The Globe Introduces Vegan Menu
The Globe Goes Pop-Up Vegan
March 2020
There is little doubt that veganism – the plant-based diet that avoids all animal-based proteins, including dairy and eggs – is on the rise. Some sources estimate that as many as 20 million Americans now identify as vegan. The reasons are for health and ethics: avoiding red meat and cheese is good for your heart, for example, while raising livestock for slaughter drains the earth’s resources and is a cruel practice.
Keying into that concern, The Globe on Alhambra has introduced a Vegan Pop-Up menu – the Vincent Van Vegan Pop-Up menu, to be specific, in a nod to both alliteration and their appreciation for master oil painters. Like their regular menu, the vegan selections are not vast but are well curated, each dish tested for taste and comfort.
For the hardcore vegan there is the chick pea & malanga fritters, which taste like croquetas, only lighter. Another tasty small plate is the portobello mushroom & eggplant arepa, which uses a remarkably flavorful vegan gouda cheese.
“Some [of the menu] will appeal to true vegans,” says Danny Guiteras, who co-owns and runs The Globe. “But some of it appeals to mainstreams eaters, like the Impossible beef.”
For those who fear leaving red meat behind, the rigatoni Bolognese and the burrito selections both use the Impossible brand of ground beef, and both are delicious. The rigatoni in a tomato sauce may actually taste better than the so-called real thing, while the burrito, with ground “beef,” steamed basmati rice, sliced avocado, and spicy pico de gallo is mouthwatering. They also have a hearty salad with vegan feta cheese, and some good veggie sides, but the ersatz beef dishes will win over meat lovers.
Guiteras says he launched the vegan pop-up menu last month only after researching the diet. “We’ve done a lot of pop-ups with different chefs, brunch pop-ups, and so forth, but we wanted to do something different and I was interested in eating cleaner,” he says. “The plant-based diet does that.”
Lorraine Guiteras, who co- owns and runs The Globe with Danny, says it was also a matter of demand. “We’ve had a lot of people ask for it. We had a party of 60 ask for it!” she says (The Globe caters back-room parties). “A lot of young people are trying veganism – they’re more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies.”
The Globe is not the first to try specifically vegan offerings in the Gables. Down the street on Alhambra, the self-consciously healthy Green Gables Café has offered vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes for more than a decade. What makes The Globe’s vegan pop-up noteworthy is that it’s really a euro gastropub, serving burgers, steaks, fish, chicken, pizzas and salads with cheese, along with beer, wine and liquor.
“I’m still enjoying the steak frites and the conch fritters here at The Globe,” says Danny. “But it makes sense to eat a little cleaner and better. Even if you eat that way once a week it’s beneficial.”
