Eating vegan in Springfield, IL

[ewomack]

Though Abraham Lincoln definitely held some 19th century views, he remains one of the easiest early US presidents to fully admire, personally and politically. I had always wanted to visit his tomb along with the sites in the city he lived in for 27 years, so we decided to spend an extended weekend in Springfield, Illinois. Thankfully, an Internet search reduced our food fears. Plenty of vegan options existed, mostly via Asian restaurants such as Izumi Rotary and Bar. Osaka Japanese and Thai, and Dynasty Asian Cuisine. Core Life Eatery also had vegan options, though limited. Most surprising, Lincoln's New Salem, about 30 minutes out of town, and where Lincoln learned law and first ran for congress, had a cafeteria including non-meat options. The same applied to the huge Lincoln Presidential Museum downtown. Our hotel, more of a historic bed & breakfast, happily excluded all meat from our breakfasts. It was an interesting trip and we encountered no awkward food situations. We didn't even try a few other places that advertised vegan food. As expected, Lincoln and references to Lincoln saturated the city. Even a sign for washing your hands after using the restroom featured Lincoln saying "Did you HONESTLY wash your hands?" He appeared absolutely everywhere. I was ready for an Abe break, but when we returned home, I realized I needed to purchase license tab. While standing in line at the DMV, I looked up and directly above me on the opposite wall stood a portrait of Lincoln. No escape.