A Breakfast Plate from Millie's and Some Thoughts on Veganism (buckle up)

This meal was memorable in so many ways!

Firstly, I enjoyed this breakfast with three of my good friends, a few hours before one of our performances while on tour in LA. There's no better way to experience LA then to eat a classic diner breakfast on a beautiful 75 degree Friday morning.

On my plate: 2 blueberry pancakes, with maple syrup and butter, a pile of scrambled eggs, 2 smoked apple sage sausages, and some rosemary home fries.

& it's all vegan!

I've been vegan for... coming up on 8 years now. Since I was 15. The only difficulty I've had with veganism might not be what you expect. For me, veganism has come down to my one simple idea: if there's a personal choice I can make that would prevent harm to another living soul, then why would I not make that choice? (I recognize that everything in this world involves some degree of harm– that's a conversation for another day, and I would never ever ever ever claim that my own choices are free from imperfection) I personally cannot, in good conscience, eat something that was once living, or consume animal secretions that weren't intended for me. It simply doesn't feel right, and I have found a sense of peace in choosing to live in accordance with that feeling.

I rarely ever speak about this at length, mainly because I worry about how I'll be perceived. I would hate to come off as overly idealistic or self-righteous, and I certainly don't want anyone to feel that my choices are a condemnation of their own. My veganism is simply a personal conviction, one that feels aligned with the person I am.

So, the greatest difficulty hasn't been a health or nutrition-based one, nor a financial one, nor a practical one. Instead, I hold the discomfort of being misunderstood... I don't like the possibility that my choices might make a shared experience feel complicated, or that someone might interpret my choices as a rejection of theirs. Mainly, I fear that people might mistake my convictions for restrictions, as though I am denying myself the fullness of life. This feeling manifests especially when I share meals with others and I end up with a plate that looks very different from everyone else's.

That's why this meal from Millie's Cafe was so special. The menu is non-vegan and quite extensive, but they offer a whole (equally extensive) page of vegan alternatives for most classic dishes. This isn't a rare occurrence, especially in a city like LA or NYC (I've had many plates of vegan pancakes and eggs throughout the past several years, usually from fully plant-based restaurants), but it was the nostalgia of the place itself that made it so important. Millie's is a traditional diner-style restaurant, with iconic diner-style mugs, flimsy cutlery, all similar to the diners that my dad took me to, early on Sunday mornings when I was a child.

Better yet, I could enjoy a plate of seemingly identical composition to my omnivore friends across the table. I wasn't just settling for another avocado toast, nor was I forcing my friends to try plant-based alternatives against their will. I've never found it bothersome to make substitutions, and I've gotten pretty good at navigating menus, but it's surely exciting when I can be completely present during a meal with a group of non-vegans, instead of stressing over whether my choices make me seem restrictive or burdensome.

So thank you, Millie's Cafe, for the quiet and humble accommodations. I should also note: the food was AMAZING! Fluffy pancakes, decadent plant-based eggs, solid home fries... it really hit the spot. I would recommend Millie's to omnivores, vegans, and everyone in between. I think you'll love it.