With so many smart folks going veg, the number of restaurants and other business catering (often literally) to our appetites is booming, which makes our task of compiling lists of vegetarian-friendly cities tougher each time. But we never shrink from a challenge—or from the chance to discover totally delish new veggie eateries—so we're proud to present our list of the top 10 large and small North American cities for vegans and vegetarians.

Large Cities

1. Washington, D.C.
   Although Congress may be populated by purveyors of "pork," Washington is making a bid to become the nation's capital of veggie dining. Folks on both sides of the aisle could surely reach a bipartisan consensus on the faux turkey club sandwich from Java Green, ratify the vegan pepperoni and mozzarella pizza at Busboys and Poets, and put an end to the gridlock for a trip to Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant in nearby Falls Church, Virginia, to enjoy Popeye's Favorite—a potato pie mixed with spinach, soy protein, and veggie bacon in a black-pepper sauce—followed by egg-free and milk-free organic pumpkin pie or almond-blueberry pie.
2. Portland, Oregon
   Portland's volcanoes may be extinct, but the city's vegan scene has erupted—enough to propel Portland into our number two position. From the luscious lasagne at Papa G's Vegan Organic Deli to the sizzling TLP (tempeh bacon, lettuce, and peppers) at Red and Black Café, to the barbecue tempeh platter at the Blossoming Lotus, vegan Portlanders have plenty of reasons to be happy with their hometown.
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico
   Going vegan in Albuquerque is easier than learning how to spell the city's name! You'll find vegan options aplenty, such as the veggie chicken nuggets and boba tea at the Fei Health Café and the tofu scramble at Flying Star Café. Also check out both locations of Annapurna's World Vegetarian Café, offering a selection of vegan bakery items and ayurvedic cooking classes.
4. Atlanta, Georgia
   Life for Georgia's vegans is increasingly peachy, with restaurants such as Café Sunflower (offering stuffed mushroom caps in a miso mushroom sauce), Green Sprout (presenting veggie pork with tofu and Szechuan sauce), and Ria's Bluebird (serving up Southwest tofu scramble with veggies). The South will rise again—and ask for seconds.
5. Seattle, Washington
   Seattle has a reputation for being rainy, but even when it's overcast, Seattle is a sunny place for vegans. For instance, Araya's Place curries favor with a Thai red curry with tofu, Thrive tops its fiery Chili con Marvelous with onion cashew cream, and Wayward Vegan Café dazzles with the Warlock, a faux-chicken sandwich spiced up with a savory chipotle-tahini sauce.
6. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
   While we had our differences with the recent Olympic Games held there, we can't hold that against this beautiful city. Especially not while they're serving up almond masala cakes at Organic Lives, spicy falafel wraps at Gorilla Food, and a golden rice bowl with marinated Gardein strips, mock shrimp, and sautéed tofu at Loving Hut.
7. San Francisco, California
   The City by the Bay has opened its Golden Gate to a wide variety of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants and cafés. While celebrated spots such as Millenium and Greens are well worth a visit, don't miss out on the "Neatloaf" at Ananda Fuara, the Broccoli Beef & Black Mushroom entrée at Golden Era, or the grilled portobello mushroom over creamy polenta, sautéed spinach, and crostini at the all-vegan Herbivore.
8. Los Angeles, California
   The City of Angels offers a wide range of heavenly delights for residents and visitors alike. Start with Flore Vegan Cuisine, where you can indulge in vegan Griddle Cakes (with strawberries), or perhaps you'd prefer the signature "TV dinner"—with veggie loaf, mashed potatoes, golden gravy, and vegetables—from Real Food Daily. Better yet, try both, and then have a Santa Fe Crispy Chickin'—made with crispy fried chillin' chickin', lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and a southwestern-spiced vegan mayo—made by Veggie Grill.
9. New York, New York
   They may live in the city that never sleeps, but Big Apple residents are clearly using those extra waking hours to think up more great vegan stuff to eat. With choices like the pumpkin noodles with sautéed vegetables at HanGawi, a marinated and grilled Bamburger or spaghetti and "meatballs" at Red Bamboo, and spinach omelets, pesto noodles, or Unchicken Nachos at the all-vegan Caravan of Dreams, no wonder Gothamites are staying up nights!
10. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Canada's largest city comes through for the hungry vegetarians of the Great White North. No one who's had the raw vegan Pasta Bolognese at Rawlicious, the eggplant in ginger sauce at Commensal, or the beer-battered deep-fried tofu with cornmeal at Fressen would be surprised to find Toronto rounding out our list in style.

Small Cities  

1. Olympia, Washington
   Blue Heron Bakery: Vegan spelt muffins, brownies, walnut–chocolate-chip cookies, and peanut-butter cookies
   Tofu Hut: Tofu Sweet and Sour (deep-fried tofu with pineapples, bell peppers, onions, cucumbers, wild mushrooms, and carrots in a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce)
   Vic's Pizzeria: Vic's Vegan Calzone (stuffed with black olives, mushrooms, white onions, spinach, fried sweet peppers, red sauce, and a choice of yellow or white sauce
2. Burlington, Vermont
   Magnolia Bistro: The Incredible Mr. Limpett: (vegan tuna-salad sandwich with pickles); Garbanzo Burger (garbanzo beans, oregano, and scallions); Magnolia French Toast (organic bread with walnuts in a wash of soy, rice, vanilla, and cinnamon)
   Bueno Y Sano: East/West Burrito (Asian stir-fried veggies, basmati rice, and grilled tofu topped with an Asian plum sauce)
   Bite Me Organic Pizza: Vermont Intervale Ghosts Pizza (cheese-free pizza with marinated tofu, baby spinach, a variety of squash, roasted peppers, red beets, caramelized onions, yellow and red tomatoes, and lemon-oil drizzle)
3. Iowa City, Iowa
   The Red Avocado: College Green Sunset (layered herbed white-bean pâté, tempeh sausage, tofu ricotta, and caramelized onions wrapped in a flaky filo pastry purse on spinach polenta with horseradish-root vegetable–sweet-corn relish, roasted-red-pepper sauce, and a fine drizzle of sweet balsamic reduction)
   Fair Grounds Coffeehouse: Grilled Vegan Panini Cheeseburger (Boca burger with your choice of vegan cheese and veggies served on panini bread)
   Thai Flavors: Massaman Curry (coconut milk with onions, potatoes, and peanuts, served with a cucumber salad and your choice of tofu or gluten-based meat substitute)
4. Bloomington, Indiana
   Siam House: Gang Garee (yellow curry with coconut milk, sweet potatoes, onions, and white, yellow, or fried tofu, served with jasmine rice). All dishes can be prepared without fish sauce on request.
   Bloomingfoods Market and Deli: Meatless Mondays at the Deli (menu varies)
   Laughing Planet: Cuban Burrito (organic brown rice, black beans, salsa fresca, sweet potatoes, plantains, housemade barbecue sauce, and your choice of tofu or seitan, served with tropical fruit salsa on the side)
5. Syracuse, New York
   Strong Hearts (all-vegan restaurant): Supreme Vegan Pizza (four vegan meats and soy cheese with a tasty tomato sauce), Tofurky sandwich, grilled "cheese" sandwich, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, cakes, pies, and milkshakes
   Alto Cinco: BBQ Tofu Burrito (rice, black beans, salsa, and crispy tofu with a chipotle barbecue sauce), Vegan Quesadilla (grilled tortilla with roasted-tomato pesto, sautéed spinach, roasted eggplant, guacamole, and salsa)
   Sparky Town: The Jocko Sandwich (grilled tempeh, lettuce, tomato, artichoke, red pepper, red onion, black-bean paste, sun-dried tomato spread, and avocado spread)
6. Topeka, Kansas
   Blackbird Espresso Bar and Bistro: Hummus and veggie wraps and vegan bakery items such as chocolate-chip cookies and banana-nut bread.
   Globe: Baingan Bartha (fresh eggplant baked over an open flame, served with green peas and gently tempered with aromatic herbs and spices), Chana Masala (whole chickpeas cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, herbs, and spices)
   Tup Tim Thai: Thai Curry Triangles (golden wontons filled with veggies such as sweet potatoes and celery, flavored with turmeric and served with chili-garlic sauce), Massaman Tofu Curry (with peanuts, potatoes, and vegetables). Any curry can be made with tofu and without fish sauce.
7. Worcester, Massachusetts
   Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant: Spaghetti and veggie balls, macaroni and soy cheese, barbeque "chicken" and rice (all items rotate)
   Nancy Chang: Sesame Vegan Chicken, Mango Vegan Chicken, Sizzling Vegan Shrimp With Japanese Tepanyaki Sauce, and more than 50 vegan items on the menu
   Loving Hut: Kung Pao Wow (soy chicken, baby corn, carrots, snow peas, bamboo, water chestnuts, onions, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, and cashews)
8. Lincoln, Nebraska
   Maggie's Veggie Café: Baked Tofu Wrap (oven-baked organic tofu, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and sweet mustard sauce), Curried Tofu Wrap (organic tofu marinated in mild coconut curry with red onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, served cold)
   Taj Mahal: Aloo Matar Tofu (potatoes, fresh garden peas, and tofu chunks in a sauce with exotic spices), Mushroom Matar (green peas and mushrooms in a sauce with exotic herbs and spices)
   Grateful Bread/Freakbeat Vegetarian: Different vegetarian soups every day, plus at least one vegan soup every day, including African Peanut, Moroccan Tomato, Cuban Black Bean, Egyptian Red Lentil, Irish Stew, and Thai Carrot
9. Providence, Rhode Island
   AS220: Pulled-Pork Sandwich ("pulled" tofu, spicy tomato spread, and vegan cheddar on a sourdough baguette), Spicy Chorizo Sandwich (vegan housemade chorizo, crumbled tofu, vegan cheddar, and R1 hot sauce), Vegan Reuben (corned seitan, housemade sauerkraut, vegan Swiss, and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread)
   Garden Grille Café: Chipotle seared seitan with wasabi mustard dipping sauce, "crab" cakes with Veracruz sauce and saffron aioli over millet polenta and sautéed greens, eggplant rollatini grilled and stuffed with herb tofu-nut cheese, crispy polenta, garlic sautéed spinach with housemade pomodoro sauce
   Julian's: Vegan Steak & Cheese Wrap (house seitan, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and soy cheese in a tortilla)
10. Boise, Idaho
    Shangri-La Tea Room and Vegetarian Café: Corn Chowder (corn, potatoes, and a bit of onion in a veggie broth seasoned to perfection), Mock Toona and Crackers (housemade Mock Toona spread and raw housemade crackers made with sprouted almonds and flaxseed), Curry Wrap (tofu, potatoes, and red peppers in a scrumptious red curry sauce, wrapped in a warm tortilla)
    Boise Fry Company: Vegan Burger and Fries (made with your choice of russet, white, gold, sweet, yam, purple, or Okinawa potatoes)
    Mai Thai: Black Pepper Steak (veggie black-pepper steak sautéed with mixed veggies in vegetarian sauce), vegan orange chicken sautéed with mandarin oranges and mixed with veggies in a special sauce), Veggie Citrus Spareribs (sautéed in a special sauce and served on a bed of fresh lettuce with fresh pineapple chunks)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nahtanoj/ / CC BY 2.0

April Fool us once, shame on you. April Fool us twice, shame on us. April Fool us thrice, and, well, we've totally got a list in the works! This year, PETA's been the object of April Fools' pranks galore, and now, in honor of our own rat-rabbit hybrid hoax, we're counting down our five favorite fools-on-us:

5. PETA joins forces with the WWF to battle tooth lice—hey, it's a "worldwide oral hygiene crisis"!
4. We don't care whether you call them slankets, snuggies, or snuggles—though our favorite is of course our own snuggle blanket—but if anyone started using fur to make wearable blankets, we'd be campaigning against it faster than Liz Lemon fell in love with her slanket.

3. Sure, "sexpert" Sue Johanson's claim that "Vegetarians—vegans who only eat fruits and vegetables—their ejaculate is sweet and nut-like, whereas males who eat meat, their ejaculate tastes bitter, like burnt leather," is a few years old, but that didn't stop the folks at SuperVegan from turning the classic clip into an April Fools' joke that had me thinking that the American Meat Institute really was serving Johanson with a lawsuit and that PETA Vice President Dan Mathews was leaping to her defense.
2. True: Glenn Beck admires PETA for our consistency and steadfastness. False: Glenn Beck has actually joined PETA—though we would totally welcome him with open arms!
1. Thought rat-rabbit hybrids would've caused an epidemic of cuteness around the country? Well, folks, here's the not-so-cute side of April Fools'-related genetic engineering: cows who bite back! Grass- and blood-fed cattle? Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Tell us: What was your favorite PETA-themed April Fools' prank?

Written by Logan Scherer

Have you tuned in to Life yet? Not to be confused with the delicious cereal of the same name or the painfully long bored game, Life is actually a 10-part documentary series that premiered on the Discovery Channel on March 21 and chronicles the complex lives of different species—from komodo dragons to cuttlefish, damselflies to pebble toads. Every episode is narrated by Oprah (could she get any cooler?), and each one has opened my eyes to so many fascinating facts about animals. Last Sunday's installment featured some aerially and aquatically nimble flying fish and resourceful anchovies. The highlight, though, was this unforgettable sequence of mud-wrestling mudskippers:

The two segments airing this Sunday are "Birds" and "Creatures of the Deep." I'm willing to bet that after you watch this preview about bowerbirds, you too will be tuning in to see which male's interior decorating skills are going to win him a mate. I know I will.

Written by Logan Scherer

Happy (belated) April Fool's, folks! If you were to pick out one of our blogs from yesterday and label it a fantasy, which would you pick? Sure, McDonald's basketball seems made up, but it turns out that we do not support genetically engineering rats. But judging from the comments on the first blog about our rabbit-rat hybrid, we were able to pull one over on a few of you with the help of our friends over at Ecorazzi. Got a good laugh out of it all? Well, you're in good company, because it turns out that rats—who are sensitive, clever, and affectionate—love to laugh too! (And, no, we're not kidding this time. That really has been proved.)

To treat animals better only because they are cute is as insupportable as genetically engineering rats to have powder-puffy tails. No one deserves to be killed with gut-wrenching poisons, force-fed toxic chemicals, or left writhing on a glue trap because they aren't considered important. Tell us what you think:

Written by Logan Scherer

I bet it made your Monday to read how one determined woman helped countless small animals by convincing Gelson's to pull glue traps from its stores' shelves. (Really, how dang adorable is the mouse in that post? I could stare at her all day.)

Let us make your Friday too. Check out this year's ever-growing list of companies, businesses, and agencies that have pledged to not use gruesome glue traps ever again, all because of the hard work of PETA and our supporters:

• Notables at the Party Store: Lexington, Kentucky
• AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) software company: Austin, Texas
• Central Technical School: Toronto, Ontario
• Manhattan building owners Richard and Hilde Basch: New York City
• USPS facility: Baltimore, Maryland
• JPMorgan Chase banks
• American Eagle Outfitters stores
• Virginia Beach School District: Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Knox County School District: Knox County, Tennessee
• Carroll County School District: Carroll County, Maryland
• Princeton School District: Princeton County, New Jersey
• Fashion Institute of Technology: New York City
• Lanterman Developmental Center: Costa Mesa, Orange County, California
• Ireland's Four Provinces Restaurant: Falls Church, Fairfax County, Virginia
• Local restaurant: Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida
• Lowe's: West Jordon, Salt Lake County, Utah (This store stopped using glue traps to catch birds—now if only the chain would stopping selling the traps as well.)
• Circle Center Mall: Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana (birds)
• United States Postal Service: Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky (birds)

And we're waiting for the final word from the following:

• Costco: Gaithersburg, Maryland
• L.A. Unified School District: Los Angeles County, California

I'm sure there are many more establishments that we haven't heard about. Make PETA Files readers' week by leaving a comment below about any businesses you know that have sworn off glue traps.

Written by Karin Bennett

It's been a busy, busy week here at PETA. With so many different campaigns in full swing, we've had people out on the streets protesting the circus, and McDonald's, and the seal slaughter, and … phew. Why don't you just check out the pictures?

Me-yow!

At a recent "Unhappy Meal" giveaway, the staff of the neighboring convenience store couldn't wait to protest McDonald's.

Face it, Vancouver Olympic Committee. Protests will continue until the seal slaughter stops.

Hey, Olympic Committee! How about you help us get a "Countdown 'til the End of the Seal Slaughter" clock?

Fried or grilled, flesh is flesh no matter what animal it came from. Hopefully, this restaurant in Nevada got the message (and maybe KFC will too).

I don't know about you, but if I saw a giant seal with a hakapik, I'd pay attention!

Written by Lianne Turner

deathpenaltyinfo / CC

In a move that is waaaay long past overdue, a military panel has recommended adding cruelty to animals to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is the foundation of US military law. Hard to believe it wasn't already in there, but we're just glad it's in the works now.

Last year, PETA called for such a provision after a video of a Marine apparently throwing a live puppy off a cliff circulated on the Internet. If this new regulation is added, service personnel who commit such atrocities could be prosecuted specifically for cruelty to animals, as opposed to military authorities having to scramble to find some vaguely-worded offense, such as "unbecoming conduct," to file such crimes under.

The law is intended to address crimes like killing or abandoning companion animals, but maybe it will also add fuel to our case that lethal military trauma training exercises on animals violate military code too.

Before it can be added to the UCMJ, the new provision has to be approved by Congress. Congress, you know what you have to do.

Written by Alisa Mullins

Here's what Jeff says about this week's masterpiece: "The strip is based on the sad measures that officials have to take in order to protect rhinos from poachers. And a little depravity thrown in for good measure."

He also let me know that, in honor of Earth Week, he sprayed this strip with 50 percent less pesticides. Which was very noble of him, I thought. Anyway, this one's a zinger—enjoy!

Click for a larger version

To check out the archives of past strips, click here.

Does anyone else find it a bit depressing that everyone breaks out the party balloons after an animal gets taken off the Endangered Species list, when all it really means is that people can start the killing again? So it goes with the Gray Wolf, who now needs to start watching his back following an announcement that he’s no longer in imminent danger of extinction. Now that he’s off the list, he can once again be shot by ranchers who are protecting their flocks so they can kill them on their own time.

I’ve always thought that the “save endangered species” stuff was kind of a selfish notion at its core — as if we suddenly realized that the animals we’ve royally screwed over for generations actually enriched our lives just by being around, which apparently means that it’s time to panic for a few years and put them on a “safe list” until there are enough that we can start killing them again...

Anyway, the point is that the Gray Wolf is officially no longer on the Endangered Species List — but given the way we’ve treated these animals in the past and will now continue to treat them, I’m not sure I really feel like celebrating. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments — I’d love to hear people’s opinions on this one.

Update: It looks like Environmental Graffiti had a similar mixed reaction to the news.

Fashion-forward blogger Perez Hilton is being named the queen of my "Best-Dressed" list because he has been spotted in a Fabulous Furs faux-fur coat. His look sure beats that of another well-known queen, Aretha Franklin, who just yesterday was announced as the "winner" of PETA's " Worst-Dressed" title for sporting the fur of dead animals.

PETA had this to say about Aretha: "How 'bout some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for animals? Aretha, when you waddled into the Grammys in yet another vulgar fur, you looked as if you were going to perform 'I Am the Walrus' by The Beatles. You may be a queen, but you don't know jack about compassion." Ouch.

Sure, Perez is only on a list of one, but I'd be happy to make it longer—that way, we can have a full-blown, knock-out, throw-down fight for the "Best-Dressed" title next year.

See Perez in his cruelty-free faux fur here, and check out all the hags who made our "Worst-Dressed" list here.

-Amy