America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Small Cities

#4 Norfolk, Virginia

OK, we'll admit that we're a little prejudiced because this is the home of PETA's headquarters, but trust us—Norfolk is a vegan paradise. In fact, vegetarian cuisine is so hot in Hampton Roads that there are more than 100 restaurants that serve up excellent meatless meals!

With so much vegan variety, Amalfi is one of our favorites. PETA staffers recommend the scrumptious spaghetti with vegan meatballs, Soy Chicken Marsala, and homemade vegan cheesecake. For good-old-fashioned comfort food, Cora has a faux-chicken sandwich that we can't crow enough about. Cora also offers an amazing Sunday brunch, with sinfully sweet Hawaiian French toast, toast points with vegan gravy, and tofu scramble. Bella Pizzeria's sensational soy-cheese pizza will tempt your taste buds. Fans of Indian food must try Rajput's vegetable samosas and Palak Tofu. Kotobuki's Vegetarian Sesame Chicken is the star of the restaurant's fantastic vegan lineup. Like beer? The Taphouse Grill has an enormous selection of beer on tap, plus numerous vegan entrées.

For a quick lunch that packs a punch, try Machismo's massive, mouthwatering Boca burritos, slathered with nondairy sour cream and cheese. You'd also be wise to try Bangkok Garden's spring rolls or the Mediterranean cuisine at the very vegetarian-friendly Azar's Natural Foods Market and Café. Heritage Natural Foods Deli offers a wide array of vegan grocery items and a café that features lots of healthy and humane wraps and sandwiches. And whether you're just waking up or winding down for the day, you can get your caffeine fix at Elliot's Fair Grounds. At this funky little place, you can chill out and play a board game or Web surf while you munch on a selection of vegan cookies and jerky. Wherever you eat, make sure that you save room for dessert, because KB's Frozen Custard serves up more than 30 flavors of yummy vegan ice cream.

Top Tip: Our top pick in this vegan mecca is Cora. Its vegan Caesar salad, Chickette sandwich, faux-tuna cakes, and French toast are proving to one Virginian at a time just how good vegan food really is.

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