Pittsburgh VegFest 2019
When and where: Saturday afternoon at Allegheny Commons East, North Side.
# EatYourVeggies: The award- winning Pittsburgh VegFest was bigger and better than ever this year, with more vendors and restaurants from all across the region, including vegan crab cakes from Maryland and soul food from Ohio. “We want everyone to enjoy soul food without having a heart attack on a plate,” said Ishmael Rahman, founder of Ishmael’s Power Plant Kitchen in Columbus, Ohio. “We want to share our culture and our love of food in a healthier, more sustainable way,” he added. I tried the seitan barbecue sandwich on a pretzel bun topped with coleslaw and served with a side of vegan mac and cheese. It was otherworldly. “This is our fifth year, and it is really exciting to feel all of the positivity that Pam Panchak/ Post- Gazette photos this festival brings to the community,” said co- founder Leila Sleiman. “People are becoming more conscious of the environment and personal health, which is why we think this festival continues to grow each year,” added co- founder Natalie Fristick. One of the reasons it continues to grow is the reasonable rates for vendors and restaurants to participate and reasonable food costs to customers. “That’s what the exchange is all about — accessibility. If we provide a reasonable rate for our vendors and food trucks, we expect them to pass that along to customers so that everyone, no matter their income level, will be able to enjoy the vegan foods being offered,” added Ms. Sleiman. Next year, she is hoping to institute a policy where every food vendor is required to have at least one item on the menu that is under $ 5. “Vegan food is for everyone,” added Ms. Fristick. And there was no shortage of it. From fan favorites like Fortuitea Cafe serving up the Impossible Burger pizza to Onion Maiden’s epic donuts, Sugar Spell Scoops’ famous sundaes and Reed & Co.’ s delightful nachos with coconut “bacon,” no one was leaving hungry. “And that’s the point,” said vegan- enthusiast Darren Whitfield. “This is the one day of the year where you can be vegan and eat almost anything in Pittsburgh.” To learn more, visit pittsburghvegfest. org.
# SEEN: Anne Lewis, Sam Tanur, Rachel Zubrow, Missy Falletta, Ali Wingrove, Abby Arnold, Katelyn Feeney, Jared Rebovich, Brittany Lambert and Lauren Bowers.