DC's 100% Vegan Food Truck

100% Vegan Food Truck

Angela from The Veracious Vegan blog, recently reviewed one of the many vegan food trucks of Portland, Oregon. Well, look out, Portland. The District of Columbia now has a 100% vegan food truck: Woodland's Vegan Bistro!

Like many cities, DC has been having a food truck renaissance. It's heartening that a cruelty-free truck can take a prime position in the food truck cavalcade. When I visited last week, the Woodland's VB truck actually had the longest lines in Farragut Square. I doubt that's merely due to novelty or health motivations. Operated by folks behind the former Everlasting Life Cafe, this truck serves delicious soul food and other veggie delights.

Decal detail

Overwhelmed by the possibilities of an entirely vegan menu, I ordered the platter combo--one entrée and two sides for $11. It was like a mini-Thanksgiving in August; a copious amount of piping hot food. The container was too heavy to schlep back to the office, so I feasted on the park grass.

Platter combo

This platter was the bomb. The BBQ drummies were a messy revelation. The sweet, tangy sauce made these mock chicken drumsticks sing. For sides, I ordered the collards and the sautéed cabbage. Both were excellent quality with rich, savory flavors. 

There was still a crowd at the truck when I left. And they were doing a brisk Vitamix business. I didn't order a smoothie but I'll be back to try those and to scout out the rest of the menu for sure.

To find the truck on the busy lunch hour streets of WDC, you can follow the truck on Twitter, @WoodlandsVB. They'll also be at DC Vegfest. 

And you can visit the brick and mortar location of Woodland's Vegan Bistro at 2928 Georgia Avenue NW, which I clearly need to do ASAP. Plus, they have revamped their website and Chef Mickiyah Woodland has a promising blog. 

Woodland's forest motif

Cherry blossom foodie resources and a smoothie

Okay, these are magnolia blossoms.

Every year I forget how crowded cherry blossom season is in the District. The entire city is overrun with tourists, even far from the Tidal Basin. I always wonder what guidebooks or travel apps these travelers are using to navigate the city's foodways?

For hungry veggie tourists, I'd recommend:

• VegDC, the excellent local dining guide from Compassion Over Killing
• Happy Cow's DC page or their VegOut app for the iPhone
• The Veracious Vegan blog, featuring Angela's restaurant reviews
• Yelp's DC restaurant reviews
• The Washington Post's Going Out Guide to area restaurants
• The City Paper's annual Best of D.C. restaurant picks

And here is a smoothie recipe to celebrate the cherry blossoms. It's made using my new favorite item from Mountain Rose Herbs: Hibiscus Flower Powder (see photo below). 

Cherry Berry Flower Smoothie
Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries and black raspberries mix
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tsp hibiscus flower powder 
• 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 tsp amla powder (optional)

Serves 1.