Healthy eating at La Lus Vegan Cafe in South Jersey
Shawnna Hardin and Jermel Vaughan, co-owners of La Lus Vegan Cafe, speak about some of the healthy menu items at their Beverly, N.J., restaurant.
Adam Monacelli, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
These days with food allergies, dietary restrictions, and just personal preferences, you must often offer your Thanksgiving and winter holiday guests other dinner options.
Sure, in some instances a traditional dinner — turkey and dressing with all the fixings, which usually may include things like sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, string beans, mashed potatoes, rolls and more — is just fine, but what if some of your guests are vegan or vegetarian?
That is a strong possibility today, so we have compiled a list of places in South Jersey that offer vegan and vegetarian options for your holiday menu.
Goodbeet, Westmont
The vegetarian/vegan, dairy-free restaurant is all about organic.
Thanksgiving ordering is now open for preorder pickup on Nov. 22.
The Thanksgiving menu includes options such as lentil loaf, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, rosemary and sage stuffing, caramelized onion gravy, orange blossom cranberry sauce, cashew mac and cheese, balsamic Brussels with coconut bacon/parm, pumpkin cupcakes, cornbread, apple pie, apple muffins, pumpkin pie and more.
You can go to their website to the catering area and scroll down for the Thanksgiving menu.
Go: 29 Haddon Ave., 856-240-1106; eatgoodbeet.com/
La Lus Vegan Café, Beverly
The vegan and vegetarian eatery has a special Thanksgiving menu and it offers main dishes such as southern fried un-chicken, crabless patty bites, curry chick’n, meatless loaf, meatless balls, jack pot roast, empanadas and more.
Side offerings include baked mac and cheese, Spanish rice, braised kale, candied yams, green beans, pasta salad.
Desserts include chocolate crunch cake, strawberry crunch cake, sweet potato honey bun cake, original banana pudding, strawberry crunch banana pudding.
Las Lus Vegan offers a holiday catering menu.
Go:313 Warren St., 609-372-7413; laluscafe.net
LesbiVeggies, Audubon
LesbiVeggies, a plant-based, gluten-free cafe, is offering Thanksgiving catering. Half trays and full trays are available.
Half trays serve six to eight, while full trays serve 12 to 16.
Orders should be placed by Nov. 20 and pick ups are by Nov. 23 at 10 a.m.
The offerings include: lentil Shepherd’s pie, romesco meatballs, maple Dijon Brussels, butternut squash risotto, and brown butter peach cobbler.
Restaurant opening This steakhouse and seafood restaurant is opening in Burlington County
Check the website for pricing.
Go: 112 West Merchant Street, 856-323-8458; https://www.lesbiveggies.com/thanksgiving-catering
Vegans Are Us, Vineland and Atlantic City
The restaurant is 100% plant-based, no dairy, 100% kosher.
Platter offerings include: pepper steak, drumettes, meatballs.
Mac and cheese, collard greens, seasoned brown rice, green beans soul slaw, potato salad, yams, cornbread are some of the sides.
Desserts include vegan pastries, muffins, cookies, cake and a waffle delight.
Go: 636 East Landis Ave., Vineland, 856-457-5026 and 122 North Michigan Ave., Atlantic City, 609-449-8045; facebook.com/VegansAreUsVinelandNJ
Whole Foods, Cherry Hill, Marlton
A vegan Thanksgiving meal for two is offered.
It includes a vegan puff pastry stuffed with mushrooms and fragrant root vegetables paired with sides.
There is mushroom and root vegetable en Croute with mushroom gravy, sea salt and cracked black pepper green beans, roasted butternut squash with cranberries and sage, roasted fingerlings with garlic and parsley and pumpkin curry soup.
The price is $39.99.
All items are packed cold.
Go: 940 NJ 73, Marlton, 856-797-1115; 1558 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill, 856-651-5271; https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
Wildflower Vegan Cafe, Millville
The café offers many options for plant-based eaters.
Centerpiece offerings for Thanksgiving include: sublime turkey safe-seitan and luscious loaded lentil loaf.
Sides offered include Great Jersey Greens of Glory, Mac and Cheezy, smashed white sweet potatoes, cornbread muffins or loaf.
Gotta have Gravy and fresh cranberry sauce are available as well.
Pies include pumpkin, NJ sweet potato, and Jersey Apple.
While Wildflower Vegan Cafe requested that Thanksgiving orders be in early and quantities are limited, customers can still call to see if they have the item available.
Go: 501 North High Street, 856-265-7955; wildflowervegan.com
*Note. This is not an exhaustive list. There are plenty of restaurants that have vegan or vegetarian options on their menu. Check their websites or call your favorite restaurants.
Celeste E. Whittaker is a news features reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times. The South Jersey native started at the CP in 1998 and has covered the Philadelphia 76ers, college and high school sports and has won numerous awards for her work. Reach her by email at cwhittaker@gannettnj.com.
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