Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
Lucky you. I went for a few days a month or two back but have failed abysmally in my intention of writing up where I went and what I ate and now forgotten some of it.... In brief we found it was very good for vegans, better than on previous visits. Here's some of the ones we went to (all are listed on HappyCow):
Cafe Green at Dupont Circle - more of a restaurant than a cafe, not particularly cheap but good - a lot of raw stuff though I think they had cooked too. Completely vegan as far as I know. Central and easy to get to. I think they have another branch somewhere.
Sticky Fingers - Very good brunch (french toast etc). They also do sandwiches, cakes and so on to take away. Completely vegan I think.
Harmony Cafe - a Chinese restaurant in Georgetown (so easy to get to) - omnivorous but seems to understand veganism and has plenty of vegan food - think I was able to order off the menu but just doublechecked that it was going to be vegan.
We had a kitchen of sorts in our hotel (no utensils to speak off though) and so had breakfast and snacks there - went and did some shopping at Wholefoods in Georgetown.
Hope you have a lovely time - please do as I didn't do and report in detail when you get back!
ETA the first thing I saw on arrival at the hotel was a bus outside with a "Go vegan!" ad on the side - as things turned out it was the only one I saw but it was encouraging.
Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
We went to Harmony Cafe. Kind of cool knowing we've been to the same place, Harpy! :D I wonder if we sat in the same booth? haha
I love DC! I'm trying to swindle a honeymoon in DC (instead of no honeymoon).
Restaurants I recommend:
Founding Farmers (ask for the vegan menu): "fish" and chips- only if you like fried stuff. They also have a salad made with gardein chicken... expensive but yummy.
Amsterdam Falafel House- They only have falafels and fries, so you know it's good. The condiment bar is awesome.
Asylum- The vegan dinner menu looks awesome, but we showed up too late. We did get brunch there and it was delicious.
Busboys & Poets- They have a great outdoor section. I love the ambiance. Vegan quesadillas and calzone. mmm
Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
Yes, maybe they put us both in the special vegan booth, Ruby :D It was kind of empty when we went but I think it was early in the evening as we were doing something later.
Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
Yeah there was nobody there when we went either... hmmm
Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
I also would recommend Sticky Fingers (soft serve ice cream and cupcakes!). I only had dessert there, but it was excellent. I also agree with Ruby in recommending Amsterdam Falafel House (they have a whole bar of toppings/condiments to put on their falafels; it's not fancy, but is great food) and Asylum (great brunch). My addition would be Java Green. It's a great place for sandwiches, and is all vegetarian. I think everything can be made vegan just by getting no cheese or w/Daiya cheese. It was one of my favorite places in DC, and fairly inexpensive.
Also, if you like Ethiopian places, they have a ton in DC, and many have extensive vegetarian menus. We always hit up one when visiting, but do not know off-hand which ones I have been to as there are lots.
Have fun!
Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
Oops, late reply! Thank you *so* much guys, I wasn't expecting to see so many recommendations! I'll be checking all of these places out for sure :)
Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
I had a couple of great meals in Busboys and Poets, one of the few places in DC to serve Vegan Treats desserts (Vegan Treats is a legendary bakery in Pennsylvania that serves the most divine desserts to the East Coast). I also got a great vegan pizza there, and it's a good place to go if you're stuck with omnis who don't want to go somewhere all-vegan. I also found a range of vegan sandwiches, meal options and vegan cookies in a convenience store near my hotel, which was a godsend because I was there for work and didn't get a chance to eat out much. If you have the time and leisure to go anywhere, the other recommendations here are probably more useful to you. But the sandwiches option is worth bearing in mind because they were really good, and budget-friendly too!
Other recommendations: try to visit a health food shop, you'll have fun! Peanut chews are soooo yummy and are vegan, you can get them in many shops. Lara and Cliff bars are also great for keeping up your energy levels if you're doing lots of sight-seeing. And if all else fails, you can get so many yummy flavours of bagel in the US - perfect for a cheap light bite.
Re: Vegan Washington, D.C. ?
Everlasting Life Cafe on Georgia Ave has the best vegan soul food in D.C. Maybe the best vegan food period.