Copper Chimney

18090 Collins Ave / Sunny Isles / 305.974.0075

Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: No
 
Review by David Rolland of pablochiste.com

I'm a sucker for the all you can eat Indian buffet, but sometimes I get myself in trouble challenging the elasticity of my stomach. Copper Chimney an Indian restaurant in Sunny Isles provides an interesting alternative. They have a buffet on Sundays for $16.95, but on weekdays from 12-4pm they offer a lunch special  for $12.95.  The only problem for vegans is that the six vegetarian options all have dairy as ghee (clarified butter) is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. Fortunately the server spoke to the cooks and they are able to offer several vegan options. The dinner menu was filled with even more vegetarian entrees (many of which were priced at $12), but again if you are vegan you must specially request your food not to have dairy.

Copper Chimney's atmosphere is very fine, but unfortunately when I went there a bachelorette party took up the dining area. So we were seated outside where the servers were good natured, very attentive and glad to accommodate my picky vegan requests.
 
When the food came I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the serving. The portions are quite generous, but fixed so you don't eat so much that you need a wheelbarrow to take you out. I ordered the mushroom masala which was cooked in a savory tomato sauce. The lunch special also included an equal sized "side" of vegetable masala which had a tasty blend of carrots, peas, cauliflower, and broccoli. There was a fresh spinach salad with a pomegranate dressing, a pakora (which is a fried dumpling), a piece of nan (flat bread), and spiced Basmati rice. All the ingredients were quite fresh. I asked for medium spice which was actually quite mild, so fans of heat should not be afraid to request their food as spicy. But even without that extra kick the food was flavorful enough  that I am excited to make a return lunch visit and hopefully there won't be a bachelorette party, so I can enjoy the restaurant's ornate decorations.
 
$$

copper-chimney.com

Mac'N Food Truck

Follow @macnfoodtruck on Twitter for location info

Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

Mac'N is Miami's first fully-vegan food truck and its very existence brings joy to my heart.  South Florida's veg scene has unquestionably grown to the point where it would indeed be a travesty if there wasn't a dedicated option for the thousands of Miamians who are vegan, vegetarian, or just looking to eat a great meal without meat in it a little more often.

Mac'N "Soul Good" is a vegan soul food truck (just typing those words makes me happy), but they also cater to gluten-free and soy-free diets–a rarity in the current food truck scene.  Their menu rotates but they typically offer one to three variations on mac 'n' cheese, a special, some sides, and desserts.  My favorite mac so far has been the Margherita Mac, made with the mozzarella version of Daiya vegan cheese, roasted tomatoes and basil.    

Regular mac + Margherita mac, $7 each

I got to experience my first taste of jackfruit recently thanks to Mac'N.  I ordered their BBQ Pulled "Pork" Jackfruit Sandwich which came on a hearty wheat bun with a red cabbage and green apple coleslaw.  The jackfruit's texture really is incredible, just slightly less chewy than actual pork, but with the same BBQ-flavored sloppy goodness.  My omnivorous dining companions even said "Damn that's good!"

They have a gluten-free fryer for the sides, mostly Southern specialties like fried green tomatoes, sweet potato wedges and fried pickles.  Desserts have included banana cream pie cupcakes, peach cobbler cupcakes and more, with at least one of the options being gluten-free to boot.

The night we ate everything, left to right: Margherita Mac, sweet potato fries, fried green tomatoes 

with vegan remoulade, regular mac, watermelon chunks with basil and sea salt

Everything I've tried from them thus far has been delicious and I have happily (and rightfully) seen them with long lines at the truck round-ups.  Hopefully Mac'N are setting a trend and we'll see more veg-centric food trucks popping up in the future.

$
macnfoodtruck.com

El Vato Taco & Tequila Bar

1010 South Miami Avenue / Brickell / 305.523.6449

Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

El Vato Tequila and Taco Bar is an oasis of casual, veg-friendly Mexican food in the bustling Mary Brickell Village area.  The interior is modern LA/Mexi style with skulls, glitter, graffiti, low-riders and loud music.  

The menu consists of the basics (enchiladas, burritos, and so on) but they explicitly state that anything on the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan because they actually stock veggie crumble AND Daiya cheese!  I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a gooey, melty quesadilla so I ordered one and the Daiya definitely did the trick.  It was fabulous and my non-vegan cohorts agreed.

Their guacamole is fresh and all the food is very reasonably priced, but I do wish their drinks were a touch cheaper–or stronger.  I'm a lightweight when it comes to tequila and two $13 margaritas didn't do it for me (I'll have to look into their happy hours...). For just eats though, El Vato is a great option.

$
elvatobar.com

twitter.com/ElVatoBar

Chow Down Grill

 
9517 Harding Ave / Surfside / 305.397.8494
Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

Chow Down Grill serves up simple, fresh, Asian-inspired food and has a wealth of veggie options. I was compelled to check it out (don't get to Surfside too often) when I heard they make their own tofu in-house! On a quiet Sunday evening I stopped by and was delighted with everything I tried.

 

To start I had the Chow Down Chop Salad, a surprisingly harmonious mixture of everything from Napa cabbage to grapes, radish, corn, mango and beyond. I sampled a cold sesame noodle dish which was right up my alley and moved on to the dumplings. Hard to tell in this pic (I have since replaced my lousy old camera), but the dumplings are a bright, deep red, naturally colored so with beets. They were delicious and went great with the selection of five different house made sauces. Sauces are SO important, it kinda blows my my mind when restaurants don't get that but CDG definitely does.

I wanted to try everything so next up was the Chow Fun. The noodles were fabulous and as they should be - giant, thick, and smooshy.
 

After that I needed a bigger dose of the tofu. I ordered it as an entree with the sweet and sour sauce, walnuts, grilled mango and peppers.  As a tofu aficionado, this rates high.  The outside was lightly crisp and the inside had an almost creamy taste whilst still being savory. 

Chow Down have just opened a new location on South Beach that's open late.  MM hopes to check it out soon as we always need more great, locally-owned, veg-conscious restaurants in our city.

$$
chowdowngrill.com
twitter.com/chowdowngrill

Vegetarian Restaurant By Hakin

 
73 NE 167 Street / North Miami / 305.405.6346
Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

Review by David Rolland of pablochiste.com

It's funny how vegan is still considered a bad word. I've been ensured by Hakin (the owner of Vegetarian Restaurant By Hakin) that every item at his restaurant is fully vegan, but like many establishemnts in South Florida it seems that using the five letter v word in his restaurant's title could scare off more prospective customers than it would bring in. Fortunately on a Thursday afternoon the restaurant had a nice crowd.

The erasable markerboard shows what's available on the ever-changing menu and behind the display case you can see what the day's dinner plate looks like as well as other items on the menu like the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, the fruit pancakes or the veggie wrap. Don't let the exhibition fool you, the food is made to order and you will wait a bit for your food, but the servers are friendly and willing to talk the faults of the Miami Heat with you as you wait.

I was told Tuesday's barbecue rib plate is the dinner to get. But I still enjoyed Thursday's offering. For $8.95 I got some delicious faux meatballs, a slightly too salty fake beef stew, great lentils with a complimentary vegetable rice, and a fresh green salad with a homemade mango vinaigrette sauce.


For dessert I tried the tiramisu for $5.95. This was extremely rich, but left me a little unsatisfied as my previous foray in their $3.95 coconut cake had. The only flavor in each cake was excessive sweetness. They were pleasant enough, but I don't feel the need to order either item again on what I hope to be countless returns to this fine vegan restaurant.

$
ingaambrosia.com/hakin

Apple A Day

 
1534 Alton Road / Miami Beach / 305.538.4569
Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

Review by David Rolland of pablochiste.com
 

This is not a place to bring a hot date. Apple A Day is after all a cluttered health food store in a strip mall with very few seats that are not stools, but for a working person looking for a great vegan meal it is hard to beat Apple A Day's $7.50 soup and sandwich deal. The soup which is always vegan and changes daily usually contains an eclectic mix of quinoa, lentils, and various vegetables. This past time I went I was treated to a slightly spicy curry vegetable soup.
 

The sandwiches (which are actually wraps) are filled to the brim and heavy enough that many people take half of it to go. I enjoyed a barbecue seitan sandwich whose chewy presence shared room in the wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and hummus. Other vegan sandwiches include barbecue tofu, curry tofu, falafel, and veggie burgers. There's an eclectic mix of condiments on the counter to flavor your sandwiches including giant bottles of Annie's salad dressings.
 
Even though I'm a slave to routine and always hit the soup and sandwich deal. Apple A Day does offer other vegan options including various salads, a full juice bar, and other deli items such as spiced chickpeas and vegetable dumplings. If you have a sweet tooth though, you'll have to search the aisles and check the ingredients to see which cookies are vegan.

$
appleadaymiami.com

Oneburger

367 Alhambra Circle / Coral Gables / 305.529.5555

Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

Oneburger is another restaurant I finally tried after years of hearing about it again felt sorry I hadn't checked it out sooner. Indeed, unabashed meatiness abounds here but the overall feel and design of the place is sleek and simple, the prices are reasonable, and they have a well-thought-out set of veggie options. Oh, and YUCA FRIES!

Organic Veggie burger ($6.45), with avocado ($1.75), and yuca fries ($2.75)

Their main veg option is the "House Made 12 Ingredient Veggie Burger" which is vegan and can be prepared with several different topping styles. I opted for the Organic Veggie which came with tomato, baby greens and a balsamic sauce on a whole wheat bun. I added avocado and the result was perfection The burger itself was a nice change of pace from the Boca-style or mushy ones I've unfortunately come across lately–the 12 ingredients worked together and I could clearly distinguish chunks of black bean, corn, chickpea, sun-dried tomato, etc. Of course I got yuca fries on the side, oh-so-crispy on the outside and mashed-potato-smooth inside, and my companion's onion rings were lightly battered and perfectly textured.

My only slight criticisms are their lack of a vegan dessert, the almost $2 up-charge for avocado, and the fact that there seems to be cheese on nearly everything. Still, as a dedicated veggie burger aficionado, Oneburger gets my highest marks.

$
oneburger.com

Indomania

131 26th St. / Miami Beach / 305.535.6332

Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

Indomania is a cozy, intimate spot tucked off Collins and 23rd on South Beach. They serve up unique, tasty, extremely veg-friendly Dutch-Indonesian cuisine and I'm almost ticked off I didn't know about it sooner. That said, I am excited to share it here for others that have not yet had the pleasure.

I came with a large party for my best friend's birthday. Most in attendance were veg so several of us got together and ordered the family-style vegetarian Rijsttafel. It's basically a portion of every vegetarian/vegan item on the menu, over 12 in total. The items were almost all vegan, with only two of the dishes containing eggs (and the gado gado could've easily been sans ova).

Holy Vegetarian Rijsttafel! $24 per person for this and MUCH more

The food was fan-tastic. I'm generally not a huge tempeh fan but their skewered chunks were perfectly textured. The sauces, mostly curry- or coconut-based, were well-seasoned without being overpowering so that the taste of the vegetables still shone through. The eggplant was tender and not slimy, and even the simple yellow rice seasoned with lemongrass had us all going back for further scoops.

If you're dining in smaller numbers they offer a sampler plate for one and another veg entree or two. The desserts looked good but I can't vouch for their vegan-ness as by then we were all too happily full to contemplate them. The meal was pricey but well worth it for the atmosphere, the quality, and the incredibly attentive service. For a special occasion or a hot veggie date Indomania should be at the top of your list.

$$$
indomaniarestaurant.com

Mi Vida Cafe

7244 Biscayne Blvd. / Miami / 305.759.6020

Vegetarian-friendly: Yes
Vegan-friendly: Yes

I am a happy girl, because a wonderful new vegan restaurant has opened not a mile from my house. Mi Vida Cafe is located on 72nd and Biscayne, in the small space next-door to thrift store Divine Trash. You may sit inside and watch your meals being prepared as we did, or there are some tables out front. In a few weeks they're planning to open up even more seating in the lush garden out back.

MVC has a set menu and a board of daily specials. The menu has an extensive list of fresh juices and smoothies, several starters, and six main entrees. The day I went the specials were: Raw Spaguetti al Pesto, Spicy Kale Chips, Raw Carrot Cake with Coconut Icing, and the soup of the day was Raw Celery & Sunflower Seed.

Raw Spaguetti al Pesto, $9

To start we opted for the Spaguetti, which was whole, raw zucchini extruded into angel hair-esque strands in front of our eyes and mixed with a fresh, dairy-free pesto. As we sat and ate and made yummy noises, Chef Daniela brought out some of her handmade seitan and began seasoning it with chimichurri sauce and pan-searing it. I can unequivocally say it was the best seitan I've ever had in my entire life.

Sizzling Seitan al Chimichurri, $7.50

For our entree, we ordered the Canelones De Verdura, which are sort of savory pancakes wrapped around a delicious mixture of garlic, olive oil, tender baby spinach, ground cashews and more, topped with a tomato basil sauce. They were created in front of our eyes (in pancakes made from scratch by Daniela the night before) and tasted HEAVENLY.

Canelones De Verdura, $14

We barely had room for dessert but managed to split a sumptuously moist vegan peanut butter cookie. As my omnivorous dining companion said afterward, "I was expecting a nice meal, but I wasn't expecting to be wowed like that." Wow, indeed.

MVC boasts that their kitchen has "no microwave, no frying, no preservatives, no GMO food, no hydrogenated oils, and no high fructose corn syrup." They also are buying produce from local distributors and you can truly taste the freshness. I legitimately want to try every single thing on the menu. Also worth mentioning is that they open at 8am (!) on weekdays and you are welcome to call in your order for a morning juice or take-out for a work lunch. Their prices (especially on the entrees) could stand to be $1 or 2 cheaper but that is my only gripe. Mi Vida Cafe is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and even if you don't reside nearby all those into forward-thinking vegan dining should take a ride or a drive and go support this great new restaurant.

$$
midvidacafe.net

P.S. Check out their Twitter feed for drool-worthy pics and the daily specials.