for the Animals Sanctuary!

As I write this, I’m eating a huge slice of Vegan Treats death by chocolate cake from yesterday’s work party & potluck at for the Animals Sanctuary in Blairstown, NJ. The top of the cake box simply said DEATH. How ironic.

I’ve been hearing about this farm animal sanctuary from my internet friends for about a year now. I met the founder, Debbie Kowalski, when I was at TAFA with Farm Sanctuary this past July. However, even though I’ve been home since August, I haven’t had the chance to actually get out to the sanctuary until yesterday.

Yesterday the lovely Letecia and I went to ftA for a work party followed by a potluck (all vegan, of course). We met their 30-some beautiful animals and then got quickly to work. One group cleaned out the barn, while the rest of us went down to load the old piles of compost into the spreader. With all of us pitching in (oh boy, the puns were endless but I’ll refrain from posting any others in order to keep this post family friendly), the work got done in no time (especially the A-team s*** shovelers, we BEASTED that compost pile)!

Of course we had worked ourselves up an appetite, so we all went inside to indulge in the food that everyone brought. There was SO MUCH food everywhere! I tried to get a little bit of everything, but everytime I turned around I was finding something new and I could only handle so much. There was pot pie, BBQ “meatballs,” millet, cauliflower, some sort of orzo salad, potato salad, Italian & “turkey” subs, cookies, muffins, cake, and so much more! Every single thing I had was amazing, even if I had no idea what it was.

After everyone was stuffed to the brim, Deb brought out the Death by Chocolate cake (AKA heaven). She looked like she wanted to eat the whole thing, but was kind enough to share.

For the Animals Sanctuary had a completely different feel from Farm Sanctuary, because it’s a much smaller organization. The people and animals are much more personable, the work much more manageable (their spreader looked like a toy compared to what they have at FS), and of course their budget much smaller. Which is where I call on you to help them out!

Right now, ftA is having an online auction to name the aforementioned piglets (link). The auction goes through Saturday. Basically, there is a separate bid for each pig and the winner gets to name that pig! As I write this, the bids are at $150 for the pink piglet and $225 for the pink and red piglet. Please consider bidding if you can! If you don’t have that much money to spend, definitely check out Debbie’s Etsy shop. She makes lots of beautiful vegan jewelry, and all the money she makes goes directly to the animals.

Overall we had a wonderful day, and I’m so happy we went! We met so many awesome people, and Deb & Steve (and the animals!) were super appreciative of all our hard work. There was so much vegan camaraderie and delicious food that I even started tearing up at one point. There’s absolutely nothing bad I could say about it, even if I tried.

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Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in the Lehigh Valley

10. Balasia: A Green World Cafe

Image from emmausmarket.com

An all-vegetarian and mostly vegan restaurant, this is the lowest on my top 10 list because they currently don’t have a location. Word through the grapevine says that the proprietor, Wendy Landiak, lost her lease at the building in Emmaus and that she’s moving back to Bethlehem. The website just says “our secret new location will be disclosed within the next several months.”

Balasia uses local, organic ingredients in all its menu options. Since the food is local, availability of ingredients changes seasonally so the menu is everchanging. Choose carefully though – a lot of the options are pretty hit or miss, and sometimes you’re left paying a higher price for something you could’ve made better yourself at home. Balasia calls itself a cafe, but it’s more of a higher-end cafe/sit-down restaurant.

9. Fiesta Olé

Image from mariachiorodemexico.com

I’m including this on the list because it’s Mexican (unlike all the Mediterranean places and cafes) and it’s in Emmaus (whereas most of them are in Bethlehem). I enjoy veggie fajitas off the vegetarian section of the menu, but beware: The guacamole contains dairy. Buncha gringos.

Fiesta Ole is located on Chestnut Street in Emmaus, right by a 7-11, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s. So if you’re on this block and looking for some vegan restaurant food, this is your best bet. According to their website, they will be opening two more locations: One on MacArthur Road in Whitehall, and one on Linden Street in Bethlehem (there goes my inclusion of a restaurant that’s not in Bethlehem).

8. Johnny’s Bagels & Deli

Image from mcall.com

Good ol’ Johnny’s. This is a wonderful place to satisfy the vegans as well as picky omnivores. There are now 3 locations, all in Bethlehem: Main & Market Streets on the north side, Campus Square (Morton & New Streets) on the south side, and a new location on Rt. 512 (which I’ve never been to). The location in Campus Square seems to have more sandwich options, and is a larger location.

When on the south side, I always get the Veggie Delight sandwich: Grilled veggies and a light layer of hummus on your choice of bread (I like focaccia). On the north side, even though they also have the Veggie Delight, I’ll opt instead for a plain bagel with hummus… Johnny’s has wonderful homemade hummus, and wonderful homemade bagels. Their coffee is also a really nice, fair-trade Colombian, which I enjoy every morning in August before starting my long day of working at Musikfest.

7. Foods of the Mediterranean

image from roadfoods.com

For the best hummus and falafel in the valley, visit Foods of the Mediterranean at the Allentown Farmers Market lower level. You can either eat there or get freshly made Mediterranean foods to go. If you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself there when they have vegan baklava! Other popular dishes include baba ghanouj, tabouleh, and other wonderful cold dishes.

6. Wildflower Cafe

image from facebook.com

Located on New Street in South Bethlehem, Wildflower Cafe has a good selection of vegan foods, including their renowned vegan chili and homemade vegan cookies. Walk into Wildflower and you’ll see the atmosphere reflects the name–lots of flowers and artwork decorate the place. Wildflower Cafe is a very artsy place, hosting 3 nights of live music every week (open mic 2 nights a week) and showcasing local artists’ work. On the outside is a mural done last year by the Community Artists of Bethlehem. Wildflower is completly volunteer-run.

5. Betty’s

Image from bettyswraps.com

Okay, this technically is not located in the Lehigh Valley but on Main Street in Kutztown. However, most items on the menu at Betty’s are vegetarian and they even say on their website “we can accomodate vegans or those with food sensitivities; just ask one of our staff members to help guide you.”

4. Nawab

Photo from Kelly

Yes, really. Another restaurant in South Bethlehem. I guess that’s the place to be if you’re vegan in the valley! Nawab is an Indian restaurant on Fourth Street in South Bethlehem. Like any standard Indian fare, most of their food is vegetarian and egg-free, and you’ll just have to ask what does and does not have dairy in it (especially if you, like me, are unfamiliar with Indian food).

3. Petra Mediterranean

image from 2cheese.blogspot.com

Petra is a relatively new restaurant with amazing Mediterranean food. All the vegetarian and vegan options clearly labelled on their menu. The entrees are a tiny bit pricey (well, for a teenager like myself anyway), but the appetizers, which are still good for meals, are nicely priced. The people who work here are really friendly and helpful, too.

2. Cali Burrito

Image from caliburrito.com

Voted “#1 vegetarian restaurant in the valley” from Morning Call’s reader choice awards! While not completely vegetarian, Cali Burrito has lots of yummy vegetarian burritos on the menu that can be easily veganised by removing the cheese and sour cream. My favorite is the Humbolt, which has smoked tofu in it. You could also get tofu scramble, falafel, beans, or grilled vegetables. Sometimes the week’s special will be some other flavour of marinated tofu. If you don’t want a burrito, you could always get a rice bowl instead. Cali Burrito is located on Hamilton Blvd in Allentown, near Dorney Park.

1. Vegan Treats

Photo from Kelly

Voted “Best Dessert in the Valley” by a bunch of omnivores in the Morning Call’s Reader Choice Awards! Known by vegans all across the country, Vegan Treats is a bakery on Linden Street in Bethlehem that sells their mouthwatering treats to restaurants as far as NYC, Philadelphia, and even DC. Owner Danielle Konya started the business not expecting it to grow as much as it did. Vegan Treats has so many amazing baked goods, I can’t even pick a favorite. I’ve been there many times, and still have a hard time choosing what I want whenever I go. They even have homemade soft serve, you just have to ask what flavour they have on whichever day you go in… although the best is, hands down, Peanut Butter. Vegan Treats Bakery For The Win.

Photo from Kelly

Photo from Kelly

Photo from Kelly

Yes, they sell underwear. And yes, they (used to) have it hanging above the counter.

On that note… MoFo out. ‘Til tomorrow!

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