Berry Pancakes | Photo by Lisa Patel Vegan & Vine, a family-owned vegan café/wine bar/market, opened in the Moon Valley area last May. I had been hearing about this newest addition to the Phoenix vegan scene for a couple months and was quite delighted when my editor asked me to check it out. Vegan & Vine, easily spotted off the main road as you drive down East Thunderbird Road near North Seventh Street, is the...
In 2008, Sadhana Raj founded a small vegan eatery in Chandler with little more than a rice cooker and a $20 plug-in griddle. In 2014, she moved to a larger space on Guadalupe Road in Tempe, substantially scaling her “botanically inspired” fare and fresh-squeezed juice. She quickly garnered a group of devoted fans, who came for her healthy food and stayed for the strong sense of community. Last week, the Valley bid a reluctant farewell...
J’Asada Tacos | Photo by Madison Rutherford As a local reporter, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with a slew of small business owners who have palpable passion and pride for their craft. It’s a pretty gratifying gig, one that I don’t take for granted. And when I see that mirrored in Valley restaurants, retail spaces and other institutions, it reminds me why I love what I do. One such inspiring instance is husband-and-wife...
Every Tuesday and Wednesday after 3 p.m., Whyld Ass Grill owner Keith Wyatt sets several quarts of soup outside the door of his vegan restaurant in Phoenix for anyone to take. It’s a gesture of gastronomic goodwill from someone who knows what it’s like to struggle. Wyatt had barely reopened after recovering from flooding when he shuttered amid coronavirus concerns. Since the pandemic, he’s had to lay off 85 percent of the staff at his...