The Front Porch

I was watching football at a bar one Sunday, as I'm want to do (GO NINERS!!!) and noticed an old timey telephone at the end of the bar with a menu perched against it. I got curious and it turns out that if you're at the Rock Bar (and you should go) you can get food delivered from the restaurant across the street - a restaurant that has some pretty amazing vegan options. So I did. And it was awesome. So awesome that I went back for the full sit down experience the other night. Welcome to The Front Porch, y'all:

Yep, their fried pickles are vegan (eat with ketchup and not aioli) and delicious. So are their boiled peanuts, but I didn't get a picture of them this evening. Both are addictive.  Both were gobbled up!

Also unexpectedly tasty is their mixed green salad. Served up with avocado, fennel, grapefruit, and an unusually good sherry vinaigrette, this is a true expression of winter's harvest - and really, REALLY yummy.

The show stopper is definitely the vegan plate, however. It changes all the time, apparently, but because I ate here twice in a week it was the same both times. Fine by me, because this unique dish is the bomb. The base is a large dollop of mashed purple potatoes. What makes them creamy and sweet? Coconut milk. Yes, delicious. I want to make coconut milk mashed potatoes all the time now. Moving on, there is a layer of braised kale (my favorite) and then perfectly grilled tofu. It all gets topped with some sort of magic sauce and fried sweet potato chips. Right?!? It's so tasty and hearty and exactly the kind of thing that SHOULD be served at a southern, comfort food kind of place that wants to include everyone at the table.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Front Porch. Your food got me in the door, but your service, kitchy ambiance, and all around welcoming vibe will keep me coming back time and time again. I might wait more than a week though... you know, so that you can switch it up... if you must. :)

Next up, a surprise fine dining knock-out on the coast. Stay tuned!