Peace n' Loaf- MoFo Post Two

Post #2 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

Welcome to day two of Vegan MoFo! I want to begin this MoFo season with a post about Puerto Rico for my Latin cuisine theme. As I was laying poolside one day the theme came to me, therefore it seems appropriate to start off with some Puerto Rico love. 

View from our room at the Intercontinental.

When we arrived to San Juan, we were tired and hungry. While we both just wanted to jump in the pool and relax, we also wanted to get some nourishment. The first hotel we stayed in, did not have any vegan and gluten free fare, so we decided to venture out. We had done quite a bit of research in advance to see where we could eat. One of the first places we happened upon was Peace n' Loaf (If you do not speak Spanish, pop this site into Google Translate). 

Toasted muffins with roasted red pepper hummus

When we walked in we were greeted by the owner who revealed that she is from Ohio. I felt at ease when I heard that because I was a bit nervous as this was our first restaurant experience on the Island. I am not fluent in Spanish and I was way too nervous and hungry to try and explain gluten free. I was delighted when I saw on the menu board that they had items that were "sin gluten", including vegan pizza dough. We walked up to the counter and ordered a vegan, gluten free pizza and asked her to be creative with the toppings. In addition, we ordered a roasted red pepper hummus with some gluten free savory muffins to dip. 

One of the best vegan, GF pizzas ever!

Our appetizer came out and we dug in. The muffin and the hummus was delicious! The owner came out and spoke to us for about a half hour. It was nice to hear about the Island and her recommendations for food and fun.  During our conversation, the pizza came out and we were delighted! It was a large rectangle with a rich flax seed crust, Daiya cheese, chickpea chorizo, onions, arugula pesto, and tomato sauce. I took one look and I was thankful we had a refrigerator in the room. This was was going to be perfect leftover for breakfast the next day, cold. My first bite lived up to my expectations. The pizza was warm, spicy, and rich. The arugula pesto was peppery and blended well with the spicy chick pea chorizo. Everything was homemade and amazing. I could tell that the food was made with attention and love by the owner. 

During our conversation the owner talked to us about her philosophy about food. She spoke about slow food, the importance of a plant-based diet and health and well-being, gluten, etc. It was nice to meet someone who, like us, thought that food was more than just something you shove in your mouth. Food is fuel. I was starting to have a good feeling about the Island!

Looking a bit "rough" after travel. :-)

The owner offered to take our picture to commemorate our dinner. I was feeling a but "rough" after the travel, but happily obliged. Looking back, I wish we would have gotten one of her and written down her name. 

If you ever travel to Puerto Rico, I highly recommend that you make a stop to Peace n' Loaf. If you are gluten free, make sure to call ahead as they sometimes run out of the gluten free dough. The place is not located in a touristy area, but it is worth the drive if you have a car.