This is an article posted on vegandc.com
http://www.dcvegan.com/2009/08/vegan-day-at-brookland-cafe/It’s not often that my neighborhood gets a lot of attention for vegan food, but it’s time to take note! I recently got a newsletter from the Brookland Cafe advertising their Vegan Day in NE DC. Unfortunately I missed the flagship event (August 19th) because I was out of town, but fear not– Brookland Cafe is going 100% vegan EVERY Wednesday!
I spoke to chef Mahrome Stringfellow today to ask him a little about the first Vegan Day and subsequent weeks. Stringfellow is one of the former chefs of the famous Everlasting Life and Soul Veg restaurants, so even if you don’t know his name, you likely know his reputation. He told me that the motivation behind Brookland Cafe’s Vegan Day is to encourage people that eating vegan can be tasty, healthy, and a welcome change even if someone is not quite ready to switch to veganism as a lifestyle. His stipulations for their vegan fare are that “it tastes good, you want to eat it, and that the bonus is that it is healthy.”
On the planned menu for Vegan Day is the Fried “Fish” Platter (made with bean curd), a Raw Platter (including a mock salmon salad and a garlic-tofu-cheese dish), several desserts, and a few other dishes. The menu will probably vary slightly from week to week, so call ahead if you want to know exactly what they’re serving.
Did you miss last week? No worries; the staff tells me that the place was PACKED, so you’ll be in good company if you head out tomorrow or in following weeks. Everything they serve 4-11 p.m. Wednesdays is completely vegan, but Stringfellow reminded me that they always have something available for vegans on the menu. Each day you can find lunches, dinners, and snack food/bar fare to suit your vegan lifestyle. P.S. Three-hour happy hour Monday through Fridays; I see DC*Vegan Drinks here in my crystal ball…
Brookland Cafe is just a few blocks from the Brookland Metro (red line) and a quick drive/bike ride from downtown. Please check out their website for directions and more information.
3740 12 Street NE
Washington, DC 20748
(202) 467-6777
http://thebrooklandcafe.com
**********UPDATE**********
My dining partner and I made it out last Wednesday and had a blast. The cafe is small but beautifully decorated, and the food was everything we were hoping for. We tried a combo platter that included a little bit of everything, and each item impressed us more than the next. The battered “fish” and fried “shrimp” were reeeeally tasty, but I think my favorite was the garlic-tofu-cheese salad from the Raw Platter; my partner really loved the cauliflower poppers from the Batter Basket.
I’m excited to have made it out for the second Vegan Delite Night, because I also had the opportunity to meet several of the important players in the creation of this event. We had the pleasure of meeting D’Maz Lumakanda, one of the owners; Mahrome Stringfellow (see above) and his partner Angela Beasley came out to chat with us about their philosophies on vegan food. You may also know Beasley from her Nature’s Delite salad dressings you see at Everlasting Life and the Tacoma Park Co-op (like Stringfellow, she also used to cook at Everlasting Life). The rest of the staff was warm and welcoming, which is certainly part of why everyone seemed happy, relaxed, and comfortable. Well, that and all the delicious comfort food in our bellies!…
