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The Last Getaway: Part Three

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After our busy morning in Freeport we settled in for a nap before heading out to Soakology. Soakology is a foot sanctuary and teahouse in Portland that Neil and I came across a few years ago and absolutely loved our experience there and have been dying to go back since. Last year we couldn’t fit it into our visit but we made sure to call ahead and make appointments this year.

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When we arrived we checked in and chose our foot soaks from a pretty extensive selection.  I was told due to pregnancy I could not do any that had rosemary and there was one specific detox one that was not suitable for pregnant woman; I loved how informative and knowledgeable the staff was! Neil decided to go with a rosemary, seaweed and tea tree soak that was described as being good for runners and bikers and I went with the chai and fig soak which sounds as luscious as it was.

While we waited to head downstairs to the soaking room we looked over the tea and treats menu.  We both decided to go with iced tea, ginger peach for me and ginger mint for him.  We were also a little hungry so we ordered the Mediterranean Plate which had hummus, olives, pita and veggies; it was fantastic!

Unfortunately I couldn’t take any shots of us actually getting our feet soaked or of the downstairs soaking room but I can tell you it was just as amazing as I remember.  We were seated in these big comfy chairs that are elevated off the floor and we were given these wonderful warm scented shoulder/neck pads as we slipped our feet into giant bowls of soaking water that had little smooth stones in the bottom to run your feet across.  We sat back, relaxed and enjoyed our soak, tea and snack.  Honestly, when we first went here we were a little skeptical about just getting the foot soak (you can also get food scrubs, massages, and upper body massages as well) but we were both pleasantly surprised at just how relaxing it was to sit back with your feet in a nice bowl of soaking liquid.  Appointments are about an hour long and during that time they come through and offer you more hot water to reheat your soaking liquid.  This is one of my “must do in Portland” activities and I hope we are able to do it again soon.

After our relaxing foot soak we decided to head out to Portland Head Lighthouse and Two Lights (two other lighthouses), both of which I hadn’t been to in many years and Neil had never been to.  Although the temperature started to get a little cool it was a beautiful night and we took full advantage of it.

After taking over 300 photos and enjoying some time by the water we headed to Silly’s Restaurant for dinner. We had never been to Silly’s, but since it was known for being vegan friendly and for having veggie burgers (what we both were in the mood for) we decided to give it a try.

The menu is huge at Silly’s and although we had gone there on a mission for veggie burgers we ended up having a hard time deciding on what to order.  We finally settled on two items to share:

The Zombie burger A veggie burger, vegan mozz, spinach, onion, tomato, spicy sauce, pineapple & jalapenos on griddled garlic bread with fries Buffalo Fries. We decided to swap out the regular fries for buffalo fries (fries tossed with hot sauce) and served with a creamy spicy vegan sauce.  The burger was homemade and delicious! We were both also pleasantly surprised that the pineapple was not overpowering (our only concern).

We also shared the ZoomaZoom (vegan) Falafel with spicy vegan spread, spinach, lettuce, tomato, onion and black olives.  This was really tasty as well and the perfect companion to the Zombie Burger.  While the Zombie Burger and fries was a little heavier the ZoomaZoom was much lighter; the perfect combination for sharing.

After dinner we headed to Whole Foods (again) and I picked up a kiddie sized chocolate sorbet for dessert and Neil got himself a local beer to bring back to the hotel to try.  We spent the remainder of the night looking at the photos from our day and relaxing.

Sunday was all about picking up groceries and our favorite goodies from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s before heading home.  We stopped in North Conway to do a little more outlet shopping, where I found another maxi dress from Banana Republic on sale from $100 for only $30! Then we had lunch at Moat Mountain before finally heading straight home where we settled in on the couch to relax.

We had the perfect last getaway before the baby’s arrival and I couldn’t be happier.

The Last Getaway: Part 2

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Our second day in Portland started off as it usually does at Whole Foods where we picked up our favorite make your own parfait.  We love to the make your own because we can fill it with as much or as little fruit, soygurt, granola and other goodies that we want.  We both tend to be heavy handed on the fruit and light on the soygurt and additions which makes it a great deal at only $3.99.

To go with our parfaits we picked up americanos, decaf for me and regular for him, which were okay.

We also picked up lunch while we were there to eat later on in the day.

After breakfast we headed just north of Portland to Freeport to do a little outlet shopping.  We arrived a little early so we headed to the L.L. Bean Flagship Store where we had a little photo session.

We spent the morning wondering around Freeport getting our shop on. Unfortunately I wasn’t that successful, seems it is just going to get harder from here on out to find pregnancy friendly clothes. However, I did find a dress that I really like, which you will see in my next post. Neil lucked out and he found a bunch of items at the J.Crew Outlet to update his summer wardrobe. We stopped for a lunch break between stores and enjoyed our goodies from Whole Foods.

After shopping we headed back to the hotel for a nap before going for an amazing foot soak, sightseeing and to dinner.

The Last Getaway: Part One

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This past weekend Neil and I headed out for our last getaway before the baby arrives. For the past 3 years we have gone to Portland Maine for our anniversary but since this year Neil is running the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon and I’ll be 34 weeks pregnant we decided to make our trip a month early. Initially we had planned to stay Saturday night but then decided to head to Maine after work on Friday night, but then we woke up Friday morning and decided to take a spontaneous vacation day from work and we headed out early- best decision ever.

We got on the road and made it to Concord New Hampshire just around lunch time so we decided to stop into Cafe Indigo a vegan bakery and cafe. Neil and I decided to share two different items and a cookie- it is a bakery after all. We shared the Veggie Cakes Cafe Indigo‘s version of crab cakes with tartar sauce, cornbread and slaw (my choice) and a Falafel Burger on a whole wheat bun with a lemon tahini sauce, slaw and blue corn chips (Neil’s choice). I thought the Veggie Cakes were really tasty and the tartar sauce was delicious, I have to say though the tempeh crab cakes from Vegan Brunch are closer to what I imagine Crab Cakes to taste like. Neil really liked the falafel burger but I wasn’t a huge fan of it, I thought it would have been better in a wrap than on a roll and it was a little dry. We both enjoyed the cornbread and the slaw but we didn’t really touch the blue corn chips. The best part of the meal was the ginger cookie- AMAZING.

Next stop on our journey was to Whole Foods to pick up an iced coffee for Neil and an Arnold Palmer for me before  making it to the 3pm brewery tour at Allagash.  There is really nothing more depressing than watching a group of people sample a (four) wonderful brews and having to stand there and watch it all happen.  Neil enjoyed the samples and then we took a walking tour of the brewery.  Since I couldn’t partake we picked up a bottle of Allagash Old HLT, a sour cherry beer, to share later this summer. Although I couldn’t enjoy the samples it was one of the best tours that we have been on and would recommend it to everyone. Tip: you can call ahead to be put on the list for the tour as I imagine they fill up fast!

After the tour we checked into our hotel and then I decided that it was time to take a nap before dinner. We walked downtown from our hotel (rather up a giant hill) to Green Elephant, a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Portland. I have been a number of times and Neil has been once before and we have always enjoyed it. We lucked out and arrived just moments before the dinner rush, although it is worth the wait.

We started off with the Fresh Rolls-Lettuce, carrots, avocado, rice vermicelli, and mint wrapped in rice paper, served with peanut sauce, they were wonderful.  For our entrees Neil ordered the Crispy Breaded Soy Filet stir-fried Chinese broccoli, Chinese broccoli carrots and thai bird chili in a brown sauce.  I stole a few bites (of course) and I have to say that this is now one of my favorite dishes I have had at Green Elephant.

For my entree I couldn’t decided on what I wanted (too many choices) so I decided to get a soup and an appetizer.  I ordered the Fragrant Coconut Soup with tofu & baby bella Mushroom, cherry tomatoes, onion, scallion, and cilantro and Roti Canai an Indian style pancake. with vegetable curry dip.  This was my first time having the soup and it was so tasty, I didn’t love the tomatoes in it but otherwise it was great.  The roti is an old favorite of mine and it was just as food as I remembered.

After dinner we decided to stop into Local 188 for an after dinner mock-cocktail and brew. Neil ordered a local microbrew (I can’t remember the name) and I had a virgin Basil Lemonade, which was amazing and I have to replicate it at home!

After drinks we headed back to the hotel to rest up for a busy Saturday. Stay tuned!

Old Port 5k Recap

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We did it! Neil and I ran our first 5k this past weekend in Portland, ME. It was an amazing experience and we both did really well.

The race started off on a hill. I was feeling nervous because I had only done one kill run during my training so I wasn’t sure how I would do. To my delight and both Neil and my surprise I actually crushed that hill. The course went onto a slightly inclined area and eventually to the stairs which you can see here. I shocked myself on the stairs. I didn’t stumble, fall flat on my face or run into anyone; WIN!

Then it was on to the next section of the course which was on a bike path right along the water. This area was described to us as “flat as a pancake”; well it was only “flat as a pancake” if pancakes have lump inclines. I really hit my stride at the last mile and it felt great. When I got to the last .1, right before the finish line, I decided to give it all I had and pass the 2 people in front of me to come in at a 37:36 giving me a 12:05 pace per mile. This was huge for me since my last 3.1 mile training run was 40:30 and the one before that 39:30! There were 17 finishers in the Female 25 to 29 age group and 185 finishers in the race. My overall finish place was 158 and I placed 16th in my age group (I didn’t finish last overall or in my age group- WAHOO).
Neil crossed the finish line at 28:49 and came in 5th out of 8 in his age group and 93rd overall. He rocked it.

After Race Complimentary Beers

After race brunch at Whole Foods (kale salad, home fries, roasted mushrooms, tomatoes, vegan chicken salad, fresh roll, macrobiotic dumplings and a vegan sesame chicken nugget)

Race Weekend Pt. 3: Portland Adventures

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After our night/morning in Portsmouth we headed to Portland to do a little site seeing, eating and getting ourselves prepped for our race. Our first stop was to pick up our bibs and race shirts and then we headed downtown for a beer and a snack at Novare Res Bier Cafe; a great beer bar in Portland.

We chose our beers and decided to get the Mediterranean plate to share; so good on a ridiculously hot day.

After beers and a snack we did a little shopping around downtown and the mall before heading to Whole Foods for dinner. Yes, Whole Foods. We love the Portland Whole Foods and it has an amazing number of vegan options at the hot/cold bars as well as a burrito bar, sushi bar and burger bar (all with vegan options). We could (and have) easily eaten all of our meals at Whole Foods but we only ate three there this weekend.

After dinner we decided to go drive the course and see what we were up against. Well to start the course is on a hill and then to a short incline and then to these stairs.


I was a little nervous that these stairs were going to be a bit of a challenge for the race because they were steep and the gravel around the stairs loose. Oh well!

We made our way back to the top of the stairs and watched the sunset. Stay tuned for the race recap.

Vegan Travel: Greater Portland Maine Area

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We are headed to Portland,ME (not Oregon) for the weekend to run a 5K  and I decided to do a little  lot of research of dining options. Here is my guide to Portland, ME  Vegan Friendly Dining (FYI this gives you an idea of what you can eat at these restaurants it is not a review of the restaurant because frankly I haven’t been to all of them- I will do a review of the ones we do visit upon our return):

Rating system:

1 –> 3 or less vegan options
2 –> 4-5 vegan options (at least one entree)
3 –> 6-7 vegan options (at least one entree)
4 –> 8-9 vegan options (at least two entrees)
5 –> 10+ vegan options (at least two entrees)

Green Elephant: 608 Congress St, Portland ME
Rating: 5 (vegetarian, mostly vegan)

Check out their menu here.

Boda: 671 Congress Street, Portland ME
Rating: 3


Vegan Options:

The staff will let you know for sure which options are vegan there are a few I am not sure about- the skewers are though and they are good! So just double check; below are the vegetarian options which are most likely vegan or can be made that way.

  • House fried peanuts seasoned with Thai herbs
  • Fried taro sticks seasoned with sea salt. Served with spicy chili sauce
  • Steamed assorted vegetables with “Nahm-Prik” (eggplant relish)
  • Tofu skewer rubbed with teriyaki sauce
  • Shiitake skewer with teriyaki seasoning sauce
  • Portabella mushroom skewer rubbed with sesame oil & mushroom sauce
  • Thai sticky rice with soy sauce, pepper, scallion, and garlic
  • Stir-fried wide rice noodles with onion, tomato, pepper, bamboo shoot,Chinese broccoli, Thai basil, and tofu
  • Organic tofu, bamboo shoots, red and green pepper, squash, baby carrot, green beans, Thai eggplant and Thai basil in homemade green curry

Personal Experience: LOVED this place. (same owners as Green Elephant)
Sebago Brewing Company: 211 Fore Street Portland ME
Rating: 2

Vegan Options:

  • Beer
  • Pub Pretzels: they are ok-but without the dipping sauce.
  • Hummus & Tzatiki (without tzatiki)
  • Greek Falafel (no feta): This salad is fine but with a different
    dressing-the dressing it is listed with contains feta. The falafel is pan
    seared with oil.
  • Dressings that are ok:
    Balsamic ving.
    Italian
    Cianti Ving.
    Hefeweizen Ving? (contains honey)
    Pesto Ving.
  • Panzanella Salad (no chicken):  without the cheese. suggest adding the falafel to this
  • Vegetable Stir Fry: this dish is fine w/o rice could sub pasta
  • Linguine-prepped with margarine
  • Falafel burger  w/o bun or tzatiki – sub wheat wrap
  • Veggie quesadilla without any cheese
  • FYI: the onion rings (not vegan anyways), chips french fries & sweet potato fries are deep fried in the same oil as fish

Soakology: 30 City Center Portland, ME 04101


Rating: 3* note this is a tea shop and foot spa so no meals just snacks.

Vegan Options:

  • assorted mediterranean olives
  • warmed, crusty french roll served with dipping oil & herbs
  • hummus & warm pita served with mediterranean olives & veggies
  • olive tapenade served with toasted crostinis
  • eggplant bruschetta & olive tapenade served with seasonal fruits & toasted crostinis
  • an assortment of fine cheese, seasonal fruit & mediterranean olives served with a petite boule, dipping oil & dark chocolate
Gorgeous Gelato: 434 Fore St, Portland, ME
Rating: 3 
Vegan Options:
Fruit Gelatos (Sorbettos) that are completely milk free, egg free and fat free. Our fruit flavors are made using exclusively fresh fruit, water and different kinds of natural sugars. Usually, we produce :

El Rayo Taqueria: 101 York Street, Portland, ME
Rating: 4

Vegan Options:

  • rice and beans
  • veggie taco
  •  the veggie burrito can be done vegan
  • the grilled pineapple
  • chili fritas
  • chips & salsa
  • the el mercado salad
  • the fiesta salad can be done vegan

Sonny’s: 83 Exchange Street, Portland.
Rating: 2

Vegan Options:

House pickled vegetables
• Soup*
• fried plantains w/o chili sour cream
• Beans
• Rice
• Panko fried avocado *not gluten free
• Farmer green sauté w/o butter
• Green salad
• Veggie enchiladas (entree) w/o cheese & the pine nut crema
Silly’s: 40 Washington Ave, Portland ME
Rating: 5
Vegan Options:
  • Vegan Choices: Starting with dessert…….
  • Vegan Triple chocolate layer cake with white and chocolate frosting
  • Vegan Sweet Dreams – Fried plantains, maple syrup, toasted pecans, toasted coconut & a dash of cinnamon, add Soy Ice Cream or Rice Ice Cream
  • Mug O’ Rice Ice Cream
  • Mug O’ Soy Ice Cream
  • The Veganotor Scramble- Sauteed tofu with mushrooms, green & red peppers, onioins, broccoli then finished with a vegan spicy sauce and served with red beans and salsa on the side.
  • Hummus Wrap -(vegan) – Spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, onions & pickles
  • ZoomaZoom Wrap (vegan) Falafel with spicy vegan spread, spinach, lettuce, tomato, onion and black olives
  • Tempeh Thru The Tulips Wrap (vegan) Spinach, tomato, fried tempeh and sauteed veggies du jour in creamy basil sauce
  • Garden of Eatin’ Appetizer (vegan) Silly made hummus served with carrots, broccoli, green& red peppers, falafel and crunchy flour tortilla chips, -made fresh daily-ask for it without the cuke dill
  • Vegan Decadence Appetizer (vegan) Creamy vegan basil sauce spread atop grilled bread topped with Greek olives, roasted red peppers, fresh tomatoes & garlic then toasted to perfection
  • Sweet Plantains Appetizer – Fried-  (vegan) Can be gluten free if you tell us….
  • Rings of Fire Appetizer (vegetarian) Breaded & fried jalapeno rings with a side of sour cream                                                **(vegan)-sub spicy vegan dip
  • French Fries Appetizer (vegan)-  Handcut  Can be gluten free if you tell us…
  • Hobo Pie Dinner (vegan) Flour tortilla chips topped with sweet potato millet blackbean vegan chili, salsa, tomatoes & scallions –Must ask for soy mozz substitute and no sour cream.
  • Tofu in a Dinghy Dinner -(vegan) – Thai ginger peanut sauce, rice noodles, fried tofu, vegan mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and scallions wrapped in a flour tortilla and deep fried in a chimi style.
  • Gone Bonzo Dinner-(vegan) – A panfried bonzo cake (chickpea flour spiced pancake with flax seeds) topped with sauteed veggies in a creamy spicy Thai peanut coconut sauce and garnished with julienne carrot.
  • Tempeh of Doom Dinner – (vegan) – Layered rice, red beans, fried tempeh, vegan bbq sauce, fried onions, hot sauce, vegan cheddar cheese and jalapenos.
  • PeppaKalaSpinaVeganDocious Pizza – (vegan) –   Creamy Vegan Basil sauce, spinach, roasted red peppers, Greek olives, garlic & fresh tomatoes
  • Rest in Pizza -(vegan)- Spicy vegan spread, fried veggie burger, jalapenos, pineapple, garlic, hot sauce & vegan mozzarella cheese
  • Good Golly Miss Bolly Dinner (vegan) Sauteed veggies, fried tofu, fried sweet potato and white potato, in a coconut mango curry sauce over rice garnished with cilantro and toasted coconut.
  • Et Tu & Fries Dinner Dinner– (vegan) – Breaded organic fried tofu & hand cut fries served with spicy vegan dip or make it buffalo with spicy vegan dip
  • Garden Salad – (vegan)  – Lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onions, carrots, green peppers, scallions, broccoli, &  mushrooms-available in demi size
  • Blue Mango Veggie Burgers 
  • Papou’s Falafel fabuffel burger (falafel with buffalo sauce)
    • Your choice of a 
      • single
      • double 
      • Triple
      • All Burgers are served on a hamburger  and are topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles & served with Silly’s hand cut French Fries.
  • Accentuate your Bun…
    • Buffalo Sauce,  Vegan BBQ Sauce, Soy Cheddar, Soy Mozzarella, Soy American, Vegan Chili,  Avocado Puree’,  or Bolly Sauce (vegan mango coconut curry sauce)
Local 188: 685 Congress Street, Portland ME
Rating: 1
Vegan Options:
  • olives
  • veg entree (as long as you omit the cheese)
  • green salad (omit the cheese)
  • risotto can be prepared vegan
  • flat bread
  • veg saute
  • sometimes the soup
Five Fifty-Five: 555 Congress Street, Portland ME
Rating: 1 
Vegan Options:
Quote from the restaurant “We do have a few salads on the menu for vegans, however, if you want to come to the restaurant, the chef prefers to cook strictly for you.  to be honest there are very few things actually on the menu that are vegan, but we are happy to customize the menu for you.  if you would like further information please call us at 207-761-0555.   again, the chef takes all dietary restrictions/allergies very seriously and would be happy to accomodate you.”

Rating system:

1 –> 3 or less vegan options
2 –> 4-5 vegan options (at least one entree)
3 –> 6-7 vegan options (at least one entree)
4 –> 8-9 vegan options (at least two entrees)
5 –> 10+ vegan options (at least two entrees)