One of the hardest parts of being a new vegan (or even an old seasoned vegan) is trying to keep up with all the new products out there. I must have spent over $50 looking for the "right" vegan cheese my first year being a vegan and I have over 50 vegan/vegetarian cookbooks in my arsenal but not all the recipes are the greatest. I’m the first born so I’m used to being a Guinea Pig and now I’m your Vegan Guinea Pig. So here are my recommendations and critiques. Let me know what you think!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Restaurant Review: Café Sunflower Atlanta, GA

Year after year, Café Sunflower always manages to win the top marks as Atlanta’s best vegetarian restaurant. Because of this I find myself trying to like it, even though there are at least ½ a dozen better vegetarian restaurants in Atlanta. Over the last 3 years I’ve tried just about everything vegan on the menu. I have never been completely disappointed but then again I’ve never been completed inspired either, at least not with the entrees.

I do have to admit that there are two items off the Café Sunflower menu that I will order, to go, every time I’m in the neighborhood – their Vegan Spinach Dip and the Vegan Carrot Cake. The serving size on the vegan spinach dip is much much smaller than what you typically would think of for a spinach dip. It is really an appetizer for one. Nonetheless it is perfectly creamy and cheesy and always makes me second guess whether or not it’s vegan. There are no words to describe the vegan carrot cake. It is hands down the best carrot cake I have ever had. It was actually recommended to me by one of my omni friends who also thought it was the best carrot cake she’d ever had. But other than these two items I tend to be pretty unimpressed with the Café Sunflower menu. But, if you find yourself drawn there a couple times a year, as I inevitably do. Here are my recommendations:

The nightly specials are usually always good. Much better than what is on the regular menu and much more inventive. So I recommend giving whatever is on the specials menu another look.
Of course you have to try to spinach dip and the vegan carrot cake.

The fajitas are actually pretty good, and really even better the next day as leftovers.
Another plus of Café Sunflower is that, unlike most vegetarian restaurants, they do actually have wine and beer on the menu. So even if you’re not in love with you entrée by your second glass of pinot noir you won’t care anymore!

4 comments:

  1. Wow, I've always said that Cafe Sun is my fave ATL veg restaurant because I didn't think there were any better alternatives. I would love to know the better restaurants in the ATL. Thanks for all you do for us!

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  2. Hey Traci! Oh yes yes yes there are so many other great vegan alternatives in atlanta. Just keep checking under the Atlanta Guide section, I'm slowly but surely working my way through atlanta's vegan and vegan friendly restuarants.

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  3. this is one of best beg restaurants in atlanta but i think it just expensive

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  4. Thanks for the honest review! I totally agree with you, actually. I think Cafe Sunflower might just be a kind of a gateway restaurant for new or timid vegetarians - they have to have the really dishes and mock-meats in the nice, "normal" upscale atmosphere several times before they feel brave enough to venture out and crowd a booth on Buford Highway or at Soul Veg 1. At least, that's how it seems with folks I've known! I'm glad I worked through my CS phase back in 2003... but sad that so many inventive, cutting-edge vegan restaurants have come and gone since then :(

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