Jonesy's Eat Bar: Cozy, Creative Vegan Eats

"I could bring my dad here" is praise I can lavish on a very select few restaurants. These restaurants must feature a variety of exceptionally delicious food, a cozy, unpretentious atmosphere and attentive service. The newest restaurant that meets this is Jonesy's Eat Bar, located near downtown Denver. The standard menu that you receive upon sitting down doesn't look super vegan friendly- it's full of classic American dishes, most with a twist, but the magic happens when you ask for the veg-friendly menu. You receive a page of delicious dishes, all clearly marked with their level of being vegan-friendly. We're talking quinoa loaf (tastes way less boring than it sounds), curry fries, Thai fries and a variety of things that will make it surprisingly difficult to order, thanks to an abundance of options. The dish pictured here is the Vietnamese salad with crispy tofu and seaweed salad and it was the perfect mix of refreshing, filling and delightful to the mouth. Complete with a daily happy hour, Jonesy's is also pretty easy on the wallet. Dad, I hope you're looking forward to eating there now.

Photogenic Soup: Curried Carrot in the Wild

Soup is often hard to photograph and I generally don't even bother. It kind of
tends to look like weird, but boring, puke in a bowl. This is why photogenic soup is a marvel, and why I was extra excited to see this specimen, Curried Carrot, in the wild. Served at Denver's City O' City, this creamy little friend is topped with vegan yogurt and tamari cashews, which mix perfectly with its sweetly spicy self. The biggest bonus is that a cup of this liquid gold is only $3, and goes down to $2 for happy hour. They might as well just give it away! Paired with a vegan caeser salad, it creates a meal that balances out perfectly between hot and cold, spicy and soothing, liquid and solid. Plus, you'll have enough room left for one of City O's amazing desserts- HoHo Cupcake anyone?

Vegan Pizza Night with Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon

Oh, pizza, when will my love affair with you end? Probably never if my friends and I keep having build your own pizza nights. We each get a personal pan size crust and load it up with the toppings of our choice. Our most recent pizza night featured Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon. If you haven't had it yet, you must. Smoky, salty, savory and a little bit sweet, these are the perfect addition to a salad, sandwich or, in this case, pizza. We rounded out our topping selection with Victoria Vegan Alfredo Sauce, homemade marinara, sauerkraut, spinach, black olives, a variety of veggies and Teese cheese. By the way, Teese has reformulated and is extra amazing now- super melty and super tasty. Your move, Daiya.

What did my pizza feature, you ask? A gluten-free crust, with red sauce on one half, white on the other. The red side featured tomatoes, black olives, sauerkraut, Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon, red onion and mushrooms, while the white side kept it simple with more bacon, tomatoes and spinach, with both sides slathered in Teese. I love pizza nights because, with the use of pre-made crust, they are super simple for everyone involved- everyone just brings a few ingredients and is guaranteed to have a meal that they'll love. Long live pizza night!

Give 'Em a Squeeze: Chia Squeezes from Mamma Chia

My love affair with chia seeds started with chia seed pudding at last year's Vida Vegan Con. Reminiscent of tapioca and full of nutrients, I throw these little guys into everything, so I jumped at the chance to try Mamma Chia's Chia Squeezes. Mamma Chia was gracious enough to send me four flavors: Green Magic, Apple Cinnamon, Strawberry Banana and Blackberry Bliss. Verdict? They are awesome! My favorite was the Blackberry Bliss, followed by the Green Magic, but all four flavors made my mouth happy with their perfect representation of the flavor noted on the packaging. These squeeze packets would be the perfect introduction to chia seeds for someone who was a bit nervous about the texture, as the 'squeeze it into your mouth' factor helps to gloss over the chia seed texture. These are perfect for a quick breakfast, a road trip snack, to throw in your bag for a long day of hiking and or just to keep around for when you need a quick bite. The only thing I wasn't super jazzed about was that it definitely took me both hands to open these, so they'd be hard to open when I'm out for a run, which was my original intent with them. However, I can definitely see these little packets easily working their way into my daily life. Fruity, chia seeds and easy to transport? Yes please to the chia squeeze!

Update: Watercourse Foods still delicious

I've loved Watercourse Foods for years, as evidenced here, and I'm pleased to report that it is still awesome. Living here means that I can try lots of things on the menu, and every trip here is a joy. My new obsession are their nachos, made super vegan with both daiya and vegan chipotle aioli, with a side of green chili. The key with these nachos is that the toppings are layered throughout, resulting in a well rounded nacho experience. You don't have to worry about that heart-wrenching moment when you realize that you just have sad tortilla chips on a plate. I don't feel like I need to acknowledge that these nachos are amazing, based on the fact that I've already mentioned they have daiya, chipotle aioli and green chili, among other toppings.

Another delicious discovery I've made is the Po Boy. It usually comes on a kaiser roll, but I get it on their magical gluten-free bread. Laden with polenta-encrusted artichoke hearts, lemon-caper aioli and coleslaw, this sandwich manages to both refreshing on a hot day, and comforting on a cold one. Also, you get two sides, so there's no way you're leaving hungry. The sides pictured here are the steamed kale and tomato coconut curry soup. While I highly encourage anyone travelling through Denver to eat the buffalo seitan wings, I also encourage you to save a bit of room for the other culinary wonders that Watercourse offers.

Luscious Nectar: Tasty Food, Boozy Slushies, Fresh juice

Trips to Fort Collins are always punctuated with a trip to Tasty Harmony, but it's nice to branch out. My VegOut app recently pointed me toward Luscious Nectar, a bar with a surprising array of options. Upon walking in, you can tell this place parties hard at night. It's clean but there is the lingering scent of alcohol and poor choices. However, the food here more than makes up for it, and they have a patio for outdoor dining. We skipped the smoothies and juice (although they looked fantastic) and went straight for the food, ordering a 'Tuna' Mocky Roll, Queso Tango Nachos and Cantina Tacos. For me, the stand out was the Queso Tango Nachos, made with housemade vegan cheese, which was slightly chunky, making it easy to apply to every chip.Combine this with pico de gallo and jalapenos, and it's a definite winner- would eat again. The tacos were made with jackfruit, but also offered the options of buffalo seitan or BBQ tempeh for a protein. The 'Tuna' Mocky Roll, a raw creation, was refreshing and a nice palate cleanser between bites of vegan cheese and jalapenos.

The best part? Our total came to $19. We ordered two entrees and an appetizer, making this meal a fantastic deal. There's even a happy hour with $1 off tapas from 3:00-7:00pm every day! You can also get a slushie made with alcohol, which would have made this my favorite bar in college. Cheap food and fun drinks? Luscious Nectar, you have a new fan.

Harbinger Coffee: A Sign of Coffee to Come

My boyfriend loves coffee. A lot. We have three brewing methods at home, any shopping trips will immediately be derailed upon the sight of a grinder and he never leaves a coffee shop without befriending the barista. Due to this, I have been introduced to the world of fancy coffee. Coffee described as having notes of flavors and finishing with a certain taste. I still have a long way to go, but am happy that I can now smell strawberries or milk chocolate in the scent of coffee beans. This also means that we go out of way for coffee, and one such place that's worth going out of the way for is Harbinger Coffee, located in Fort Collins, CO.

Harbinger is a humble stand located in the basement of what appears to be an office building. Harbinger does one thing: black coffee, and they do it well. The owner features different roasters and is able to describe the coffee with fantastic detail. The coffee pictured was a Sumatra, that tasted slightly fermented in the best way, with notes of blueberry. With coffee this good, there's no need to add anything to it. Harbinger Coffee is located at 151 S. College, right in downtown Fort Collins, making it a perfect stop while meandering downtown.