Joey DiMaggio has embraced a vegan-like diet to help combat both personal health struggles and food insecurity. He focuses on cooking plant-based meals that feel like “food that is familiar,” proving that going meat and dairy-free can still be comforting.

Despite an estimated 16-20 million Americans avoiding meat and dairy, not a single fully vegan or vegetarian restaurant landed on OpenTable’s 2025 Top 100 list. This omission has left plant-based diners questioning how influential rankings align with America’s growing appetite for cruelty-free cuisine.