Everything Made From Scratch - and You Won't Know it's Vegan!

Mediterranean. Paleo. Vegan. Keto. Vegetarian. Atkins. Pescatarian. Plant-Based. Whole30. These are just some of the many diets and eating lifestyles that people follow nowadays. Of all of these, the word vegan has long had an association with drab, boring, tasteless food that doesn’t hold a candle to more standard fare.

Over the last several years, though, there has been a sea change in the approach to plant-based eating. From the Michelin-starred Dirt Candy in New York City to Boneshaker Donuts in Paris, people are discovering the versatility and creativity to be found in meals and pastries eschewing meat, dairy, and eggs. Whether you choose to be vegan or vegetarian for ethical or environmental reasons, are dealing with dairy, egg, or meat allergies, have been amongst the wave of people to have been diagnosed with Alphagal syndrome, or any other case, it can be difficult to go out to eat and find anything other than a salad.

B’s Salty & Sweet in Columbia, Tennessee, is run by husband-and-wife team David and Bethany Boran. The couple has been making vegetable-centric meals since the fall of 2020 and will be opening soon at their new location at 510 N. Garden Street. David is a vegetarian who avoids meat and dairy but enjoys eggs, while his wife Bethany has been vegan for over twenty years. While the B’s lunch menu launched, and has always maintained a vegan foundation, meat was available as an add-on for meals and inside their signature savory pop tarts for over three years. At the start of 2024, however, B’s became completely vegetarian, with the vast majority of offerings either vegan or available with a vegan option.

Unlike many other plant-based eateries, there is no “chick’n” or Beyond burgers to be found. B’s would prefer to let the veggies and grains be the focus – protein-rich chickpeas and beans feature prominently on the lunch menu, with three varieties of chickpea salads currently available curried, southwest, and “tuna”-style. From the very beginning, meat-eating diners have been surprised and excited to find that a B’s lunch special or sandwich can leave them full and satisfied, and also be delicious! From ethnic noodle and rice dishes, to housemade veggie burgers on housemade buns, the options continue to evolve and expand.

The team at B’s makes everything from scratch. This means soaking dry beans and fermented sourdough bread for sandwiches made with Janie’s Mill organic, stone-milled flours. Additionally, chopping and roasting their own vegetables plus make all their own jams, pastry fillings, and coffee syrups. So, you can count on freshly prepared and chemical and preservative-free food, made to order. That includes the jams for their sweet pop tarts and all the syrups for their coffee bar.

B’s isn’t exclusively vegan, however. When deciding to go meat-free to begin 2024, the decision was made to keep offering traditional cheese and traditional eggs, in addition to their vegan counterparts. That means you can get an egg sandwich on a sourdough bagel on the weekends, or a grilled cheese with caramelized onions on housemade focaccia, whether you want real eggs and cheese involved or not. Follow Your Heart is the vegan cheese purveyor B’s uses. From sliced cheeses for grilled cheese to shredded cheeses for salads, pizzas, or their housemade pimento cheese.

The plant-based approach extends to the bakery case too. Some items are naturally vegan, such as their country sourdough, which has been made with just flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter for thousands of years. Others such as muffins, cinnamon rolls, and cookies have been carefully crafted, evolving from a traditional recipe to a vegan one. They are only put out for sale once they have been rigorously tested and are indistinguishable from their dairy-and-eggs counterparts. When B’s first opened, the vegan pastry options were just a handful.

Now, nearly everything is available vegan, including the fan-favorite pop tarts. The one holdout croissants. David, who oversees the baking program, has kept the daily version traditional. As they look ahead to moving to their new location, you can expect an even wider array of croissants and similar viennoiserie. Vegan croissants, however, are always available by special order.

NEW LOCATION OPENING SOON

B’s Salty & Sweet's new location is at 510 N Garden Street, Columbia, part of New South Marketplace, and will feature an expansion of their current breakfast, lunch, baking, and coffee service. Follow along at bsaltyandsweet.com or on their social channels @bsaltyandsweet.