Having a restaurant focused on vegan cuisine is not a trend or reaction to changing eating behaviors for Falomi Jeter. In her whole life, she has never eaten meat. The self-taught chef and owner of A Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen grew up in Columbia as a vegetarian and transitioned to being vegan as a young adult. She purchased the former Lamb’s Bread Vegan Café from her father in in 2014. The restaurant was the first completely vegan restaurant in South Carolina and most of the Southeast, Jeter says, and has maintained a presence in downtown Columbia for more than fifteen years. “A Peace of Soul offers 100-percent plant-based comfort food,” Jeter says. “We serve all sorts of cuisine from soul food, to Asian-fusion, to Italian and Americana. Our menu changes daily and always includes a protein entrée, a veggie plate, and a specialty sandwich of the day.”
When a certain restaurant started a chicken sandwich craze, Jeter countered with a vegan version that won rave reviews as well, and is now a staple and a must try. Her meat and three menu comes with no meat, of course, but includes delicious takes on barbecued “spareribs,” “drumsticks,” pulled “pork,” ”beef” and broccoli, kung pao “chicken” and more. On any given day, they can be paired with brown rice, purple cabbage, collard greens, black-eyed peas, black beans, red beans, mac and “cheese,” curry potatoes, and more. “I’m a true foodie and I enjoy veganizing all sorts of cuisine. I’m self-taught but I’ve had the pleasure of observing chefs and excellent home cooks,” Jeter says, noting that Columbia’s veteran vegan restaurant is here to stay. “I have a son who’s beginning to learn the business.”
