T.O.F.U. Magazine » st. john’s

Red Radio sits down with T.O.F.U.

Ryan — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:15:47 +0000

A little over a week ago I was lucky enough to be asked to chat with Erin from Red Radio. We covered quite a lot of ground in a little over an hour, and there was plenty more that was left on the editing floor. Of course, this is what happens when you get two opinionated, Canadian vegans on a microphone together, right?

So, while I’m taking this holiday Monday here in Canada to keep the ball rolling for issue #7 submissions (you have sent in a pitch, right?), feel free to listen to what we had to say about YouTube cat videos, Canada, Newfoundland, Ontario, PETA (I’ll give you two guesses how this topic went), and so much more.

Red Radio Ep. 39: Shootin’ the T.O.F.U. with Ryan Patey

St. John’s City Review

Ryan — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:32:27 +0000

“Pi is another great option in downtown St. John’s. A pizza place with a funky, math- inspired aesthetic, Pi offers not only a vegan crust, but a vegan chocolate cake as well (though the cake is sadly icing-free). The brand new, and stylish, Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca (piattopizzeria.com) on Duckworth specialises in Neapolitan pizza. The servers and chefs are keen to accomodate vegan diets, and even though they don’t carry a vegan cheese, they will throw some on for you if you bring your own.”

Together with two other local contributors, I wrote a review of T.O.F.U.’s current hometown, St. John’s, Newfoundland. Known to many as a great tourist destination with its rugged coastlines and broad wilderness, the city may have grown-up on meat and potatoes, but over the past few years it has branched out into many interesting culinary offerings. So much so that the review in the newest issue of T.O.F.U. spans five pages!

To read the whole thing, feel free to download the issue for whatever price you want here.

From the window of T.O.F.U. headquarters

Ryan — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:26:48 +0000

Hey folks,

I just wanted to post a picture from a small series I’m hoping to do to give you all a window into where I put the magazine together. This one was taken from my computer about five minutes ago, so it’s not the best quality, but I think you will understand why I chose the place I’m living. If you want to see more, head on over to the Facebook group.

=-)

hope all is well,

Ryan

Settling down (again)

Ryan — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:02:19 +0000

Hello.

It’s alright if you had assumed I was dead. I would assume the same too if I saw a blog that had not been updated in months. Damn speed of the Internet means expiration dates are in hours instead of days or months. If we were writing letters to each other I feel like a month or two would be acceptable, but I guess I would also write more in a letter than I do in a blog. Well, at least I would like to think I would.

Speaking of sending letters, and to provide yet another excuse for my late bloggery, I may have a new address to call my own soon. Well, not as soon as I had expected, but sooner than I had in mind at any point these past few months. That’s right, I’m settling down again. This time it’s back in my home province, just a couple of hours away from where I grew up. Sure, the vegan scene here does not compare to that of Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, or maybe even Halifax, but there are nice little surprises to be found. Like the vegan stand at the farmer’s market that just supplied me with brownie cupcakes or even the Thai place in the mall food court that clearly states “vegan pad thai” on their menu. Add these surprises to a music scene that is wooing me every time I go out, and houses that have more colours than Crayola, and I’m thinking I’m good here through the winter at least.

=-)

So, what does an address mean for this traveling vegan? Well, it means bills for one thing, which is not something I’m looking forward to, but I am hoping to be able to pay said bills with work on my own terms. I’m not rushing into a 9-5 job with a schedule dictated by a boss I dislike. Nope, I’m going to push to do work from home or anywhere else I choose to do it. We shall see how that goes. Also, as a part of this push, I’m going to get the magazine back on track. Yeah, remember that little guy? I have more excuses and apologies in regards to it than I do issues, and that needs to be fixed.

Basically, I’m taking the time on this sunny day here in St. John’s, Newfoundland to put it in writing that I will get back to work on something I love very, very soon.

Well, in this case “soon” means after I get back from a hike to Signal Hill, but that’s better than later, right?

off to stare at the ocean,

St. Johns hatches plan to curb swan population

Ryan — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:29:02 +0000

CBC News – Nfld. & Labrador – St. Johns hatches plan to curb swan population.

Well, damn. Just when I was starting to warm up to living in St. John’s they go and do this.

To criticize or to praise?

Ryan — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:31:25 +0000

I just had what I believe is my third meal at the Sprout here in Newfoundland, and I’m at a crossroads.
The last two meals there have been average at best, and I’m left wondering if I should try to find somewhere else to eat for the next 24hrs?
The problem is, I want to support the Sprout. Plus, I don’t know if there really is another option in this small city. I could go looking, but the idea of walking out of a restaurant if there is nothing there or simply ordering the French fries (I’m not a salad person) is not appealing.
That being said, I did have a great eggplant burger at Folly last night after the Hey Rosetta! Show. I just wonder at what point supporting a veg restaurant in a city with few options should take priority over a happy stomach?
I know Lisa Dempster has suggested in the past that good vegan food at a meaty restaurant is better than bad vegan food at a veg restaurant, but what if the options are really limited?
My stomach is anxiously waitig for me to make the decision as I’m running out of menu options at the Sprout, and I think they’re starting to notice my constant presence there.