Monday, January 17, 2011

Shelley Visits... and I Develop Multiple Personalities!

Well, it's not really another personality, per se, but I am offering up my vegan knowledge in an additional location these days: Vegan Favorites! Shelley and I decided to start this mutual blog during her visit this past weekend, so in between eating excursions we got busy and started posting. I hope you love it. For me, it's a venue in which I can put my short attention span to good use. I mean, why detail an entire meal when I can just tell you about my favorite dish? I also will be talking about favorite vegan apparel, skincare, accessories, etc. So bookmark it, subscribe, and be informed.

For now, back to the food. Of course there was much eating well to be done while Shelley was visiting and we hit new-to-her places like Saturn Cafe, Cha-Ya, and DOSA. All amazing, as usual. 'Nuff said. Shelley has her own SF favorites though, and one of them is Love N Haight. Since leaving the Lower Haight neighborhood 6 (yikes!) years ago, I don't really hit up this vegan-friendly sandwich shop very often, but our visit this weekend reminded me of why I loved it so much. Everything vegan is clearly labeled, the sandwiches (Shelley loved her mock chicken) are HUGE, and the woman behind the counter is just about the nicest person you'll ever meet. Oh, and the falafel salad is the bomb:

This plate of greens and other salady items comes with paprika-topped hummus, olives, peperoncini, and big rounds of warm falafel. Technically it also comes with two pita, but I never get them because otherwise I am in danger of never eating again. So much good food! I must return back to Love N Haight in the near future.

The best food of the weekend though, had to be the brunch the Shelley made for me on Sunday. The above orange scone was just the appetizer. The light, flakey, melt-in-your-mouth appetizer. :)

Up next were these tofu quiches which you can read all about at Vegan Favorites.

And then, the dessert of brunches everywhere, and something almost never offered in a vegan version: French Toast. Of course, this is Shelley we're talking about after all, this was cinnamon French toast with caramelized banana syrup. Isn't it beautiful? This was so warm and sweet and scrumptious I can't even begin to tell you. And it looked pretty easy too! She used a good loaf of bread and made a batter of So Delicious Coconut Milk, cinnamon, and a touch of canola oil for browning purposes. Maybe there was more to it than that, but I walked away feeling like even the kitchen-challenged like me could make it.

All in all, a wonderful and productive visit for sure! Shelley is back in Boston now, and it's back to reality for me. Stay tuned for more SF eats, including another homemade feast in the near future. Oh, and don't forget to check the daily (yes, promise!) posts over at Vegan Favorites.


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