The Beginning:
Darian and Laine started their food truck in June 2018 with the dream of making delicious, indulgent vegan food more accessible to Calgarians. Their incredible food was a hit. Fast forward to February 11, 2020 and the grand opening of their restaurant, Vegan Street Kitchen & Lounge. The restaurant was buzzing with excitement.
The Space:
The restaurant is welcoming and decorated beautifully with different areas to enjoy your meal. The sunroom, the patio, the fun and busy action area by the bar and an upper level with quiet corners and a velvet couch. The murals are bright and beautiful. Even the bathroom is beautiful, with a cool black and white abstract design. Cool fact; the restaurant is located in the childhood home of George Stanley, designer of the Canadian flag! When you visit, check out the beautiful photo of the original home, built in 1908.
The Food:
So good. So, so very good. Everything on the menu looked incredible. Vegan selections based on non-vegan favourites like fish and chips, kalamari are a few. (I’ve never actually liked squid so I’ve never ordered the squid-less calamari. This kalamari is mushroom-based and was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.)
The extremely lovely Calgary-based vegan lifestyle blogger Zandra [IG: @lifewithzandra] and I shared the kalamari to start. I was having a hard time choosing between the fish and chips and the Fiesta burger, but I went with Fiesta burger with the beyond meat patty because I can never resist a party. Get it? (Yeah, I know - so bad!) Zandra had the perogies. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted even better and I washed it all down with a delicious virgin mule. Hot damn.
Our server Lucy was an absolute sweetheart. She knew the menu well and was so enthusiastic about each item. It made me smile.
After the meal, we chatted with Rae-Lynn, owner of @hearmerawww as I extended my parking payment and kept finding reasons not to leave. (check out her IG page for plant based, super food infused bars, balls and cups!)
The vibe of the place is positive and fun and I especially loved the music. The playlist included a variety of sounds, my favourite being the selection of reggae rockers music they played. It instantly brought me back to the tunes my parents enjoyed listening to when I was little.
The Verdict:
Just go. Vegan, non-vegan, flexitarian, whatever describes what you eat – you will love it.