Stumptown Vegans

Times Visited: 2

Voleur is on the higher end of downtown lunch spots. It’s a cozy restaurant on the corner of SW 1st and Ash. I can image the scene is different during the evenings being surrounded by dance clubs and the scene that follows. The tall eastern windows flood the main dining space with light, but the wood features absorb the light and can make it feel intimate and comfortable. The bar area is much darker with a few booths and a heavy wood bar with many beers on tap.

The lunch and dinner menus offer two items which can be made vegan: the Winter Vegetable Jambalaya, and the SW Vegetarian Black Bean Burger. They also have the obligatory hummus plate, but they dress it up with Kalamata olive and jalapeno. It may be because the restaurant has not been very full, but the service has always been top notch. The wait staff has always been very helpful and informative as to what is vegan.

Both dishes are filling and flavorful, but overpriced. The Winter Vegetable Jambalaya is a hearty quinoa stew flavorful with tomato, carrot, spinach, and zucchini. There’s a bit of spice, but nothing that really stands out. The dish is made vegan by omitting the sausage from the $10 dish and it’s still $10 without the meat, a trend that’s been annoying these Stumptown Vegans. The meal would taste better if the price was lower, that’s for sure. I’d only order the dish again on a cold day where I needed the warmth that only comfort food can provide.

On the other hand, I’d love to visit Voleur again and again to enjoy the Black Bean Burger and side salad. The $9 burger was made better with the substitution of avocado for cheese. Voleur’s salad dressing options shows they are a cut above other restaurants in the area and not just in price. The fresh greens and berry vinegrette made for a wonderful addition to the meal.

Another condiment that shows that Voleur’s is a cut above the rest is their Habanero Blackberry Ketchup used to adorn the burger. It’s not too spicy but it adds to the flavor of the soft, but firm, house-made black bean burger and avocado. Happy Hour allows you to enjoy the burger for only $4, so we highly suggest checking it out at a lower price.

From the atmosphere, the quality of food, attentive wait staff, to the high prices, it’s clear that Voleur is a quality dinning spot downtown. The only draw back beside the price is the occasional sticky table. If the price weren’t so high for a vegan meal, I’d visit this restaurant more often. The outdoor seating on the Max line route, is pleasant and a wonderful place to watch the world go by.

SW Vegetarian Black Bean Burger:

Winter Vegetable Jambalaya:

Rating: 3 out of 5
Address: 1st and SW Ash
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-3am, 24 hours Friday and Saturday

Times Visited: Too Many To Count
Times Consumed Elsewhere: Many!

The talented bakers at Sweetpea recently started giving Voodoo Donuts a run for their money. The Sweetpea donuts are yeasted and delicate, while Voodoo’s are cakey. Both, however, are fried, frosted and vegan, so bring it on!

When you find yourself downtown after a show and craving a sweet, the freshest and sweetest satisfaction can be found at Voodoo Donuts on SW 3rd. Just off of West Burnside among bars galore, Voodoo is now open nearly round the clock. They’ve been making vegan donuts several years now, and they’ve gotten even better! Years ago I thought the donuts were actually too cakey, though the topping were usually flat out fun.

These days, there are both chocolate and yellow cake donuts. We’re happy to announce that the yellow donuts no longer have that overwhelming banana vibe to them, which they used to be guilty of. Our poor banana hating friends! Voodoo’s frosting fixings have also expanded, with classic chic-o-stick, sprinkles, nuts, coconut and ‘oreo’ topped are all still there. Today you could be in the mood for chocolate glazed with nuts, and tomorrow for plain glazed - the choice is yours and the donuts are awaiting. I appreciate that there is finally a vegan chocolate donut, but the two I’ve tried have been noticeably denser than the yellow. But give them time! Awesome vegan donuts require evolution.

The ‘oreo’ topped donut pictured below was certifiably delicious, don’t get me wrong, but the frosting was extremely sticky and called for a something to drink with it. My favorite is the maple glazed. It’s a simple yellow donut with a perfectly thin layer of maple glaze. On my most recent to-go visit, I walked out with fresh donuts in less than 5 minutes. It was early evening, Voodoo was empty and I had a sweet tooth satisfied with my first bite. There was also a full box of day old vegan donuts on the counter for $5! Somehow I passed, but I’ve had the day olds before, and would have picked them up if I had a reason. They’re easily worth the half price they’re typically sold for, so cheap vegans be on the look out.

While the non-vegan donuts have fun names, like the Grape Ape and Triple Chocolate Penetration, the vegans are simply displayed on a plate marked ‘VEGAN’. This is seen in the rotating display case. The shop itself does custom orders, so maybe they could do a vegan Cock-n-Balls (filled with creme of course) donut or vegan tempeh bacon topped donut for that special someone in your life, or well, me.

Voodoo is always on my ‘must go’ list for out of towners, whether vegan or not. It’s cheap, quick and has plenty of novelty appeal. They are entirely locally owned and operated, and working round the clock on classic and new donuts, which they now sell TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY! The Voodoo establishment itself is small, and heart-warmingly grungy, with a bench against the wall and a couple mini tables. There is a also a bar to lean against outside on SW 3rd. They also serve coffee, but that’s it, and what else do you need with a freaking donut?

You can get your vegan donut fix for $1.50+ and your sugar rush on before work and after. You can also have them cater your on-site quickie marriage, with packages starting at $175 for 10 attendees. It’s nice to know that if your employer or family buys donuts, they can actually get a vegan one for you. Large orders can even be delivered if arranged in advance. Fresh Voo Doo donuts are found around Portland at various coffeeshops such as Backspace, New Seasons and coops around Portland.

There are regular events such as shows with bands playing in their teeny tiny upstairs at ‘Club Doughnut’ - definitely something worth seeing happen, if only while you squeeze in past the madness to buy a donut at midnight. Show up for Swahili lessons, eating contests, weddings and the annual Cockfest, where you fit as many donuts as you can….you know!

Lastly, there official talk of a new Voodoo shop opening in the near future! Thanks for creatively thinking of us vegans, Voodoo.

Mmmm, donut.

Maple glazed and and ‘oreo’ topped donuts

Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Address: 22 SW 3rd Ave Portland OR
Open 24 hours a day!

Times Visited: 2

Sckavone’s is another hip neighborhood joint in SE Portland that I’d love to see up their vegan options.
That being said, I really like being there. The restaurant is styled after the Sckavone family’s original soda shop in the 1930s, which was opened a couple blocks away on SE Division St. There are clean wood paneled booths, a row of middle tables with spacious isles, and the open bar has an old-fashioned meets modern-hipster look to it that reminds this reviewer of Vita Café.

It’s a restaurant that you walk inside, sit down, open the menu, and hope for enticing vegan options. New neighborhood dining in SE Portland should bring something vegan to the table, right? Truthfully, Sckavone’s doesn’t offer many vegan options, and what they do have is fairly forgettable - so why am I am even going to this place?

If I don’t recommend the food itself, what does it take to bring me back?

In this case, the appeal of Sckavone lies in it’s location and atmosphere. There’s a comfortable, open feel, local history and abundance of board games that make it a welcome addition to SE Division and 41st, an area formerly home to Food Fight!

Breakfast wise, tofu is free to sub into any scramble. However, for a vegan to enjoy said scrambles, cheese must be omitted. I don’t know about you, but it bothers me that while cheese was included in the cost, vegans aren’t exactly offered extra spices or vegetables when they leave it out. Back to the real world, my eyes automatically omit it when I’m reading my options, and hope I won’t be charged more if I daresay want to add garlic to liven things up.

On my first visit there was a close call of tofu shortage, but fortunately it was available. Two scrambles stand out in vegan-adaptivity against the rest: the Mediterranean and the Veggie. The names certainly aren’t going for any creative recognition, so I wasn’t too excited about the food. It’s substantial, but nothing memorable enough to bring me back. The tofu is was firm and cubed, which I am a fan of, but it wasn’t quite cooked. There was no browning. The vegetables fare a better, and the fun addition of avocado to the Veggie Scramble and olives to the Mediterranean bring something extra to your plate.

However, pushing the ‘forgettable’ card are the hashbrowns and the cute but non-vegan scones. Ask to substitute vegan-friendly dry toast for the scones and reach for the table-side jam. It was briefly forgotten that I subbed tator tots for hash browns on one visit, and I received two for the price of one. The hash browns themselves lack flavor, but the plate full of crispy tator tots was the best food I’ve eaten there , which doesn’t say that much - but I do like tots and you’ve read the rest.

They also bring another hummus plate to the world for $7. During happy hour, which is all day on Sunday, there is a discounted $3 plate of hummus, olives and pita bread.

Let’s move on past the food because I do give this place credit besides the location, atmosphere and decent tator tots?. No, these are not things to entice a cross-town visit, but Sckavone’s has a wall of board games and excellent cocktails. They also have discounts for bike-riders once a week. If you live in the area and have non-vegan friends, go hang out and eat some tots. Breakfast wise, Genie’s offers similar options with tofu and drinks, yet their fresh, versatile ingredients, cooked tofu cubes and excellent roasted potatoes make them my preferred SE Division St. stop (and their house smoked-tomatoes = love).

That being said, spending summer evenings at Sckavone’s with a Southern Cooler drink or an old fashioned vanilla cola and a game of Clue is pretty tempting. Enough said.

Mediterranean Scramble plate:

Veggie Scramble plate:

Sorry for the less than great photos this time around!

Rating: 2.75 out of 5

Address: 4100 SE Division St. Portland, OR 97202
Hours: Mon-Thu 10 am-12am, Fri 10am-1am, Sat 8am-1am, Sun 8am-12am

Time Visited: 2

Often referred to as Van Hanh’s NE sibling, 1. because I am sure I’d slaughter the name if I said it out loud and, 2. because the menu is similar.

If Nhut Quang was being judged only on atmosphere they would be in trouble. This little restaurant is connected to a gas station on NE Fremont and NE 82nd, between Honey Suckles and Pussycats, if you know your East side gentlemen’s clubs. The first time we visited we missed it because it didn’t seem like a likely location. Even once we entered it still didn’t seem like a likely location. Being the only people it felt very lonely. The walls are each different shades of green and blue without any other decoration besides a lone clock - ticking. If there was any other noise than the kitchen, like some music, the clock wouldn’t be a problem. The tick-tok of each movement reminded us of our mortality. After the second visit we decided it’s too uncomfortable to go back, but we would order our food to-go.

We’ve ordered just a sampling of the vast menu - Bird’s Nest Noodles, Pho, summer rolls, steamed bun, potato rolls, tofu dishes, and a combo. The sign boasts all vegan so we went for it all. All the food reminded me of the SE 82nd Asian market, Fubonn, from the mass amount of fake meats to the noodles and the sauces. It didn’t seem fresh or unique, but straight from a plastic wrapped package or bottle.

The Pho had a gritty broth as if a vegetable bullion has just been dissolved in boiling water. Then a round package of noodles was placed in, followed by some vegetables, fake meat, served with some fresh herbs. A similar recipe followed the other dishes. This isn’t to say the dishes weren’t good, they just weren’t fresh like the dishes at Pho Green Papaya or Bay Leaf ’s quality.

The dishes were good in a cheap Vietnamese restaurant way, which is perfect because that’s what Nhut Quang is - Vietnamese and cheap. The steamed buns were good, as were the salad rolls. Unfortunately, there’s not much to say about them. It’s the kind of food I used to eat when I’d drop by a Vietnamese friend’s house unexpected and she’d cook up something quickly.

This isn’t to say that I wouldn’t go back, it’s just located father from my house than I’d prefer to go for Vietnamese food. I could list off other places I’d recommend, but if Nhut Quang was in my neighborhood, I’d visit more often. If Nhut Quang is in your neighborhood, or you’re a big fan of Fubbon or Van Hanh - check this place out and help me fill in the gaps as to why I don’t have much to say about the food.

Pho:

Bird’s Nest:

Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Steamed Potato Bun:

Potato Rolls:

Fried Tofu:

Broccoli Combo:

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Location: 3438 NE 82nd Ave. Portland, OR 97213
Hours: Mon-Tue and Thus-Sat 9am-9pm, Closed Wednesday, Sun 10am-9pm