The Midwest is known for its meat. The region is home to hundreds of thousands of farms, and many of its most famous dishes center on animal products. Think Wisconsin beer brats, Kansas City barbecue, Chicago-style hot dogs.
Damon Brasch grew up in this culture, in a large Italian family, where meat was always served at the center of the plate. Now based in Arizona, he still feels nostalgic about the food that played such a huge role in his upbringing.
“There’s really nothing quite like an Italian hoagie,” he told VegNews. “It’s the crunch of the bread, the yield of the meat and cheese against your teeth, and that perfect combination of fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion.”
Today, though, Brasch doesn’t eat meat at all. In fact, he’s an established plant-based restaurateur in Arizona—the founder of the 20-year-old vegan restaurant Green New American, which has locations in Tempe and Phoenix, and the Phoenix coffee-and-ice-cream shop Nami.
Green New American is beloved for its creative, plant-based twists on traditional comfort foods, such as wings, cheesy nachos, quesadillas, and po’ boys. But Brasch wanted to take things further. That’s why he has just opened a whole new venture, inspired by that meaty upbringing in the Midwest: Mother Board Analog Meats.
Mother Board Analog Meats
“The one thing we won’t compromise on is serving animal products, and we think we’ve done a pretty good job proving over the years that you don’t need to. Whether it’s green New American Vegetarian, Nami, or now Mother Board, we’re incredibly proud to serve our community.”
The new Arizona go-to for hearty vegan Italian sandwiches
The vegan deli, located in Tempe’s Green New American, has been in the making for more than a year. “We’re so excited to finally introduce our meats to the world,” said Brasch. “We feel like now is the right time because, really, who doesn’t love a delicious sandwich filled with the best handmade vegan deli cuts we’ve ever tasted? We took our time developing something we were genuinely proud of, and now we’re ready for people to experience it.”
The results of that extensive research and development include the Mother Teresa sandwich, with the deli’s own vegan turkey seitan and provolone cheese; the Uncle Alan, with sliced salami, capicola, and mortadeli; and the Jersey Boss, with sliced ham, turkey, and cheddar cheese.
Most of the sandwiches come with The Fix, the deli’s signature combination of lettuce, tomato, onions, mayonnaise, sweets and hots, red and sherry wine sauce, and a 12-inch hoagie roll.
“We wanted to recreate the entire experience without sacrificing anything that makes an Italian sub so satisfying,” added Brasch. “And nobody has to die, be killed, or suffer for it. To us, it’s a no-brainer.”
Mother Board Analog Meats
“Our hope is that people won’t come to our restaurants because they’re great vegan restaurants, but because they’re great restaurants. Delicious food, a cool experience, affordable prices, and amazing customer service are what we want to deliver.”
The choice of the word “analog” in the deli’s name might seem unconventional, but it’s entirely deliberate. In basic terms, it means “something that is similar or comparable to something else,” per Merriam-Webster, and for Brasch and his team, this feels more accurate than words like “plant-based” or “alternative.”
“‘Plant-based’ has become such a broad category that it doesn’t really describe what we’re doing,” he explained. “We aren’t simply removing meat from a dish or substituting it with vegetables. We’re creating food that’s meant to occupy the same space as traditional meats, with its own texture, flavor, preparation, and personality.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
