The Two Vegan Ladies take on Key West! (Day One)

So here it is! The long awaited Key West food review! 

For those of you who followed our honeymoon last month we spent half our time at a fabulous all-vegan bed and breakfast called Deer Run which is located in Big Pine Key, Florida.

It was AMAZING! The food, the people, the beach, the room- EVERYTHING. We have a full review coming soon!

For the other part of our honeymoon we went down to Key West (only a half hour or so from Big Pine Key) and we tore that place up scouting out the very best in vegan food (while enjoying Womenfest of course!) 

Our hotel was right on the main street, Duval, so we were walking or bike riding distance from just about everything. We arrived in the afternoon and decided to hit up a vegan-friendly place we had heard of from the chef at Kaya called Help Yourself which is located at 829 Fleming Street and is a few blocks off the main strip, but well worth the trip! 

There's a pretty wide selection here. Not all of it is vegan, but it is very veg-friendly, and just about anything can be modified to be vegan. 

On this particularly warm afternoon we were craving a crisp salad so we ordered the Mexican Salad which has romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, brazil nut ‘taco’ meat, tomato salsa, cashew sour cream, avocado, and a key lime vinaigrette. 

Now, the salad was great... the dressing stayed on the side. It was just a little too tart for our liking. But an interesting and cute addition none-the-less!

We also ordered a TLT wrap which came with marinated tempeh, lettuce, tomato, avocado, chipotle mayonnaise, mixed greens. We made sure to order it veganized so the chipotle mayo was made with Veganaise from what we understand. 

We ordered a chai latte and iced coffee to go with house-made coconut milk that was just divine! Then we got ready for a night of all Key West could offer!

Now, at the corner of Caroline and Duval is a little hot dog cart called Superdog. At first we tried to hurry past the smell of cooking meat but upon closer inspection the words "Veggie Dogs" proudly displayed on the cart caught our eye. 

We stopped and chatted with the gentlemen running the cart for a few minutes who eagerly showed us the package of vegan hot dogs and buns (which were also vegan) he had ready. We were hesitant because of the close proximity our vegan dog would have to the raw animal by-products on the cart but sensing our apprehension the gentlemen assured us that he kept the vegan dogs packed in a cooler away from the meat dogs and that he intended to cook them on a separate place on his large slab grill than he would the animal products. 

With all the eagerness, and the promise of extra grilled onions, we decided to give it a whirl. He sliced two jumbo sized Smart Dogs in half and grilled them throughly with a ton of onions. There were also a bunch of free toppings like peppers, raw onions, and sauerkraut off to the side along with the usual array of ketchup, multiple mustards, and relish. 

Overall, the taste was good. Each dog cost $6, but, in fairness it was one HUGE vegan hot dog. This is a great place to stop if you're coming out of a nearby club and really need a quick animal-free bite. Most of the vegan-friendly restaurants close rather early and they are not on the main strip. 

However, keep in mind even though they may be cooked in different areas- the vegan dogs and meat dogs are still cooked on the same grill. Other than that we highly suggest this little hot dog cart. (I mean hey, at least this guy is making an effort, right?)

So ended day one of our Key West adventure. But there are two more glorious days we can't wait to tell all about! Tomorrow's post will include more from Help Yourself as well as The Cafe and a pretty well-known and vegetarian friendly Mexican joint called Amigos!

Till tomorrow!

With peace, love, and compassion-
The Two Vegan Ladies 

Big Pine Key on Dwellable