Birmingham, Alabama (July 2010)

I first got the idea for starting this website a couple of summers ago when I took a civil rights tour of the American South.  I knew that it would be difficult to find healthy and hearty vegetarian food in most of the places that I was going to visit, so I did a lot of research before the trip.  In fact, I spent as much time researching restaurants as I did museums and historical sites.  The hard work paid off, and I am proud to say that, despite having to eat pizza twice in nine days, I never went hungry.  In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of options, especially in Alabama.  My favorite restaurant was John's City Diner in Birmingham, which is a 50s-style diner converted into a casual but nice restaurant with excellent service.  The regular menu includes a number of meat-free appetizers and side dishes, which can also be ordered as an entree. 



Fried green tomatoes, garlic hummus, and a portobello 
sandwich at John's City Diner

If you need a place to eat in nearby Montgomery, check out El Rey Burrito Lounge, which lists tempeh and tofu among its "meat" filling choices and offers vegan black beans as a side dish.

TIP:  When traveling in the South, to be safe, always confirm that the vegetable dishes are not made with any animal products (unfortunately, this is not a given) and that the biscuits are not made with lard.