Vegan food from Dirty Lettuce can satisfy any KFC craving. COURTESY OF DIRTY LETTUCE
Surrounded by a virtual Instagram grid of perfectly plated street tacos and behind-the-scenes cooking videos is an image of Walter Mercado—a beloved Hispanic astrologer—standing in an embellished pink cape, his hands outstretched as if presenting the overlaid text: “Trans POC eat free.”
It’s a policy that speaks to the core of vegan taqueria Mis Tacones’s mission of making Portland’s predominantly white vegan scene more welcoming and accessible for brown, working-class queer people.
“I’ve always seen veganism through the lens of privilege,” said Polo Bañuelos, chef and co-owner of Mis Tacones. “And when I see privilege, I see inaccessibility to other communities. It doesn’t have to be inaccessible.”
