Friday, March 13, 2009

COCO500

Last night I dined at COCO with Coco. Little did I know that one of my friend's favorite restaurants is also her nickname at work. And, no, the name has nothing to do with the restaurant.... Anyway, after an adventure involving the return of a cell phone left in a cab, we arrived at the accommodating (we changed the reservation twice while waiting for the phone to be delivered) COCO500 and settled in for some good grub. I've mentioned this before, but said friend is crossing off items from 7x7's Big Eat List, and the fried string beans here are one of the "must-haves." Sadly, something in the batter isn't vegan, so I went sans beans. I like a knowledgeable waiter though, so it's all good. I also like that when I suggested veganizing the flatbread, he assured me it just wouldn't be as tasty and then made recommendations for vegan items. What I ended up with was essentially a bunch of their veggie sides on a plate of quinoa, and it was hearty, delicious, and beautiful. Sadly, I left my camera at home, but I managed to snag this picture with the phone that was returned:

You're looking at citrus and herb beets, roasted pumpkin with chiles, and garlic-sauteed brocolli rabe. Everything was really delicious and hit the spot. I'd go back to CoCo for the understanding of all things vegan alone, but it also has a really great not-too-big-not-too-small, vibe that's cozy without being stifling. Definitely a recommendation for a date night. Gotta dig a place where love between vegans and others can bloom!

Two side notes:
1. On my OpenTable reservation I wrote "One of us if vegan" as I always do. The day before the reservation, I get a call: "Hello this is so-and-so from COCO500 confirming your reservation for tomorrow. I also see on here that one of you is a VIRGIN, so I'll notify the chef."
Hilarious, right? I listened to it three times, and had my husband listen to it too. She definitely says VIRGIN. I wonder what the chef thought....
2. Stay tuned for my own version of the "Big Eat" list coming soon. It'll be one for the ages. :)

1 comment:

JessBess said...

Looks delicious! (And good to know that virgins and vegans alike get good service :-)