Oh, dear. I spent so long rhapsodizing about my little Teddybear that I never told you about all the delicious things I ate on my trip to Rhode Island. And I call this a vegan food blog! For shame. Let’s get right to it, then!

My first full day in RI was a Saturday, and in the morning I accompanied my mom to the Wintertime Farmers Market in Pawtucket. Color me impressed! This was not some piddly little affair with a couple folding tables stocked with the anemic, sparse produce of winter. No, this was a bustling, busy affair with dozens of vendors, lots of happy shoppers, and a kick-ass locale.

The market is snugly housed at Hope Artiste Village, a fantastic space that’s actually a renovated mill. Check out the gorgeous brick walls and exposed ceiling work – isn’t it cool? Beyond the main drag where most of the produce vendors sell their goods is whole other room with mostly prepared goods. My mom and I sampled a delicious Middle Eastern chickpea spread before moving on to a vendor that looked promising – EvaRuth’s Specialty Bakery, makers of wheat- and gluten-free goods.

Now, I don’t do the gluten-free thing, but I do know that many GF bakeries also offer vegan goods. My hunch proved correct – they had vegan brownies, cookies, and… doughnuts! I’ve been craving a vegan doughnut for three years, y’all. This was a baked cinnamon sugar doughnut, and it was good.

Just cake-y enough and not too sweet, this doughnut pleased my tastebuds. I slowly nibbled it as we perused the rest of the vendors, listened to some live music, smiled at some adorable children dancing to the live music, and then poked around in one of the art shops that also lives in the building. On our way out, we purchased some fresh almond milk from a local vendor that’s hoping to buy a food truck to deliver fresh produce to food deserts. Impressive, right? I really enjoyed the almond milk – pure, unadulterated almond milk is nothing like its creamier, shelf-stable cousin, but it’s hard to beat with a glass of cake.

And I definitely enjoyed it with cake – my dad made his famous German chocolate-inspired vegan cake one night, and it was super delicious. And then, a few days before I left, we celebrated my birthday a little early with some yummy blondies.

Benediction.

But I’m getting ahead of myself! One of the other culinary highlights took place at Julians, which I’ve blogged about a couple of times in the past. This time, I was meeting my friend Nicole (and some of her other friends) to celebrate her birthday with a late-morning brunch. And by late-morning, I really mean early afternoon, because the Julians staff clearly doesn’t know how to deal with brunch crowds, and we were waiting for well over an hour. It was not pleasant. At least my meal didn’t disappoint! I got the Tofu Benedict, an amazing concoction of thick sourdough bread; big, soft cubes of tofu; vegan Hollandaise sauce; sauteed spinach; and a side of delicious home fries.

Most of my fellow diners also loved their meals, although the birthday girl herself wasn’t too impressed with her French toast. I was just happy that I had leftovers – nothing like making a tasty meal last for two days, right?

And that, friends, about wraps up the highlights! Apart from these special treats, I (of course) had lots of healthy, hearty vegan meals cooked up by my parents (and myself). I always eat well when I’m home. :)