Hello. Is it just the two of us in MN? Can't be.

I don't have a whole lot to share about my veg experiences, really. I've been vegetarian for 13 years and mostly vegan for the last couple of months. I do have to plan my grocery shopping around my work schedule, so I can run to Whole Foods or the Wedge over my lunch break. I don't live near any decent grocery stores. That's one benefit of my commute, I suppose - that it brings me closer to civilization! And I really don't eat out much. My husband is an omni and will barely touch a vegetable, let alone eat one, so we have a hard time finding places to eat out that can accomodate both of our choices.

How about you?

I don't know...seems like everyone else abandonded this thread! I know there's plenty of vegs in the area...they just don't know about VB yet I guess??

Congrats on transitioning to vegan!
We have been exploring restaurants around town lately and have discovered so many little treasures! Have you been to Cafe Brenda? It's vegetarian fare plus a few fish items, so maybe you and your husband could both find something there!
Sunsets has fabulous pizza and the one near us (in Woodbury) will make a vegan one for me. There's a Sunsets in Wayzeta I hear. Is that close by you?
Green Mill also makes a great vegan pizza, although each store varies. I have the one near me trained in pretty good :)
I shop at Whole Foods in St. Paul. I've never been to the one in Mpls, is it nice? Big?
The St. Paul store has just been remodeled.
I also do quite a bit of my shopping at Kowalskis. They have a pretty decent selection of natural/veg/organic foods.
How far are you (your work?) from Lakewinds (I think it's in Minnetonka?)? I've always wanted to go there.

Oh, I love Kowalski's. I used to shop at the one on Grand Ave. whenever I visited my sister in St. Paul. I've never been to the Whole Foods in St. Paul, but I did drive by it the other weekend and it looks nice. I think the Minneapolis one must be bigger. It's really nice and they're so helpful there. I have been to Lakewinds a few times, but didn't really enjoy it. It's a really small store and was just crowded (I only went on Saturdays, so that could be why.) And I mean really crowded. And the aisles were really small so I just got crabby. I would like to someday go back and check out their home store, though. That's a separate store right next door with all natural products for the home.

I never have been to Cafe Brenda, shame on me. I even lived in Minneapolis for 7 years but never made it there. I mostly stuck to Uptown.

What is Sunsets?

My favorite pizza place is still Pizza Luce. Yum, yum, yum. Have you ever eaten at Punch? There's one outside of my yoga studio and it smells so good. I'll have to try it sometime to find out how vegan-friendly they are.

Say - off topic - but do you do makeup consulting with your Arbonne business? I have my sister-in-law's wedding coming up and want to look pretty :) but the extent of my makeup abilities is throwing on some face powder...

Sunsets is a nice restaurant/bar/grill type of place. Similar to a Champps but much nicer IMHO.
Mmmmm, I've been to Pizza Luce once and it was soooooooooooo delicious! I will have to make a point to go back. I've never been to Punch, and never heard of it. What is it?
My two other favs are Pazzaluna in St. Paul and California Cafe in the Mall of America. Both places have made special vegan items just for me :o I'm always impressed with what they come up with.

Yes, I do makeup consulting. I bring the makeup counter to you. I can help make you look pretty if you'd like! :bow:

I will have to check Sunsets out. Wayzata isn't all that close to me, but I'm all for traveling for good food!

Yes - Pazzaluna is wonderful, as is California Kitchen. I also like Luci's in St. Paul. I've not eaten there as a vegan yet, but as a vegetarian, I found that their chefs were always willing to make modifications. California Pizza Kitchen (I think it's at Southdale) also makes terrific vegan pizza. (They have this carmelized onion & pear pizza that is so, so good.)

Punch is a new pizza place. There's one in Eden Prairie, but I think there's one in Highland Park, too. I am going to call the Eden Prairie one for a menu, I think. Tuesday night is our "date" night, so I usually bring food home.

Yes - I would love it if you'd make me pretty! The wedding is on July 10th, so I would need to do it before then. And do you have product available for purchase right away, or would it need to be ordered? I also don't have my dress picked out yet, so I don't know what color I'll be wearing . . .

Mmm, all this talk about food is making me hungry! I tried to see if Punch had a website, but didn't come up with anything but reviews from Star Trib and similar sites. You'll have to let me know if it's any good!

If we got together within the next 2 weeks or so, you'd have plenty of time to pick some things out and have them sent to you. I do keep some things on hand, but not the cosmetics. Ordering is very easy and fast.
What is your eye, hair, and skin color?

Oh - I am quite excited! Eyes: blue, gray or green. They seem to change, depending on what I wear. Mostly blue, I think. Hair: light to medium dark brown (?). Skin: very pale.

You don't happen to also enjoy shopping and helping people pick out dresses to wear to weddings so they'll look totally great even surrounded by a bunch of their sister-in-law's skinny-minny friends, do you? :shy:

I just got a menu faxed from Punch. Pretty cheese- and prosciutto-happy, but it sounds like they could do some great vegan pizzas. They have some good toppings - artichokes, arugula, basil, capers, mushrooms, peppers, ooh - roasted red peppers - yum, sun-dried tomatoes and different kinds olives. I'm definitey getting hungry now and will have to give it a try - probably after my next yoga class.

Hehe...I do enjoy shopping very much! And I know how you are feeling because my husband's sisters (and their friends) are skinny-minnys too. Maybe we should go to Southdale and go to PF Changs or something :D I would enjoy that.
We should probably discuss this in PMs.

Yum, does Punch have portobello mushrooms too?

I'm PM-ing you back :)

I have discovered a couple veggie/animal rights websites/groups that are in the Rochester area. VIGOR (vegetarian information group of Rochester) will even have a vegan food booth at Rochesterfest coming up next week!

http://www.mnraps.org/

http://www.vigr.org/

Hi, I'm in Minnesota too! Obviously. :p

Has anybody in the Twin Cities seen Dilberitos at the grocery store? I heard about them and looked at their website, and they're vegan and look pretty good and say they're carried at Lund's, Byerly's, and Cub, yet I've tried a bunch of locations of those stores and haven't found them yet. Has anybody seen them? And/or any reviews?

Thanks!

Hey MnVeggie, nice to see you in this forum :) I have seen those burritos before - I cannot recall where? Maybe Cub or Kowalskis? I haven't looked at them closely because I assumed they were not vegan.

Okay, wait....I just looked at the website (www.dilberito.com) and noticed that the packaging is different and they are now vegan - where they were not before. :vebo: :vebo: :vebo:!!!!!!!!!!
I am definitely going to look for these because my husband would love them for work (especially great since they are fortified with all thoes vitamins and minerals and it's rare that he remembers to take his multi-vitamin)
I wonder if those stores still have the old product on their shelves? I should check Whole Foods too...

Hi, I'm in Minnesota too! Obviously. :p

Has anybody in the Twin Cities seen Dilberitos at the grocery store? I heard about them and looked at their website, and they're vegan and look pretty good and say they're carried at Lund's, Byerly's, and Cub, yet I've tried a bunch of locations of those stores and haven't found them yet. Has anybody seen them? And/or any reviews?

Thanks!

Hello! I haven't seen the Dilberitos yet, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for them now that I know they're out there. Thanks for sharing that they're vegan! I think I'll look for them at Byerly's tonight.

Is anyone familiar with the local animal rights group Eco-Animal Allies? Their website is http://www.greenpeople.org/webpage.cfm?linkpage=http://www.ecoanimalallies.org&memid=3819. It looks like they have a table at some Gay Pride events this weekend. I won't be around for that, but if anyone knows of this group or finds information on this group, please share!

Is anyone familiar with the local animal rights group Eco-Animal Allies? Their website is http://www.greenpeople.org/webpage.cfm?linkpage=http://www.ecoanimalallies.org&memid=3819. It looks like they have a table at some Gay Pride events this weekend. I won't be around for that, but if anyone knows of this group or finds information on this group, please share!


I'm not familiar with that group- but I am familiar with Compassionate Action for Animals. The group isn't huge but it is growing- and it isn't ALL college students, we have a variety of people in the group. The U of Minnesota chapter is currently looking for people to table/leaflet for them at Pride as well as a multitude of other events- and we love to see new faces!! If you're interested you can call them at 612-623-7615. Just leave a message if nobody answers. Be sure to leave your name and a number that they can reach you at! If you'd like, you can let them know that you got the number from Riely. That's me :D

Thanks for the info! I was just looking at the ca4a.org website yesterday, but it didn't look like it had been updated in awhile, so I wasn't sure if the group was still active. I will give them a call sometime. I won't be around this weekend for the Pride events, but would be interested in future events.

I like your avatar and it's good to meet another Minnesota VB-er! :hi:

I found ONE lonely Dilberitto in my local County Market's natural food frozen case. I bought it. It's the Garlic & Herb flavor. I will be giving it to my husband to try & I'll let you know what he thinks.
(I just looked the ingredients and it has 40% RDA of sodium, yikes! Everything else looks healthy though)

hey..
..just found this thread..seems kewl..
..i live out in victoria..but the father has a place in chaska i bike to alot..
..go to school in st.paul..transfered there a year ago..
think its kewl theres people from mn here..

i am from minnesota too. never seen dilberitos but i am having a hard time finding any of the cool things i like. i found a natural foods store near me in anoka and it has lots of good ice creams the other stores dont so thats cool. i will keep an eye out though

If you are ever in Minneapolis, check out the Wedge.

They had spiffy vegan options last time I was there.

Qetta and I will be at the Earth Save picnic in St. Paul on Sunday, June 18th. Anyone else going?

hey..
..just found this thread..seems kewl..
..i live out in victoria..but the father has a place in chaska i bike to alot..
..go to school in st.paul..transfered there a year ago..
think its kewl theres people from mn here..

Hey, we're totally neighbors. I'm just a little bit west of Waconia. Do you mean you bike from Victoria to Chaska? I'm impressed.

Qetta and I will be at the Earth Save picnic in St. Paul on Sunday, June 18th. Anyone else going?

I had a really good time at the EarthSave picnic. Lots of good food and interesting people!

If you are ever in Minneapolis, check out the Wedge.

They had spiffy vegan options last time I was there.


Yes, The Wedge is a great place. Friendly employees, too. I was out leafleting (handing out Why Vegan?'s on my campus) and had an employee from The Wedge come up to me and give me a large bunch of organic bananas to share with my fellow leafleters. I thought it was a super nice gesture :up:

I really enjoyed myself at the EarthSave picnic!! What a great group of interesting people. And the food....mmmmmmm!! Thanks for coming with me qetta! :lovesign: