Northern Bites

A quick nod to two vegan-friendly establishments north of the Golden Gate. The first one has been written up before (though I just now see that I spelled its name wrong throughout the post), but is worth another mention for their quality food and location. Seriously, if you haven't tried Guaymas, you really should.

Sit outside on a nice day, and enjoy fresh guacamole and salsas and... this salad perhaps. Full of crisp lettuce, veggies, and avocado, it also comes with a creamy (sans cream of course) cilantro dressing that is super yummy. Plus, it's served in a tortilla bowl. Anything served in deep fried dough is a winner in my book. :) Speaking of dough....

That was my arugula topped marinara pie at Pizzeria Tra Vigne in St. Helena. It is, quite simply, perfect post-wine tasting fare. Their dough, sauce, and all non-cooked veggie toppings are vegan. The sauteed veggies, like the mushrooms and onions, however, are done in butter. Trust me, that still leaves you PLENTY of topping options.

Hope you all have a lovely week. My friend and writing partner, Shelley, is arriving tomorrow from Boston, so stay tuned for some of our delicious eats!

The Source

Why it took me almost a year since The Source opened to finally grab a meal there is beyond me, but that is exactly what happened. Throughout that year, I continually heard great things about the all-veg eatery, so when I took my parents last week, I had high expectations. Expectations that were FAR exceeded. Let's see some food, shall we?

First up was this artichoke and spinach fondue appetizer. Holy crap. I hadn't had artichoke and spinach dip in more than 15 years I'd guess, but this reminded me of a warm and even tastier version. There was just a hint of truffle oil, and the soft pita for dipping was divine. What a way to start the meal.

I had the Living Platter, which combines a few of their raw salads, a hemp seed tabouleh, some raw crackers with tasty sauce, and savory marinated mushrooms. My favorite part was definitely the Caesar salad, which I will order as a started on my next visit for sure. All in all a very solid raw food meal.

For dessert? A chocolate peanut butter snowball. Mmmmmm..... Not into chocolate and peanut butter? After you get the professional help you obviously need, try a "Twinkee":

Light and fluffy and sugary and so damn good.

I also tried delicious bites of my table mates' cashew cheese pizza, and Peking "Quack" spring rolls. Both were so good, and the best part of The Source is that the menu is so damn big you could go many, many (MANY) times and try something new each visit. That's my plan, and I hope to see you there!

PS - My only complaint about The Source is that it's not all vegan. Every menu item can be made vegan, and delectably so, so why not just take the plunge and commit, Source???

All My SF Favorites

My parents are safe and sound back home in NJ now, after yet another wonderful visit to the Bay Area. We saw the sites, enjoyed some quality time together and, of course, had some

delicious eats. I'll write about the new-to-us food (and boy was it incredible), but I thought I'd put up a quick post about all the old favorites we visited during the week. These are the mid-range restaurants that deliver consistently tasty meals, visit after visit. First up was Cha-Ya:

The seaweed salad is just the tip of the iceberg at this all-vegan sushi joint. No frills. Just fantastically fresh and flavorful food.

Of course, we also had to head over the Bay Bridge for the cashew cheese pizza at Gather. It's slightly spicy and spiked with salty olives. Plus it has the best crispy yet chewy crust you ever could imagine.

In my neighborhood lives a great go-to meal, the farmer's market salad (sans cheese) with mini veggie burgers at Roam. The side of sweet potato fries is optional, but highly recommended.

And lastly, my mom's favorite meal in all of SF: The veggie dog and tater tots from Underdog. A classic done so well.

These are just a few of the reasons I love living in SF. Stay tuned for some of the over-the-top edibles from their visit soon. Meanwhile, enjoy the weekend, everyone!