Triangle Eats: The Banh Mi Chay at City Beverage Durham, NC

Triangle Eats: The Banh Mi Chay at City Beverage

One of the biggest hurdles to workweek vegan eating can be dining out-at least, seemingly.  In fact, it is becoming more commonplace to find delicious vegan offerings, though they may be limited, at many hip, local restaurants.  Even typical chains may be catching on, as there was news this week that Subway may be moving towards including vegan offerings on their menu!  My family and I have been living in Durham, NC the past three years while my husband attended law school but soon we will be moving to Atlanta.  Before we do, I plan to revisit and re-nosh some of my favorite Durham vegan eats and share them with you, dear reader, in case you find yourself in Durham, hungry and wanting to maintain some semblance of health in your diet (It is also more than easy to eat your way into a stupor as an omnivore in the Triangle of Durham-Chapel Hill-Raleigh, a foodie paradise). So this will be my first of posts in the next few weeks devoted to Durham vegan options and once we relocate, I'll begin to explore the vegan landscape of Atlanta.

One of the first vegan sandwiches I discovered in Durham, I ordered before I had decided on part-time or workweek veganism- I simply loved the Thai flavor profile of the banh mi and was glad to see it offered without meat.  This was also before the banh mi became as ubiquitous a menu offering as it now is.  The banh mi chay at City Beverage is served on a french baguette with grilled tofu, cilantro, cucumbers, carrots, red peppers and onions and a delicious sauce, which I like to order on the side as a dipping sauce.  This may not be 100% vegan as the sauce tastes like it might have fish sauce in it along with soy sauce and some hot chiles, but unless you're a hardcore vegan, this shouldn't be a problem.  It's also served with garlic fries-as are a lot of sandwiches in Durham-they seem to be a local obsession, which is fine with me.  City Beverage also has great omnivore options (especially the cilantro and scallion-crusted tuna tacos and the chili-braised chicken nachos), a large beer list and a huge patio for alfresco eating.  The interior has kitschy decor and next door, there is a tiki bar called the Lava Lounge. What's not to love?