Hooray for arriving in North Carolina! I think this is my first time ever in this state. How ’bout that! Funny thing, I drove in last night from Virginia (just two days after my tour in Europe) and I ended up staying at an Italian-inspired hotel and then the first restaurant I go to is a European-themed dining experience. I knew I was having withdrawals but this is just silly. :)

Hello, Chapel Hill. Great to meet you, cutie little college town. The only restaurant on my list for this area is Sage Vegetarian Cafe. Despite the name I thought it was all-vegan, based on online readings. But once I sat down to eat I realized it was about 80% vegan with many can-be-made-vegan options. That’s okay. I was hungry and anything would do before my next four-hour drive to Asheville (which appears to have many more vegan eateries).

Sage Vegetarian Cafe – 80(ish)% vegan

1129 Weaver Dairy Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

I really like the decor of Sage with the vibrant red, yellow, and orange walls, and the Mediterranean vibe. Again, perfect as I’m coming down from Italy. Sigh. :)

I ordered a soy strawberry milkshake, the special soup of the day (curry lentil), the chicken cutlets dish (soy chicken in a mild coconut curry & mushroom sauce, served with basmati-saffron rice and a side of shirazi), and the chocolate cake for dessert.

The curry lentil soup was great! I loved the peppery undertone that lingered after each spoonful. The curry was perfectly light and tasty.
The chicken curry dish came with a plate of basmati-saffron rice alongside the bowl of Indian-style ‘chicken’ swimming in a mild coconut curry sauce. The chicken was really delicious and the mushrooms were wonderfully tender. Very good.

And finally, the chocolate cake (the only vegan dessert on the menu) was nice. A bit banana-y as that’s the base. I liked it best when combining a scoop of cake with a scoop of ice cream, in one bite. NOM.

Okay, it’s time for me to drive to Asheville. About four hours from Chapel Hill. I’m looking forward to connecting with the Asheville Vegan Society when I get there. Woohoo! :)