: Horizons
The husband/wife team of Rich Landau (executive chef) and Kate Jacoby (pastry chef) moved their Horizons Café from the suburb of Willow Grove into the heart of Philadelphia in 2006, dropped the “Café” and re-invented their menu. In doing so, the pair gives Philadelphia its first upscale vegan restaurant and earns VN’s Restaurant of the Year honors. The bi-level eatery (downstairs lounge; upstairs dining) serves nouveau vegan cuisine along with organic spirits plus live music on Wednesdays. Horizons re-opened in February and has garnered rave reviews including an “excellent” rating from Craig LeBan, Philadelphia’s premier food critic.
> horizonsphiladelphia.com
r: Matthew Kenney
Cookbook author. Raw foods chef. Teacher. Restaurateur. Matthew Kenney is a familiar name to living food aficionados from coast to coast, and those not already familiar with his work will be before long. This 42-year-old powerhouse is poised to become a legend in his own time; in the last year Kenney launched a raw lifestyle company, Organic Umbrella, opened three Blue/Green cafés in New York City and a fourth in Connecticut, founded a raw culinary academy, and signed on as head chef at JivamukTea, the vegan café tucked inside Manhattan’s hip Jivamukti Yoga Center. Next stop: Los Angeles. Look for this maverick to make his mark on the West Coast in 2007.
> organicumbrella.com
: Fast Food Nation
You’ve read the book, and now you must see the movie. Better still, take all of your carnivorous comrades to the theaters this November for the feature film version of Fast Food Nation. Starring Greg Kinnear and an ensemble cast (Bruce Willis; Kris Kristofferson), this smart, entertaining flick weaves together the stories of teenage burger flippers, immigrant meat-packing laborers, and white collar fast food executives and creates an unforgettable glimpse at what, exactly, goes into that Super Bacon Cheeseburger. Director Richard Linklater believes his latest cinematic offering will be an eye opener for the masses. “A woman came up to me after a screening and said, ‘I can’t eat a burger or meat and think of all these things that go behind it,’” Linklater tells VegNews. “I said, ‘of course—we’re all divorced from our food supply...you’re not supposed to think about it.’ You just need to be made aware of it.” By film’s end, you and your meat-eating pals will be much more aware, and you’ll be giving three super size cheers for vegetarianism.
> fastfoodnation-movie.com
: Behind the Mask
Honoring a documentary about the ALF (Animal Liberation Front) was not an easy decision for VegNews to make. Politics aside, the film, which, as the title suggests, focuses on the people behind the mask more so than their actions, succeeds brilliantly in telling the story of those who are willing to anonymously risk their lives and freedom for animals (including farmed animals). Says director/producer/attorney Shannon Keith, “I had to make Behind the Mask so that people could hear the activists who have been voiceless along with the animals they save, and so that others could hear why these individuals are forced sometimes to extreme measures to save animals.”
> uncagedfilms.com
: Healthy at 100
Author John Robbins’ latest effort unites two subjects he has covered previously, food (Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution) and health (Reclaiming Our Health) into an eye-opening new volume aimed at the aging populace or anyone who wishes to get there. In Healthy at 100, Robbins examines different cultures scattered around the globe known for having physically healthy and mentally active elder citizens and teaches us how we can translate their lessons of love and friendship, a clean diet and daily physical activity into a healthy, happy and productive life even as we age.
> healthyat100.org
: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
Any foodie worth her Himalayan crystal salt knows that cupcakes have hit the sweets circuit and hit it hard this year. Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World will reacquaint you with this childhood favorite dressed in grown-up flavors such as Pumpkin Chocolate Chip, Mucho Margarita and even—gasp—Pistachio Rosewater. This compact compilation of 75 recipes packs all the ’tude of Moskowitz’s Vegan with a Vengeance, only with some extra layers of gloss. No other cookbook this year so completely dishes sharp-as-a-tack writing, stunning photography and design, simple yet delicious recipes and a manifesto for world domination.
> theppk.com
: Bart Potenza & Joy Pierson
When Bart Potenza and Joy Pierson purchased a lottery ticket on Friday the 13th of August 1993, little did they know that the animals would be the big victors. Their winnings provided the seed money to open Candle Café in 1994 which quickly became known as one of NYC’s best veg restaurants. The dynamic duo opened Candle 79 in 2003, solidifying their position as the Big Apple’s vegan food pioneers. The Candles burn bright, as do their owners, whose phone rings whenever a caterer needs a “vegucation.” Candle 79 was named restaurant of the year by New York Naturally in 2005, while Potenza and Pierson picked up Farm Sanctuary’s Leader in Compassionate Living Award this year.
> candlecafe.com
: Mercy for Animals
When Nathan Runkle was 11 years old, he was exposed to the mistreatment of animals, turned veg overnight and began a career as a professional animal advocate. Now, at the ripe age of 22, Runkle has seen the organization he conceived and leads, Mercy for Animals, become an effective force for change. Founded in 1999, MFA grew from a Dayton, Ohio-based grassroots effort to a powerful statewide organization after conducting “open rescues” at the two largest egg farms in Ohio in late 2001. MFA has since merged with Chicago’s Protecting Animals USA to form a 10,000-member organization that uses cutting edge, modern design and pro-veg MTV commercials to reach a young audience.
> mercyforanimals.org
: Vegan Treats Bakery
At 17, straight-edger Danielle Konya witnessed a lobster being boiled alive and never ate meat again. She opened Vegan Treats for wholesale service in 1998, followed by a Pennsylvania storefront in October 2005. Vegan Treats delivers to NYC joints like Teany, Red Bamboo and the V-Spot, and also enjoys a rock star cast of fans. “This year I baked for Alkaline Trio, AFI, Moby, Fall Out Boy, the Bouncing Souls and Bright Eyes,” Konya tells VN. She hopes to open a downtown Manhattan storefront by next fall. “If I get one more email from someone in New York asking for doughnuts,” she said, “I’m going to go crazy!”
> vegantreats.com
: Matt & Nat
Matt & Nat has changed what it means to shop online for better-than-leather clutches and totes. Of Indian descent and in-step with Hindu and Sikh beliefs, Montréal-based Inder Bedi created this handbag line to provide sophisticated arm candy for fashion-forward vegans. Elevated attention to detail and bold concepts distinguish Bedi’s designs, and his call for compassion raises Matt & Nat to a new caliber. Best of all, you can finally order these puppies straight from the impeccable, easy-to-navigate website.
> mattandnat.com
: Farm Sanctuary’s 20th Anniversary Gala for Farm Animals
What began with the rescue of one ewe from a “dead” pile in 1986 has grown into the world’s largest farmed animal sanctuaries and the unquestioned pioneer of the rescue and rehab movement. What better way to recognize two decades of success than to throw a star-studded bash at the elegant Cipriani Wall Street on the southern tip of Manhattan? Hosted by 2006 Celebrity Advocate of the Year Daryl Hannah, Farm Sanctuary’s Gala featured scores of celebs, a gourmet vegan dinner (with an assist from Candle Café/Candle 79’s Joy Pierson) and an awards program honoring civic, social and political leaders who stick their necks out for animals.
> farmsanctuary.org
: Sweet & Sara Bakery (tie)
With Sweet & Sara, self-described “dessert snob” Sara Sohn has reinvented the vegan marshmallow. Try these little miracles in flavors like Mexican Chocolate, Toasted Coconut and Vanilla—and don’t miss the gooey, ridiculously delicious Peanut Butter S’more pies. An ethical vegan since 14, Sohn, now 28, grew up in Queens with “nothing but carob bars,” and believes that “sweets just make people happy.” That maxim is evident at her wholesale headquarters in NYC, where retail demand for her exceptional confections often exceeds supply. Get your sugar fix online at Vegan Essentials and other veggie vendors, and—if the marshmallow gods so deem—soon at grocery chains nationwide.
> sweetandsara.com
: Holy Cow Cleaner (tie)
Vegetarian Joni Hilton founded Holy Cow cleaners three years ago because she was tired of hearing about kids being poisoned by under-the-sink cleaning products. The author of several how-to books—including one on housekeeping—Hilton set out to create “something green, planet- and people-safe” that would also kick butt on kitchen and bathroom grime, laundry and carpet stains, and make windows sparkle like diamonds. Enter Holy Cow—the coolest liquid since soymilk. Of the four fab varieties, the bright green Concentrated Cleaner is a staff favorite. A few squirts was all it took to perform miracles on a pair of grease-stained bike pants, and it makes ring-around-the-bathtub vanish like disappearing ink. This magic potion is biodegradable, non-toxic and free of VOCs, so it’s safe for kids and critters—and though it’s pretty enough to pour into a cocktail glass, don’t!
> holycowproducts.com
: Isle of Bute Scheese
Remember back in the day when the only vegan cheese around tasted like the sole of a worn-out tennis shoe? Or worse—that the semi-palatable slices you found at your local health food store turned out to contain casein? Blech! Well today, vegan cheeses have come of age—scarily so. Take Isle of Bute Scheese. Flavors such as Hickory Smoked, Blue, and Cheddar with Chive, these hearty wheels, produced on a bucolic Scottish island, are so authentic even omnivores can’t tell the difference. Until recently, this coveted product could only be found in the UK, but—drumroll please—vegan cheese freaks can now get their fix stateside. “It’s one of our top selling products,” says Sarah Florez of Three Little Figs in Boulder, Colorado. “It’s insane—people absolutely love it. People can’t believe it’s vegan.” There really is a God, after all.
> scheese.co.uk
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