Austin: Day Two

Po'Boys and ice cream on day one meant we weren't really hungry for breakfast, so we just had a piece of fruit in the room and didn't hit a restaurant until lunch. When the time came, we found a great salad bar joint, Leaf. They have 12 salads that they make by name, but none are inherently vegan, so we chose the make your own option in which you pick your base greens and 6 toppings for $7.79. A great deal, especially considering all the veggies were super fresh and tasty. I splurged and got some grilled tofu on top for $2.75 but by the time I took this photo I had mixed it all up and the tofu was on the bottom.

Tofu's in there - promise. Leaf was a great lunch spot and, by the way it was packed with folks, others seems to think so too.

After an afternoon spent lying by the hotel pool (ahhh.....) we headed out across the Congress Street bridge to a place called Snack Bar. It is a mostly small plates restaurant with tons of vegan options and a decent wine and beer selection. Better yet they have a great patio area outside perfect for having a drink and some nibbles while people watching.

To start things off right, we got this amazing bruschetta with a red pepper spread, grilled summer squash, and mushrooms. It was just lovely. A little sweet, a little smokey, and a lot delicious.

We also tried this super couscous salad. I loved it. The big Israeli couscous paired perfectly with the crunchy spinach and veggies and the creamy (tofu? cashew?) dressing was divine. I could have eaten a lot more of this dish.

The seitan sliders we ordered were banging too. Pickles and onions add a nice bite to the bbq'd seitan and savory special sauce. These bad boys went down easy.

We also had some scrumptious olives and pickles, dilled brussel sprouts, and roasted beets to round out the meal. Honestly, eating at Snack Bar was just a joy. On a nice day, you'd be hard pressed to find a better outdoor dining experience. Check it out should you find yourself in Austin!