A Meat Eaters Adventure at a Vegan Deli

I am a meat eater. I always have been. I know the problems that come with meat, how it is made, where it comes from, all kinds of problems. But I like it. I have always liked it. I have never wanted to be vegetarian. And I have no problem with anyone that decides they want to be vegetarian or vegan. We can make those choices.

When I do get annoyed is when a non meat eater tells me why I'm wrong for eating meat. I don't need to be talked at about my problems. Let me deal with that on my own. My buddy is a vegetarian, but he has never talked down to me about eating meat. He doesn't care that I eat meat, I don't care that he doesn't. It's no big deal. Lately he was telling me a lot about a new vegan sandwich shop in STL that he really likes called Vegan Deli and Butcher. And he wasn't telling me about this place to say stuff like, "see vegans can eat good food too", he just liked the place, we hang out a lot and we tell each other about cool spots that one of us may not know about. So, I have heard a lot about this place, and it piqued my interest. He told me he has become cool with one of the owners, so it's even easier for him to go there. He's comfortable there. Last weekend while I was out of town he watched my dog. He wouldn't take money, so I told him I would take him out to lunch, his choice. He cashed in his earnings yesterday and he took me to Vegan Deli and Butcher.

I was amped. He has said nothing but good things, the restaurant is getting rave reviews and my curiosity has only grown since first hearing about this place. When we walked in I was already pumped to try it. The space is cool. There were a few high tables, a few tables with benches and a couple regular tables with two seats. We ordered at the counter and we were able to see our sandwiches being made. Everything appears to be made to order when you eat in the shop. I ordered the philly cheesesteak and my buddy got the Maine lobster roll. We each ordered a drink, and the drink fridge was great. They had Faygo soda, San Pelligrino and Diet Arnold Palmer bottles. I was stoked at this. I'm a fan of places that have different drinks from the norm. My buddy got a Faygo and I had a San Pelligrino. I love it. Then our sandwiches came out, each garnished with a delicious pickle. My cheesesteak was excellent. I don't know what kind of plant based meat they used for it, but it was damn delicious. It tasted like the thin steak that is synonymous with cheesesteaks. The spices were damn near perfect. The veggies, onions and green peppers, were super fresh. That adds so much to a sandwich, when you get good quality produce like that. It was perfect. My favorite part of the sandwich was the cheese sauce. I don't know how they did it, but it tasted just like cheese whiz. It was exactly what I wanted the cheese to taste like on a sandwich like this. And the bread, man, was it tasty and filling. You get a giant hoagie roll that is crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It was perfect. My buddy said the lobster roll was good too. I didn't get a full look at it, but he said he thought the lobster was artichokes, and that they seasoned it exactly how he remembered seafood tasting. This food was great. It did the job of tricking my meat eating brain into thinking it was real meat. My buddy told me he has had half the menu and he has enjoyed each item, He bought a couple of frozen pizzas to bring home. The food wasn't overly expensive, and for the quality, I'd pay more if asked. I will for sure go back and try other sandwiches.

Vegan Deli and Butcher is a homerun sandwich shop, and if you are from STL or visiting STL, go check it out. It is worth the trip. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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