Tagged: Counter Culture

Vegan Week in Review

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Food Not Bombs Benefit Show- This weekend, Austin puts the fun in fundraising! Head on over to the 29th Street Ballroom at Spider House tonight at 10pm for a Food Not Bombs Costume Benefit Show. For a small suggested donation at the door, you get a night full of great entertainment, and all the proceeds go towards cooking vegan meals for those in need. Tomorrow from 6pm to 9pm, get your shopping on at Treasure City Thrift, an awesome all volunteer run and collectively organized thrift shop. 100% of the proceeds will go to benefit local animal advocacy group Action for Animals.  On Sunday, if you’re not heading up to Dallas for the Texas State Veggie Fair, be sure to check out the Vegan Bake Sale at Counter Culture, benefiting SARA Animal Sanctuary. Great music, shopping and eating baked goods to raise money for awesome causes – I’m sold!

- Fall is in the air, and it’s time to start dusting off those winter recipes. If you’re up to the challenge, break out your favorite chili recipe, and be sure to sign up for the 24th Annual Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off, just a few weeks away on Sunday, November 11th. Texans take their chili seriously, so the competition is fierce, but so is the fun. Whether you attend as a competitor, or as a chili taster, you’re sure to have a great time.

Sandwiches, Salad, Soup and Tea from The Steeping Room- The vegan scene up north just keeps getting better and better. The Steeping Room on North Lamar is finally open! Scones, soup, sandwiches and more! All the things you love about The Steeping Room, at a great new location. Perfection improved! For Eastside Pies fans, there are not one, but two new north locations – one on Airport and 53rd, and the other on W Anderson. Now, if only they had a vegan cheeze option…. email campaign anyone?

-Vegan MoFo is heading into its fourth week, and the blogging is still going strong. Austin has a large contingent of bloggers participating this year, with great content coming from: Joanna Vaught, Lazy Smurf’s Guide to Life, Lizz Delicious, Lone Star Plate, Muy Vegan, My Healthy Chef, Ready Set Green Diet, The Traveling Austin Vegan and Vegan Explosion. So much great food, so little time. I hope everybody gets a chance to check out all of these great bloggers!

 

A Fall Pumpkin Treat and a Bake Sale for SARA Animal Sanctuary

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Who doesn’t love the fall? The leaves begin to turn deep orange and red colors. Sweaters make their way out of the bottom drawer and onto our shoulders to keep us warm during  nippy evening strolls with our dogs (also wearing sweaters) through Central Park — wait — this is not the New York of When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail. This is Austin, and our Zilker Park is still recovering from the throngs of people treading all over it for the Austin City Limits music festival. Yes, this is Austin, where pretty falls days are scattered between “unseasonably” warm days. What do we do in Austin to remind ourselves (and our dogs) that it is indeed Fall? We go to vegan bake sales, buy pumpkin-laced goods, and raise money for SARA Animal Sanctuary in Seguin!

Austin blogger Lazy Smurf recently reported that SARA Animal Sanctuary has fallen on hard times and particularly needs help paying their electric bill. Ms. Smurf has organized a vegan bake sale to benefit SARA Animal Sanctuary this Sunday October 21 at Counter Culture. If you can not attend the actual sale on Sunday then you can still sign up to donate baked goods and make plans with Ms. Smurf for a Friday or Saturday drop off. Alternatively, you can simply make a direct donation to SARA Animal Sanctuary. However you decide to help, please join the facebook event and invite all of your friends. Volunteers from the sanctuary will be present to answer questions, and Counter Culture will feature live music from Ken Atkins and the Honky Tonk Kind to entertain you during their popular weekend brunch. All in all, Lazy Smurf and Counter Culture have put together a pretty neat event for an awesome cause. And just to remind myself that is indeed fall, I plan to contribute something made with delicious pumpkin.

Obviously, I have been in a pumpkin mood tonight, so I took action and made the tempting cake you see pictured at the top of the page. To read about my experience making a vegan version of the pumpkin poke cake from the Something Swanky blog, click through to the next page.

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Vegan Week in Review

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- As if Thai Fresh weren’t already awesome enough (with their vegan baked goods, and vegan-friendly Thai menu), they’ve upped their game and gone and made all of their ice cream vegan! Get your butt over to Thai Fresh and check out their case of hard packed ice cream with crazy awesome flavors like Thai iced tea, fig, corn and sweet potato. You can even try them in an ice cream sandwich!

- There is one week left to vote for the 2012 Veggie Awards from VegNews! Support all your favorite vegan businesses and products by giving them your vote! A lot of local favorites are on there like Counter Culture, Celeste’s Best, NadaMoo and Food For Lovers Queso. You can also vote for Austin as your favorite veg-friendly city!

- Brand new vegetarian food cart Good To Go just opened up in the NATY trailer park on Anderson Lane. They offer quesadillas, frito pies, patty melts and four different veggie burger options (including the Goodseed patty!) with toppings such as Daiya cheese and Soyrizo chili. They are so brand new, that their menu is still a work in progress… meaning that if more vegan options are requested by customers (like vegan mayo and pesto), it might just happen!

- It’s already time to pull out your 2013 calendar: Texas VegFest has announced that next year’s festival will be held on Saturday, April 6th, 2013! Don’t forget to save the date for Austin’s biggest vegan event of the year.

- Greens, Beans, and Grains, the latest food station to open up at the Whole Foods downtown, is now serving up some super tasty and wholesome vegan-friendly food (just stay away from the meat, and you’re good to go). The options are mostly what you would expect to see at a salad bar, but they also have some more complex offerings, like pesto and chili. You can pick an item off their menu, or create your own. If you want to most bang for your buck, create your own, and choose the baked potato as a base. At $5.99, it’s a steal!

- Counter Culture will be hosting a benefit for Austin Pets Alive! on Saturday, September 22nd, from 4pm to 9pm. The event will feature live music, with a portion of the sales going directly to Austin Pets Alive. Free music, good food and raising money for a good cause – I’m in!

- Awesome vegan catering company Green Island Catering is now offering ready-to-go meals at Daily Juice in Hyde Park (45th/Duval) and The Wet Whistle (MLK/Chicon). Stop by today and pick up a rustic pesto lasagna, fajitas or stacked enchilada – they’re all superb!

Vegan Week in Review

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- Counter Culture is offering fondue on the last Wednesday of every month. Fondue was one of the few things that I didn’t try before I went vegan, so when a friend invited me to join her for this event, I jumped at the chance. It was a fun and tasty experience. I’m told by the daughter of a Wisconsonite that the cheese fondue is very similar to the fondue she remembers as a child. The next fondue night will be Wednesday, August 29th.

- In other cheese news, the Japanese delicacy tofu misozuke, is now available for purchase online from California based company Rau Om. This miso-cured tofu, which is aged for up to six months, is described as having a sharp brie like taste and butter like texture – I’m sold!

- Austin is bursting with vegan baked goods! Sugar Circus has opened its doors in East Austin, with amazing vegan baked goods from the baker behind Sugar Tooth Bakery. As if that wasn’t enough great news, Mr. Natural is finally in the process of switching over 50% of their honey sweetened baked goods to agave sweetened. More vegan goodies for everyone!

- In honor of the “Meatless Monday” campaign, Maoz is offering 10% off a salad meal deal, or 10% off a catering order on Mondays! Just because we vegans go meatless everyday, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take advantage of this sweet deal. Just print out the coupon, and head over to our local Maoz, located in the Triangle. While you’re there, be sure to check out their vegan rice pudding!

- Community Cooking is introducing a series of cooking classes focused on vegan dishes made with simple ingredients that are cheap and easy to prepare. The class meets the last Saturday of each month at 3:30pm in the 21st Street Co-op kitchen (707 W. 21st Street, Austin TX). The next class will be on Saturday, August 25th and will focus on snacks: kale chips, avocado spinach dip, and green goddess smoothies. If you have any questions, menu suggestions, or would like to RSVP, please email Rachel at [email protected]

- Lastly, my own personal PSA: Get thee to a vegan or vegan friendly food trailer! Food trailers can suffer in the hot summer months as people are reluctant to brave the heat. But brave it, you must! Places like Vegan Nom, Wasota and Mister Fruitcup will even let you call your order in ahead so that you don’t have to wait in the heat. Eat now so that they’ll still be here in the cooler winter months.

Vegan Week in Review

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- Want to get your hands on the new Vegenaise flavors? Pick up a jar of pesto, roasted garlic, chipotle, BBQ, horseradish or tartar sauce Vegenaise from Rabbit Food Grocery! Order online, or pick one up at this Wednesday’s ATX Vegan Drinks Wine and Cheeze Party at Counter Culture!

- Join Mercy for Animals for a week of veg outreach here in Austin! The Dallas Mercy for Animals office will be in town from July 17-20th, and they are looking for volunteers to help get the word out about plant-based diets by hitting the streets and leafleting.

- In addition to their already awesome vegan menu options (the veggie burger, beer-battered portabello mushrooms, chips – aka fries, and slaw),  Black Star Co-op has added a rotating ice cream selection this summer, including coconut milk based flavors like chocolate and lime!

- Craving $2 tacos for dinner? You’re in luck. The Vegan Nom is now open till 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday!

- Texas running back Arian Foster joins the ever growing list of professional athletes who have decided to go vegan! He’s been sharing his journey on twitter, even commenting, “People feel so strong about meat and milk. I wish they felt this strong about peace.” Hooray for awesome vegan role models!

 

Vegan Week in Review

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This week has been particularly full of announcements and openings! It’s an exciting time to be a vegan in Austin:

Red Rabbit Bakery Donuts at Wheatsville- Red Rabbit Bakery’s cinnamon-cardamon rolls, apple fritters, raspberry filled donuts, and cinnamon sugar donut holes are now available at Wheatsville Food Co-op!!! If you’ve had a chance to try these items at HOPE Farmer’s Market, then I bet you are just as stoked as I am to be able to get your hands on them at Wheatsville.

- Sagra, a vegan-friendly Italian restaurant, tweeted this week that they now have vegan homemade pistachio “cheese.” I’ve been looking for an excuse to try them out, and this sounds like the perfect opportunity – now I just have to wait till graduation week is over to be able to get a table.

Schmaltz Vegan Reuben- The old Counter Culture trailer found a new home on Cesar Chavez and San Marcos as the new all-vegetarian food cart Schmaltz. Their menu includes falafel and an awesome rueben (vegan if ordered without the cheese), and they offer a cute little grassy seating area tucked behind Domy Books, an adorable bookstore and art space.

- On Monday, May 21st, Moses Falafel will become the newest addition in the Longhorn Food Court (Downtown: 610 W. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd & Rio Grande Street). This makes the Longhorn Food Court the most vegan-friendly trailer lot in Austin, with Moses joining the likes of Conscious Cravings and the brand spankin’ new Capital City Bakery trailer (don’t forget about their Grand Opening Party tonight!)

Counter Culture Sign- Speaking of grand openings, after a successful soft opening, Counter Culture has announced their Grand Opening Party will be on Wednesday, May 30th at 6pm. Check out the Facebook invite, and come join the fun!

- On June 3rd, Sweet Ritual will be at Secret Society’s Summer Frolic! serving up hand-cranked earl grey ice cream with lavender waffle cones. Earl grey ice cream, people! EARL GREY!! My life is complete.  That is all.

Counter Culture Soft Opening!!!

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Counter Culture’s soft opening is this week! It’s cash only, the staff is still being trained, and some menu items are not available yet, but WOW, it’s awesome!

Their menu has a bunch of raw, gluten free, soy free and Engine 2 Diet approved items all clearly marked. I have no such restrictions, so I plan on working my way through the whole menu. I loved everything I tried, but my two favorites so far are the spicy baked artichoke dip, and the quiche. I could do a face plant into a bowl of artichoke dip, it’s that good. They also had a couple slices of cake available from Capital City Bakery, that were insane! I can’t wait until the full dessert menu is available.

Counter Culture will be open Thursday through Sunday this week, from 5pm to 10pm, at 2337 East Cesar Chavez at Clara. Remember that it’s a soft opening, and it’s CASH ONLY until they get their internet working (my husband forgot and had to hike four blocks to find a working ATM) – so be patient until they get all the kinks worked out. Let’s all give a warm welcome to the newest (and raddest), all-vegan brick and mortar restaurant in Austin!

Counter Culture Sign

Counter Culture Groupies, Kate and Jacob, with Counter Culture T-Shirts

Counter Culture Interior Seating

Counter Culture Exterior Seating

Spicy Baked Artichoke Dip

Tempeh Reuben with Pac Man Salad

Mac & Cheeze with Jalapeño Cornbread and Caesar Salad

Quiche of the Day with Cole Slaw and Texas Caviar

Lentil Loaf with Garlicky Greens and Jalapeño Corn Bread

Black Forest Cake from Capital City Bakery

Vegan Week in Review: Ch-ch-Changes!

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Ch-ch-Changes are a-happenin’ in the Austin vegan scene. This week has been full of announcements:

Plaid Cake- Capital City Bakery, an all-vegan bakery, has announced that they will be opening a trailer in the Longhorn Food Court (MLK & Rio Grande) next to Conscious Cravings, starting May 1st. Capital City Bakery goods will also be sold at Counter Culture, which should have a grand opening announcement of their own any day now. I’ve had a chance to try Capital City Bakery desserts on many occasions (including my husband’s Scottish themed, holiday nog flavored B-Day cake), and I can tell you that this this trailer is going to be the bestest, most awesomest thing to happen to Austin in a long time!

- New vegan food trailer, Vegan Nom, is opening soon on North Loop in Counter Culture’s old location. They’re set to have their launch party on Sunday, April 29th – the same day the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale is being held at MonkeyWrench Books, just a couple of stores down. Come on out and check out this new trailer, and grab some baked goods to raise money for Sunny Day Farms!

- Straight from the Community Impact Newspapers site, we’ve got new Tarka and Steeping Room locations to look forward to. The new Tarka is scheduled to open in May at 2525 W. Anderson Lane. The new Steeping Room will be located at 4400 N. Lamar Blvd, but there is no mention of a timeframe – let’s hope it’s soon, because The Steeping Room deserves so much more than the mall location it currently resides in.

- My favorite vegan bac’n cheezburger has found a new home at Cheer Up Charlies! Arlo’s signed a lease this week, and should be completing their move very soon. Vegan bar + vegan food cart = match made in heaven!

- Vegan Yacht has found a new home in the Soular Food Garden lot, on 12th and Waller, starting Tuesday, April 10th. They also promise a new menu to go with the new location, and service all day long – including vegan breakfast! I can’t wait to try their new stuff.

Vegan Pizza- More East Austin news: Did anyone know you could get vegan pizza at Via 313 Pizza on 6th and Waller? I sure didn’t. It’s Detroit style pizza (whatever that means), and they use Follow Your Heart, which already makes it stand out from the sea of Daiya pizzas here in Austin. There’s also new vegan options across the street at Fire & Soul – including the fried avocado and battered and fried vegan hot dog (fried in a dedicated veg fryer). You can also find Handshakes – the place with the amazing vegan shake options – in this same lot. They just moved here from the Cheer Up Charlie’s next door, and I’ve got it on good authority that they are planning a new larger, more vegan friendly menu. Oh, East 6th trailer food, how I do love thee!