Best of: Eats: Vegetarian

Laughing Seed Café

Chef Jason Sellers once told me in an interview for Bold Life Magazine, "I'm a salad-eating vegan who'll put you through a wall." He didn't mean me exactly (thankfully).
What Sellers was referencing is the fact that vegetarian does not equal sissy. Sellers is a martial artist and a man who counts as his heroes animal-rights activists — and he cooks a mean tempeh.
Seriously. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy Seller's apple-wood smoked tempeh Caesar served with marinated artichoke hearts and house-baked herbed croutons. It's a rich and filling salad, reminiscent of most everything the chef does. He doesn't over-think, or try too hard to repurpose meat dishes into vegetarian meals. His cuisine works well as what it is — simply because it was meant to be that way in the first place.
Haute vegan? Mai oui. Order an entree of zucchini noodle manicotti stuffed with sunflower-spinach pesto and cashew ricotta with house-marinated olives. While you're waiting, sample the Indian pakora selection of the day or the shiitake-corn cakes with ginger creme fraîche. If, after all that food, you still crave meat, just go tell chef Sellers.
We dare you.

— Mackensy Lunsford