NEWPORT NEWS — The only exclusive vegan eatery on the peninsula recently opened up on Jefferson Avenue.
Vegan Cooking Today is a sit-in and take-out vegan eatery, providing a wide variety of raw and cooked vegan options.
Owner Princess Lipscomb opened up the eatery on March 8 because she saw a need for vegan food on the peninsula that wasn’t being met.
“I can cook just about anything and I’m a damn good cook,” Lipscomb said.
She said her establishment has been so popular that she leased the suite next to her on June 22 for people to sit and enjoy their food.
Lipscomb’s menu has more than 280 items that she rotates daily, offering about 100 items on a daily basis.
For walk-ins she has a short menu to choose from if customers want a quick bite to eat.
Everything that is served is made by Lipscomb — she makes all of her food in-house and uses all plant-based products.
One of her goals is to make people understand that vegans eat more than salads, fries and pastas.
She has a wide variety of plant-based dishes that span from American to international to soul food options.
All of the food Lipscomb serves were tested by 25 test-tasters, only three of which were vegans.
In addition to offering her 100 food options each day, she has divided up her menu into safe foods for people with health concerns such as diabetes, gout, migraines, gluten intolerances and has looked into expanding those options to people with Crohn’s disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
“People can come in, tell me their health concerns and I’ll make something for them that they can feel safe eating,” Lipscomb said.
Lipscomb also offers classes that teach people of all ages how to make simple vegan dishes and educates them on how to eat vegan.
She feels that by educating people on how easy it can be to make vegan foods she will encourage them to think about becoming vegan.
To learn about vegan eating and cooking click here.
