Eating plant-based in Cleveland can be oh, so appetizing
By Greg Evans
As a journalist, over the years I have experienced my fair share of criticism and hate email. I even had a death threat writing out of Sinaloa, Mexico, years ago. However, never do I face such savage animadversion (flak, slur, acrimony) as when I am out to dinner with friends or even family, and a red-meat-eater overhears me ordering -- to their horror, learning that I will not be joining them in the double cheeseburger with a heaping side of double-deep-fried Twinkies, or the ribeye slathered in clarified butter, but rather plan to enjoy a plate off the plant-based section of the menu.
“Ain’t no meat in that. I can’t eat supper with no meat,” they say, as if I have any interest whatsoever that they need a pile of animal innards to satisfy them.
“Nope. No meat in that,” I respond like I have 1,000 times before in similar settings.
“You eat like one of them hippies,” they say, always with a sardonic chuckle every time without fail, as they limp to the restroom with swollen girths and throbbing joints. Returning to their table, they inhale their blood-pressure, anti-inflammatory, and blood-thinner statin pills, after which their three-portion-sized plate is licked clean.
The vitriol offered by the carnivores is a phenomenon that I will never fully comprehend. Am I alone in this revelation that it seems that anyone who rejects the Western diet in the land of the free is a filthy little weasel that should be boiled in their own tofu broth?
Of course, such animosity toward plant-based diners have arisen because vegans and vegetarians feel the need to tell you, supposedly, that they are better off for it.
Years of studies have indicated that a transformation from the good ole Western diet to a plant-based diet can radically improve health and all but extinguish chronic health issues that plague our society, from cardiovascular disorders to, possibly, dementia and Alzheimer’s, various forms of cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), joint inflammation, hypertension, gut issues, arthritis, on and on. Not to mention taking a stand against the mistreatment of animals that suffer unimaginable horrors dished out by commercial slaughterhouses and factory farms.
According to the American Hospital Association, an estimated 133 million Americans, which is 40% of the population, are ravaged by at least one chronic illness.
Spring is now upon us; soon, it will be summer, and people will be heading out to the beach and the pool, and who doesn’t want a trim frame? Why subject the rest of us who make an effort to unsightly flab?
Cleveland is one of the top cities in the country where you can take your partner out for a tasty, healthy, plant-based meal. As your diet improves, so will your energy levels and motivation to exercise on top of healthy eating. For many, that sounds like black magic, but remarkably, it actually works. A little bit of self-control and discipline can go a long way in only a few weeks.
Below are four eating suggestions in Cleveland. Don’t be intimidated by the word “vegan,” in restaurant names or menus. They no longer bite “regular” people and the food is excellent:
1. The Green Kitchen at Little Rose Tavern – 14206 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland – pierogis, “Hail Seitan” cheesesteaks, chili, smash burgers, No Goiter, and so much more!
2. Cleveland Vegan – 17112 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood – yucca fries, parmesan zucchini cakes, crispy tofu tacos, chimichurri tempeh bowl, summer lentil basil pasta, Ability to Get Up Off the Floor, and so much more!
3. Anna in the Raw – 1300 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, in the lobby of the Aecom Building, – cheesy kale chips, cold-pressed juices, numerous dessert selections, Stroke Free, come and see!
4. Squash The Beef Catering – 1400 East 105th Street Cleveland, a vegan minority-owned catering firm that says it offers counter service at the Shops at GlenVillage, East 105th and Ashbury Avenue – comfort burgers, bacun & cheddar burger, chick ’n’ philly fries, BBQ jackfruit, A Healthy Heart, and that is just the start!
Get rid of the goiter and enjoy doing it, only in Cleveland.
Originally published on June 9, 2023
The Plain Dealer / www.cleveland.com