday, June 17, 2019

Vegan Restaurant Week: Top 10 Community Reviews

VEGAN RESTAURANT WEEK
TOP 10 COMMUNITY REVIEWS

On May 13th, 2019, Denver, Colorado held it's very first all-vegan restaurant week. 

As a quickly-growing community filled with hungry vegans, the response for restaurants to participate (vegan and omnivorous restaurants, alike) was well-receieved. 


There was no shortage of restaurants to choose from, as you can see below (and even more, who may not be listed here, chose to participate up until days prior).



But before diving into our reviews, some well-deserved appreciations must be voiced.

THANK YOU to the entire VegFest Colorado team and Veganizer Denver chapter leader, Sarah Eastin, for making Denver's very first all-vegan restaurant week a feasible (feast-able?) reality. The effort given from these sponsors was unrelenting. From the beginning stages of networking, to marketing, advertising, & graphic design, to the actual execution of an entire week overflowing with vegan options - this couldn't have happened without you.

THANK YOU to all 30+ restaurants in the Denver area who took a chance on a new concept. Thank you for deciding to participate. Conceptualizing new menu items. Amping up already dope menu items. Ultimately - whether you were already a vegan establishment or one who was entirely new to (and nervous about) a vegan menu - thank you for emerging unabashedly into the growing, thriving vegan scene here in Colorado.

THANK YOU to the Denver community. For trying new places, attending tastings to help restaurants culture their concepts, and for posting or reposting the items you ate on social media. Restaurants were able to partake in the kind words and photos that you shared within this community, and sharing keeps the vegan options present, abundant, and expanding. 

From the team work, to the tantalizing treats, to the taste buds that enjoyed: 
This post is a tribute to you all.


Courtesy of patchworkcactus.com

The reviews you are about to read are local opinions from the Denver vegan community. These submissions are directly from the mouths (pun intended) of local vegan influencers. These women are always on the town tasting the latest and greatest vegan plates around. Let's just say, they know good vegan food when they find it!

If you're looking for sugar-coated reviews, I'm afraid you won't find those here. We've acquired honest, open opinions, some of which are downright forward. So hold onto your britches and pair this feedback with a sour beer, if need be. (We hear Goed Zuur can help you with this.) Like any good food critic, we must uphold our integrity with unbiased opinions. While there were many interesting and fun experiences, there is also criticism - hopefully, the criticism you'll find is portrayed in the most helpful of tones. 

That being said: because there were SO many restaurants that participated in Vegan Restaurant Week, the amount of reviews collected here are obviously only a portion of experiences. If you know of a restaurant that deserves some praise or constructive insight, feel free to mention them in the comments below.

Without further ado:
The Top 10 Community Reviews!

Please click on any name below to read about a genuine Vegan Restaurant Week experience.

Bang Up to the Elephant
Review 1 by Holly Harper ("Plant Brat")
Review 2 by Emma Caroli ("Veg In Denver")


The Choice Market
Review by Miranda Lipes ("Uprooted Foodie")


Review by Janelle Stone ("Nutti Nelli")


Review by Emma Caroli ("Veg In Denver")


Review by Kari Rowe ("Plant-Based Karoe")


Review by Sarah Eastin ("Veganizer Denver")


Review by Kari Rowe ("Plant-Based Karoe")


Review by Miranda Lipes ("Uprooted Foodie")


Review by Sarah Eastin ("Veganizer Denver")


Review by Amy Beth Bolden ("That Vegan Wife")


Honorable Mention:
Adelitas Cocina y Cantina
Video Review by Versa Colorado News

What did you think of Vegan Restaurant Week? 
Do you have a review of your own to add? Leave a comment below!

Are you a restaurant offering vegan food who didn't see a review of their establishment here? We don't want you to feel left out! Please reach out to host/collaborate for a future review, whether it's Vegan Restaurant Week or just any ol' regular week of the year.

Again, many thanks to the VRW sponsors! 

Please be sure to support VegFest Colorado this year! The dates are July 27th and 28th in Broomfield, CO, and you can read more about it (and buy tickets) here.

Keep following Sarah Eastin (@veganizerden) on social media to stay in the loop regarding Veganizer pop-ups, dinners, and events - and just Denver vegan culture, in general. For more about Sarah and her thoughts on Vegan Restaurant Week, read her blog here.

I hope you'll continue to keep your eye on Uprooted Foodie for tips regarding veganism and travel.
There are more reviews on the horizon... so stay in touch if you'd like to be apart of future reviews such as this - or if you just want to say hello!

Peace, Love, and Plants.
I hope to see you at the next Vegan Restaurant Week!