The beauty of the red rock mountains and numerous rivers, friendly people of varying cultures, and endless sunny days made me choose Durango, Colorado as the town where I would settle. When I first visited Durango I was discouraged by menus touting elk medallions, frog legs and smoked kangaroo loin. However, once I started poking around and calling restaurants, I was pleased to find a variety of places a vegan could eat. One of the first places I seek out in any new area is a health food store. The nori rolls, filled with avocado, carrot and brown rice have a wasabi kick to them, as does the Kung Pao tofu, both great for picnic lunches.
Several salads are available at the deli, such as the signature beet salad.
They regularly feature vegan items like tempeh tandoori, sandwiches and soups. The employees are knowledgeable and full of tips for tourists wanting to know about the town. Local art is cheery as is the owner, who prepares tofu veggie scramble with a bagel and fresh fruit, or tofu burritos with rice, beans and salsa - on both of these dishes you can request no cheese, which is easy because this cafe speaks vegan. Located at 1022 Main Avenue, Carver's serves eggplant caponata, salads, a portabello sandwich, and other vegetarian dishes that can be made vegan on request. They have live music in the patio, and are one of the venues hosting the local bluegrass festival each spring.