As of Dec. 3, the mobile grub of Ray's Vegan Soul has found a brick-and-mortar home. Adding another option to St. Petersburg's growing roster of vegan restaurants, the fixed location for this established rolling business is part of what residents have dubbed the Fringe District at 169 Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., where the Slate Door Brew coffeeshop used to be.
Ray's has traveled to local markets, bars and other venues to feed hungry folks for more than four years, gaining popularity around town at events like Localtopia and the monthly Second Saturday ArtWalk.
According to the owner, Ray Milton, members of his loyal following have driven over an hour to get a taste of his cashew-based mac and cheese — a testament to how good the stuff is. But before he started Ray's Vegan Soul, Milton, who was once a professional boxing coach, owned a St. Pete bakery called Sugar Ray's, which closed on Fourth Street six years ago.
Why did he make the jump to a plant-based soul food operation? Like many, Milton was vegetarian before going vegan (why does it always seem easier to live without meat than cheese?), so he adopted a vegan lifestyle — with the goal of reversing onset diabetes and losing weight — without compromising in the kitchen.
"My food has passion, soul and flavor," said Milton.
The owner continues to post his menu every week on the restaurant's Facebook page, where diners may peruse their options ahead of time. And it's no surprise the dishes are ever-changing — he has 2,000-plus original vegan recipes to choose from. Items like chicken-fried steak, pumpkin chili, salmon croquettes, collard and kale greens, raw tacos, and cornbread have made appearances in the past.
While many of the dishes rotate in and out, there are a few that get served up every time during business hours (5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday). Milton abides by the ol' saying, "Give the people what they want." The aforementioned mac, his most popular dish, and the African almond soup are weekly musts.
"Some people say it's the best soup they've ever had," he said.
The brick-and-mortar Ray's, which also carries a refreshing lineup of local kombucha, can seat between 12 and 15 guests inside, plus up to 30 outside on the sidewalk. Bonus: There's live jazz music starting at noon on Sundays.
