Going Vegan In Portsmouth? No Problem

PORTSMOUTH, RI—In advance of World Vegan Day on Nov. 1, the personal finance experts at Wallet Hub came up with a list of 2018’s Best Cities for Vegans & Vegetarians. Rhode Island's cities and towns did not make the top 100. Boston squeaked in at number 40 on the list with comparatively few options for people who want a diet without animal products, such as meat, eggs and butter.

But although Rhode Island has (strictly speaking) only five vegan restaurants, according to the Like No Udder website, plenty of spots are vegan or vegetarian-friendly. Lists of restaurants are available on websites, such as Vegan Awarness. Not surprisingly, the majority are in the colleges towns, like South Kingstown, Narragansett, Wakefield, and Providence. But shoppers and diners can find vegan options everywhere from Smithfield to Block Island.

Portsmouth's The Green Grocer at 934 East Main Road also has vegan baked goods; and that's nothing new, according to owner John H. Wood II.

"We have been selling vegan baked goods since we opened our doors 11 years ago," he told Patch in an e-mail message. "The demand has not increased outside of the normal growth pattern that we experience store wide. Though it is a draw for many of our customers."

Patch sampled an apple-pie cake, which cost in the modest $2 range and tasted delicious.

According to Wallet Hub, "skipping meat can save the average person at least $750 per year." Their researchers tried to find the best and cheapest places and gave New York City the number one spot.

"The data set ranges from the share of restaurants serving meatless options to the cost of groceries for vegetarians to salad shops per capita," Wallet Hub said.

Here is the Top 10 list.

New York, NY
Portland, OR
Orlando, FL
Seattle, WA
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Austin, TX
Scottsdale, AZ
San Diego, CA
Las Vegas, NV

Photo Caption: Apple Pie Cake

Staff Photo: Margo Sullivan