Moldy Soybeans, a Love Story

Saturday night, after the kind of riotous punk show that leaves your ears ringing and your stomach empty, we went looking for something to eat in Salt Lake City and landed at Vertical Diner. The vegan mainstay was brimming with teens on first dates, students glued to laptops, and a painfully chipper server with full Disney-adult energy — a sharp contrast to the usual staff of hot, pierced youths. 

But none of that really matters. What matters is the tempeh: sticky-sweet crumbles tucked into crunchy lettuce wraps.