Category: News & Events

Faux Mozzarella, now at Trella! Another Ottawa restaurant joins the Outreach Program

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In the time since this post was written, Trella restaurant has closed.

I’m pleased to announce that yet another Ottawa restaurant has joined the NCVA’s Restaurant Outreach Program.

Upscale but unpretentious, Little Italy’s Trella Bar and Grill is a most welcome addition, offering diverse lunch and dinner menus, plus breakfast on the weekends.

The following is a list of all the vegan or “veganizeable” items that Trella will be offering as of Friday, February 11th, 2011. They are identified by the NCVA logo on the “vegan menu” – just ask your host or hostess for it when you arrive!

Keep in mind that small additional costs may apply on some items. Alas, our favourite fauxs can be pricey…

Appetizers:

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta (with vegan bread)

Grilled Veggie Stack (with Daiya cheese or tomato sauce)

Salads:

Mixed greens with vegan balsamic vinaigrette

Trella Salad (mixed greens, grilled faux chicken, red peppers, avocado, walnuts and artichoke hearts with vegan dressing)

Asian Salad (mixed greens, grilled faux chicken, orange slices, toasted sesame seeds, vegan citrus soy dressing and vegan Thai peanut sauce)

Pasta:

Tagliatelle Salsiccia (vegan pasta, vegan tomato sauce, roasted faux Italian sausage, garlic, roasted red peppers and shallots)

Tortiglioni alla Bolognaise (vegan pasta tossed in vegan tomato sauce with faux ground beef)

Pizza (with vegan dough, vegan tomato sauce, and Daiya mozzarella):

Giardino (zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, diced tomatoes, onions)

Diablo (hot peppers, artichoke hearts, grilled faux chicken, onions)

Carne Amore (faux Italian sausage, faux pepperoni, faux ham)

Americana (faux pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers)

Salsiccia (faux Italian Sausage sweet red onion)

Burgers and Sandwiches:

Classic Vegan Burger (vegan bun and faux beef patty)

Portobello Burger (vegan bun and Daiya mozzarella)

House Club (vegan bread, faux chicken, faux ham, lettuce and tomato)

Breakfast:

Vegan bagel with faux cream cheese

Vegan bagel with faux ham and Daiya cheese, served with vegan home fries

We’ll be announcing a meetup at Trella very shortly, so keep your eyes and calendars open. But don’t wait for us to check it out! And if you do, be sure to post a review in the “comments” section.

Also, do visit Trella’s facebook page. “Like” them and even post a thanks on their wall for giving Ottawa’s veg*n community such a warm welcome!

New NCVA discount at VITAE-MINE

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By Amanda

Attention to everyone living or working downtown…VITAE-MINE is offering NCVA members a 10 per cent discount.

They are located at 136 O’Connor Street at Laurier, and are open Monday to Friday only serving breakfast and lunch throughout the work day.

In the mood for a huge salad with all the fancy fixins? How about a sandwich with tons of toppings that it puts other sandwich shops to shame? VITAE- MINE has it all. All the salads and sandwiches can be made vegan…add tofu here or skip the cheese here and substitute with nuts. It’s completely up to you. Mix and match your toppings as you like it! You’re in control. There are also soy free, nut free and gluten free options. (Their gluten free bread is not vegan). If you are not sure what is vegan, just ask the knowledgeable staff.

VITAE-MINE also has fantastic drinks to grab and go. The juice bar can make you a juice cocktail, green smoothie, raw fruit smoothie or a hemp milk smoothie. All of these are available dairy free. If you need your morning coffee or latte, get it here with soy milk, rice milk or hemp milk!! The coffee is fair trade and locally roasted.

So, think VITAE-MINE for your next lunch run.

Check out the website for the full menu and more information. www.vitaemine.com

Notification of the NCVA’s AGM: March 10

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The National Capital Vegetarian Association (NCVA) will be holding its third Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. It will be held at Green Earth Vegetarian Restaurant, located at 354A Preston Street Ottawa, ON K1S 4M7. We will review the achievements we’ve made since the last AGM, and looking towards the NCVA’s future.

All people who have purchased NCVA memberships between March 11, 2010 and March 10, 2011 are entitled to attend and to vote in the AGM. If you are uncertain as to your eligibility, please email our membership coordinator at ncvamemberships@gmail.com. You may still become a member between now and March 10 and attend the AGM.

As per our bylaws, there will be an election of the board of directors and nominations are currently being accepted. Nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m., March 7. Only NCVA members in good standing may be nominated, or make a nomination. You may not nominate yourself. There are up to nine director positions open; five are two year terms and four are one year terms.

It is strongly preferred that only those who have experience volunteering with the NCVA be nominated for board positions.

Nominations must be submitted in writing, and signed by the nominee and the nominator and mailed to: NCVA, National Capital Vegetarian Association (NCVA), 440 Hardy Ave, Ottawa, ON K1K 2B1.

It would be very helpful if you RSVPed your attendance to ncvamemberships@gmail.com, as we need a certain number of attendees to make quorum.

Thank you for supporting the NCVA’s efforts to make Ottawa a more veg-friendly place.

Georges Laraque first confirmed Veg Fest ’11 speaker!

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The NCVA is very pleased to announce that we have confirmed our first guest speaker for Veg Fest ’11: former NHL player and passionate vegan, Georges Laraque!

Georges Laraque
Georges Laraque is a former NHL hockey player, narrator of the french version of the film Earthlings, co-owner of Montreal raw vegan restaurant Crudessence, and deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada. Since becoming vegan on June 1, 2009, he has been a passionate defender of animals and promoter of the vegan lifestyle.

“I love animals, and I don’t believe humans should treat them as commodities and cause them harm. I just want to educate people on the subject to make this world a better place,” Georges says. “Even though it’s quite a change in terms of nutrition, I have never felt better or so healthy in my life.”

Georges wants people to know that it’s easy to be veg. “If you want to be a vegetarian, but are under the impression that you will not get enough protein or that you will look skinny, rest assured that there is lots of protein in vegetarian products that are much better for your health because they aren’t filled with the cholesterol that animal foods are filled with.”

Georges was born in Montreal to parents of Haitian origin, and his hockey career included stints with the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens. While he was known as one of hockey’s toughest players, his caring and concern for the plight of animals who are used and abused by humans demonstrates his true gentle nature.

Georges also marched with the NCVA and Green Party during Ottawa’s Capital Pride Parade in September 2010, and appeared as a competitor on CBC’s Battle of the Blades.

For more about Georges, visit his Web site, www.georgeslaraque.com.

Veg Fest ’11 is coming on May 1, 2011. For more information, please visit ncva.ca/activities/ottawa-veg-fest-11/.

Enviro awareness at Algonquin College

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Algonquin CollegeThe NCVA represented at the Algonquin College Environmental Awareness event, hosted by their Environmental Studies program on Feb. 1, 2011. It was heartwarming to see so much interest in vegetarian diets and what that means for our planet and the protection and sustainability of the environment. Equally as comforting was the fact that we were among friends; there were 3 other vegetarian-related booths at the event, one of which was a vegan cupcake bake sale (see photos below). Clearly, we’re in a time of change…

Reaching out to the student body and promoting a healthy and environmentally-conscious diet were the key messages on the table that afternoon. Also on the table were no less than two different kinds of vegan brownie samples (provided by baking enthusiast extraordinaire, Erin), which attracted even the most resistant skeptic in the crowd. It was also an opportunity to promote the NCVA to others, increase our membership base, and meet new friends of the NCVA. We sold some of our popular “Eat Like You Give a Damn” T-shirts and compiled a considerable list of passers-by highly interested in our association. It was amazing to see how many people hadn’t even heard of us. Hopefully we can encourage more volunteers to table at similar events in the future, so that we may connect with an even wider demographic.

Pub night was truly revived!

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NCVA folks sharing a drink at the Clock Tower Brew Pub
A social event, par excellence

The numbers said it all. If anyone was skeptical before about a bunch of vegetarians invading a local pub and bonding over beer, they no longer are now! We had a good crowd at the Clock Tower Brew Pub in the Glebe last Thursday evening. For those who came with an appetite, the menu options were modest, but delicious. A veggie burger (hold the cheese, please!) and a tofu green bean stir-fry were the options on the menu for our clan, and they received wide acclaim. Many a veghead enjoyed a locally brewed beer and even a seat around the table, as the space was quite cozy. It was a laid back and chatty sort of evening with lots of laughs and interesting conversations. It would be daft to not have another similar get-together in February. So don’t fret if you missed it and stay posted for info for the next event!

(What I loved most about the night was that everyone seemed to just gel immediately. Maybe it’s a veg thing.)

Join Credible Edibles for a special Thursday dinner

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By Pamela

The first Thursday of every month is the only chance Ottawans have right now to enjoy dinner at Credible Edibles, a primarily lunchtime cafe located on Hinton Avenue north of Parkdale. That means this Thursday, Feb. 3.

As part of the 1st Thursdays Art Walk in West Wellington Village, Credible Edibles, which itself will feature a collection of fresh new art from local artist Stephanie Guimond. The Art Walk occurs every 1st Thursday, leaving the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) lobby at 7pm. For more info on the Art Walk, click here.

Credible Edibles’ Table d’hote vegan menu includes:

* Moroccan red lentil soup
* Spinach and sundried tomato salad in red wine vinaigrette
* Mexican tacos topped with fresh salsa and creamy guacamole
* Maple apple walnut cake
* Fair trade coffee, tea or hot spiced apple cider

The cost is $24.95 per person, and don’t forget–NCVA members get a 10 per cent discount at Credible Edibles!

Reservations are available between 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and can be made in person at Credible Edibles (78 Hinton Avenue North), by phone, 613-558-7569 or by emailing info@credible-edibles.ca

For VegOttawa’s review on Credible Edibles, click here.

Livin’ La Dolce Vita

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By Erin

La Dolce Vita means “the good life, full of pleasure and indulgence.” And now, we vegans can enjoy it too!

I’m pleased to announce that La Dolce Vita in Little Italy has agreed to participate in our Restaurant Outreach Program.

If you forget what that is, check out this earlier post.

Basically, we’re asking omni restaurants to include one or two vegan items on their menu and to identify them as such. We in turn promote them on our blog, and post their vegan offerings on our website.

The goal: lots of omni restaurants with clearly identified vegan entrée options. In other words, places where vegans and their omni friends, family, colleagues and clients can dine in harmony. In other words, no more picking at limp salads while our discomfiting but well-intentioned omni dining partners go through the entire menu trying to find us something more substantial.

As it turns out, accommodating vegans was no problem for La Dolce Vita. Their pasta is vegan, as is their pizza dough and sauce. They also do a vegan leek and potato soup, and a vegan Greek dressing for their salads.

Also, since all of their dishes are assembled on-site, many of the meat dishes can easily be veganized. A vegan dessert may also be in the works!

Readers might also like to know that La Dolce Vita also offers many gluten free options.

La Dolce Vita does not offer faux meat or cheese, but customers are invited to bring their own to add to their chosen dish. I know some of y’all might think that’s a bit weird, but keep in mind that we are dealing with small independent restaurants here that have limited space and money for untried inventory.

We’re hoping that once they see the demand, they’ll want to stock our favourite fauxs.

Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for a meetup announcement for La Dolce Vita, and check out their website.

Since it’s right down the street from me (no coincidence that the Restaurant Outreach Program started in my neighbourhood ;)), I’ll visit soon and post a review. Of course, I’d be thrilled if someone beat me to it!

Stay tuned!

La Dolce Vita is located at 180 Preston Street (613-233-6239)

Mark your calendars: Veg Fest is coming on May 1

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Yes, that’s right, planning for Veg Fest III is well underway! In fact, we’ve nearly sold out our exhibitor space already.

Many people have commented on the amazingly positive energy at Veg Fest.

If you haven’t been to Veg Fest yet, it’s a can’t-miss event not only for vegetarians and vegans, but for anyone leaning towards a more kind and healthy lifestyle. If you’ve already been, you probably don’t need to be convinced to come again!

The NCVA has brought a number of high profile speakers to Veg Fest, providing an important educational component to the event. To listen to the lectures from Veg Fest I and Veg Fest II, you can click here.

We’ve moved Veg Fest up a month this year, from the end of May to the beginning of May, to avoid conflicting with the multitude of other major Ottawa events occurring then. It will once again be at the beautiful Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue, just one block west of Bank Street, and will feature a silent auction with proceeds supporting the NCVA. Veg Fest is Sunday, May 1, and will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is once again generously title sponsored by The Table Vegetarian Restaurant. Silver level sponsors include ZenKitchen, Rainbow Foods, Market Organics and Green Earth Vegetarian Restaurant.

For more details and a growing exhibitor list, visit our Web site.

Auntie Loo: A local cupcake legend.

NEW THIS YEAR! Stay tuned for more details about a cupcake contest, for which final judging will occur at Veg Fest, and don’t miss out on your chance to enter! Plans are in the works, and NCVA volunteers have teamed up with the legendary Auntie Loo, as well as Capital Cupcake Camp’s Ian Capstick to create an event intended to showcase the unparalleled deliciousness of vegan cupcakes.

Mmmm, cupcakes.

We’ll also need plenty of volunteers, so if you want to be a part of something great be sure to get in touch with us at ottawavegfest@gmail.com .

http://www.facebook.com/v/228439240296

Click on the link above to see NCVA president Pamela promote Veg Fest I on A Channel Morning.

Leave us a comment: What is your best Veg Fest memory?