Jon Bon Jovi leads the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and the charity has announced its latest philanthropic event, a pay what you can diner located in Red Bank, New Jersey, Soul Kitchen.

Jovi claims Soul Kitchen serves everything that nourishes the body as well as the soul.

“It’s healthy, not health food. Healthy has a better connotation,” Jovi told GrubStreet. “You won’t see burgers and fries there; it’s organic, healthy, good-for-you food, and vegetarian stuff too.”

Looking at Soul Kitchen’s menu, we don’t see any burgers and there are a few meatless items available, like the 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili with handmade chips.

But then there’s a lot of the “other”…chicken, fish and a lot of pork.

Soul Kitchen should be commended for including a vegetarian dish on its menu (so long as it’s truly vegetarian and doesn’t contain any beef or chicken stock or other flavoring). But it’s time for Jon to recognize that animal products comprising the majority of a menu is about a close to healthy as big hair bands are a good touring complement to rappers and hip-hop.

Here’s hoping Soul Kitchen makes a few changes to the menu to reflect the trends of 2011 that will make the entire population, needy or not, more healthy.

Less meat, more plants. Mostly plants. Big hair’s okay too.

Photo: David Shankbone/Creative Commons

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A vegan bake shop in New Jersey is dedicating the passing of one of the greatest tech inventors by donating a pastry in his name to an animal-friendly research charity.

Sweet Avenue of Rutherford is giving a portion of proceeds from its Apple Pie Cupcake to the Gateway Center For Cancer Research to honor Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Unlike many organizations that aim to cure or manage diseases, Gateway will only help fund non-animal research.

Sweet Avenue owners Jake and Danielle Vance told CBS New York, “The organization is a certified human charity. This means that they do not directly fund or contribute to any organizations that perform animal research.”

“Steve Jobs started Apple the same way we started Sweet Avenue – from home, with little money and even less experience,” the Vances said of the entrepreneur who battled pancreatic cancer. “We don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Sweet Avenue might not be the same without the company and devices that Steve Jobs built.”

Over the past two decades, the Gateway Center has funded 71 studies and raised $20 million for cancer patients.

Photo: Matt Buchanan/Creative Commons

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Image: Hello ChateauHo on Flickr

Chrissie Hynde has closed the vegetarian restaurant she opened approximately four years ago in her hometown of Akron, Ohio, The Vegiterranean.

The singer posted a farewell message on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

“It’s is with great regret that The VegiTerranean in downtown Akron has closed it doors for the last time,” Hynde wrote.

“This has been a labor of love for us for the last four years. We tried everything we could to keep the restaurant going but unfortunately due to the current economic climate this has not been possible.”

“I’d like to THANK everybody who helped me fulfill my dream. I discovered that Vegan cuisine in Ohio has become more appreciated than I imagined. We were voted among the top 5 Vegan restaurants in America by Business Week.”

“Of course my Chef Scot Jones is responsible for that, with the help of Tal Ronnen, the man who taught him how to translate his delicious recipes into non meat versions. Last but not least I’d like to thank our management, amazing staff and everyone of you who dined with us at The VegiTerranean.”

According to Hynde’s chef Scot Jones, there are plans for he and Hynde to relocate to California and partner with vegan chef Tal Ronnen for a restaurant with a similar concept.

“It won’t be called VegiTerranean. It will be a concept like this, but bigger and better,” Jones said.

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Nicki Minaj was caught gobbling up vegetarian food at Atlanta’s Sunflower Cafe.

The restaurant Tweeted what the singer ate.

“We had Ms. @NickiMinaj in the house tonight! She had the Crispy Fried Okra, Steamed Dumplings, and of course Sesame Soy Chicken.”

The restaurant that’s been serving tasty dishes like Walnut Toasted Orzo Cutlet, Spring Quinoa and Stuffed Acorn Squash was voted one of the “10 Great Places To Eat With An Easy Conscience” by USA Today and a winner of the 2009 Vegetarian Times Dining Out Awards.

Photo: PR Photos

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New York Indie pop band Cults spoke to Spin Magazine about their favorite places to hang in NYC.

Brian Oblivion and Madeline Folin have a few spots in town where they go heavy on the veggie.

When the duo is looking for a good Mexican dish, they head to Dos Tores at 137 4th Ave for a veggie burrito with a side of guacamole.

“It’s the closet thing to California-Mexican food that is in New York,” Folin said.

Even if they’ve stuffed themselves with beans and rice, Brian and Madeline still enjoy saving room for some vegan desserts from BabyCakes, a bakery where Madeline was formerly employed.

Brian is a fan of the cookie sandwhich, while Madeline can’t get enough of red velvet cake.

“I don’t think there are any other vegan desserts that are actually delicious,” Madeline said.

Check out the other favorite Cult spots at Spin.

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Yankees fans with a vegan sweet tooth can now enjoy BabyCakes frozen cookie and brownie cream sandwiches at the Legends Suite, an exclusive area featuring 1,800 cushioned seats located close to the field and amenities like concierge services and private restrooms.

Owner Erin McKenna was so happy about the deal, she had to use more punctuation than usual on her blog.

“We’re working on providing goods at more concessions but in the meantime this is a really big deal and we are so excited! Isn’t that obvious with all the exclamation marks I’m using!”

Cupcakes!!! Brownies!!! Baseball!!! Yummy!!! Oh no. Looks like it’s contagious.

Photo: Google Man/Creative Commons

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Top Chef‘s Dale Talde has said that cooking meats is one of his favorite things to do in the kitchen. But having a girlfriend is more important, so to please his better half, he’s creating a plant-based menu for his new restaurant that will open in the Park Slope, New York area.

Nothing like a good woman to bring a man to his senses.

Grub Street says the restaurant the carrying the chef’s last name will offer a “market ramen” featuring fresh, seasonal items.

The Asian-American eatery will be a partnership between John Bush and David Massoni of Brooklyn’s Thistle Hill Tavern, which may bring an even bigger bonus to the vegan Talde menu.

Thistle Hill regularly pleases its veggie customers with dishes like green pea falafel, the vegan burger and spring market salad.

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Actor, writer, director and producer Mike Binder has finally opened his Coney Dog restaurant in West Hollywood, a stop for all treats native to his hometown in Detroit like dogs, Faygo pop and Better Made Chips.

Binder’s wife and daughter are both vegetarian, which prompted him to put veggie dogs and other items on the menu.

Coney Dog LA serves a vegetarian hot dog called the “California Jack,” that is filled with with vegetarian chili, mustard and onions. There’s also a vegetarian chili side option and veggie chili fries, which got a good review from a vegetarian on Yelp.

Even if you’re a meat eater, you may want to consider ditching the Coney Dog or Loose Burger for California Jack sometimes. Eating too many servings of processed meat like hot dogs has been shown to increase the risk of diseases like cancer and diabetes.

Photo: PR Photos

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