Sublime Restaurant Takes Top Honors in PETA's Vegan Sweet Treats Awards

Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and sugary goodies are on everyone's mind. Though most drugstore chocolate hearts aren't vegan-friendly, plenty of delicious dessert options fit the bill.

Take, for instance, the postdinner lineup at Sublime Restaurant & Bar (1431 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale). The vegan eatery's Chocolate Nirvana cake recently ranked number one on PETA's "Top 10 Vegan Sweet Treats." The insanely decadent chocolate layer cake is made with Kahlúa butter crème and dark chocolate ganache.

"We ranked vegan desserts from restaurants, bakeries, and cafés around the country based on input from diners, including PETA staff and supporters who have tried them, online reviews, and our traveling campaigners who know the best spots nationwide," PETA rep Moira Colley says.

The cake has been on the menu since Sublime opened, owner Nanci Alexander says. "But we constantly look to tweak it as we do with all our recipes — just a smidgen if the chef/baker thinks they can improve it."

Other eateries that made PETA's list are Vegan Treats Bakery in Philadelphia, Pennsyvania; Cinnaholic, a national vegan cinnamon-roll chain; and Back to Eden Bakery in Portland, Oregon.

"Since PETA has the most sophisticated taste for vegan cuisine, I am more than thrilled," Alexander says.

This isn't the first time Sublime has been on PETA's radar. The famous vegan eatery (a favorite of stars such as Alec Baldwin, Paul McCartney, and John Salley) frequently hosts celebrity appearances and PETA fundraisers, and previously took first place on PETA's "Top Picks for Fabulous Food and A-List Celebrities."

As Sublime's cake shows, vegan treats can be just as delicious as the traditional versions. "All of the bakeries and restaurants on PETA's list prove how easy and delicious it is to choose cruelty-free fare," Colley says.

"Eating eggs and dairy supports cruelty to animals," she adds. "On factory farms, chickens and cows are routinely mutilated without painkillers by having part of their sensitive beaks cut off, or the horn tissue burned out of their heads with hot irons. They are often forced to live in extremely crowded, filthy conditions, and once their production wanes at a fraction of their natural lifespan, they are sent to slaughter, where they have their throats slit to be turned into cheap meat."