In recognition of World Vegan Day on November 1, select restaurants around Tbilisi are offering a one-day specialty plant-based menu, and ‘Mark Of The Beast,’ a unique art exhibition, is making its debut.
Vegan refers to a person who doesn’t eat food or products derived from animals. This includes any meat of an animal or fish, as well as dairy products, bee products (honey, bee pollen, etc.), and eggs. According to the Vegan Day website, November 1 was declared World Vegan Day in 1994 and has since served as the one day a year that vegans all over the world can celebrate their lifestyle and promote veganism in a positive light.
“The World Vegan Day is not only about exchanging ideas with like-minded people and honoring Veganism. In the foreground, on this day above all, the clearing-up work is done: People, who have so far not had or had only little insight into the vegan way of life, are brought, through informative material, to the thinking and reorientation of veganism,” is written on vegan days webpage.
Living Vino, a plant-based restaurant and bar in Tbilisi, is celebrating World Vegan Day with a specialty-crafted menu, promoting healthy nutrition and natural wine. The dinner will start with a shot of chacha followed by a starter that includes a vegan niçoise salad with chickpea “tuna” and a tsitska tsolikouri krakhuna, Imererian gem. Then the main dish will consist of mushrooms doused in red sauce over a bed of polenta served with a Mukuzani from a “top-notch” Kakhetian winemaker.
Veganism is supported at Living Vino not just on World Vegan Day, but every day. They are open regularly, serving seasonal specials, small plates, main dishes, and desserts. Additionally, the restaurant also offers a selection of natural wines and products that can be purchased from their store, and a wine school where participants can sign up to learn more about organic wines from a UK-certified wine educator.
Another restaurant taking part in World Vegan Day is Blue Fox Restaurant and Bar. Located in the Old Town, Blue Fox’s Michelin Star Chef has curated a menu specifically for this day.
“Indulge in a remarkable culinary experience featuring a special plant-based menu crafted by the culinary duo, Jaume Puigdengolas and Ana Tikaradze. Let your taste buds savor the future of food while supporting a cruelty-free world,” Blue Fox’s Facebook page announces.
Blue Fox will begin the show with an appetizer of cauliflower masala followed by a starter of baked pumpkin with kale, butternut dressing, and truffle cheese served with apple kombucha. The main dish will be next in line, with roasted purple cabbage, quinoa, tofu ricotta, and chimichurri served with the guests’ choice of red or white wine. The event will conclude with a dessert of autumn persimmon pudding, chocolate ganache, and coconut chips served with herbal tea or coffee.
Everything on the menu will be plant-free, with no containments of wheat flour, refined sugars, or oils. However, dishes will contain nuts, soy, sesame, and mustard. This dinner will start at 8pm.
Also happening on World Vegan Day is a new art exhibition hosted by Vegan Georgia. Vegan Georgia is a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on promoting animal liberation and veganism. They host events year-round, but decided to launch ‘Mark Of The Beast,’ a vegan art exhibition, on November 1 in honor of the special day.
“It was a matter of time when artists would join this battle. Vegan Georgia felt an urge to support the artists who are striving for animal liberation, this is why on the 1st of November, on World Vegan Day, we’ll hold an exhibition in Revolution Bar, embracing the authors who work in different fields, from video art to performance, from installations to NFTs,” Vegan Georgia’s Facebook Page proclaims. “‘Mark Of The Beast’ stands simultaneously for the questions about the attitude of humankind towards other animals and the answers that new generations find for these questions more and more often: ‘What do we want? Animal liberation. When do we want it? Now!’”
When attending the event, guests can expect to see performances, video art, and presentation of a comic strip, while listening to music.
Vegan Georgia was founded in 2015 and has since run a variety of projects around the country. They focus on small acts, such as street activism and campaigning, but are mainly oriented toward permanent projects that will create lasting change.
According to Vegan Day’s website, World Vegan Day was established on November 1, 1994, after animal rights activist Louise Wallis had the idea to create something to celebrate the 50 anniversary of the Vegan Society. As the society’s president, Wallis wanted to make it known to the world that a vegan organization had lasted so long, and to draw attention to the word ‘vegan,’ since it made its way into the English language.
If one day isn’t enough to celebrate veganism, here are additional vegan spots to visit around Tbilisi: Kiwi Vegan Café, Darani, Falafel, Gluck Café and Bar, MOSS, Secret Place, Shpana, Stricha, and UMMY.
By Shelbi R. Ankiewicz
