ChattaVegan leads the way for herbivores
Just re-energizing from organizing and executing Chattanooga’s first ChattaVegan Fest, ChattaVegan has outdone themselves in entertaining and educating about the herbivore’s local lifestyle.
Partnered with the City of Chattanooga’s Open Spaces Division and sponsored by the beloved Cashew, ChattaVegan Fest 2019 was a huge success with almost forty vegan or vegan-friendly vendors and innumerable patrons spread about Coolidge Park.
A nonprofit founded in 2016 by three vegan friends, Corey Evatt and Brittany and Michael Coward, ChattaVegan provides an all-encompassing resource for anyone looking to pursue the plant-based point of view in food, clothing, make-up, health, and beyond.
“We provide tools to help you on your path. And remember, it is your path. Don’t let anyone convince you that you aren’t doing enough or lead you down a road that is not your own. We want to encourage and inspire diversity and inclusion within the vegan movement.”
Under their “How To” section, they offer links for podcasts, documentaries, recipes, and clothing. The Vegan Starter Kit answers many questions for a budding vegetarian like how to raise vegan children or to be vegan in a non-vegan family, and what to do with your non-vegan stuff once you’ve made the change.
Although I am an omnivore, I am “veg-curious”, an avid locavore and appreciate a plant-based meal made with love that feeds my belly and my soul. My first vegan restaurant experience was three years ago at Sluggo’s and it was mind blowing.
As my hardcore vegan friend Crystal said, “Sluggo’s is for when you need to eat your feelings in comfort food,” and my soul was definitely satiated with their zucchini griddle cakes, savory collards, and garlic mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy.
Another vegan icon and main sponsor of the ChattaVegan Fest, Cashew, “believes that everyone, no matter their usual diet, can benefit greatly from incorporating vegan, plant-based meals into their lifestyle.” Their house-made beet burger with garlicky kale is one of their beefy-sized originals that has been on their menu since their inception five years ago.
Cashew and Sluggo’s are two of Chattanooga’s staple vegan restaurants, but many have popped up in recent years including Chattanooga’s first vegan food truck, The Green Tambourine, which makes a magnificent Memphis BBQ jackfruit sammy with jalapeno slaw, and Real Roots Cafe in nearby Fort Oglethorpe, both which sprouted in 2017.
Your Local Seitanist, who sprung into the vegan scene in 2018 via the Brainerd Farmers Market and pop-ups, has had so much support they are soon securing a brick and mortar with Chattanooga’s first vegan deli.
There is a difference between vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants; the latter offers vegan options in conjunction with their carnivorous choices. For example, our beloved Mojo Burrito offers Macho Nachos that may be topped with a non-dairy alternative, vegan cashew cheese made by Cashew, and their vegetarian Papa Bear chili minus shredded jack cheese.
Mama Crunk’s Pies offers vegan savory pot pies like Butternut Shallot and Shepherd’s Pie, and don’t even get me started on her sweets. Clumpies is also a vegan-friendly establishment with sorbets like their Strawberry Hibiscus and decadent dairy-free ice creams like Coconut Latte.
When once there was a time where vegans or vegetarians struggled to find something more on menus than side dishes, the ample array of delectable dishes is as abundant in Chattanooga as the veggie lovers.
A Facebook group, “ChattaVegans (and the curious)” is available where one can participate in a judgement-free space to ask questions, learn about events, share recipes, and make friends.
No matter your dietary decisions—vegan, raw vegan, vegetarian, fruitarian, lacto-ovo, pescatarian, or flexitarian—any palate would be pleased with increasing the intake of plant-based food while supporting these local restaurants.
ChattaVegan is a nonprofit, so support their mission by volunteering, using their Amazon Smile or donating directly at chattavegan.com. And if you’re a real foodie, you’ll enjoy following #chattavegan on Instagram.