Guest guest Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 http://www.richmond.com/restaurants-dining/26017 Vegetarian chow and lattes are a delicious combination at Harrison Street Coffee Shop. Ginger Warder/Richmond.com Ginger WarderRichmond.comFriday, February 06, 2009 I’m an avowed carnivore so when I heard about the beloved vegetarian/vegan hangout near Virginia Commonwealth University, I had some trepidation about whether I would like any of the food. However, my best friend is both a vegetarian and a gourmet cook so I’ve eaten some fabulous dishes made with tofu, barbequed on the deck with faux ribs and chicken, and chowed down on vegetarian chili and spaghetti sauce, so I was sure I would find something I liked. Keeping this in mind, I headed to the Harrison Street Coffee Shop to see if all the good reviews on the vegetarian and vegan food websites were true…that the food is so good here that everyone should try it. I read raves about the French toast, vanilla soy lattes, vegan blondies, and barbequed tofu sandwiches, so I decided to do a mid-morning brunch. The place was hopping around 10:30 a.m. with an equal number of eat-in and take-out customers. I tried the French toast, a breakfast burrito with eggs, swiss cheese, and soysage and a latte. You order at the counter, and then choose one of the wooden booths on the main level or a table upstairs and your order is delivered to you when it’s ready. My server at the counter was both friendly and knowledgeable, and was happy to explain the different menu items to me and make some recommendations. Though I’m not a big fan of soysage, the burrito ($4.50) rocked, as did the French toast ($5). You can order both vegan and vegetarian versions of these, and if you’re neither, can just have eggs and cheese in the warm, fresh tortilla if you like. My latte was as good as any in town ($2.95), and the hot beverage list includes chai, hot chocolate, cappuccino, mocha, and a variety of loose and organic hot teas. Sodas, bottled water, and beer are also available if you choose to do lunch or dinner. Soups and salads are homemade, with the soup changing daily ($3 to $5), and house salads with tomatoes, sprouts and sunflower seeds on a spring mix come in two sizes as well ($3.95 to $5.95), or in a soup/salad combo for $6.50. All dressings are homemade and vegan: choose from sesame Caesar, orange tahini, balsamic vinaigrette or ginger miso. In addition to the soups and salads which are served from 11 a.m. to close, you can choose from 12 sandwiches which range from a T.L.T., with tempeh instead of bacon to a beer battered tofu steak sandwich. Reubens, falafel burgers and subs, a black bean hummus wrap, and egg salad on whole wheat are some of the other choices, so there seems to be something for every dietary regimen. Sandwiches run from $6.25 to $6.95 and come with chips, but you can substitute a side salad or cup of soup for an extra $1.50. A display on the front counter features fresh-baked desserts from pumpkin bread ($1) to a vegan blondie ($1.50). I tried the blondie and would never have guessed it was a vegan item. Owner Joseph Musgrave is originally from Williamsburg, but with the popularity of his coffee shop, I think he’ll be calling Richmond home for quite some time. No matter what you’re dietary path is in this life, Harrison Street’s “good eat. no meats.†slogan is on the money and the coffee alone is worth the trip. If You Go: Harrison Street Coffee Shop 402 N. Harrison St http://harrisonstcoffeeshop.blogspot.com (804) 359-8060 Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat-Sun 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Non-smoking MC/VI accepted Vegetarian and vegan Rating: Four stars Peter vv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009  That's a lot to eat at 10.30 a.m. unless it was an early lunch! Jo - Peter VV Saturday, February 07, 2009 9:06 AM Re: 'Good Eat. No Meats.' http://www.richmond.com/restaurants-dining/26017 Vegetarian chow and lattes are a delicious combination at Harrison Street Coffee Shop. Ginger Warder/Richmond.com Ginger WarderRichmond.comFriday, February 06, 2009 I’m an avowed carnivore so when I heard about the beloved vegetarian/vegan hangout near Virginia Commonwealth University, I had some trepidation about whether I would like any of the food. However, my best friend is both a vegetarian and a gourmet cook so I’ve eaten some fabulous dishes made with tofu, barbequed on the deck with faux ribs and chicken, and chowed down on vegetarian chili and spaghetti sauce, so I was sure I would find something I liked. Keeping this in mind, I headed to the Harrison Street Coffee Shop to see if all the good reviews on the vegetarian and vegan food websites were true…that the food is so good here that everyone should try it. I read raves about the French toast, vanilla soy lattes, vegan blondies, and barbequed tofu sandwiches, so I decided to do a mid-morning brunch. The place was hopping around 10:30 a.m. with an equal number of eat-in and take-out customers. I tried the French toast, a breakfast burrito with eggs, swiss cheese, and soysage and a latte. You order at the counter, and then choose one of the wooden booths on the main level or a table upstairs and your order is delivered to you when it’s ready. My server at the counter was both friendly and knowledgeable, and was happy to explain the different menu items to me and make some recommendations. Though I’m not a big fan of soysage, the burrito ($4.50) rocked, as did the French toast ($5). You can order both vegan and vegetarian versions of these, and if you’re neither, can just have eggs and cheese in the warm, fresh tortilla if you like. My latte was as good as any in town ($2.95), and the hot beverage list includes chai, hot chocolate, cappuccino, mocha, and a variety of loose and organic hot teas. Sodas, bottled water, and beer are also available if you choose to do lunch or dinner. Soups and salads are homemade, with the soup changing daily ($3 to $5), and house salads with tomatoes, sprouts and sunflower seeds on a spring mix come in two sizes as well ($3.95 to $5.95), or in a soup/salad combo for $6.50. All dressings are homemade and vegan: choose from sesame Caesar, orange tahini, balsamic vinaigrette or ginger miso. In addition to the soups and salads which are served from 11 a.m. to close, you can choose from 12 sandwiches which range from a T.L.T., with tempeh instead of bacon to a beer battered tofu steak sandwich. Reubens, falafel burgers and subs, a black bean hummus wrap, and egg salad on whole wheat are some of the other choices, so there seems to be something for every dietary regimen. Sandwiches run from $6.25 to $6.95 and come with chips, but you can substitute a side salad or cup of soup for an extra $1.50. A display on the front counter features fresh-baked desserts from pumpkin bread ($1) to a vegan blondie ($1.50). I tried the blondie and would never have guessed it was a vegan item. Owner Joseph Musgrave is originally from Williamsburg, but with the popularity of his coffee shop, I think he’ll be calling Richmond home for quite some time. No matter what you’re dietary path is in this life, Harrison Street’s “good eat. no meats.†slogan is on the money and the coffee alone is worth the trip. If You Go: Harrison Street Coffee Shop 402 N. Harrison St http://harrisonstcoffeeshop.blogspot.com (804) 359-8060 Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat-Sun 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Non-smoking MC/VI accepted Vegetarian and vegan Rating: Four stars Peter vv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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