Gen Con 2013 & RESTAURANT REVIEW - Cafe Gratitude, Kansas City, MO

When last we left our intrepid explorers, they were looking for parking in downtown Indianapolis for Gen Con 2013.





An hour after reaching downtown, Hedgie finally spotted a garage that only charged $10 a night (there was no free parking anywhere). April parked and proceeded to make multiple trips from the garage to the convention center and then more trips to the hotel (because walking 8 miles in Toronto wasn't nearly enough), as the hedgehogs provided moral support.

April got her CDs set up on the table she was sharing with Marc Gunn -



- and went to play music for all of the wonderful geeky attendees (including an adorable Robin).



While at Gen Con, food consisted mainly of heat & eat Indian packet meals, cereal, and Cliff/Luna/Pro bars, so the hedgehogs regret to inform you that there are no exciting food pictures. To make up for it, here are some pictures from Gen Con itself -


Cardhalla. Anyone who wanted to could add to the impressive array of card structures.

Amazing cosplay -



After 4 days of exciting and exhausting fun, April and the hedgehogs packed up, said goodbye to Indiana, and drove to Kansas City, MO, where April would be staying during the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. April had a free week in between Gen Con and KCRF, and was planning on flying home to Austin for a quick visit, but had a chance to eat at Cafe Gratitude before the flight.

Cafe Gratitude
333 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108
Facebook page





Everything at Cafe Gratitude is vegan, and lots of it is raw as well. The names of all the dishes are affirmations, and they even have a "community supported grain bowl" called "I Am Greatful", that helps to feed the hungry - "Shredded kale with quinoa, black beans & garlic-tahini sauce. Payment is by donation. Minimum donation is $2.00. Suggested value is $7. Feed yourself & someone in need $14. For grateful bowl policy details, see server."

On this particular visit, April had the "I Am Rich" juice (orange, carrot, lemon & beet) and the "I Am Fabulous" (a raw lasagne which isn't actually on the menu), which were delicious.



For dessert, she splurged a bit and got the "I Am Joy", a vegan truffle that does a great job impersonating an Almond Joy candy bar. (So very, very tasty.)



Since she went to Cafe Gratitude the day before her flight, April decided to also get something for the next morning's breakfast. The "I Am Peace" (live onion bagel with cashew crème cheese, nori “lox,” tomato, onion, capers & sprouts) sounded intriguing, so she got it to-go.



A note on the "I Am Peace" - it was delicious, but the "bagel" was really more of a raw flatbread.

Here's what April and her friend got the last time they visited Cafe Gratitude -


I Am Worthy - kale, beet, celery, apple & ginger juice.


I Am Awake - gluten-free buckwheat-banana pancakes drizzled with maple syrup. (Delicious!)


I Am Creative - a unique creation of pizza flavors with tomato, basil, hemp seed pesto, nut parmesan & cashew ricotta cheese on our live onion sunflower crust. (This may be April's favorite thing.)


Dessert Tray. We'll have one of everything, please.


I Am Bliss - chocolate hazelnut pie. (Very rich, very tasty.)

RESTAURANT REVIEWS - The Lunch Room (Ann Arbor, MI) & The Sinking Ship (Indianapolis, IN)

After a good night's sleep (though Buttercup says Hedgie snores), April and the hedgehogs woke up nice and early so that they could get to GenCon in time to pick up the badge and packet, set up in the exhibit hall, and check into the hotel.

On the way out of Michigan, they decided to stop at The Lunch Room for brunch.

The Lunch Room
Kerrytown Market & Shops, 407 N 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Facebook page & Twitter page



The pancakes were awfully tempting, so that's what April got. They were fluffy and delicious!



April also got a cold brew iced toddy coffee with the pancakes, as well as a molasses ginger cookie and a coconut lemon donut to go (yummy treats make long drives easier).




Cloudy with a chance of hedgehogs.

Four hours later, the travelers made it to Indianapolis, just in time for a late lunch!

The Sinking Ship
4923 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Facebook page & Twitter page

The Sinking Ship is a bar, so no one under 21 is allowed. April snuck Hedgie and Buttercup in inside her purse, and they hopped out just long enough to take photos, and then hopped back in.

There were so many awesome vegan things on the menu, but April jumped at the chance to finally try jackfruit BBQ.



It was amazing! The jackfruit had an amazing texture, and the sauce was delicious. For desert, April decided to test the true versatility of the jackfruit and have some cake.



It was also delicious! The cake itself wasn't overly sweet, nor was the icing, but when paired with the fruit, everything came together. The cake was fairly dense, and a bit hard to cut with just a fork (thank goodness for a knife!)

The staff at The Sinking Ship were extremely nice. April's waiter learned her name immediately, and called her by it the whole time she was there. He also engaged her in friendly conversation, and made sure she had everything she needed. The chef came out of the kitchen to ask how she liked the cake; it was a new-ish recipe for him.



Full and happy, April and the hedgehogs left The Sinking Ship to search for parking in downtown Indianapolis. *insert sound of ominous music here*

Sweet Ritual - Brownie Addendum

I just realized I had some pictures from Sweet Ritual that I haven't posted yet! Their brownie sundae gives the sundaes in their handmade waffle cones a run for their money.

Picture Post 2 - Spiral Diner, Dallas, TX

Since I'm busking at the Texas Renaissance Festival yesterday and today, I'm going to make two picture posts of more yummy stuff from Spiral Diner in Dallas, TX (where I stopped for dinner on my way back from Kansas).


The Deathstar Sundae

Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffee House - Kansas City, MO

Mud Pie Vegan Bakery
Facebook Page
1615 W. 39th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64111
(816) 931-4539
Mon - Fri: 6 am - 9 pm
Sat: 7 am - 9 pm
Sun: 8 am - 7 pm


Yesterday, before my 12 hour drive from Missouri to Texas, I decided to stop at Mud Pie Vegan Bakery, Kansas City's only 100% vegan bakery and coffee house. A warning to all of you who might have problems making decisions - everything in there looks absolutely delicious (and it's all vegan, so that doesn't help narrow anything down!)




Check out all the milk options! Also, soy is standard and free- take *that*, Starbucks!

I ended up getting a vegan cheddar scone, a slice of coffee cake, and an almond milk chai latte. Upon further reflection, this is a bit out of character for me - no chocolate at all?




I liked what I got, but I'm thinking next time I'll pick something chocolate, because it's bound to blow me away. (I'm still dreaming of those mini chocolate bundt cakes...)