A vegan is one who does not consume any type of animal product, be it flesh or dairy or egg. Some vegans also will not eat honey. Many vegans will not use/purchase other animal products, including leather, fur, and products tested on animals.

Every vegan has reasons for adopting this practice. Some choose to do it for health reasons, while others are unsatisfied with the way the meat/dairy industry operates. Others do it for economical reasons.

If you're vegan, it's especially great to live in San Francisco. Below are some businesses that specialize in vegan food/products:

• Alive, a raw foods restaurant in the Marina (also a booth at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market)
• Cafe Gratitude, a restaurant serving raw food, all vegan
• Cha-Ya, a Japanese vegan restaurant
• Golden Era, a Chinese vegan restaurant in the Tenderloin
• Herbivore, an American vegan restaurant with locations in the Mission and the Inner Sunset
• Judahlicious, an all-vegan cafe in the Outer Sunset
• Juicey Lucy's, all-vegan, mostly-raw in North Beach
• Millennium, an upscale New American/Eclectic restaurant
• Shangri-La, a vegan Chinese place in the Sunset

Here are some restaurants/stores that have decent vegan options:

• Ananda Fuara, a vegetarian Buddhist joint in the Civic Center just off Market Street; several vegan options
• Boogaloos, breakfast diner in the Mission; not 100% veggie, but several vegan options
• St. Francis Fountain, not all-veggie, but several vegan options available (tofu scrambles among them)
• Love N Haight Deli, not all-veggie, but impressive selection of lip-smackin' fake meats
• Valencia Whole Foods, a grocery store in the Mission with large selection of vegan frozen food
• Underdog, sausage-joint in the Inner Sunset with vegan sausages
• Weird Fish, vegan fish 'n' chips in a seafood joint located in the Mission
• Peace Cafe, cafe in Upper Haight, some vegan options available
• Rainbow Grocery, an all-vegetarian supermarket in the Mission with many vegan options
• Ritual Coffee Roasters, a cafe in the Mission. There are vegan pastries available.
• Enjoy Vegetarian, a Chinese all-vegetarian restaurant in the Inner Sunset; several vegan options
• Greens Restaurant, mostly lacto-ovo, but several vegan options; in the Marina
• Rosemunde's, sausage spot in the Lower Haight with two vegan options on a sourdough roll
• Pork Store Cafe, considered the best tofu scramble in the city by some
• Gestalt Haus, vegan sausage option alongside your fancy brew

Peoples Donuts in Berkeley supplies many San Francisco cafes with organic vegan donuts.

See http://www.bayareaveg.org/ for the Bay Area Vegans website!

Now-departed Vegan-y things

• MaggieMudd, an ice cream/frozen desserts cafe in Bernal Heights