Alysse Dalessandro loves The VegiTerranean

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: March 13th, 2009 | 12:00am

Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 2005, but this region is nothing new for the famous rocker. Hynde grew up less than an hour south in Akron, Ohio. She opened a vegan, Italian fusion restaurant in her hometown in November of 2007 called The VegiTerranean.

The restaurant situates itself under a classy loft complex, Northside Lofts. The look inside is sleek with high-top silver tables and chairs. Pictures of Hynde and her famous friends decorate the walls. For the warmer months, there is a patio with a view of Ohio’s Route 8 freeway (Hynde wears a Route 8 T-shirt on the Pretenders iTunes Originals album).

The lunch menu offers Italian classics like potato gnocchi with red peppers, grilled artichokes, and pine nut pesto sauce. They serve Gardein protein in dishes like spaghetti and “meatballs,” and the grilled Gardein bruschetta pomodoro panini. With the wide variety of entrée items, it is hard to believe that the real star of the menu is the “Chrissie Fries.” They are perfectly seasoned and served with Tofu Ricotta and balsamic ketchup. The menu even boasts, “Chrissie says, ‘The best fries you’ve ever had.’”

Chrissie Hynde’s restaurant brings a touch of chic to the city so affectionately referred to as “A.K. Rowdy.”

For more information visit: http://www.thevegiterranean.com/

Alysse Dalessandro is a Venus Zine editorial intern.