Though they don’t have their incredible brunch buffet during January, they do still have brunch a la carte and they definitely still have a killer view.
Brunch view at the Pineapple Room at Cheekwood
Though they don’t have their incredible brunch buffet during January, they do still have brunch a la carte and they definitely still have a killer view.
I always wanted to eat there – you’re the tipping point! I’m in!
Did they have any vegan options?
Not so much. Salads and such. The buffet is definitely better for vegan options, but even then there are only a few (but along those lines, they sometimes have this heaping bowl of perfectly fresh berries, and that’s just yum). Lacto-veg is much easier to accommodate and get the value for what it costs to eat there. It’s my occasional non-vegan indulgence.
I’ve been a vegan for a year now. I became one first and foremost because I can’t stand the way animals are tortured and killed – unecessarily. Maybe I could understand consuming eggs and milk if they were my pets and I treated them humanely and I didn’t force them to produce or do anything. But even that’s kind of hard because my secondary reason for being vegan is that it’s a healthier lifestyle and dairy and eggs are very unhealthy.
Sometimes I really want to just give in and eat a normal meal at a restaurant with my friends. I could never eat meat again, but I think it is possible that I could eat dairy or cheese.
So, anyway, the point of this rambling is because I’m just curious about your previous comment. You said this brunch was your occasional non-vegan indulgence. I guess I can understand the word indulgence if you’re a vegan for health reasons (similar to cheating on a weight loss diet) but if you’re a vegan because of animal rights, indulgence almost seems kind of cruel.
I’ve been reading your blog and see that you’ve been on again off again. I’m not in any way judging you. I’m just trying to understand why you’re a vegan and how you cope and why you switch on and off. I do struggle occasionally with veganism (although I’ve never purposefully eaten anything that wasn’t non-vegan since becoming one) even though in my mind and my heart I know it’s the right thing to do. I also feel that if I do “cave-in” and eat dairy or cheese, then people might think that veganism is too hard or that I was hypocritical. I don’t know many vegans so I’m just looking to gain some insight from a long-time vegan. 🙂
Hey Anonymous,
I give you credit for your zeal, your compassion for animals, and your consistency in your diet over the past year, but you must know that everyone’s circumstances are different. Veganism is a hard choice long-term. I was a consistent vegan with no deviation from vegan eating for almost six years, and have been mostly vegan with only occasional allowances for dairy (and rarely for eggs used in recipes) for almost four years now. If you could average it out, it would probably be about 98% or 99% vegan-compliant eating (not to mention clothing, accessories, etc) over ten years.
Could I have pushed myself to be 100% pure vegan for the past 10 years? Perhaps. Do I regret not doing so? Not really. It’s impossible to have no impact on the earth or its inhabitants, and by reducing my impact as much as I have, I feel like I’m in a reasonably healthy place, both personally and ecologically. Could I improve? Certainly, and I am always renewing my commitment to improvement.
Moreover, I have observed that the non-veg*ns I spend time with are more aware of conscious eating because of me, whether they choose to modify their diets or not. I don’t think most people think of me as hypocritical for eating the occasional piece of cheese, but if they do, I seriously don’t much care. It’s my life, and I’m the one who gets to decide what I eat and why.
I hope I didn’t come across the wrong way initially and I hope you don’t think I’m attacking or judging or criticizing you. That is not my intent. I’m just trying to learn a little from a fellow vegan.
I know that everyone’s circumstances are different and I also know that being vegan is difficult whether it is short term or long term. I don’t think it’s possible to be 100% pure vegan since animal products creep up in the most unusual places (such as car tires – which we certainly cannot avoid). We all try to do the best we can.
I’m very impressed that you have been vegan for 10 years. Having only been vegan for a year, there are many times I wonder if I will be able to stick with it. We do not live in a very vegan friendly country and it seems there are hindrances around every corner (including those obstacles in my mind – like remembrances of how nothing compares to a piping hot slice of cheesy pizza). I haven’t traveled much since becoming vegan but I will do some long-term traveling out of this country in the next year. I very much doubt that I will be able to stay committed to a vegan diet during that time and I wonder how I will be able to reconcile my feelings about eating outside of a vegan diet. When you eat non-vegan, how do you feel about it?