Vegan restaurant that tried to sprout in the Fenway withers away after just eight months

By adamg on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 3:52pm

Eater Boston reports that the vegan Plantpub has closed in the Fenway.

Neighborhoods:

Fenway

Topics:

Dining

Free tagging:

Vegan food

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Comments

Correction

By Sammy White
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 4:31pm

It was a vegan place. Not. Vegetarian so fix the title.

I went vegan in 2019 and have seen health benefits and lost 30lbs, it isn’t easy and not for everyone. However the food at PlantPub was pretty decent.

Boston needs more vegan aka plant based restaurants. We have some great options but not a lot - I was in NYC recently and had 3 amazing meals at different vegan places, as well as vegan breakfast options beyond basic avocado toast or the sandwich Dunks or Starbucks has. Again, vegan food isn’t for everyone but it can be delicious and is not just tofu and salads

Leaf it to me to make that mistake

By adamg
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 4:50pm

I've grafted the correct word into the headline.

All vegan food is also

By anon
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 4:58pm

All vegan food is also vegetarian by definition.

Yes, but ...

By adamg
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 5:44pm

Not all vegetarian food is vegan. Somebody keeps trying to explain the distinction to me, but I can never remember what the difference is, except that while A includes B, B does not include all of A. Or something.

Vegan = No Dairy or Eggs in addition to animal flesh

By BostonDog
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 6:17pm

Some vegans are most strict than others, some going as far as to avoid products colored with dyes sourced from bugs, etc.

Generally speaking Vegans are just vegetarians who don't eat any products from animals even if the animal didn't need to die to provide it.

Old Joke: How to do you spot a vegan at a party? Don't worry, they'll tell you.

"It exploits bees!"

By tachometer
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 9:15pm

That was the rationale I heard from a vegan for not eating honey.

You could make the argument that it's a fair trade since the keeper is providing them with an ideal shelter and other care in exchange for some of their excess honey. But I've learned to never argue with a vegan.

Plenty of vegans eat honey

By Tim Mc.
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 7:40am

It's not a monolithic group.

Also, the bees can leave if they want to. If the hive isn't suitable for them, they can just swarm up and find a new place. By necessity, they are not fenced in!

Generally wouldn't recommend arguing with *anyone* about their food choices, though. Try convincing a meat-eater not to eat meat; you'll probably have even worse results.

Good advice

By BostonDog
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 8:36am

Generally wouldn't recommend arguing with *anyone* about their food choices, though.

Too bad more people don't take it.

the people that talk most about veganism

By anon
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 9:13am

In my experience, are meat eaters. It's a weird obsession with them that involves a lot of projecting.

I'd like to see

By JoP
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 10:59am

More integration in regular menus. My sister lives in Delft now, and when we visited her this winter we were pleasantly surprised to find interesting vegan menu sections at most regular restaurants and coffee houses, and widely available (and clearly marked) in grocery stores (as in not secreted away in a special section, just displayed with regular products). Seems like it helps demystify the concept when it's so easily accessible.

bummer

By Sal Paradise
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 4:33pm

They closed in the winter and said they were "hibernating" until opening day. Didn't know they sold their liquor license in February.
I never got to go inside -- isn't this place kind of big? Wonder what will go there next.

Its replacement will be a second outlet of Southie's

By MC Slim JB
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 4:49pm

Loco Taquería. I like PlantPub's chef and her vegan food -- she still has her original spot in Kendall Square -- but I always feared that the concept would be a tough sell to the Fenway crowd. The space is indeed huge, the former Boston Beer Works.

Crap

By John Costello
Thu, 03/02/2023 - 4:52pm

I thought we were getting soapy tasting beer back across from Fenway.

No more Palmolive Pilsner alas.

I'd agree with Fenway maybe

By Matt Frank
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 5:28am

I'd agree with Fenway maybe not being ideal. I think a specialty concept like that isn't going to really benefit from most of the crowds going to Fenway and it's not exactly the best for either transit or parking (if you are that big and specialized you need large numbers of imported people by either car or core subway line.)

If I recall vegan and vegetarian places do quite well in Alston/Brighton. I'm not sure where I would place a spot like this though.

agreed

By Anon
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 11:12am

I wanted to go but if there was a sox game i'd hold off. Doesnt matter if i drove or took the T, i didnt want to get in game traffic.

Pretty good transit access

By Ron Newman
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 1:13pm

Green Line at Kenmore (three branches), Green Line at Fenway (D branch), Commuter Rail at Lansdowne. Much better access than Allston.

Don’t agree

By Sammy White
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 10:39pm

Sure during game times Fenway has a certain demographic but there are what ,Ike 5 pizza places down there now? Fenway in general needs more variety than regular “new American” aka 16 for a burger that seems to have popped in the city.

I don’t think being near a lot of transit is key for a specifically vegan restaurant- I was really shocked just walking around midtown and Chelsea in NYC how many vegan options had expanded or popped up since my last trip about 2 years ago. There are not a large variety of vegan places in Allston Brighton - sure Life Alive is good but then you have places like Sweet Green where most of the dresses use dairy so aren’t vegan.

Grasshopper in Allston is not bad but it is hit or miss, Zhu Vegan in Brookline is pretty good, Most Spanish places will do Paella with veggies vegan and Stoked Pizza has a whole vegan menu.

These days even Fenway park has vegan options.

FWIW yes you can get a beyond meat type burger at Wahkburrgers or the Yard House but part of vegan health appeal is less processed food - I’d rather have a good veggie patty than fake meat,

Bottom line Boston needs more vegan places, and maybe less of the same types of cuisine and Hugh prices popping up in high rent areas - just my two cents

Even Providence has a whole vegan food court! Step it up Boston!,

Loco's a brofest

By J.R. Dobbs
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 10:58am

It'll do gangbusters

REOPEN BEER WORKS!

By C
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 10:18am

I wish Beer Works would come back! The food and beer weren't that good but it was just fun. So many memories!