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I’m wrapping up my Twin Cities posts with two of my favorite things – Ethiopian food and donuts. Whenever I’m in a town with either of those things, I’m a very happy vegan. When I get both? Oh, man. I’m on Cloud 9.
Fasika – St. Paul
One night David and I dined at Fasika, which is a non-vegan Ethiopian restaurant in Saint Paul with plenty of vegan offerings.
The restaurant is of the no-frills variety with low lighting and thick plastic tablecloths covering the tables. That didn’t keep people away, though. Folks kept coming in all night, and by the time we finished our meals, the tables were pretty full.
We started with an appetizer of lentil-stuffed sambussa. They were served crisp and hot on a bed of salad. The salad added a nice freshness to the fried dish.
For our main course, we shared the veg sampler. The injera-covered platter was topped with piles of wots or stews. There was the expected greens-based gomen, lentils, split peas, chickpea flour-based shiro wot, and vegetables aplenty.
There was also the unexpected in the form of a beet dish. I’m not typically a beet fan, but there is a warm beet dish at Demera in Chicago that made me re-think that. However, the beet dish at Fasika was served cold, and didn’t appeal.
My favorite wot of theirs was the atkilt with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. It was slow-cooked and fell apart in the mouth. David couldn’t stop reaching for the collard-rich gomen.
Glam Doll Donuts – Minneapolis
After dinner, we decided to drive to Glam Doll in Minneapolis to pick up donuts for the next day. Glam Doll has a fun 1950’s aesthetic with lots of pink, tables with games like Chutes and Ladders, and artwork from local artists.
Glam Doll has both vegan and non-vegan donuts. They are open until 9 pm Monday through Thursday, and until 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
By the time we arrived around 8 pm on a Wednesday, the vegan options were pretty slim. There were just a few cake donuts remaining, and I’m not a fan of those. So if you’re heading to Glam Doll, I recommend going early in the day for maximum options and freshness.
We left empty-handed, but I returned the next day in the afternoon. The vegan options were a little picked over but considerably more plentiful then.
I got a couple of glazed, three cream filled, and one that was peanut butter and chocolate. I couldn’t leave without devouring one with a soy latte. The cream filling was more like a Boston cream, similar to a pudding, as opposed to a whipped cream filling.
My favorite of the bunch was probably the glazed. There’s just something about its simplicity with a slightly crisp exterior and soft inside.
That finishes up my posts about Minneapolis and Saint Paul! The Twin Cities really impressed me this trip with stops at mostly-vegan Reverie, wheat meats aplenty at Herbivorous Butcher and Pizza Nea, plus donuts and Ethiopian food.
If you’re looking for a place to visit within the months of May and October, keep Minneapolis in mind. (The rest of the year, go at your own peril.) 😉
Abby Bean says
Ethiopian food and donuts sound like the perfect combo! A special treat to find them both while traveling.
Cadry says
That’s so true. If I was going to make a list for my ideal city, it would have 5 things – warm weather all year ’round, mountains, palm trees, Ethiopian food, and vegan donuts. As for Minneapolis, 2 out of 5 ain’t bad. 😉
Shannon says
I’ll be in Minneapolis in October, actually, and your recaps have made me much more excited for that trip than I previously was! Thanks for sharing all of your experiences over the past few blog posts. It’s been very helpful and I’m glad you had a great time.
Cadry says
Oh, that’s so great, Shannon. I’m glad to hear it! I’ve been visiting Minneapolis for years and years, but I’ve never been more impressed with it than I was this trip. They have really upped their vegan food game. You’re going to have a wonderful time!
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says
I’ve never tried Ethiopian food before but your post has made me want to search some out. 🙂 My friend told me many of the restaurants are very vegan friendly.
50’s and vegan doughnuts? Glam Doll sounds right up my alley! I’m partial to glazed doughnuts too, though I won’t say no to any other types. 🙂
Cadry says
Yes, Ethiopian food tends to be very vegan friendly. The people of Ethiopia largely practice the Ethiopian Orthodox religion, which involves fasting on Wednesday and Friday, in addition to Christmas time and Easter. During that time, the only meals they eat are vegan. So there are lots of wonderful dishes that are vegan by default.
In restaurants, the only thing to double check on is that the infused oil (niter kibbeh) they use is oil-based and not butter-based. It’s similar to double-checking at Indian restaurants that they use oil and not ghee.
If you’re interested in making Ethiopian food at home, I can’t recommend the cookbook, Teff Love by Kittee Berns, highly enough.
Kris says
I have been wanting to try Ethiopian food and now more than ever. Luckily I don’t care much about donuts which means I can just eat more at dinner. Thanks for the great travel food porn. These are my favorite posts!
Cadry says
Oh, I didn’t realize you’d never had Ethiopian food! The next time you’re coming through town, let me know, and I’ll have you over for dinner. I can whip up some of my favorites!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy the travel posts. I always worry that people who aren’t in the area and/or have no plans to visit may get bored with them. However, I really enjoy writing and shooting them. So I’m happy you enjoy reading them!
Grace says
Oh my, Love, Love, Love Glam Doll. There is news that there will be a cat cafe opening in Minneapolis this fall called Cafe Meow. I had to share because, you know, Cats, love them. I don’t think there will be any vegan food served there, but there will be Cats. 🙂