With so many smart folks going veg, the number of restaurants and other business catering (often literally) to our appetites is booming, which makes our task of compiling lists of vegetarian-friendly cities tougher each time. But we never shrink from a challenge—or from the chance to discover totally delish new veggie eateries—so we're proud to present our list of the top 10 large and small North American cities for vegans and vegetarians.

Large Cities

1. Washington, D.C.
   Although Congress may be populated by purveyors of "pork," Washington is making a bid to become the nation's capital of veggie dining. Folks on both sides of the aisle could surely reach a bipartisan consensus on the faux turkey club sandwich from Java Green, ratify the vegan pepperoni and mozzarella pizza at Busboys and Poets, and put an end to the gridlock for a trip to Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant in nearby Falls Church, Virginia, to enjoy Popeye's Favorite—a potato pie mixed with spinach, soy protein, and veggie bacon in a black-pepper sauce—followed by egg-free and milk-free organic pumpkin pie or almond-blueberry pie.
2. Portland, Oregon
   Portland's volcanoes may be extinct, but the city's vegan scene has erupted—enough to propel Portland into our number two position. From the luscious lasagne at Papa G's Vegan Organic Deli to the sizzling TLP (tempeh bacon, lettuce, and peppers) at Red and Black Café, to the barbecue tempeh platter at the Blossoming Lotus, vegan Portlanders have plenty of reasons to be happy with their hometown.
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico
   Going vegan in Albuquerque is easier than learning how to spell the city's name! You'll find vegan options aplenty, such as the veggie chicken nuggets and boba tea at the Fei Health Café and the tofu scramble at Flying Star Café. Also check out both locations of Annapurna's World Vegetarian Café, offering a selection of vegan bakery items and ayurvedic cooking classes.
4. Atlanta, Georgia
   Life for Georgia's vegans is increasingly peachy, with restaurants such as Café Sunflower (offering stuffed mushroom caps in a miso mushroom sauce), Green Sprout (presenting veggie pork with tofu and Szechuan sauce), and Ria's Bluebird (serving up Southwest tofu scramble with veggies). The South will rise again—and ask for seconds.
5. Seattle, Washington
   Seattle has a reputation for being rainy, but even when it's overcast, Seattle is a sunny place for vegans. For instance, Araya's Place curries favor with a Thai red curry with tofu, Thrive tops its fiery Chili con Marvelous with onion cashew cream, and Wayward Vegan Café dazzles with the Warlock, a faux-chicken sandwich spiced up with a savory chipotle-tahini sauce.
6. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
   While we had our differences with the recent Olympic Games held there, we can't hold that against this beautiful city. Especially not while they're serving up almond masala cakes at Organic Lives, spicy falafel wraps at Gorilla Food, and a golden rice bowl with marinated Gardein strips, mock shrimp, and sautéed tofu at Loving Hut.
7. San Francisco, California
   The City by the Bay has opened its Golden Gate to a wide variety of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants and cafés. While celebrated spots such as Millenium and Greens are well worth a visit, don't miss out on the "Neatloaf" at Ananda Fuara, the Broccoli Beef & Black Mushroom entrée at Golden Era, or the grilled portobello mushroom over creamy polenta, sautéed spinach, and crostini at the all-vegan Herbivore.
8. Los Angeles, California
   The City of Angels offers a wide range of heavenly delights for residents and visitors alike. Start with Flore Vegan Cuisine, where you can indulge in vegan Griddle Cakes (with strawberries), or perhaps you'd prefer the signature "TV dinner"—with veggie loaf, mashed potatoes, golden gravy, and vegetables—from Real Food Daily. Better yet, try both, and then have a Santa Fe Crispy Chickin'—made with crispy fried chillin' chickin', lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and a southwestern-spiced vegan mayo—made by Veggie Grill.
9. New York, New York
   They may live in the city that never sleeps, but Big Apple residents are clearly using those extra waking hours to think up more great vegan stuff to eat. With choices like the pumpkin noodles with sautéed vegetables at HanGawi, a marinated and grilled Bamburger or spaghetti and "meatballs" at Red Bamboo, and spinach omelets, pesto noodles, or Unchicken Nachos at the all-vegan Caravan of Dreams, no wonder Gothamites are staying up nights!
10. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Canada's largest city comes through for the hungry vegetarians of the Great White North. No one who's had the raw vegan Pasta Bolognese at Rawlicious, the eggplant in ginger sauce at Commensal, or the beer-battered deep-fried tofu with cornmeal at Fressen would be surprised to find Toronto rounding out our list in style.

Small Cities  

1. Olympia, Washington
   Blue Heron Bakery: Vegan spelt muffins, brownies, walnut–chocolate-chip cookies, and peanut-butter cookies
   Tofu Hut: Tofu Sweet and Sour (deep-fried tofu with pineapples, bell peppers, onions, cucumbers, wild mushrooms, and carrots in a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce)
   Vic's Pizzeria: Vic's Vegan Calzone (stuffed with black olives, mushrooms, white onions, spinach, fried sweet peppers, red sauce, and a choice of yellow or white sauce
2. Burlington, Vermont
   Magnolia Bistro: The Incredible Mr. Limpett: (vegan tuna-salad sandwich with pickles); Garbanzo Burger (garbanzo beans, oregano, and scallions); Magnolia French Toast (organic bread with walnuts in a wash of soy, rice, vanilla, and cinnamon)
   Bueno Y Sano: East/West Burrito (Asian stir-fried veggies, basmati rice, and grilled tofu topped with an Asian plum sauce)
   Bite Me Organic Pizza: Vermont Intervale Ghosts Pizza (cheese-free pizza with marinated tofu, baby spinach, a variety of squash, roasted peppers, red beets, caramelized onions, yellow and red tomatoes, and lemon-oil drizzle)
3. Iowa City, Iowa
   The Red Avocado: College Green Sunset (layered herbed white-bean pâté, tempeh sausage, tofu ricotta, and caramelized onions wrapped in a flaky filo pastry purse on spinach polenta with horseradish-root vegetable–sweet-corn relish, roasted-red-pepper sauce, and a fine drizzle of sweet balsamic reduction)
   Fair Grounds Coffeehouse: Grilled Vegan Panini Cheeseburger (Boca burger with your choice of vegan cheese and veggies served on panini bread)
   Thai Flavors: Massaman Curry (coconut milk with onions, potatoes, and peanuts, served with a cucumber salad and your choice of tofu or gluten-based meat substitute)
4. Bloomington, Indiana
   Siam House: Gang Garee (yellow curry with coconut milk, sweet potatoes, onions, and white, yellow, or fried tofu, served with jasmine rice). All dishes can be prepared without fish sauce on request.
   Bloomingfoods Market and Deli: Meatless Mondays at the Deli (menu varies)
   Laughing Planet: Cuban Burrito (organic brown rice, black beans, salsa fresca, sweet potatoes, plantains, housemade barbecue sauce, and your choice of tofu or seitan, served with tropical fruit salsa on the side)
5. Syracuse, New York
   Strong Hearts (all-vegan restaurant): Supreme Vegan Pizza (four vegan meats and soy cheese with a tasty tomato sauce), Tofurky sandwich, grilled "cheese" sandwich, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, cakes, pies, and milkshakes
   Alto Cinco: BBQ Tofu Burrito (rice, black beans, salsa, and crispy tofu with a chipotle barbecue sauce), Vegan Quesadilla (grilled tortilla with roasted-tomato pesto, sautéed spinach, roasted eggplant, guacamole, and salsa)
   Sparky Town: The Jocko Sandwich (grilled tempeh, lettuce, tomato, artichoke, red pepper, red onion, black-bean paste, sun-dried tomato spread, and avocado spread)
6. Topeka, Kansas
   Blackbird Espresso Bar and Bistro: Hummus and veggie wraps and vegan bakery items such as chocolate-chip cookies and banana-nut bread.
   Globe: Baingan Bartha (fresh eggplant baked over an open flame, served with green peas and gently tempered with aromatic herbs and spices), Chana Masala (whole chickpeas cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, herbs, and spices)
   Tup Tim Thai: Thai Curry Triangles (golden wontons filled with veggies such as sweet potatoes and celery, flavored with turmeric and served with chili-garlic sauce), Massaman Tofu Curry (with peanuts, potatoes, and vegetables). Any curry can be made with tofu and without fish sauce.
7. Worcester, Massachusetts
   Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant: Spaghetti and veggie balls, macaroni and soy cheese, barbeque "chicken" and rice (all items rotate)
   Nancy Chang: Sesame Vegan Chicken, Mango Vegan Chicken, Sizzling Vegan Shrimp With Japanese Tepanyaki Sauce, and more than 50 vegan items on the menu
   Loving Hut: Kung Pao Wow (soy chicken, baby corn, carrots, snow peas, bamboo, water chestnuts, onions, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, and cashews)
8. Lincoln, Nebraska
   Maggie's Veggie Café: Baked Tofu Wrap (oven-baked organic tofu, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and sweet mustard sauce), Curried Tofu Wrap (organic tofu marinated in mild coconut curry with red onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, served cold)
   Taj Mahal: Aloo Matar Tofu (potatoes, fresh garden peas, and tofu chunks in a sauce with exotic spices), Mushroom Matar (green peas and mushrooms in a sauce with exotic herbs and spices)
   Grateful Bread/Freakbeat Vegetarian: Different vegetarian soups every day, plus at least one vegan soup every day, including African Peanut, Moroccan Tomato, Cuban Black Bean, Egyptian Red Lentil, Irish Stew, and Thai Carrot
9. Providence, Rhode Island
   AS220: Pulled-Pork Sandwich ("pulled" tofu, spicy tomato spread, and vegan cheddar on a sourdough baguette), Spicy Chorizo Sandwich (vegan housemade chorizo, crumbled tofu, vegan cheddar, and R1 hot sauce), Vegan Reuben (corned seitan, housemade sauerkraut, vegan Swiss, and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread)
   Garden Grille Café: Chipotle seared seitan with wasabi mustard dipping sauce, "crab" cakes with Veracruz sauce and saffron aioli over millet polenta and sautéed greens, eggplant rollatini grilled and stuffed with herb tofu-nut cheese, crispy polenta, garlic sautéed spinach with housemade pomodoro sauce
   Julian's: Vegan Steak & Cheese Wrap (house seitan, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and soy cheese in a tortilla)
10. Boise, Idaho
    Shangri-La Tea Room and Vegetarian Café: Corn Chowder (corn, potatoes, and a bit of onion in a veggie broth seasoned to perfection), Mock Toona and Crackers (housemade Mock Toona spread and raw housemade crackers made with sprouted almonds and flaxseed), Curry Wrap (tofu, potatoes, and red peppers in a scrumptious red curry sauce, wrapped in a warm tortilla)
    Boise Fry Company: Vegan Burger and Fries (made with your choice of russet, white, gold, sweet, yam, purple, or Okinawa potatoes)
    Mai Thai: Black Pepper Steak (veggie black-pepper steak sautéed with mixed veggies in vegetarian sauce), vegan orange chicken sautéed with mandarin oranges and mixed with veggies in a special sauce), Veggie Citrus Spareribs (sautéed in a special sauce and served on a bed of fresh lettuce with fresh pineapple chunks)

The following is a guest post by Amy from the VegCooking blog:

compass-group / CC

Let's say you got a big check as a holiday gift. Or maybe you just have the post–New Year's blues and need something to look forward to. Either way, we know what you need: a really great meal. But it can be tricky to find the right place—one that will bring the big vegan yum-liciousness in style. So we've put together a list (you know how we love lists) of the eight most outstanding veggie restaurants in the good ol' U.S. of A.

• Candle 79, New York City: I was lucky enough to eat here a couple of years ago—almost too yummy. It made me a seitan worshipper. And check it out: The food is not only vegan but also organic.
• Madeleine Bistro, Los Angeles: OK, technically, it's in Tarzana, but it's definitely worth the trip! Hey, Proust wrote his seven-volume masterpiece after eating a madeleine—just imagine what you'll accomplish after eating this Madeleine's chocolate soufflé.
• Green Zebra, Chicago: Chef and owner Shawn McClain won the 2006 James Beard award for Best Chef in the Midwest, so it's no surprise that this veggie hotspot features phenomenal food.
• Horizons, Philadelphia: Horizons specializes in "new vegan cuisine." What does that mean? Well, the current menu features delicious dishes such as saffron cauliflower soup and Pacific Rim grilled tofu. If that's new vegan cuisine, count me in!
• Millennium, San Francisco: A pioneer in gourmet vegan dining, Millennium features multi-culture fusion food. Heck, the whiskey chocolate tiramisu cake may be worth a cross-country trek all by itself!
• Sublime, Fort Lauderdale: A fine-dining experience like no other, Sublime offers exquisite, fresh vegan cuisine from across the globe. Known for its creative dishes and upbeat, unique atmosphere, Sublime's delectable entrees—such as the sublime picatta, Bangkok raw, Tuscan quiche, and ravioli—will leave you begging for more.
• Dragonfly Neo-V, Columbus, Ohio: Chef Magdiale Wolmark describes it as "fun, whimsical, and a great introduction to vegan cuisine." That sounds just about right. And the first call any vegan Columbus resident should make after getting engaged is to Neo-V—it caters events too.
• VegiTerranean, Akron, Ohio: Opened by rock legend Chrissie Hynde in her hometown, this sleek, modern eatery offers gourmet vegan fare with an Italian flare.

Of course, if you don't live in any of these cities, don't worry—there are more and more vegetarian (and vegetarian-friendly) joints popping up every day all over the place. And if you need help finding them, we can hook you up.

Know another restaurant that should be on our list? Tell us about it in the comments.

Written by Jeff Mackey

cbc / CC

The ever-lovely Pamela Anderson is back on television, and to the delight of all her fans—including those of us right here at PETA—this time, she'll be playing the person that she knows best: herself! Her documentary series, Pam: Girl On the Loose, premiers August 3 on E!, and it's sure to satiate the needs of gossip queens everywhere.

Pam says, "Aside from keeping up with my kids, I don't exercise much, so I credit my veggie diet for my good health. Los Angeles is the easiest place in the world to eat vegan."

So while you're anxiously waiting for a hugely fun dose of Anderson reality, check out some of Pam's favorite places to eat at in Los Angeles. And if you don't live in the City of Angels, well, don't fret! It doesn't mean your future is full of boring green salads. Just visit HappyCow.net, and search for vegetarian restaurants in your city. Here's the list from Pam herself:

1. Flore Vegan CuisineYou've never—even when you ate meat—eaten a Rueben sandwich as rich and yummy as the one Flore cooks up.
2. Madeline BistroBeet tartare to beat the band and you don't have to like beets! And vegan chocolate soufflé.
3. Pure Luck RestaurantFried pickles, vegan sloppy joes and BBQ sandwiches. And they cook with jack fruit, which is an amazing fruit they use to make the mock meat tangy.
4. Astro BurgerLastly, if you are a fast food junkie you can always count on the Astro Burger on Melrose near Paramount Studios for veggie chili dogs and soy chicken fajitas.

dailymail / CC

So in an effort to find out if Sharon is cruel because of a brain glitch, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk sent Stone a letter volunteering to "pay for a scan of the prefrontal region of [her] brain to determine if comments and actions that seem to demonstrate a lack of empathy are the result of a physical defect."

Will she respond to the offer? And if so, will we find out that Sharon's thoughtlessness is the result of being dropped as a baby or that she's cruel because the "empathy gene" skipped a generation? And most importantly, will she seek professional medical help if the results show that her cruel mindset is actually a medical problem? We'll keep you posted! ConnieTalk has more on this story and one really fantastic picture!

Posted by Jeff Mackey

Deflocked, baby. Deflocked.

Click for a larger version

To check out the archives of past strips, click here.

This one’s for our campaign to encourage Chicago to maintain its ban on foie gras. With a different slogan, it could probably also be pressed into service as a reminder to tip your waiters. Either way, I’m a big fan of it. It features the wonderful Brooke Johnson, and a plea to Chicago’s alderman to put a stop to the hideous practice of force-feeding ducks and geese so that rich people can pretend there’s something civilized about chewing on their livers. Check it out:

This news pretty much made my day. According to Britain’s The Independent, Madrid’s state radio and television network has left bullfighting off of its “obligatory programming” list for the first time since it started showing the bloody spectacle back in the deezy. The pro-bullfighting lobby was quick to announce that this is no big deal and won’t affect the popularity of the blood sport. The following is a transcript of an imaginary conversation I just had with the pro-bullfighting lobby:

You can read the full article here.

Eva Mendes—the gorgeous star of Training Day, Hitch, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Ghost Rider, and most recently the brilliant We Own the Night featuring Mark Wahlberg and our old friend Joaquin Phoenix—is also the new face of our winter anti-fur campaign. Once you’ve had a long look at this stunning new anti-fur ad, take a deep breath and check out what Eva had to say when she sat down with us for this PETA Files exclusive interview about what led her to speak out about the cruel treatment of animals in the fur industry:

How did you come to get involved with helping animals? Did you have any animal companions growing up?

I love animals, but I hadn't had a pet since I was a kid. I recently got a dog and he's not only made me a happier girl—he's made me much more sympathetic to animal rights. I look at my beautiful dog and think, "Of course I'd never eat him or skin him for his fur, so why would I be okay with eating a cow or wearing a cheetah?" It's just not right. It's a contradiction.

Do you have any animals? Can you tell us about them?

I recently got the most beautiful dog in the world! He's the sweetest thing ever. He's fully trained and all his commands are in French. Too cute! So I'm learning French and he's learning Spanish!

What drew you to the idea of working with PETA on our "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" Campaign?

I wasn't familiar with PETA early in my career. I remember having my first premiere in New York City and being so naive that I didn't have a coat with me. My stylist sent me a fur wrap for the evening and I ignorantly wore it.

PETA then wrote me a beautiful letter commenting on my less-than-educated choice. I was so impressed that I vowed to them and myself to never wear real fur on the red carpet or in my life again.

As a fashion icon in Hollywood, do you find that people put pressure on you to wear fur on the red carpet? If so, how do you handle that?

A lot of the high-end designers are unfortunately still big on fur, but I simply let them know that I won't wear it on the red carpet or for photo shoots. People are pretty respectful and don't try to pressure me to wear fur (smart for them … haha).

Can you tell us about the projects you are working on right now and also about your film We Own The Night?

We Own The Night is a crime thriller set in the late 1980s about two brothers on opposite sides of the law. I play the girlfriend of Joaquin Phoenix, a manager for a club involved with the Russian Mafia, whose brother (played by Mark Wahlberg) is a cop targeting the Mafia for drug involvement. It's a great cast, and it was such a thrill to play opposite actors like Joaquin, Mark, and Robert Duvall. I've also just finished filming The Women, which was very cool, and I’m just starting a really amazing project called The Spirit.

What issue involving animals is dearest to your heart? Also, you have a lot of fans out there which gives you a powerful platform to reach people and make a difference: What is your message to them about having compassion and getting active to help animals?

I'd say the closest animal rights issue to me right now is being anti-fur. I feel like in recent years, due to pop culture, fur has made a comeback. Some people still see wearing fur as glamorous and a sign of prosperity. Personally I think wearing a baby chinchilla says, "I'm ignorant," vs. saying "I'm a badass." I don't think you can force people to change their attitudes, but you can help to educate them and to lead by example. … There are way too many amazing faux fur options out there for people to still be wearing real fur. I want people to know that there are options; that killing a poor animal and wearing it isn't cool. But respecting all life forms is cool. Very cool.