If you've never been to Key West, Florida I describe as a blend of Las Vegas and Burlington, Vermont. There is a fabulous food scene, pockets of hippies, plus drinking and debauchery all night, every night. But the best thing about Key West is anything goes. No one cares what you look like, what you're eating, or where you're going. It's the most relaxed place I've visited.
In prior visits, I was vegetarian and I found the food options to be unique and delicious. Now that I'm vegan, I wasn't sure how easy it would be to find vegan food. To my surprise, it was out of this world. I ate like a Vegan Queen every day.
I want to provide a brief overview of the three main vegan/vegetarian places I frequented while visiting.
In prior visits, I was vegetarian and I found the food options to be unique and delicious. Now that I'm vegan, I wasn't sure how easy it would be to find vegan food. To my surprise, it was out of this world. I ate like a Vegan Queen every day.
I want to provide a brief overview of the three main vegan/vegetarian places I frequented while visiting.
The cafe Key west
Spinach Gyoza Dumplings & Soy Ginger Sauce
We started out our meal with two vegan appetizers: Spinach Gyoza Dumplings with a Soy-Ginger dipping sauce. Outstanding. Absolutely delicious.
Un-wing Dings with your choice of hot, BBQ, Teriyaki, or Blue Cheese (non-vegan) dipping sauce
Appetizer round two. These tofu faux "chicken wings" melted in your mouth. They were the perfect combination of crispy and flavorful.
Flat Noodle Peanut Tofu Stir-Fry
I enjoy a stir fry as much as the next girl, but usually they aren't too spectacular or unique. Ok, you have vegetables, a noodle, and some type of sauce. Not particularly blow your socks off interesting. At first, I was hesitant to order this stir fry but boy am I glad I did. The flavors exploded in my mouth. The vegetables and tofu were crunchy, while the noodles were soft. The sauce used to saute the dish wasn't too oily or overpowering. Two thumbs up dish.
Warm Apple Crisp in a Jar
This vegan apple crisp dessert was OK. It was piping hot when served so we had to wait quite a few minutes just for it to cool down. The flavor was somewhat lacking. It really just tasted like rolled oats, cinnamon, and apples. Nothing too spectacular. But I was determined to come back to sample other desserts on the menu. They were sold out of most of their desserts the night we had dinner.
I came back a few days later and sampled their vegan Carrot Cake and vegan Key Lime Cheesecake. Yes, I sampled two desserts in one night and at them both myself. The vegan Carrot Cake was honestly the best vegan Carrot Cake I've ever had. It was super moist, bursting with flavor, and had an amazing gooey cinnamon frosting. Admittedly, I purchased a second piece of carrot cake a few days later and devoured it.
Overall, The Cafe Key West is an amazing sit down restaurant for vegans. There are so many choices (which I love) that I had a problem deciding what to eat. The food is fresh, flavorful, and local. And the price point is easy on the wallet. Oftentimes organic, healthy, vegan friendly cafes and restaurants are very pricey and only have small portions. The Cafe Key West is affordable and generous with their portions. It's a Vegan's dream.
I came back a few days later and sampled their vegan Carrot Cake and vegan Key Lime Cheesecake. Yes, I sampled two desserts in one night and at them both myself. The vegan Carrot Cake was honestly the best vegan Carrot Cake I've ever had. It was super moist, bursting with flavor, and had an amazing gooey cinnamon frosting. Admittedly, I purchased a second piece of carrot cake a few days later and devoured it.
Overall, The Cafe Key West is an amazing sit down restaurant for vegans. There are so many choices (which I love) that I had a problem deciding what to eat. The food is fresh, flavorful, and local. And the price point is easy on the wallet. Oftentimes organic, healthy, vegan friendly cafes and restaurants are very pricey and only have small portions. The Cafe Key West is affordable and generous with their portions. It's a Vegan's dream.
Sugar apple cafe & market
Peaceful Tempeh Sandwich: Tempeh, Avocado, Cranberry Sauce on Multigrain Bread with Soy Mayo Mixed Greens, and Fresh Veggies.
I only sampled two items from the Sugar Apple Cafe & Market but both were satisfying and delicious. The Peaceful Tempeh sandwich is under $10 and one of their most popular items on the menu. It tastes a bit like Thanksgiving with the cranberry sauce, which is just fine by me.
Organic Carrot Juice with Green Magma
Their fresh pressed juices are a little on the pricey side, but I haven't found a place that doesn't sell fresh juices for cheap. Either way, this organic carrot juice with green magma was refreshing and filling.
Sugar Apple Cafe & Market offers an intimate cafe with just six stools inside and one small table outside. It's more of a grab 'n go cafe offering fresh pressed juices, delicious fresh made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and smoothies. Their menu boasts a range of unique dishes and is quite reasonably priced. When we went for lunch, there were only two women taking orders and making the food, so be patient you might have a wait. The market has a wide variety of vegan, organic, non-GMO, gluten-free foods and products. There is a large selection of teas, spices, vitamins, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. The market is a great place to browse while you wait for your food or drink.
Sugar Apple Cafe & Market offers an intimate cafe with just six stools inside and one small table outside. It's more of a grab 'n go cafe offering fresh pressed juices, delicious fresh made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and smoothies. Their menu boasts a range of unique dishes and is quite reasonably priced. When we went for lunch, there were only two women taking orders and making the food, so be patient you might have a wait. The market has a wide variety of vegan, organic, non-GMO, gluten-free foods and products. There is a large selection of teas, spices, vitamins, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. The market is a great place to browse while you wait for your food or drink.
date and thyme
Avocado Toast: Smashed Avocado, Sea Salt, & Lime Juice on a Multigrain Bread
Avocado Toast is all the healthy rage. Many health conscious restaurants and cafes have Avocado Toast as an option. It's so easy to make at home too. This version from Date and Thyme was mediocre. I'm no salt fiend, but there just wasn't much taste to this Avocado Toast. It desperately needed salt, more spices, and flavor. It really lacked flavor. Definitely a disappointment for $4.95
Acai Bowl: Frozen Acai, Blueberries, Banana, Goji Berries Blended with House-Made Coconut Milk, Topped with Crunchy Granola, Coconut Flakes, Goji Berries, and Cacao Nibs.
Acai Bowls are also all the health food rage. The Acai berry is a superfood packed with vitamins, nutrients, anti-aging and weight loss properties. My first time trying an Acai Bowl with fresh fruit was in Maui. I don't think I've had one since that compared to how delicious and fresh that was. Date and Thyme's Acai Bowl was good, but it was $11.95! In my opinion (and many other reviews on Yelp) that's far too expensive for what it is. Their Acai Bowl contains goji berries, which are not my favorite because they get stuck in your teeth.
Date and Thyme is a good last minute option for Vegans but it's far too expensive and the portions are small. I also tried the oatmeal power bowl. When I finished, I was still hungry. It also wasn't very flavorful or unique. They have a small organic market next to their kitchen featuring fresh produce, snacks, seasonings, teas, and other grab n' go meals. It's very cute and well laid out, but the cafe and market is the kind of health food store that gives eating healthy a bad wrap.
Date and Thyme is a good last minute option for Vegans but it's far too expensive and the portions are small. I also tried the oatmeal power bowl. When I finished, I was still hungry. It also wasn't very flavorful or unique. They have a small organic market next to their kitchen featuring fresh produce, snacks, seasonings, teas, and other grab n' go meals. It's very cute and well laid out, but the cafe and market is the kind of health food store that gives eating healthy a bad wrap.
