Friday, September 18, 2009

Charlotte Chowdown


I was quite enamored with the healthy choices I found in the Queen City of North Carolina!  A neat looking downtown, and a southern financial capital, Charlotte had the city feel with plenty of hip and chic spots to boot. Home to NasCar, this North Carolina metropolis takes care of those in search of healthy eats!

Located in downtown Charlotte as well as spots across the Carolinas, & Tennessee, Brix Pizza is a fun place for friends and family to dine.  And no one is left to starve as they offer vegan cheese as well as healthy crust options, available for all varieties of their delicious, wood fired pizzas. They also serve a smorgasbord of salads, sandwiches and more.  I devoured my veggie stacked, vegan pizza and so would you ; )When in the south, hit up Brixx!

Well, I love a good Indian meal but a good Indian meal is an understatement when you dine at Woodlands. Serving 100% vegetarian, super healthy, authentic Southern Indian food, this dining establishment will knock your socks off. Outside of downtown (and with 2 other locations in Florida), this is an Indian food experience like no other.  No oil is used in their cooking and they are incredibly conscious of all special diets when it comes to accommodating their guests. And on top of that, the food just plain rocks!  I ate like a queen, one dish that stands out in my mind is the Dosa. About 2.5 feet long, this crepe like dish is like a paper thin, hollow, rolled cigar made of lentils & white rice, served with tasty sauces.  A definite must, along with a ton of other great treats, to tyr at Woodlands!

In the heart of downtown, you will find Blynk Organic. Open only for the bustling weekday meals of the Charlottian business folk, Blynk has a an innovative, fresh and organic menu. Salads, soups, sandwiches and wraps in all varieties, including awesome vegan selections, this healthy yet quick eatery is just the injection of tasty and good for you food that a busy downtown needs.  Dining in or catering for your function, office meeting or picnic outside of the NasCar museum, check out Blynk! PS, the Thai Sky wrap is bitchin' ; )

Also in downtown, unwind with some wine and tapas at Press Wine Bar. In route to film some other areas, I stumbled into this fabulous looking place to just buy some water. Needless to say I found more then H2O! A gourmet market with cafe type sandwiches, salads and small plates (including freshly made sushi at their sushi bar), Press's big draw is their wine selection and how it is categorized.  Cute icons describe the types of wines they have such as "soft" wines which features a cartoon rear end icon, "lucious" wines found under a pair of cartoon boobs and so on.  Pick your wine based on fun, feel, and cute avatars while munching on some yummy snacks at Press.

Lastly, Cosmo Cafe, cooks up yummy food all day into late night. And the great thing is, they specify what items are vegetarian friendly right on the menu, most of which can be easily veganized. Greek & Asian fusion cuisine, with a dash of American kitsch, you can get everything here from pasta to gyros.I really enjoyed their grilled veggie sandwich and veganized strawberry salad!

I love traveling to cities that surprise me with their numerous healthy options and I so look forward to many, many more surprises ; )

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Healthy Voyager Radio - Athletes Against All Odds



Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio right here!! Featuring guests, vegan athlete & VEGA products creator Brendan Brazier, as well as inspirational paraplegic athlete Aaron Baker along with his coach and mother, Laquita Conway:

Next week, Fiscal Fitness with Peter Bielagus, Young America's Financial Coach!