If you’re one of the three out of ten Americans who make at least one new year’s resolution, chances are yours will be about health, exercise, or diet, reports the Pew Research Center.
Enter Veganuary, a cleverly-named campaign that uses the month of January to raise awareness about the many benefits of the vegan, or plant-based, diet.
For visitors interested in local vegan eats, Walla Walla has much to offer in January (and beyond). Here are some must-try dishes, experiences, and restaurants.
Fun fact: Much of Walla Walla is plant-based by design, thanks to our community’s large population of Seventh-day Adventists, many who settled in the neighboring city of College Place (so named for Adventist college, Walla Walla University). There, those giving Veganuary a try have two can’t miss spots: beloved local grocer Andy’s Market, and Mexican food restaurant, The Happy Wanderer.
Andy’s Market has a wide variety of vegan foods, whether you need a picnic for a wine tasting, or groceries for a home-cooked meal at your AirBnb. Make a grab-and-go lunch from house-made deli items such as hummus, garden salads, hot vegan soups (offered Monday–Friday 11–1), pre-made vegan cold cut and veggie sandwiches, cauliflower and falafel wraps, grain salads, and even fresh bread baked in store by local WilkinsonBaking Company’s quirky bread invention, the Bread Bot.
Or, find everything you need to stock your pantry (or for your recipe), from vegan granola and cashew yogurt, to tofu, fresh fruit and produce, frozen foods, and a bulk section to rival the best of them.
General Manager Vicki Zanes’ grandparents opened Andy’s in 1968. She says offering wholesome plant-based foods has always been part of the plan. “We are a full-service grocery store serving our entire community, from our perennial customers to visitors, wherever they are in their health food journey.”
At Happy Wanderer, just across the street from Andy’s, all items on the dedicated “Veggie Tacos” menu are vegetarian, and all are easily made vegan. Options include housemade tortillas topped with soy asada, soyrizo, hongos (mushrooms), or calabacitas (squash).
Ari Lopez, owner, notes that many items across the menu are naturally vegan. “Typically Mexican restaurant beans and rice are prepared with lard, but ours are vegan all the time. And our salsas and tortillas, too.”
Veggie taco fillings can be added to burritos and enchiladas, among other dishes like enchiladas and mulitas. “That’s just a few of the many options. We have pretty much everything,” says Lopez, whose restaurant is certified by the Blue Zones, an organization that promotes longevity and wellness through lifestyle and diet choices.
If a wine tasting is on the agenda, make your way to the south side. Consider a visit to Canvasback where the menu features a hearty vegan charcuterie plate to accompany flights of the winery’s bold and flavorful reds. Artisan plant-based cheeses such as smoked gouda and black garlic Brie, and mock meats like smoky soppressata and seasonal salami are served with accoutrements including cornichons, French Dijon mustard, crackers, quince paste, roasted nuts, and dried fruit, all perfect partners to the wines.
Nearby Pepper Bridge Winery is offering a seasonal Veganuary menu for its weekly Winery Luncheon, in partnership with local restaurant, Hattaway’s on Alder. This special food and wine experience is available to groups of two to six, with four days advance reservation, at the tasting room Thursday–Sunday. Hospitality Manager Andrea Johnson promises a “100% vegan menu that celebrates bold flavors and local ingredients.”
“Having vegan options is important for us because we want to be inclusive and find fun ways for everyone to enjoy our wine,” says Johnson. “It certainly helps that it sparks creativity and gets people thinking about pairings outside the box.”
Downtown, local’s sandwich spot Graze offers wonderful salads and soups, in addition to its two classic vegan sandwiches: the mock-chicken salad Vegan Chickpea, and the Veggie Torta (available without cheese).
A standout at the newly-opened Salted Mill, in the former Whitehouse Crawford restaurant, is a beautiful jasmine rice bowl featuring scored, grilled gochujang-marinated tofu and ginger glazed mushrooms. For starters try the vegan spiced chickpea soup and a side of toasted pita with caramelized fennel gremolata and smoked olive oil.
Finally, no one should leave Walla Walla during the coldest month of the year without a blissful bowl of TMACS’ seasonal coconut butternut squash soup. Finished with pepitas, black lava salt, and basil oil, every spoonful is culinary—and 100% vegan—magic.
Whether you stick with Veganuary for a month or a lifetime, or just want to try something new during your visit to Walla Walla, there’s a place, and plenty of food, for you here.