^ I Support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of the New Times clear. Comfort food doesn’t have to be meaty. Thanks to some culinary innovations from Valley chefs, traditional favorites like macaroni and cheese and chicken wings can be enjoyed with as much flavor as their carnivorous counterparts. Here are 11 of the best vegan comfort food options in the Valley. Wings Green New American Vegetarian Multiple Locations In 2006, Green New American Vegetarian was the first Valley restaurant to offer wings that looked and tasted like real chicken wings. Fifteen years and countless other plant-based Pollo imitations later, Green’s wings remain the best bogus meat in Metro Phoenix. Brushed with zesty buffalo sauce and served with celery and carrot sticks and a delicious homemade ranch dressing, Greens Wings can get even the most carnivorous eater to forego processed nuggets in favor of freshly fried alternatives. Mac ‘n’ Cheez Trash Panda VeganMobileSome of the best vegan meals on wheels come from the Trash Panda Vegan Food Truck. Macaroni and cheese, the most ubiquitous home cooking, get an extra cheesy cuddle in your mobile kitchen by oozing sticky layers of homemade “Cheez” with tiny chives over plump, perfectly cooked pasta. It’s a filling dish that will leave you feeling full and ready for a nap, but that makes it a comfort meal. The Trash Panda Vegan Food Truck is often in front of its sister spot Early Bird Vegan. EXPAND The Sheet Pan Nachos at GuacStar Kitchen and Cantina contain pickled Fresno chillies. Niki D’Andrea Tin Pan Nachos GuacStar Kitchen and Cantina 920 East University Drive, # 204, TempeIf you can count on someone to create extremely flavourful plant-based versions of Mexican home cooking classics, it’s GuacStar chef Rene Andrade. This is the guy who won Guy Fieri’s Grocery Games on Food Network and caused the masses to die with his menu at the Ghost Ranch in Tempe. GuacStar has had lines since it opened in January, and items like the tin pan nachos are the reason. Imagine a mountain of chips topped with green chillies, pinto beans, cashew crema and homemade cheese sauce, with pieces of avocado, spring onions, pickled Fresno chillies, jalapeños and pico de gallo. The line begins behind us.Tamales Raul’s Cocina 7149 North 58th Drive, GlendaleReciting the variety of tamales available in the vegan Mexican hotspot Raul’s Cocina can sound a little like Bubba in Forrest Gump, naming all the ways to cook shrimp: mushroom Chorizo tamale, green, chili bean cheese tamale, red chili jackfruit tamale, green chili jackfruit tamale, green corn tamale … and it’s almost impossible to choose a favorite. Every single tamale tastes like divinity in a corn husk. But we’ll say the classic green corn tamale is a surefire proposition for everyone, and if you’re a mushroom fanatic then go for the mushroom chorizo iteration. EXPAND The Dr. J. Breakfast Sandwich is # 1 in Early Bird Vegan. Eligh Masaauaptewa The Dr. J Early Bird Vegan 1712 East Broadway Road, # 3Yes, breakfast sandwiches can be a comfort meal, especially if you wake up hungry near Early Bird Vegan in south Phoenix. What warms the heart and stimulates the metabolism is more than a spicy egg-based tofu Sammie between two English muffin halves, topped with cheese sauce, sausage, avocado, spinach and tomato and rounded off with a dollop of spicy ranch? Nothing, that’s what.Lumberjack Biscuits & Gravy Pomegranate Cafe 4025 East Chandler Boulevard, # 28 Reduce cholesterol with these buttermilk biscuits at the mother and daughter owned Pomegranate Cafe in Ahwatukee. The country sauce contains protein from tofu and apple and sage sausage and comes with hashish (often sweet potatoes and sprouts). It’s usually topped with egg too, so skip it if you want a vegan version. If this dish isn’t comforting enough, grab one of the cafe’s delicious vegan brownies for a filling finish. EXPAND The vegan Tacos de Papa in Pachamama, with a side dish of almond arbol salsa. Pachamama Tacos de Papa Pachamama 4116 North 19th Avenue We barely get past the taco shells at the mom-and-pop restaurant Pachamama – perfectly crispy, nicely blistered, and able to hold their ingredients with no cracks or spills. But once we’re inside, we can’t get enough of these fillings – a slightly flavorful garlic pulp topped with sliced cabbage, radish, almonds, and coriander, with an almond arbol salsa on the side. The hibiscus asada tacos are pretty comforting too. Chorizo Fries Earth Plant-Based Cuisine1325 Grand Avenue, # 7 Eating with our hands can be fun, especially when there’s a deliciously messy offering like the chorizo fries at the family’s Earth Plant- Based cuisine is. These french fries are smothered in a cheesy homemade sauce and slightly spicy chorizo and topped with an avocado salsa that creates a gentle contrast to the chorizo heat. (This delicious chorizo is also available in the tacos.) Expand Venezia’s pizza with vegan, plant-based Italian sausage and Follow Your Heart pseudo cheese. Venezia’s Pizza Vegan Pizza Venezia’s PizzaMulti-LocationsVegan pizza is more than just a cheese substitute, and Venezia’s clearly knows this. This local pizza chain not only uses one of the most popular plant-based brands for its pseudo cheese – Follow Your Heart – but also offers Morning Star Farms’ sausage as a topping. The pizza makers here don’t skimp on the vegetarian toppings either – expect a couple of hefty slices when you’re dealing with vegetables. Black Bean Chipotle Chili Whyld Ass4810 North Seventh Street Nothing is as comforting as a large bowl of steaming chili with cornbread, and the Black Bean Chipotle Chili at Whyld Ass is especially comforting with smoky, southwestern flavors. This gluten-free, hearty dish is served with imitation sour cream and nutritional yeast. EXPAND The Verdura version of a po’boy. Lauren Cusimano I’m Just A Po’Boy Verdura5555 North Seventh Street, # 108I’m Just A Po’Boy is a plant-based version of a po’boy sandwich, and if you’ve been on the Gulf Coast, you know one Po’boy isn’t just any old handheld. In the Verdura version, a Noble Baguette with lightning-fried mushrooms is stacked and served with crushed iceberg, purple onions, tomatoes, cucumber, tartar and nori. It’s a bite, but the best part – as with any po’boy – is to pinch the fried pieces that have fallen down to pop in your mouth. Keep Phoenix New Times Free … Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we want it to stay that way. We offer our readers free access to concise coverage of local news, food and culture. We produce stories about everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with bold reporting, stylish writing, and staff who have won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Feature Writing Award to the Casey- Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with the existence of local journalism under siege and the setbacks in advertising revenues having a bigger impact, it is now more important than ever for us to raise funds to fund our local journalism. You can help by joining our “I Support” membership program which allows us to continue to cover Phoenix without paywalls. Niki D’Andrea has covered topics such as drug culture, women’s basketball, pirate radio stations, staying in Scottsdale and fine wine. She has worked for both the New Times and Phoenix Magazine and is now a freelancer.
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