Road Trip! Nature's Express in Berkeley

My friend Kathy and I drove to Berkeley recently for a writing workshop with the amazing Elizabeth Rosner. On our way there, we stopped for lunch at Nature's Express, an all-vegan restaurant on Solano Avenue.

What a treat! It's always such a relief to be able to order anything on the menu without having to ask any questions about the ingredients. Our only problem at Nature's Express was trying to figure out what to order from a menu with so many choices: burgers, burritos, plates, wraps, sandwiches, salads, soups, and sides, not to mention all the vegan smoothies, juices, and desserts.

I asked what dishes were especially good, and I was told that the Spicy Thai Chik-un Wrap was very popular. But I decided on the Classic Grilled Reuben Sandwich, which is also quite popular. It consisted of marinated tempeh, Daiya cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. I've had vegan Reuben sandwiches before, but none that were as good as this one. I devoured the whole thing!

Kathy order the Essential Lentil Plate, which was a lentil patty served on seasonal greens and brown rice veggie pilaf, then topped with cabbage slaw, creamy avocado dressing, and chili sauce. She said it was very good too, and I believe her, since she cleaned her plate too.

Nature's Express is located at 1823 Solano Avenue in Berkeley, and their phone number is 510-527-5331. Their website address is http://natures-express.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/NaturesExpress.Berkeley.CA?fref=ts. The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.