Tell any vegan you’re headed to Portland, and you’ll be asked, “Are you going to the vegan strip mall?”
But of course.
This little strip mall is home to Sweetpea Baking Co., a divine vegan bakery with a large seating area and a wonderful selection of pastries (you can also special-order cakes (including wedding cakes), pies, cupcakes, and cheesecakes).
We got a chocolate chip cookie, which was nice though not outstanding (it was a bit dry), and a chocolate croissant, which was dry and had so little chocolate I thought we’d been given the wrong item.
The almond twist, however, was incredible beyond belief — it was gigantic, melt-in-your-mouth sugary, sweet, buttery, and smothered in icing and crunchy almonds.
Just a couple doors down, is the vegan grocery Food Fight, which was wonderful to visit in person, since we usually order online.
It’s a small, regular-looking grocery store, but the beautiful thing is that everything inside is cruelty-free.
Food Fight has fresh foods and juices, as well as an abundance of dry and prepared foods — and an excellent selection of vegan junk food, from Earth Balance sour-cream-and-onion potato chips to rice-cereal crispy treats to caramel sauce. There’s also a good selection of eco-friendly and vegan household items.
And the vegan message is not just in the food and goods but everywhere in the store.
There’s a wonderful selection of artisan vegan cheeses, and had we not been traveling we’d probably have purchased at least one of each. (Click here to see some of the options.) Since Food Fight doesn’t ship these perishables, next time we visit Portland, we’ll be sure to bring a cooler and head straight home.
Don’t miss this vegan strip mall next time you’re in Portland!