Opening their doors in Carter Commons October 1st, 2022 Adina’s Vegan Cuisine hit the ground running. Prior to joining the 24:1 Community, they were located at the Golden Grocer in the Tower Grove neighborhood. Adina’s Vegan Cuisine brings you familiar family dishes with amazing taste and flavor while using all plant-based ingredients. Combining fresh great tasting dishes with a healthy spin is a win in anyone’s book. “First, it tastes good and second, it’s healthy!”, says co-owner Cheryl. “Customers automatically feel the love when they come into our restaurant. Majority of the dishes we cook people are familiar but we veganized them. Also, people say they love our customer service. Honestly, we hear that quite frequently that we have amazing customer service.” says Cheryl. Not only that, but they will even give customers advice who are interested in starting their vegan journey.
Now if you’re wanting your taste buds awakened then a must try is the Lemon Lime Kale Salad, which has proven to be one of Adina’s most popular dishes. “The Lemon Lime Kale Salad is one of our most signature dishes. Whether you’re vegan, not vegan, or don’t want to eat anything vegan, people LOVE the Lemon Lime Kale Salad” said Cheryl. Other dishes on the menu include: Jackfruit and Mushroom Meat Nachos, Smoked Portobello Mushroom Quesadilla, Salmon Burgers- another customer favorite, Lasagna, plus much more. Now if you’re in the market for a sweet treat try their delicious Apple Peach Cobbler. Take some time to peruse their online menu because every day they have a different theme, like Taco Tuesday and Faux Phish Fry Fridays.
When it comes to inspiration where do you generate it from? “Loving to cook!”, said Cheryl. “Also, not having vegan options readily available. 25+ years ago there was no vegan options really. I had to pick-up pace and learn how to cook vegan meals that were tasty to my husband but also meals my children enjoyed as well,” said Cheryl.
“It’s so rewarding to be able to offer something healthy for our community. We tend to lean towards dishes that our community is familiar with. Our food is for everyone and it’s a blessing to provide something that you are familiar with as a healthier option”
Do you have any advice for a restaurant just starting? “Keep going! If you really want to do it, keep going. There will be some challenges you will encounter that may be discouraging but keep at it!” said Vicki. Vicki and Cheryl said there are a lot of steps and pieces to running a business that they didn’t know about. So it took them a while to fully understand what was needed. “It was a long process. But WE’RE HERE!” said Vicki M.
Recently, Adina’s Vegan Cuisine collaborated with Project Animal Freedom. They just catered an event called a Fish Free Fry. This event was broadcasted and featured on local Fox2 News. Project Animal Freedom supports animal welfare and human rights not only in the Midwest but across the nation. One of Project Animal Freedom’s core goals is to increase the number of vegans in the Midwest. With the ongoing support and assistance from Project Animal Freedom
and the continuation of delicious plant- based dishes created by Adina’s Vegan Cuisine the vegan community will grow stronger and faster.
So much was learned from the mother and daughter duo about veganism and the community that surrounds them. We learned that being vegan isn’t only a lifestyle change but ultimately, you’re supporting the welfare of animals too.
Before the interview was over, there was one last question. Who is Adina? “To answer your question Adina is a person who loves to cook, Adina is an artist, Adina is a creator, a decorator, and doer. Literally Adina is someone that can do anything they put their mind to. In Hebrew Adina means, humility, meek, mild, humbled spirit”. That’s the exact energy Cheryl and Vicki both possess.