Less than two months after going full vegan I was scheduled to take a business trip to Las Vegas. Needless to say, I was nervous. I had just gotten used to preparing almost all of my meals – how would I be able to deal without my own kitchen? I thought about it for a minute but realized quickly that it didn’t have to be so difficult. I came to the conclusion that I just had to plan ahead, find restaurants with vegan options and shop for some basics when I got there.
First things first. Whole Foods. While they may not be my favorite grocery store (more on that another time), they do carry almost everything I need. Being as they are a national chain, I figured there was a chance they'd have a store in Vegas where I could get some essentials. A quick search on their website proved that there was in fact a store in Vegas – right next to the airport no less! I was instantly relieved. I could go there once I arrived and get some basics like cereal, soy milk, hummus, etc. I would be able to cover my breakfasts and lunches, plus some snacks to nosh on. (On a side note: The Las Vegas Whole Foods has an ordering counter that cooks up the most amazing vegan grilled cheese!)
All that left was my dinners. I knew I’d be going out to eat at night so I just started looking around the websites of the resorts I knew I’d be visiting. Everything is on the internet these days so it’s easy to find menus. I would be staying at M Resort so I started there. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to have many options. This didn’t really concern me since I knew I most likely wouldn’t be staying at the resort for dinner anyways. I had plans to see Mystere at Treasure Island my first night so I checked them out next. I narrowed their ten restaurants down to three – Isla Mexican Kitchen, Pho and Khotan. Great! Then I moved on to Monte Carlo and found a couple possibilities there (The Pub and d. vino). There also seemed to be a great option at Mandalay Bay called Border Grill. Then I remembered that Steve Wynn sent out a directive last year to his casinos requiring all of the restaurants to offer vegan options (THANK YOU Mr. Wynn!). This meant even more restaurants to add to the list! Things were starting to shape up and I felt much more comfortable.
As it turns out, it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be to travel as a vegan. A friend of mine tagged along with me on my trip and I’ll never forget how she exclaimed one night that she was considering going vegan just because of all the special attention and exceptional service I was receiving. I’m pretty sure she was only kidding about going vegan (in fact, I’m positive), but she was right about the service. It was outstanding. It turns out that many (if not most) places are more than happy to accommodate special requests. In fact, it seems like the chefs are actually excited about it because it allows them to be creative and cook up something new instead of the same dishes day in and day out.
My point is this - there's no need to get frustrated or nervous if you're going to be traveling. With a little effort and planning you'll be able to find delicious vegan food no matter where you go. Stay tuned for my reviews of a couple of the restaurants I did eat at (Isla Mexican Kitchen and the Wynn Buffet) plus, the ones I ate at on a subsequent trip (Jaleo, China Poblano and Sensi). Also be on the lookout for reviews of vegan restaurants in New York City!
Lastly, The Happy Cow can be a very useful resource for finding vegan restaurants so be sure to check them out. They can help you find restaurants not only when you're on the road, but in your own backyard as well!
Happy travels!
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