Blossoming Lotus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blossoming Lotus is a counter-service[1] vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It was founded in Kapa'a, Hawaii, in 2002. At its peak the company had three restaurants, but now only operates in Portland.

History[]

Blossoming Lotus opened in 2002, with Mark Reinfeld as chef, with financial backing from Bo Rinaldi.[2] In 2006 Blossoming Lotus moved to a larger location at the Dragon Building in downtown Kapaʻa. The original location was transformed into "The Lotus Root: a juice bar and bakery".

The Blossoming Lotus Cafe in Portland, Oregon opened on July 29, 2009, in the Northeast Irvington neighborhood,[3][4] and was followed by the closure of their Pearl District location.[5] A fourth location was planned for Mountain View, California, but never came to fruition.[2]

Both Kauai locations closed in 2008 because of debt[6] and a sharp downturn in tourism, a catastrophic flood that hit the island, and the closure of two budget airlines servicing the island.[citation needed]

The Blossoming Lotus style of international vegan cuisine was popularized in the 2004 Vegan World Fusion Cuisine Cookbook, written by founder and executive chef Mark Reinfeld and owner Bo Rinaldi. The book contains an introduction by Jane Goodall and 200 vegan recipes.[7]

Awards and recognition[]

Restaurant[]

  • Food Network named them one of the top 20 vegan restaurants in the United States.[8]
  • Restaurant of the Month (August 2004) - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals[7]
  • 'Ilima Award for Best Kaua'i Restaurant, Critics' Choice (2006) - The Honolulu Advertiser[9]
  • Top Chef in Live Food, Platinum Carrot Chef Award (2006) - Aspen Center for Integral Health[10]

Book[]

Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Extraordinary Recipes & Timeless Wisdom from the Celebrated Blossoming Lotus Restaurants has won multiple awards:

  • Cookbook of the Year (2005) - VegNews Magazine[11]
  • Nautilus Book Award: Small Press (2005) - Body & Soul Magazine[2]
  • Best Vegetarian Cookbook U.S. (2005) - [12]
  • Best New Cookbook, Proggy award (2005) - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals[13][14]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Review: Blossoming Lotus". Portland Food & Drink. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Yang, Jeff (2006-07-06). "Viva Las Vegans". Asian Pop. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  3. ^ "Latest News". Blossoming Lotus Portland. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-28. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
  4. ^ "Blossoming Lotus Irvington – Restaurant Grand Opening". Food Fight! Grocery. Facebook. 2009.
  5. ^ "Plant yourself at Portland's standout vegan restaurants". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  6. ^ "Kauai's Blossoming Lotus to close". www.bizjournals.com. December 23, 2008. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Chang, Lester (2006-07-06). "Volleyball Stars: Kapa'a restaurant wins PETA award". The Garden Island. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  8. ^ Ventiera, Sara. "Veg Out: 20 Top Vegan Restaurants from Coast to Coast". Food Network. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  9. ^ Adams, Wanda A. (2006-10-10). "Alan Wong's repeats win of 'Ilima's Best Restaurant honor". Ilma Awards 2006 Winners. The Honolulu Advertiser.
  10. ^ "Past Programs and Events". 2006 Platinum Carrot Chef Award Winners. Aspen Center for Integral Health. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  11. ^ "Cookbook of the Year". VegNews Magazine. VegNews (46): 32. November–December 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  12. ^ "Best Vegetarian Book". Finalists. . 2006-05-21. Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  13. ^ "2005 PETA Proggy Awards". Best New Cookbook. PETA. 2005. Archived from the original on 2009-11-26. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  14. ^ "Morsels: Cookbook honors". Da kine. 11 (11). Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 2006-01-11. Retrieved 2007-11-14.

External links[]

Coordinates: 45°32′9.63″N 122°39′2.14″W / 45.5360083°N 122.6505944°W / 45.5360083; -122.6505944

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