Vegan Eats In Seattle: Wayward Cafe.

So I finally got around to checking out the vegan mecca that every other veg-type-person in Seattle except myself has had the opportunity to dine at. Wayward Cafe. I suppose I can be forgiven for taking so long, because technically I live about 40 miles from Seattle. Not really convenient for grabbing a bite to eat.

But this past Monday/Sorta Holiday, I realized I had the day off, 2/3 of the Sprouts had deserted me and it was a perfect opportunity to check out the legendary yumminess. I even grabbed a very non-vegan friend to come along.

OK, so, Wayward used to be in another location. I'm not exactly sure where, and I guess it really doesn't matter for purposes of this review. Apparently the new place has more seating and more room, and that's good because they seem to be VERY popular. Located just across the street from two of my other favorite Seattle destinations (Sidecar Vegan Grocery and Pizza Pi vegan Pizza) this trinity of veganism is reason enough to head for Seattle, even for people like me who live almost an hour's drive away.

So? Did I enjoy my meal at Wayward? Was it worth the drive? Did my non-vegan dining partner find it palatable? Did my very-picky-hard-to-please Sprout like it?

An unequivocal YES! It lives up to the hype and then some!!!

I'm trying to remember what all we ordered - I chose an amazing, flavorful, crispy "fried chicken" type slab of tofu on a homemade bun with chipotle mayo (I'm already craving another in a SERIOUS way); my friend Kevin ordered some sort of BBQ-sauced-spiced tofu which we inhaled; and my Sprout ordered French Toast. We also had miscellaneous sides of deliciousness like cheezy grits, kale, hashbrowns, french fries, biscuits, salads, coffee, juice, etc... Being brutally honest, I will say the French Toast did not "wow" us. Maybe my Sprouts and I are spoiled by my own sometimes awesome cooking or maybe it just wasn't to our taste, but even though we passed everything around the table for everyone to sample, the French Toast got set aside. HOWEVER: Absolutely everything else was incredible and totally worth another hour-long drive in Seattle's famous traffic, even the potatoes were awesome, and I'm SUPER picky about potatoes. I need to return. SOON.

And my friend Kevin, who came along for the adventure? I have to give him extra points for being a good sport because he had no idea what he was getting himself into. Kev and I went to grade school together (LONG ago!!) and tried to out do each other with our artwork when we should have been paying attention to the teacher, I'm sure. I'm so proud of him though, because he actually kept up with his passion for art, as well as being a very successful businessman - he owns the fabulous, fun, funky, hip, edgy, classic Acme Barber Shop over on Capitol Hill (voted one of Playboy's Top 10 Barber Shops in America, what can I say?). Though he isn't vegan, a good percentage of the meals he eats end up that way. I mention all this because he cleaned his plate enthusiastically and remarked afterward that he would definitely come back, and often, because the food was so good. And it's not exactly around the corner from Capitol Hill. Somehow genuine praise from a non-vegan seems to carry almost more credibility.

Read the reviews on "Yelp" and other sites if you don't believe me, (don't take the occassional whine about slow service too seriously, they're still getting the kinks worked out - our service was VERY friendly and prompt, and this isn't McDonalds. Sit back and ENJOY your meal!!).