It’s hard not to start a love affair with Graze Kitchen + its imaginative plant-based creations. From the folks behind Firefly Tapas and Tacos & Beer, this fairly new eatery in the southwestern area of Vegas is part of the city’s dynamic + ever-growing vegan food scene.

The two appetizers we ordered were instant home-runs: the Firecracker Cauliflower (with panko breadcumbs + sweet & sour glaze) + the heaven-sent Crab Cakes (with cornmeal breadcrumb + remoulade sauce). Our entrees were a Cobb salad with deviled tofu, a taco salad + another with soba noodles—all dreamy + crunchy—plus the Graze Burger (quinoa-walnut patty on a toasted pretzel bun) served with fries.

We couldn’t leave without trying Graze’s carrot cake + a slice of their lemon blueberry cake—both were subtle + on-point. And the Moon Milk, with the lavender syrup + steamed oat milk, is a must-have.

The dishes at Graze are flavorful + creatively plated, and the eatery’s whimsical interior design perfectly complements the experience of dining here.

As testament to this city’s vegan movement, this past November marked the debut of the Vegas Vegan Culinary School. Founded by self-described “passionate animal welfare advocate” Heather Heath, it’s the city’s first vegan cooking school and, impressively, the first non-accredited vegan cooking school in America.

What these chefs are doing with plant-based food is uplifting and feels revolutionary. There will always be people flocking to the classic Vegas steak houses, but an eatery like Graze, to my mind, is a more interesting route to take.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on the upcoming opening (in late-May) of Crossroads Kitchen—the Vegas outpost of the acclaimed high-end L.A. vegan restaurant—at Resorts World.  Hopefully it will be another plant-based gem to fall in love with.