Vegging Out: Asheville, North Carolina

PHOTOS Clockwise from upper left: Rosetta’s Kitchen Tempeh Ruben (Warner Photography), The Green Light Café (Shanon Blair), and Tupelo Honey Café (Peak Definition).

You can find a vegetarian meal at just about every restaurant in Asheville, NC, but if you’re looking for exceptional, mouth-watering, can’t-be-missed eats, don’t step out on the town without this guide to a perfect day of eating and drinking in the “City of Light.”

8:00 AM

Start the day off on the right foot with a fresh-pressed, local, organic juice from

The Green Sage Coffeehouse and Café

. The most popular juice on the menu is their Red Planet—a combination of ginger, carrots, apples, and beets.

9:00 AM 

Hungry for breakfast?

Tupelo Honey Café

(pictured above) is just a five-minute walk from The Green Sage. If your belly is grumbling, you’ll be happy to discover a plate of complimentary biscuits with honey and jam ready for nibbling while you survey the menu. The fluffy sweet potato pancakes topped with whipped peach butter and spiced pecans are a no-brainer, but if you’re looking for a simple and fresh vegan delight, try Grandma’s (homemade) Maple Granola with soy milk and fresh fruit.

1:00 PM 

After working up an appetite while enjoying Asheville’s eclectic attractions all morning, stop by

Rosetta’s Kitchen

for a hearty lunch. You can’t go wrong with their Veggie Burger, Tempeh Reuben (pictured above), or Smoky Tofu Wrap. In case your sweet tooth hits early, Rosetta’s always has a variety of tasty vegan desserts ready for the taking!

3:00 PM 

If you need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, stop by

The Green Light Café

(pictured above) for a refreshing smoothie. The crowds rave about the Date Shake—a sweet and frosty mixture of bananas, dates, cinnamon, and almond or soy milk. Sip it while checking out the exhibit at the adjoining art gallery.

7:00 PM

 Arrive at the

Laughing Seed Café

with a hefty appetite. The menu is 100% vegetarian, with Thai, Mediterranean, and Caribbean flair. Since you might be overwhelmed by the abundance of delicious sounding dishes, the Thai Panang Seitan Curry or Raw Spinach-Pesto Manicotti hit the spot every time.

9:00 PM

 Put the cherry on top of your day at

The Hop Ice Cream Café

. The Hop serves imaginative vegan desserts made from scratch! Some of their best sellers include: the Mexican Chocolate Cake ice cream (made with local bakery

Short Street Cakes

‘ Vegan Spicy Chocolate Cake), the Espresso Float—a single or double shot of locally roasted organic espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream, and the Kombucha Sorbet (made with local

Buchi Kombucha

!).

Corinne Bowen is a freelance journalist and copywriter, living in Baltimore, MD with her husband and daughter. She blogs about her adventures in writing, veggies, marriage, and motherhood at

CorinneBowen.com

.