Where to Eat Vegan: Morning Glory Cafe - Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff has several vegan friendly restaurant but Morning Glory was by far my favorite.

This longtime neighborhood mainstay on South San Francisco Street somehow got overlooked on my first trip to Flagstaff. Sunlight streams into Morning Glory Cafe and a cheery "Hey Darlins, I'm Julia" floats from behind the counter when you enter.

Julia stopped chopping vegetables to come to the counter and greet us. "What can I get for you guys?"

We admitted it was our first time dining at Morning Glory and she directed our attention to the chalkboard menu on the wall while she made suggestions and fired questions at us. 

"Just got out of the canyon huh? What a perfect time of year for it. Where are you headed next month?"

We chatted about my monthly travels, the blog, food and Flagstaff and then upon her recommendation ordered lunch.

"Ok well glasses and water are there, and just grab yourself some chips and salsa and I'll bring out your food when it's ready." She smiled warmly and then turned to make our meals.

We fixed ourselves a little plate and a glass of water and then poked around a little. Hand carved spoons hung on a hanging branch mobile for sale. Nearby recycled blue jean wallets were stacked neatly next to knitted hats. 

Julia hummed to herself in the kitchen as she cooked.

In the beginning Morning Glory Cafe was owned by the late Maria Ruiz and Julia was an employee and close friend of hers. The spirit of the food and decor are Maria's but it is obvious that they are deeply rooted in Julia's philosophy as well. In addition to the list of do-goods that many restaurants strive to boast of these days, that being buying from local farmers and offering organic ingredients, Morning Glory also holds to a zero food waste policy and employs practices like composting and donation of unused foods.

The Cafe didn't start out fully vegetarian but Maria was always intent on making her food nurturing and preparing it with health in mind. Maria believed in food as medicine and created her recipes with this in mind, a tradition Julia has inherited. 

Eventually we settled in to a booth and started chatting and Julia brought out our lunches.  She beamed with obvious pleasure as she set them down in front of us and I reached for my camera. Everything about the cafe was bright and colorful and fresh and the food was no exception.

The hemp burger was so flavorful and decadent while still tasting earthy and green that I came back for another as my last meal in Flagstaff. 

These are the types of meals that inspire you and stick with you well after your meal is over. 

The Hemp Burger and The Veggie Fajitas 

115 S. San Francisco St. 

Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 9pm

928-774-3705

Vegan Mofo: Where to eat vegan: Chocola Tree Cafe - Sedona, Arizona

Over the summer I got to visit Arizona and during our daytrip to Sedona we stopped at Chocola Tree Cafe for lunch. This cafe actually boasts itself as a sanctuary BEFORE a restaurant, but rest assured, the food is delicious. Part garden, part community space, part gallery, part bakery and raw, live, organic food mecca. Open 7 days a week 9am to 9pm, you have no excuse to not visit if you're in the area!

Check out their menu for such exciting and cute dishes as their Enlightenment Waffles - homemade buckwheat waffles served with a chocolate nut filled Buddha & Coconut creme Om.


The almond chili sauce on the raw kale salad was amazing and even won Rachel over to the dark side of kale! This was one of my first experiences with raw foods and while I was skeptical about raw falafel, I think we were all pleasantly surprised.

Served out in the garden, we ate out meal off of a giant tree stump under the shade of a neighboring tree. Before our food came out we wandered around the garden snapping pictures of flowers and finding all the hidden statues.






Soft Tacos


Raw Falafel Platter - served with creamy garlic dill dip and veggie hummus


Raw Viva Burrito - sundried tomato wrap filled with red bell peppers, red onion, cabbage, vegan cheese, pica de gallo and guacamole

Relaxing in the garden and relishing our spread of food, I believe we would all recommend this place for a satisfying and filling but at the same time light and clean-feelings meal.

Where to Eat: Flagstaff

During my stay in Flagstaff my friend Rachel was on the hunt for the best coffee in town. She had read about Macy's coffee and as luck would have it I had also read about Macy's delicious vegan offerings. Their full title is Macy's European Coffeehouse, Bakery and Vegetarian Restaurant, but I'm sure we're all fine with just Macy's right?

Tim Macy, a California boy originally, opened Macy's in 1980 and was the first commercial coffee roaster in Flagstaff. It's obviously earned it's name around town because the place was full of what seemed like a mix of locals and foreign tourists when we went in for breakfast.



Unfortunately their menu doesn't seem to be online but from what I remember of the vegan offerings there was the waffles, tofu scramble, an avocado BLT and some baked goods. Reviewers on Happy Cow raved about the BLT but as I went at breakfast I can't offer my personal endorsement. The waffles with Earth Balance and fresh fruit was just what I was looking for though.