100 years in the making, Modern Love, Omaha’s first full-service Vegan restaurant opens this Tuesday! Last week, Isa Chandra Moskowitz ran through some test dinners to train the staff and to get feedback from diners. I was at a couple of the dinners, one of them being the Vegan Omaha First Tasting. I’m pretty biased in all this, but Isa really pulled it off. Sure, there will be growing pains, but all in all, Modern Love has exceeded any and all expectations.

This is your opening night crew! Everyone is very enthusiastic to work with Isa (or so they say) and they want you to have to best dining experience possible.

Farmer’s Hummus is possibly my favorite dish this month, (the menus are monthly, and rotate due to seasonal produce.) So much flavor in the veggies and the flatbread and hummus are a tasty treat.

Jalepeno Corn Fritters and Rosemary Lemonade

The Jalepeno Corn Fritters melted in my mouth and the Rosemary Lemonade quenched my thirst.

Quinoa Caesar Salad

The Quinoa Caesar was a solid, filling salad, topped with tempeh croutons.

Mac & Shews

The Mac & Shews is the Vegan/Gluten Free spin on classic Mac & Cheese. It also includes Pecan Crusted Tofu and Kale.

Seitan Marsala

Sure to satisfy any carnivore, the Seitan Marsala is out of this world. Possibly the best seitan I’ve ever had. Mashed Potatoes with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce doesn’t hurt either.

Vanilla Bean Peach Pie with Ginger Ice Cream

Sure to be the best Vegan dessert in Omaha, Modern Love is baking their own pies, tarts and cheesecakes. Pies will rotate seasonally, served with homemade ice cream. Tonight’s selection was Vanilla Bean Peach Pie with Ginger Ice Cream. Sooo good!

Vegan Omaha Night

The night of the Vegan Omaha Meetup, all the employees kicked butt and were super friendly.

Yummy Vegan Food HQ

The kitchen is small but efficient!

Head Chef Michaela plating the Farmer’s Hummus Dish

Sous Chef Leia torching some cauliflower

I spy PIE!

Isa!

Congratulations Isa! Modern Love is amazing and I can’t wait to taste all of the delicious food that I will stuff in my mouth.

Howdy! It’s been a while. Yes, we’ve had Vegan Drinks every month, as well as a Night Flight, Kitchen Table and  a Crystal Jade Meetup, but I haven’t blogged at all this year. The reasons are simple: I’m busy, hahaha. If you follow the Vegan Omaha Facebook or Vegan Omaha Twitter, you’re pretty much up to date on Vegan goings on in and around Omaha. If not, here is a little six month wrap up, plus some bonus Modern Love!

House of Loom has been hosting Omaha Vegan Drinks for a year and an half. Like clockwork, the last Thursday of the month has been an amazing spectacle of Vegan cocktails. We love you House of Loom! Great drinks, great service and great people.

Back in February, Kitchen Table hosted Vegan Omaha Italian Night. It was a four course smorgasbord! It started off with porcini soup, panzanella salad and butternut squash gnocchi and ended with lemon olive oil cake. Kitchen Table went the extra mile and we love eating there on non-Meetup days too. Check for their daily soups, most of the time they have at least one Vegan kind, and they have at least one sandwich that can be made Vegan.

Blue Sushi introduced Seitan, Vegan mayo and Vegan tempura to their Veggie Maki menu this spring. The result was 8 different Vegan rolls! And the best part is that all of them are DELICIOUS!

Aromas Coffeeshop in Benson introduced Vegan Cupcake Thursday earlier this year. You can find four varieties of Vegan cupcakes, like Spiced Chai or Chocolate. So on Thursday, get your Vegan eats from Benson Brewery and get your dessert a couple feet away at Aromas!

May was our latest Crystal Jade buffet, which always seems to be the most popular Meetup. And why not? $18.99 for all you can eat Pan-Asian food. I love it because I’m so bad about ordering the same thing (Lucky 7), so having the buffet turns me on to new dishes. Also, don’t forget Vegan Night is Wednesdays! Free Curry Soup and half priced Vegan Egg Rolls and Curry Puffs.

Two Birds Bakery has expanded into Omaha via Caffeine Dreams and Omaha Bicycle Company (on Wednesdays.) So if you haven’t had a chance to make it into Elkhorn, make sure to stop in Dundee or Benson for their delicious baked goods! (this raspberry scone was amazing btw.)

I was just at Block 16 last week and I stumbled upon their new Vegan menu item, the Vegan Comrade. Super tasty (it has Tempeh) and a welcome addition to their huge Vegan selection.

After much debate about the bun, Blatt Beer & Table confirmed that their Vegetarian Currywurst is Vegan! It cures the need for good Vegan eats in the NoDo section of town and you can get it up until 10pm.

And last but not least is that little place off of 50th and Saddle Creek, you know, Modern Love. Opening at the end of July or early August, it’s sure to be next level Vegan food. Isa Chandra Moskowitz finally has a restaurant to show off her cooking skills. Being that it’s on the smaller side (30-35 seats), reservations will be encouraged though online rsvp. Sure to be a national Vegan destination, I’m excited Omaha is on the Vegan map, FOR REAL. Stay tuned to the Vegan Omaha Meetup page for a special Modern Love Meetup.

So that’s the first six months in a nutshell! I can’t wait for the next six. I hope you’re hungry!

I’d like to think I’m pretty on top of the Vegan scene in Omaha. Between the Meetups and meeting new people, I ‘d say I have my ear to the ground for new spots to eat. Well, I was taken aback last month when someone from The V contacted me and told me they had not just one, but four Vegan entrees. Come to find out, The V is a Bowling Alley/ Arcade/ Laser Tag/ Restaurant. How cool is that! So I scadoodled down there as fast as I could to check it out.

The restaurant is quite large and very nice. We were seated quickly and checked out the menu. Sure enough, four Vegan items! Slow Roasted Stuffed Portabella, Orange Tofu, Pomodorro Pasta and Quinoa Stuffed Pepper. It goes without saying that this menu is superb for a bowling alley/entertainment center.

My favorite of the Vegan entrees was the Orange Tofu. The flavor and presentation were excellent.

Quinoa Stuffed Pepper. This one had Indian flavors.

Slow Roasted Stuffed Portabella. A Mediterranean vibe.

Pomodorro Pasta. Obviously Italian!

And a secret Vegan item on the menu is the pizza without the cheese. Load up with veggies and sauce. Don’t forget the potatoes!

If you are looking for a place to take the kids or even just a spot in West O with more than one Vegan option, give The V a try!

Vegan treats were abound at the Bliss Bakery/ Aromas Coffeehouse Vegan Social! Thankfully it was a cool October day, perfect for hot coffee and Vegan baked goods. Cupcake madness! With three Vegan cupcakes to choose from, I didn’t know what to do. We had a red velvet cupcake, white cupcake with white frosting and a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. And so you know, Bliss normally has Vegan cupcakes. Just ask at the counter and they’ll hook you up!

If cupcakes aren’t your thing, Bliss also had cookies and brownies! The brownies might look familiar, because you can also find them at The Tea Smith in the Old Market. They’re sooo good. On the cookie end, we had Lemon Coconut Cookies and….

Peanut Butter Pistachio Cookies. Both of them were delicious and begging for the accompaniment of a warm drink. Thank you so much to Bliss, Aromas and Julianna for putting together such a cool event!