Global Travel as a Vegetarian

DrukAir 's economy vegetarian meal! Photo courtesy Daily Mail

Believe it or not, my biggest concern on the road is whether or not there will be decent dining options available, especially in other countries. I enjoy food immensely and want to experience local grub as much as possible; however, it can be a daunting task when you are a plant eater.

This is where research comes in. I look for restaurants on my own before I leave, as well as my favorite go-to guide for healthy, meat-free restaurants. Happy Cow is a lifesaver when it comes to finding delectable feasting around the world. Just go to http://www.happycow.net/ and plug in your destination. Depending on the city, a number of options will pop up with vital information like phone, address, and a description of what is offered. In addition, the restaurants are reviewed and rated. 

I honestly wasn’t expecting to find vegetarian restaurants in Mexico City; however, after perusing Happy Cow's website, I knew my worries were over. There were a number of options available, and my favorite was Pan Comido, where I devoured a fantastic veggie burger. 

Happy Cow also steered me to some really good eateries in Des Moines, where I had my first vegan pizza. By the way, Fong’s Pizza is a quirky joint that is an absolute must.

I’m a grazer; therefore, I prepare my luggage with select goodies to stave off any unwarranted hunger. When traveling internationally, I tend to get carried away with snacks outweighing my clothing. For me, the most important one to have on hand is protein.  

The items I always have stashed are individual bags of nuts or trail mix, peanut butter, nutrition bars, and single-serving containers of soy and/ milk. I also like to pack breakfast bars so that I have something to wake up to (my favorite brand is belVita).

The moral of the story is - have no fear, vegetarians can be well fed while traversing the globe. Bon appétit!

One of my fave snacks when I'm in California

BEER AROUND THE WORLD

Photo courtesy PosterDuniya

It's no secret that I love beer, and I'm very particular about what I drink. I generally like 'em dark (porters and stouts); however, I'm also partial to Belgian ales. Every travel list I create has venues for local beer and breweries. Opportunities to sample locally produced beer makes the journey all the more special to me. Bonus points for places that offer flights, food, and a patio!

Berlin, Germany
Das Meisterstück
Beer garden at Tiergarten Park
BöseBubenBar

Brussels, Belgium
Delirium Cafe

Dublin, Ireland
Temple Bar
Guinness Storehouse
Porterhouse Brewing Co.

Mexico City, Mexico
La Graciela - Taller de Cerveza

Amherst, WI
Central Waters Brewing Co.

Boston, MA
Harpoon Brewery
Bukowski Tavern

Charleston, SC
Bay Street Biergarten

Chicago, IL

Hopleaf 
Haymarket Pub & Brewery
The Map Room
Revolution Brewing
First Draft

Uptown Lounge 

Howells & Hood 
The Bad Apple 

Fountainhead 

Simone's
Goose Island Clybourn

Cleveland, OH
Barking Spider Tavern
Great Lakes Brewing
Happy Dog Tavern
Town Hall

Des Moines, IA

Court Avenue Brewing
el Bait Shop
Royal Mile

Detroit, MI
Batch Brewing Co.
PJ's Lager House

Kansas City, MO
Boulevard Brewing

Los Angeles/Venice Beach, CA
Lucky's Tavern
City Tavern Downtown
Venice Ale House
Little Bear

Indianapolis, IN
Broad Ripple Brewpub
Chilly Water Brewing Co.
Upland Tasting Room
Twenty Tap
The Sinking Ship

Lake Mills, WI
Tyranena

Madison, WI
Ale Asylum
Alchemy Cafe
BarleyPop Tap & Shop
Brasserie V
Dexter's Pub
Growlers To Go-Go
Malt House
Karben4 Brewing
Mason Lounge
One Barrel Brewing
The Coopers Tavern

Miami, FL
Abbey Brewing Co.
RUST Wynwood
The Room
The Wynwood Yard

Middleton, WI
Free House Pub
Capital Brewery

Milwaukee, WI
Lakefront Brewery

Minneapolis, MN
Harriet Brewing

Mt. Horeb, WI
Grumpy Troll Brew Pub

New Glarus, WI
New Glarus Brewing 

New Orleans, LA
Buffa's Bar & Restaurant
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
World of Beer - Warehouse District

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
La Taberna Lupolo

Omaha, NE
Krug Park

Philadelphia, PA
Independence Beer Garden
Yards Brewing Co.

Stoughton, WI
Viking Brewpub
Fahrenheit 364

Toronto, Canada
The Only Cafe
C'est What
Mill St. Brewery

Verona, WI
Wisconsin Brewing Co.

Washington, DC
Right Proper Brewing
Capitol City Brewing
Church Key

Wisconsin Dells, WI
Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Co.

Meantime Brewery flight at Brasserie V

Cashmere Hammer at Free House Pub

Sweet glass at Bad Apple

Malt House

A fun way to drink at Malt House

Brasserie V

Zombie Monkie Porter at Mason Lounge

Cheers! Salud! Prost! Sláinte!

MEXICO CITY'S UNIQUE TRAITS

I fancy quirkiness when I travel, and found more unique traits in Mexico City than anywhere else. I fell hard for this astonishing city, because it's alluring, loud, gritty, chaotic, hospitable, and mesmerizing.

My observations:
*I rarely saw a stroller being used; babies were carried and young children walked.
*The subway is only 5 pesos. I repeat, 5 pesos (less than .40¢). Also, the trains run on rubber tires.
*The police cars always have their lights on.
*Lots and lots of abandoned buildings still standing from the major earthquake in 1985.
*You can ONLY drink bottled water.
*Windows don't have screens.
*Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Take note of that when crossing the street. 
*Police presence is extremely heavy. I have never seen officers wearing assault weapons or standing in the back of moving open trucks before.
*WiFi is quite accessible all over the city including parks.
*Beware ladies - with the exception of most restaurants, public toilets don't have seats. Also, toilet paper is typically available when you enter, not in the stalls.
*Merchandise is for sale at just about every street corner, and at times, I felt like I was at an auction:)
*In some neighborhoods, a street would be lined with stores that sell the exact same items. For instance, in the Zocalo neighborhood, I admired a music store and realized that every store on that street was a music store.
*Do not hail a cab from the street.
*An adorable miniature coat rack for your coat and purse will be brought to your table at restaurants.

This post wouldn't be complete without some quirky photos!

 

 I ♥ you Mexico City, and thank you for an amazing cultural experience.

Street Art - Mexico City Style

Anyone who follows this blog knows that I'm a huge fan of street art, and my discoveries in Mexico City were quite noteworthy. While many of the pieces lean more towards graffiti; I am including some of them because they are colorful or "fit" the city.

Now let's stop wasting time with words and get this art party started!

 

 

While this is a different form of street art, I thought it most appropriate to close the post with. Disfrutar!