Kendal Davis ’26 tried vegan sandwiches and desserts from Easton Public Market. (Photo courtesy of Kendal Davis ’26)

It feels like I started my first semester at Lafayette College only a few months ago, and while some of my biggest fears at the time were how hard my classes would be and whether or not I would adjust to communal living, one of my biggest concerns quickly became food. I’ve been vegan for about five years now, and at home that worked fine, but I was in for a wake-up call at school.  

Like many other college students, I’ve come to love apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats when I get tired of dining hall food, but when I’m hanging out with friends downtown, it can be challenging to find a place with a wide variety of options. However, in an effort to explore some of the vegan food that Downtown Easton has to offer, I took a trip to the Easton Public Market. With so many vendors, I knew that there had to be more than one choice for someone with a plant-based diet, and I found that I wasn’t wrong.

Rod’s Dogs

My first stop was Rod’s Dogs. Although advertised as a traditional burger, hot dog and shake shop, it also has a few vegan options, including a vegan brat and a vegan vanilla milkshake. I decided to go with the milkshake.

Retailed at $8 before tax, I ordered the shake extra thick and awaited my first taste. I’m always hesitant with restaurants that aren’t fully vegan, but this milkshake was great. It was pure vanilla without the overbearing coconut taste that tends to be typical of many vegan ice creams. While I would have liked some plant-based topping options, I was truly impressed and decided that the market trip was off to a good start. 

The Modern Crumb

Starting off with dessert didn’t mean that I wasn’t ready for more. My next stop was The Modern Crumb, a bakery with a wide variety of traditional baked goods along with some that have a fun flavor twist. I can always count on them to have a vegan chocolate peanut butter sammy ($4.25 without tax), but in the spirit of trying something new, I also ordered a strawberry lemonade cookie for around the same price.

The Modern Crumb first caught my attention for having any vegan baked goods at all, and its cookies never disappoint. Already full from my milkshake, I tasted the strawberry lemonade cookie and found that its crunchy outside and chewy inner were an instant hit in my book. 

Chocodiem

After doing a little more perusing, I stopped at Chocodiem, an artisanal chocolate and macaron vendor near the back of the market. In past trips to the market, knowing that it was near impossible to make a good vegan macaron, I had disregarded the store. However, a closer look proved that vegan chocolate was well within reach.

I ordered four truffles: coconut, cookies and cream, dark hazelnut and very berry. In total, these truffles came to $10.38. I also ordered a cookies and cream pudding after being informed by one of the workers there, who happened to be vegan, that the shop offered a few other vegan options. This pudding retailed at $6.13. In this case, I looked to my non-vegan friend Sam Axelrod ’26 for her rating.

“I know that there are some things that taste weird because they’re vegan and there are others that taste exactly the same, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” Axelrod said. “It did not taste vegan at all.”

Silvershell Counter and Kitchen

Serving as the highlight of the trip, the vegan crab cake sandwich from Silvershell Counter and Kitchen completely surprised me. I was pointed in their direction after my stop at Chocodiem and didn’t know what to expect. Before becoming vegan, I had never been a big fan of seafood and knew that it might bias my view of the crab cake.

However, the sandwich, fries and side of slaw ($24) were a burst of flavor after only about a 15-minute wait. The crab cake was a unique spin on what a typical cake would taste like. It wasn’t trying too hard to be something it wasn’t, and for that, it served as the centerpiece of my trip to the market. 

For those who are still looking for more vegan and vegetarian options at the Easton Public Market, don’t feel limited by this review. There are vendors that offer vegan pizza, fresh vegetable wraps and more. While it can be hard to find options, it no longer feels impossible.