restaurant – VegOttawa Association

A Guide for Local Restaurants to Offer Vegan Foods

January 13, 2018Leave a comment

Did you know that the NCVA has its own e-book developed to help restaurant owners offer vegan items on their menus? The e-book, written by the NCVA’s past president Pamela Tourigny, is called “Beyond Veggies: A Guide for Introducing Plant-Based Meals at Your Food Establishment”.

Restaurant owners looking to serve vegan foods at their restaurants can download the guide for FREE from our website (see below). Additionally, individuals hoping to encourage more of their local eateries to serve vegan food can print off the guide and present it to their local restaurant owners. Basically, anyone who wants the guide can have it, free of charge!

Beyond Veggies Cover

It would be great to know who is downloading the guide and why, so we ask that interested people answer a few quick questions using the form below before getting access to the download links. Thanks!

Note: If you are interested in volunteering with the NCVA to help us reach out to restaurants and discuss the guide with restaurant owners, feel free to contact us for more information!

Interview with Jo from Little Jo Berry’s!

January 26, 2017January 26, 2017Leave a comment

By Carolyn Harris

This post is the first in a series of interviews with owners of local vegan businesses. To receive updates every time there is a new blog post, you can follow the NCVA blog by entering your e-mail in the sidebar to the right.

Jo is the owner of Little Jo Berry’s, a vegan café that serves treats, lunches, and coffee on Wellington St. West in Ottawa. When she was 17, she made the switch to a vegan lifestyle. Trained in specialty baking and having had experience working at Auntie Loo’s Treats, she opened Little Jo Berry’s in 2016. Here’s what she had to say about her experience being a vegan business owner…

1) When and why did you decide to go vegan?

When I was 17 I was living with my mother, and one day she came home and decided she wanted to start living a vegan lifestyle. In solidarity, I joined her. For the first year it was a lot of learning and experimenting. But once I became fully vegan there was no going back, I was so excited about it. The amount of new things to try with different ingredients, playing around in the kitchen, keeping animals safe and happy.

2) Have you always enjoyed baking? When did you decide you wanted to start your café?

In high school I actually hated foods class. I was explicit that all I wanted to do was sweep the floors and choose the music. But at home my dad was quite a chef, most of our bonding time was spent in the kitchen. I think it slowly and unintentionally made being in the kitchen very comfortable and familiar for me. However, I never imagined it as a career. Not until I got a part time baking gig at Auntie Loo’s. That was where I really started to grow as a baker. I started to dream of having a bakery in a sleepy little town by the sea one day. Sadly, Loo’s closed and that prompted me to put my goals and dream into motion. Slowly things began to unfold.

3) What do you enjoy most about running Little Jo Berry’s?

There are two things I enjoy absolutely the most:

1) my customers. Best people in the world. So many good, kind people support us and fuel us on a daily basis.

2) the few hours I take to myself in the kitchen every morning. Having time alone to create and try new recipes. Being able to practice what I am passionate about brings me so much joy.

4) What have you learned from your experiences with your bakery so far?

The most important thing I have learned is to be nice, always and to everyone. Especially when it is hard. Making the right decision and being respectful every time. We have so much luck and good things come our way at the shop and I like to think it has everything to do with our outlook and how we treat others.

5) What advice would you give to someone who wants to turn their passion for vegan food into a career?

Get ready to work very hard. To feel exhausted and burnt out and run down. Get ready for all the feelings and pressures and to be overwhelmed. Know that that will come for you and to be prepared. Surround yourself with loved ones and treats and puppies. Take the appropriate steps to find support and self care. Taking time for yourself will make you so much stronger and ready for the next steps.

6) What are your plans for the future?

Our plans are simple, to continue to grow and nourish our ties with our community. To give back all the love we have received. Whether that be with new treats or different events, we want to create a home for our patrons.

Please join me in wishing Jo all the best for 2017!

Carolyn

New NCVA Discount: Hareg Ethiopian Restaurant and Coffee House

February 6, 2015Leave a comment

Français

The NCVA is pleased to announce the latest addition to our list of restaurant discounts: 10% off at Hareg Ethiopian Restaurant and Coffee House.

A little bit of everything from the vegan buffet.

First, the key stats:

1) Where: 587 Bank St. (just south of the 417 at the tip o’ the Glebe)

2) What: Traditional Ethiopian food, which includes meat but has lots of vegan options. You can order off the menu, but the most popular thing is the buffet, which is available 6 days a week, and is all vegan on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

The vegan part of the buffet is clearly distinguished from the meat part, though, so don’t feel you can only go on the all-vegan days.

Ready...set...roast 'em! Yes, Ghostbusters references ARE appropriate in all contexts. — Ready…set…roast ’em! Yes, Ghostbusters references ARE appropriate in all contexts.

Hareg is also a coffee house. They serve up traditional Ethiopian coffee—roasting, grinding, and brewing the coffee beans right in front of you. I wasn’t sure what to expect – I thought I heard somewhere that Ethiopian coffee was really strong. But it tasted very much like the coffee I’m used to, only delicious enough for me to drink black and without cookies, which I wouldn’t dare do with either Tim’s or Starbucks.

3) When: The buffet is available 11am–8:30pm Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday, and 11am–10pm Friday and Saturday. The buffet is all vegan on Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday. The coffee ceremony is free every Friday from 6–8:30pm and Saturday from 12:30–8:30pm.

4) Why: Awesome food, lots of vegan options, gluten-free injera (which is the bread you use to scoop the food), uber-friendly staff, and a comfortable atmosphere. And experiencing the making of traditional Ethiopian coffee is a real treat—it was a highlight of our visit, so do it if you can.

And if you do go, and share your impressions on social media, be sure to like their Facebook page and tag @Hareg Cafe —they appreciate the feedback!

Pizza Pizza Pizza!

January 13, 2011Leave a comment

Hey everyone,

Shaun here with a vegan pizza option for us vegan Ottawans.

Pavarazzi’s (locations at Somerset West at Lyon as well as 223 Laurier East) offer a delicious option for us vegans. Here’s what I suggest:

Order the vegetarian pizza (Artichoke hearts, olives, roasted peppers, tomatoes, sesame seeds) with the herb crust and spicy sauce.

Then enjoy!

Thanks to Auntie Loo for this yummy suggestion!

Pizza Pizza Pizza!

January 10, 2011Leave a comment

Vegan Pizza — photo courtesy of veganyumyum.com

Some days, even vegans don’t want to cook. Some days even vegans have terrible cravings for pizza. It’s not a crime to want to order in some “fast food” every so often, and I find that you can make your hungry omnivorous dinner companions happy if you suggest ordering pizza. But what does that mean for a vegan? Do vegans have to sacrifice taste to continue eating ethically at pizza places? Sometimes they do. But I have discovered a way to make “Pizza Pizza” pizza vegan and equally if not more delicious than its dairy-laden counterparts. And here’s how to do it.

Order your pizza at pizzapizza.ca. (I’d recommend ordering online, as you can make all your nitpicking selections without feeling awkward with the phone representative.)

Here are the necessary selections:

Large or extra-large pizza (you may want to take advantage of one of their specials if you’re buying multiple pies)
Multigrain dough (Disclaimer: Pizza Pizza claims that all of their pizza dough is vegan, though they also list honey in their multigrain dough ingredients. If you are opposed to eating honey, you may want to choose the classic white dough instead, which is for sure vegan, however I am a strong believer that the multigrain-ness of this pizza dough is necessary!)
Special Instructions Crust: None
Base sauce: Home Style Italian Tomato Sauce
Special Instructions Sauce: Extra Sauce on the Bottom
Base cheese: No cheese
Toppings (3): Fresh mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes, pineapple (I cannot guarantee awesomeness of this pizza if you add/delete/modify topping choices)
Free Toppings: Chili Peppers, Italiano Blend, Olive Oil
Special Instructions: None

So next time you are ordering pizza, when it comes to taste, don’t just settle for “good enough”, go for “absolutely delicious to the extent that even your omnivore friends would agree”.

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