SEAReview
Plum Bistro
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If you took away all of the tables and chairs at Plum Bistro and popped in some big mirrors, the space would look exactly like one of those fitness studios where people spend $35 to do pretend ballet for 55 minutes. Plum isn’t full of people doing choreographed kettlebell pliés, but it is a crowd-pleasing vegan spot where, if you get a cocktail, you’ll spend about the same amount on a hearty meal.
Bring anyone here, even a group of meat-eating friends who prefer to ignore that tempeh and almond milk exist. Plum will show them that, yes, vegan can mean Frankenstein-foods like BBQ plant loaf and jackfruit plant balls, but it also means familiar dishes that just so happen to be vegan, like a bowl of delicious gnocchi or an avocado and squash-loaded leafy salad.
photo credit: Chona Kasinger
The menu has a ton of variety, but there’s a common thread of Cajun-inspired flavors. If you’re not here to be healthy, you should order the Spicy Cajun Mac ‘N’ Yease, which looks like elbow noodles poking out of a pile of mushy tofu but tastes like Stouffer’s evil twin that you secretly like better. Other greasier options include a reuben with pastrami-spiced tofu, chicken-fried seitan with bacon-less mayo, and pizza (skip the pizza). Unless you try to pass off an appetizer as a meal, you’ll leave Plum satisfied without needing to swan dive into a bag of mini pretzels the second you get home.
Especially if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, it’s rare to find a plant-based restaurant you’ll want to visit more than once, but we find ourselves returning to Plum for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There’s just something fulfilling about eating tasty, nourishing food in a moody cement room. Kind of like that sense of accomplishment at the end of your workout class, except you’ll never have to have to pick up a kettlebell.