We were driving to Washington DC to visit family and to stop in to DCVegfest and realized this was the perfect opportunity to finally visit Eden — a Vegan Cafe, an all-vegan restaurant we’ve been hearing so much about. Other members of the Vegan Mafia had raved about this small cafe located in a very surprising city and this was our chance to see if they were right.
They were right.
We were the first two customers in the place and asked to see the gluten free menu. When you are vegan, you get excited to find a 100% vegan restaurant and when you are vegan AND gluten-free … well, that little trifold menu is quite a find.
The concept for the restaurant is simple. Place your order at the counter, have a seat, and they call out your number when it’s ready. This is the exact idea that would be a huge money-maker for someone in Ithaca … home to ZERO vegan restaurants! Come on, Ithaca.
The food is nothing spectacular but it’s, at the same time, the best lunch I’ve had in my entire vegan life. My tuna melt and smashed potatoes were perfect. Delicious. And amazing. Jen got a sandwich with hummus, cucumbers, and tofu alongside a small salad with ranch dressing. Keep in mind here that all of this was not only vegan … it was gluten free. I haven’t had a sandwich in almost two years, let alone a melt. We had found Eden.
The staff are incredibly friendly. The menu is vast and anyone, even an omnivore, will find something they will love. We were just about to leave when I noticed the menu board listed Buffalo Chicken Drums. In my past life I was a contender for International Chicken Wing Eating competitions so I had to try them and was delighted to find that they are also on the gluten free menu.
They were everything I’ve dreamed about since dreaming about eating chicken wings — including a love handle.
The thick meat section was juicy and spicy and it was all wrapped around a stick. How I have longed for the day to hold a tasty drummie in my hand and here it was … served with an authentic wing sauce and celery sticks. We had found Eden.
Go vegan. And go to Eden — A Vegan Cafe when you are in Scranton, PA.
As of this writing, the Eden website is down but you can find them on Facebook here.
meatyveganblog.wordpress.com 