Vegan Adventures in Miami - Honorable Mention: Starbucks

Miami Beach isn't the most vegan friendly place in the US, but it cold have been a lot worse. I did research before we left, and I was armed with the VegOut app on my iPhone. I packed dried fruit, granola, and peanut butter Lara Bars to snack on. On Saturday, Jessica and I walked over to Whole Foods - which was about a thirty minute walk from our hotel - to pick up more snacks, iced green tea and coconut water. I ate some really delicious food while in Florida, so I have no complaints. I ate many of the things that I'm supposed to avoid on my elimination diet, because I knew it would be even more difficult to find vegan, allergen-free food, although I did manage to avoid wheat the entire time. The only reaction I had was itchy eyes and a little bit of itching in my mouth from eating nuts. I was really happy not to have a reaction to tofu or corn!

Eating breakfast in restaurants is difficult as a wheat-free vegan though. Starbucks to the rescue! I usually like to skip chains and opt for independent coffee and tea houses, but I wasn't able to find any in Miami Beach. There are three Starbucks on the Lincoln Road Mall, and I know that if nothing else is around, I can get good oatmeal there. They also have a variety of fruits, and they just switched to whole leaf tea bags. So Jessica and I had breakfast there on Saturday and Sunday. We both also drank copious amounts of tea while in Florida, so we were in Starbucks often. Sadly though, none of the three locations carried the healthy snacks and gluten-free cookies that the Starbucks here in NJ have.


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Vegan Adventures in Miami - Siam Sushi

Sushi places abound in Miami Beach, especially in the Lincoln Street Mall. On Monday before we left for the airport Jessica, Karen and I went to Siam Sushi. They serve both Japanese and Thai food. Jessica and I both ordered the vegetarian sushi sampler lunch special, which came with a variety of vegetable rolls, miso soup and a spring roll. I'll admit that this wasn't the best sushi I've ever had, but there were so many other vegan friendly options on the menu that I'd be willing to give Siam Sushi another shot if I'm ever back in Florida.

After we were sitting there for a few minutes, our friends Eve and Lynn came into the restaurant and sat next to us. They ordered Thai food, which they both said was really good. If ever I do find myself back at Siam Sushi, I think I'd like to try a Thai curry or pad Thai.



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Vegan Adventures in Miami - The Cafe at Books and Books

On Sunday Jessica, Karen, Laura and I went to The Cafe at Books and Books for lunch. Books and Books is located in the Lincoln Street Mall, which is a large pedestrian mall full of shops and restaurants. Jessica and I had shopped at Books and Books the night before and found that they are open til midnight on weekends. We noticed that they had quite a few vegan options on their cafe menu and were anxious to try some of them.

They were extremely busy at lunchtime on Sunday, but that seems common for all of the restaurants on Lincoln Street.

Our waiter brought us a complimentary black bean hummus. I didn't eat any of the crackers, but I did try the hummus, which was really delicious.


Laura had vegan curried chicken Salad with tabouli and a mixed greens salad. I tried a piece of the chicken salad, which was really good. After I had it in my mouth, Jessica warned me that it was probably made with wheat-gluten. It was too late, so I figured I'd make an experiment out of it and a few hours to see if I had a reaction, which I didn't. Woohoo!


Karen had a tofu and avocado salad.


Jessica had a salad with beans and olives.


I had the vegan platter, which consisted of salad, grilled tofu, sweet potatoes, corn, bean salad, and black bean hummus. Yum! This was the first meal I wasn't able to finish while eating out in Miami Beach. It was really tasty but there was simply too much food!

Jessica and I liked the food at Books and Books so much that we went back for dinner!

We started off with chips and guacamole. This was probably the best guac I've ever had!


Jessica had a tofu and mushroom stir-fry. I was supposed to come with couscous, but she had them substitute brown rice, because she's been avoiding wheat as well.


I treated myself to a delicious red wine sangria.


I had quinoa and broccoli, which also came with squash and peppers. The broccoli was grilled which made it extra tasty. The dish came with a balsamic dressing, which really enhanced the meal. Once again, this was too much food for me to finish, and I was sad to leave the leftovers behind.

Books and Books has so many vegan options, so it's a must for vegans visiting Miami Beach.


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