Eats Well With Others

Balinese Bites

2012-01-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

I'm back! We had an amazing trip to Bali and Australia and I can't wait to share with you some of the delicious eats we had on our journey. Join me as we find ourselves in Seminyak, Bali. Most of the eateries in this town have some vegan offering, but there is a real gem among them all: Zula Vegetarian Paradise. This all-vegan eatery served up some of the best food we ate on our whole trip. While in Seminyak for 4 days, we actually went there 4 times, enjoying breakfast, lunch, and dinner! For proof, here's a photo of each:

Up first, a breakfast of scrambled tofu, steamed greens, and baked pumpkin. That's sage on that pumpkin and it was delicious! So was the tofu. It appeared to be devoid of seasoning but I assure you that was not the case. Seasoned with magic. The perfect way to start the day.

Up next was lunch. This huge salad was topped with some of the tastiest tempeh I ever did have. We heard rumors on our trip that tempeh was invented in Indonesia and while I'm not sure, I believe it. I have never had tempeh as firm and flavorful as I had in Bali, and this salad was no exception. Wish I had some now....

For dinner we split this feast of savory and filling sweet potato soup and I had a Mediterranean plate of falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, tabouleh, pickled vegetables, and this red pepper relish thing that was so insanely good I asked for gobs more. This alone was as good, if not better, than all the Mediterranean places in SF, PLUS the pita was to die for. Light and fluffy and warm. Best pita ever.

Other than a chef who came to cook for me and my 16 friends in Uluwatu, Bali, the rest of our meals here were just sort of meh. Good eats awaited us in Australia though.... so stay tuned!

Metro North, Princeton NJ

2011-12-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

This will be a quick post, as I'm packing and preparing to leave tomorrow for Bali and Australia, but I wanted to let you know about the lovely experience I had at Metro North Restaurant in Princeton, NJ last week. My cousins had raved about the place, and the menu seemed to have some veganizable items, so off we went. The atmosphere is cozy despite the fact that it is a HUGE space, with a fireplace, dim (but not too dim) lighting, and tables spaced far enough away from each other that you don't feel like your intruding on your neighbor's meal. And, indeed, there is vegan food to be had....

Nothing is inherently vegan except the mixed greens salad, which (of course) I had. It was a good salad, but not great. Whatever, I got my greens. What was great, however, is the Mediterranean Platter. When you take away the feta and focaccia crisps (both not vegan) it becomes roasted red pepper hummus with olive tapenade, crackers, and veggies.... but it's still really good I swear!

Even more delicious was my pizza (sans cheese of course) with mushrooms. Really nice sauce and good quality olive oil make all the difference here. I know that cheeseless pizza and hummus and high on the list of things vegans hate ordering in omni restaurants, but Metro North's versions may change a few minds. My husband also really liked his roasted portobello sandwich with a side of broccoli rabe instead of potato salad.

Anyway, Metro North is a lovely place to eat well with others in NJ. I'm off to finish packing. I look forward to sharing all the vegan goodies I discover in Bali and Australia when I'm back at the end of January. Meanwhile, have a mightily happy new year, everyone! Eat well!

My New Love, Samovar Tea Lounge

2011-12-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

A while ago, there was a Groupon for Samovar Tea Lounge. I scoped the menu online, decided it was vegan-friendly enough and then proceeded to forget all about it. Meanwhile, a vegan friend of mine who is more on top of her game snatched it up, went, and told me all about what I was missing. I was jealous at first, but then happy to know that there is even more good vegan food in San Francisco that I was previously aware of. Plus, it comes with tea!

Needless to say when they ran another Groupon recently, I was on it, and last weekend the husband and I tried it out. That is my incredibly mellow and lovely mint tea, above, which was served as part of their "Moorish Service", easily veganized by switching out the cheese for tofu. Check it out:

Ok these crazy bad phone pics do this food no justice, so forgive me. Next time I'll bring a real camera. Anyhoo, up front you see their super-flavorful marinated tofu over greens with a tarragon vinaigrette. In the middle are the two dishes of roasted eggplant (to make up for the lack of yogurt it normally comes with) and one dish of hummus. The hummus was just alright but the eggplant had a deep and rich smoky flavor I loved. The crackers this meal was served with were also quite tasty, and the meal was rounded out with two mint-stuffed dates. The entire experience - from food to service to ambiance - was just wonderful, and I'm already looking forward to going back and trying some of their other vegan options. To note: I went to the location in Hayes Valley and each outpost has a slightly different menu, so just check online before you go.

In other news, the holidays are closing in like something that closes in really fast, and between my parents visiting and us traveling to Bali and Australia, I may not get to write for a while. I'll still be posting regularly over at Vegan Favorites, though, so stay tuned over there. Here's hoping you have a wonderful holiday season - full of laughter, love, and eating well!

Ubuntu, Now Closed

2011-12-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough get into Ubuntu for dinner on the last weekend they were open. They officially closed for the winter on November 21st, so even though I've been to Ubuntu a ton(including an amazing meal this past May, I feel compelled to share this last little ditty with you, lest they never reopen their doors. But, they will, I hope, because veg dining inNapa has never had it so good. A quick rundown of our last supper:

Olives and almonds. Always on the menu, always incredible. This time was no exception.

Thai curry coconut soup. My second most favorite course of the evening. This really popped

with authentic Thai flavor. Well done, Ubuntu.

Roasted beet and fennel art. As tasty as it is pretty.

The infamous "Garden Snake" salad. So lightly dressed it can be off-putting to those who haven't tasted their veggies naked, but I LOVE it.

And there it is folks, the best thing on the whole darn menu, always. The Rancho Gordo bean stew. I dare you to find a bean stew you love more anywhere on the planet. So savory and rich and wonderful... it's just crazy how good it is. We asked for more. And by we I mean my husband who guarded his extra bowl with his life until he had slurped up every last drop. Lucky dude.

Roasted butternut squash and house-made focaccia bread. A new fall classic. But it's no bean stew. :)

Dessert this time was terribly underwhelming. This hodgepodge of veggies was more savory than sweet and screamed, "We didn't plan for a vegan dessert on our second-to-last night of being open." Oh well, the rest of the meal made up for it.

So there you have it - no more Ubuntu postings until they reopen, folks. Up next? I fall completely head-over-heels in love for a vegan tea service. Stay tuned!

Another Guest Post: Papa Ganache in Keyport, NJ

2011-11-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

My wacky parents are at it again! Always on the hunt for good vegan food, they stayed a bit closer to home this time but still found a real gem. I'm really jealous, as this is a place I've wanted to go for a while. We just never seem to find the time when I'm visiting NJ. Now that they've experienced it, however, I have a feeling it won't take much arm twisting to get them to go back. Here's their story:

Today we headed to Red Bank for lunch at Pizza Fusion (great, as usual). Afterward, I got out the smartphone and googled Papa Ganache, a vegan bakery we've heard of but had never been to. It's in Keyport which is a bit far to drive just for a cupcake but, today, we were already in Red Bank so we were right in the neighborhood… more or less. So, GPS in hand, we made our way to 25 Church St. Sharing a storefront with other businesses, Papa Ganache isn't huge but is instantly charming.

When we walked in, I only had one question..."What's vegan?" The answer was, "Everything." Good answer. At that point, the only problem was keeping our purchase down to an amount that seemed reasonable for two people. Everything looked so delicious! We picked a few choice goodies, had them box 'em up, and got out of there while we still had our wits about us. (An all-vegan bakery case can be quite intoxicating!)

In the photo, you can see most of our choices this day (we WILL be back!). In front, you see the chocolate chipwich and the smaller, heart-shaped, whoopie pie. The two cupcakes in the back are the chocolate/chocolate on the right and, to the left, the "Dripping Elvis", a banana cupcake with peanut butter icing, crushed peanuts, dried banana slice and a chocolate drizzle. Finally, to the right, tomorrow's breakfast...a blueberry/lemon muffin and a pumpkin crumble muffin.

I said that these were most of our choices because Joan also got a chocolate chip cookie and I got one of those whoopie pies "for the road". They were, predictably, amazing and leave us thinking that the rest of these goodies will be so as well.

That's the story. Now it's about time for me to stop typing and start enjoying that chocolate/chocolate cupcake!!!

So there you have it folks. Makes you want to take a trip to NJ, right? Things have been busy here at EWWO headquarters lately, but I promise to actually write a post of my own sometime in the relatively near future. Meanwhile, I hope you are eating well and making sweet memories all your own.

Guest Post! Lambs Bread in Columbia, SC

2011-11-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

Now that my parents are both retired, they have taken to doing crazy things like going on road trips to South Carolina (and beyond!), looking up meals on Happy Cow along the way. On a recent expedition, they found themselves at Lambs Bread. Here's what my dad had to say:

The story goes like this... A search of Happy Cow came up with only one vegan restaurant in Columbia: Lambs Bread. Off we went with our GPS in hand and finally came to a store front in an otherwise dark block of Main St.

Most vegan restaurants can be preppy or new-agey so we weren't expecting one filled with African art. In fact, one side of the room was a virtual altar of objets de Afrique:

Also most unexpected was our host, the proprietor of this establishment, Khurhu, whose business card lists him as "demon slayer":

We were the only customers there as it was a Tuesday night, and we had some great conversation with Khurhu. There are no menus - just a whiteboard listing some basic sandwiches (vegan cheesesteaks etc.) but the real food was broken into proteins and sides. A small plate was a protein and two sides; large was a protein and three sides. We ordered small plates. One came with coconut curry tofu and one with "beef tips". We also ordered a bowl of black bean soup to share. But, when the Khurhu brought the food to our table, he explained that since it was late he gave us extra sides.

So we had white beans, rutabaga, sweet potato, cabbage, collards, kale.....a whole heap of goodness. The overall feel was very "soul food" but with vegan proteins. As such, the food was substantial as well as delicious and we ended up taking some home. Khurhu was a true delight. A vegan for over forty years, he also runs a store called The Oracle Speaks which specialized in African arts, oils, incense, candle, drums, etc. He described himself as a sun king and explained Lambs Bread as referring to the idea that food generates spirit, so purity and non-cruelty are key. Or something like that. Overall, a most enjoyable evening.

So there you have it. If my folks should end up anywhere else interesting and tasty, I'll have them post again. Meanwhile, stay tuned for Napa eats... and have a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Florida Feasts

2011-11-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, am I ever behind on posting. Sorry! To keep this short, I am only going to post the places in FL that I've either never been to before and had never written about before. That being said, OF COURSE Sublime in Fort Lauderdale was amazing and the vegan platter at The Cafe at Books & Books in South Beach is still one of my favorite dishes in the area. But, you've seen all that before. Let's see what's on the vegan menu in New Smyrna Beach, shall we?

On the first night that my family was all together in NSB, we went to Grandma's favorite: The Garlic. Normally "Grandma's favorite" and "vegan" don't go hand in hand, but this Italian spot has tons of options, like the roasted olives and crostini, above. Warm from the wood-burning oven, they are awesome.

The bruschetta with fresh basil was also divine. Nice and light, this refreshing plate whetted the appetite for heartier fare like...

...the pasta with olive oil, garlic, and veggies. Yum! All the veggies were perfectly cooked and delicious, but of course I needed more greens.

Hence the side of garlic sauteed spinach. Meal perfection. But still, as happy-making as this meal is, there is at least one more tasty (and unexpected) vegan option in New Smyrna Beach. I'm talking about the homemade veggie burger at The Breakers.

It's a beautiful thing, ain't it? The all vegan patty gets doused in Greek spices that make it truly unique and flavorful like whoa. Plus, it's huge! Served up with a Corona (yup, they're vegan) and fries, it's a great meal. The icing on this cake? The dining area overlooks the gorgeous beach, which also makes for a lovely post-meal walk:

So there you have it. Next up, I've got some Napa eats. We're heading to Millennium for Thanksgiving as usual, but I hope to hit some new-to-me spots this weekend too, so stay tuned!

PA and NJ Winners

2011-11-11T04:08:00.000-08:00

I'm currently on a plane back to SF (Hooray!) so I wanted to share with you my two favorite meals from my time at "home" before I forgot them. Not that I could - they were both so tasty! :) First up is my go-to Thai restaurant in NJ, Pad Thai.

I actually think this is some of the best Thai food you can get outside of Thailand (yes, I've been there) and they are extremely veg-friendly. Those veggie spring rolls above are light and crispy and come with a slightly sweet and jammy sauce that compliments them perfectly. Everything you could want in a spring roll. But my favorite dish on the menu is something slightly more rich and decadent, the Massaman Curry.

This slightly spicy curry is coconut-milk based and has incredible depth of flavor. The crunchy peanuts sprinkled on top add fun crunch and salty bite. I just love them. Spooned over some brown rice, this dish is something special. FYI, unlike some Thai places, all the items on the vegetarian section of the menu are fish sauce-free. Being the crazy person I am, I still ask every time. They practice restraint and manage not to roll their eyes at me. :)

Just over the river (literally) in PA, is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere: Sprig & Vine. It's a beautiful space in a great location serving up some delicious food, like the salad above. Divine dressing over crispy leaves with just a sprinkling of quinoa. Love it.

Edamame falafel is a must-try at S&V. The black sesame tahini and pickled radishes really bring these bad boys to life, but even alone they are yummy. Warm, soft, spheres of love.

My entree was the "Chicken-of-the-Woods" mushroom dish and it was amazing. It was served up with delica squash, a potato "cake," and lentils which really rounded out the autumnal feel, and the mushrooms themselves were hearty and mouth-watering. Every component paired with its neighbor and I was left with one happy mouth.

Not so happy that I skipped dessert, of course. The chocolate mousse pie is a silky sensational ending to your meal. The deep chocolate of the pie and the cool coffee ice cream are best friends and you will be happy you met them.

If you should find yourself in the area of these two places, I highly recommend a trip to both. Of course, that's not all I ate. I hit up some new-to-me places (and some old faves) in Florida, too, so stay tuned!

Boston Eats

2011-11-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

I had such a great time in the Boston area, and some good food too! I already posted about my favorite place over at Vegan Favorites (appropriate, no?), but a close second was True Bistro. However, despite the tastiness, I couldn't help but notice that so many of the menu items at True Bistro were reminiscent of other dishes at well-known vegan restaurants like Sublime, Millennium, and Portobello. Speaking of.....

This dish reminded me a lot of Portobello's mushroom pate, and while it was beautiful, it wasn't as good. It just didn't have the depth of flavor. The pickled vegetables were nice though.

My salad was my favorite part of the meal. The house-made "chevre" was delicious and added the perfect amount of tang. I really liked it.

My entree, the crusted tempeh, was pretty tasty, but it was the scrumptious lentils made this dish. Yum.

Ice cream tasted like Trader Joe's coconut ice cream and I could have made a better brownie at home. But whatever, I like chocolate.

The dessert winner was definitely this Napolean. The layers of crisp phyllo were perfectly sweet and the white chocolate mousse (which I didn't think I would like) was amazing. Definitely the highlight of the meal.

In general I don't think I'll be rushing back to True Bistro on my next trip, but I look forward to heading back to Boston. What was once a vegan wasteland is getting more and more good vegan food all the time. Yay! Next up: Some amazing PA and NJ meals. Stay tuned...

Zante

2011-10-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, a quick post before I take off for Mexico.... and it's a goodie. I've wanted to try Zante Indian Pizza for a while, but I figured that since they were so far away I would have to go to them. Then I learned that they delivered all the way up to my neck of the woods completely across town. Hooray! Before I knew it, the box containing their unique combination of Indian food and pizza was in my kitchen:

Look how yummy:

That's their Indian Vegan Pizza, and if you could smell that picture you would be incredibly hungry right now, trust me. The aroma of spices and veggies coming off this pie was darn near intoxicating. And the taste lived up to the scent. Now, it wasn't the best Indian food I've ever had, but it was darn good. Kind of like piling up your Indian food all onto the naan bread and eating it that way, only this crust is firmer and up to the task of delivering the goodness to your face. I'd order it again in a heartbeat.

So there you have it. Can't wait to tell you about the good eats of Mexico when I'm back next week. Eat well, y'all!

Tuba

2011-10-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's a funny name for a restaurant, but Tuba (in Turkish, a tree in paradise) is serving up some delectable Turkish bites, many of which are vegan. Be warned: The servers have thick accents and weren't sure about the whole vegan thing, but they were friendly and willing to check with the chef on everything. Here's what we had:

Hummus and Dolmas to start. Both were fairly typical versions of both, only with the addition of sumac. I LOVE sumac, so I was happy. The pita (not pictured) had black sesame seeds on it, which I also love. Not a bad start.

We also ordered some ezme, a ground walnut and red pepper dish. Ezme I've had before has been very smooth, not unlike hummus, but this was a bit on the chunkier side, and also way more flavorful than those in my previous encounters. Nice warm spices really brought the walnuts and and red pepper together in harmony and, after getting past the boob-like

appearance (I mean c'mon, chef, really?) we gobbled it up.

I had this delicious "Ttuba" salad for my entree, and it was really tasty. Kind of like a Greek salad but with no cheese, and with the addition of pita chips and dried cranberries. The sweetness of those craisins was an unexpectedly nice touch. We also got a side of falafel that was nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I crumbled it into my salad and was quite happy.

All in all, I'd go back to Tuba in a heartbeat. The prices are great, the atmosphere welcoming, and the food ain't bad to boot!

Off to Mexico on Thursday (where I hope to eat VERY well) but I may get in one more SF post before leaving, so stay tuned.

Atelier Crenn

2011-10-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the tone of the fancy meal of my last post, I give you an even fancier meal this go around. Last weekend, some good friends and I hit up a spot in SF that's been getting a lot of buzz lately for pushing the boundaries of what food can be: Atelier Crenn. An understated decor (a few whimsical touches against a rather grey backdrop in the "metaphorical garden" room where we ate) really let the artistry of the food shine. Our entire table did the chef's 8 course tasting menu, my husband and I going with the vegan version. Check out what Chef Crenn and team provided for us lucky folk:

First up, a tomato and herb amuse bouche. As a first taste, it was perfect. It captured the essence of its ingredients, whetted the palate for more, and revealed the talent behind the food, peaking our curiosities for what would be next. We were still not prepared.

The second amuse was an uber-delicate orb of cocoa butter. Slightly sweet and filled with a liquid center, it really defies explanation. It almost has to be experienced to be believed that such a paper thin shell could hold anything, let alone the divine nectar it concealed. We were now amazed and ready for the first course.

Gorgeous, right? This garden on a plate was such a fun layering of vegetables, crunchy quinoa, and sauces worth slurping (I restrained myself) that I could hardly take it. Art in edible form.

Course 2 was a carrot sorbet with aloe gelee. I couldn't even conceive of such things in my wildest dreams. The sorbet was beautifully salty and the aloe such a surprisingly good partner for it. By now my mind was being blown. It continued.

Course 3 was... well... I don't even know. The only thing I remember about the server's description was the "cucumber sheet". So basically we had pockets of crazy textures and flavors all covered with this blanket of something intensely cucumber-y (in a good way). I'm pretty sure magic was involved here.

Course 4 was my favorite flavor wise. I love mushrooms, and these may be the best I've ever eaten. I was getting pretty tipsy (off the best pinot noir I've ever tasted, by the way) so I'm not sure what combination of herbs and foams were at work here, but I simply remember wanting there to be a big old messy pile of these mushrooms on my plate instead of the thin, artistic line.

Course 5's eggplant was delicious as well, the carrot puree on the plate adding a nice brightness. At this point, the wine is not helping these photos at all. Apologies.

I can not even tell you how fragrant course 6 was. Suddenly we were in a eucalyptus forest, the astringent scent filling the air and totally reviving our wine and umami-soaked tongue. You see, attached to a few of those eucalyptus skewers were frozen, eucalyptus infused sorbet lollipops. Incredible, cleansing, and a lovely preparation for what was next.

What I remember most about course 7 was that stunning coconut powder in the center of the plate. Wow! I am not even a huge coconut fan and I loved it. LOVED. You'd think by now I'd have stopped being flabbergasted by everything that arrived in front of me. Not true... but even if that had been the case, dessert would have still blown my mind.

This peach explosion was so enjoyable to look at, dissect, play with, eat... it was really the most wonderful way to wrap up the meal. Encompassing the best of all the dishes, only in sweet (but not too sweet) form. I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

For a final treat, us vegans got the chocolate bark and jelly candies and they were a much appreciated sweet bite. Even now, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the food we ate at Atelier Crenn. Having eaten at almost all the high-end restaurants in SF, this was hands down the most creative meal I've ever had. The service is also attentive without being coddling, and the whole meal took place over the course of about 4 hours. This is the same with most of the fancy pants places, but the difference is most other places also serve tons of bread. Here the focus is strictly on the main courses, which I liked. However, this did mean we left pretty drunk and not quite full. I would still go back to AC for the experience, however. I don't know of any other place in SF pulling off such innovative cuisine, and I'd love to see what they could come up with next time....

Ok, back to the real world in my next post. A new-to-me Mediterranean place to be exact. Stay tuned!

Olivia, Austin TX

2011-09-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

You are so not ready for what is about to happen. We certainly weren't. Follow along. You see, we went to Austin to celebrate my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. This is a big deal. We wanted a fancy meal to match the fancy occasion and, while Austin has a gazillion vegan food trucks and casual eateries, they have zero high-end vegan places. What's a gal to do? Well, I researched all the fancy pants places, found a few that always have veg or vegan entrees on their menus and asked if they'd kindly make our group of 6 an all vegan meal. Only one replied in the affirmative (well two, but the other wasn't open on the Big Day) AND they replied that not only would they be happy to help, they'd like to create a TEN COURSE TASTING MENU. Bless whoever came up with Southern hospitality. Here's what the wonderful Oliva restaurant gave us:

So other than to say that it was incredible and long and we also drank a lot, I'll keep it to a short blurb about each dish.

That's okra, olive oil, an basil waiting in the bowl for the rich tomato soup to be poured on top. Next level gazpacho, people. YUM.

In the fresh and light melon and herb salad I encountered my first taste ever of powdered ingredients. Molecular gastronomy goes vegan, and the results are divine.

This pepper was one of my faves of the evening. The apricots brought just the right amount of sweet to an otherwise savory and slightly spicy dish. Beauty, texture, and flavor perfection.

Battered and fried eggplant! Another huge hit at our table. The sesame glaze was to die for and the powdered ingredients really just melt on the tongue. A nice contrast to the crispy eggplant. Umami heaven.

This was the one course we all could have done without. Except for the potato chips. Those were bangin'! Wish I could pick them up on the shelves of my local grocery. The other two were just too plain potato-y.

Holy risotto. This one was fantastic. I know it doesn't looks like much (it was getting darker and harder to photograph by the second) but the creamy and slightly sweet rice paired so well with the olives and (yes) coffee crumbs that it was kind of hard to believe. The ginger crisp was a brilliant way to incorporate a bit of brightness and it made for a great scooper. Talk about the perfect bite! Mmmmmm....

The lemon in this quinoa dish was in powdered form and it was amazing just how much it lightened things up. And crispy mushrooms? Yes please.

So pretty, right? Sadly, the rutabaga tasted a little too much like plain rutabaga, even with the tasty red wine syrup. I'm a fan of greens, though, and I remember the peppery arugula pairing nicely with whatever wine I was drinking at the time.

Our last savory course was this grilled peach with truffle oil. I would not have thought this would work (and for some at our table it did not) but I loved it. I thought it was a genius way to bridge to savory/sweet gap at prepare our palates for dessert.

Now, you know me: I like a rich decadent dessert, but honestly, after so many courses, sorbet was a lovely ending. I forgot which one I took a picture of, but the table's favorite of our choices was an unbelievable raspberry pepper combo. Another one that I didn't think would work but which really surprised me. Go chef!

Speaking of the chef, we thanked him profusely at the end. I mean, he and his team went out of their way to accommodate us, on a night when their entire dining room was packed with regular menu eaters, and the food blew us away. We were truly unprepared for how good the vegan food coming out of this omni kitchen would be and so so SO grateful to Olivia for making it happen. Moral of the story: Ask. You never know which restaurants have chefs just dying to cook something different for a night. Not to mention that the more us vegans demand vegan food, the more vegan food there will be!

Up next, I'm back in SF and have one casual and one high-end meal under my belt (literally) already, so stay tuned.

Cafe Yumm and Two "Sweets", Portland

2011-09-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

After reading all the buzz around something called "yumm sauce" (best sauce name ever, right?) I was psyched to learn that Cafe Yumm, purveyor of said sauce, was 2 blocks from my hotel in Portland. Off I went!

That's their groundnut soup, above. It was good but not great. Needed more peanut flavor. The end.

Ok, now we're talking. This is the classic yumm bowl with greens, without the sour cream or cheese, and with plenty of yumm sauce. I must say, it was pretty tasty, but I wasn't blown away. Yumm sauce is kind of cheese-esque in flavor, made primarily of cashews, nutritional yeast, and veggie oils, as far as I could tell anyway. I'd eat it again but I'm not about to jump on a plane for Portland to head there (unlike the Portobello gnocchi, about which I still fantasize).

We also went to SweetPea Baking Company to check out the baked goods. They provided some stellar cupcakes for the opening night of VidaVeganCon but they make so much more, like my chicken-less salad above. I think I like the Teany version better, but this all vegan bakery and cafe is so charming I can forgive a little heavy-handedness with the vegan mayo. Besides, the lovely bright balsamic cuts through it nicely.

Since (this wo)man can not live on food alone, I had to try out Portland's newest all-vegan bar. Yes, newest. As in there's more than one vegan bar in Portland. Ugh, so jealous. Especially since The Sweet Hereafter also straight up rules. It's got great ambiance and awesome beers on tap and incredibly good bar food. That little platter of goodies above included some very tasty hummus, olives, roasted almonds, crostini and a dipping sauce of some kind. If only every bar served food like that! Or, like this....

That's my "3 Sides" in which I chose kale (of course), broccoli, and the house tofu. The latter is seasoned nicely with herbs and nutritional yeast. So great with beer! And, if you want something even more substantial, you could go for my friend's sandwich:

That right there is the "Steve Martin". I have no idea how this scrumptious sammy got its name, but I bet the reason is both hilarious and charming, not unlike the man himself. In summary, I love this bar and want it to move to San Francisco BADLY. Sigh...

Guess what, folks? That's it for the Portland eats! Next up, there's one epic meal in Austin to share and then we're back by the bay. Yay!

More Austin Eats

2011-09-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's been busy around the Eats Well With Others headquarters lately, but now that a foot injury is forcing me to sit still and rest a while, I may as well use my time wisely and show you all some good eats! I still have more from Portland, but let's travel back to Austin for a bit, shall we? Errr... actually, let's start in San Antonio. We took a day trip over that way and got to eat some real treats along the way. First stop was the brand new Vegeria, an all vegan restaurant about 10 minutes from downtown San Antonio. Best thing on the menu? The nachos for sure:

Served up with Vegeria's own vegan queso and super flavorful taco filling, this pile of food is divine. Crispy chips and shredded cabbage and carrots give some crunch, and there's even a sprinkling of quinoa for.... nutrition? Who knows, but it is truly yummy. If only it hadn't taken FOREVER to come to the table. But more on that later. Check out my lunch entree:

This is the quinoa salad with pecans and fresh herbs. It was alright. For all the flavor that was in the nachos, this one was pretty flavorless. Seemed like Mexican food was the way to go at Vegeria as everyone loved their tacos and enchiladas while my dad's BBQ mushroom sub and my mom's avocado sub were both kind of bland. Meanwhile, the service was insanely bad. Food took a crazy long time and when it did come things were missing and messed up. I can only hope it's because they are new and they were slammed and we were a party of 6 sitting in the back room where nobody could see us. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and would definitely go back next time I'm in town for the nachos alone, but I hope they get it together!

On the way back from San Antonio we decided to take the long route and go through Hill Country. This also meant we got to eat at the truly awesome Fralo's, where we ordered the heck out of some pizza.

As you all know, I love me some artisan pizza, and this is some of the best. Perfect crust, slightly sweet sauce, and the Daiya cheese us vegans know and love. This place is not all vegan by any stretch of the imagination, so it speaks volumes about how far veganism has come that they stock Daiya for us folks! I mean, it's sort of in the middle of nowhere (imagine al fresco picnic tables surrounded by rolling hills) in Texas, which isn't exactly known for being vegan-friendly, and I was able to eat VERY well with my others. Gotta love it.

I've still got our epic celebratory meal to tell you about in Austin, so stay tuned for that. It could come quickly, since it's just me and my ice pack over here. :) Happy Friday, everyone!

PS- We've got a great giveaway going on over at VeganFavorites. Enter to win some So Delicious goodies before it's too late!

Blossoming Lotus, Portland

2011-09-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Since Blossoming Lotus was the only place I visited twice on my trip to Portland, I think it's high time I told you about it! I've been to BL before, but not in its current location. This slightly fancier incarnation still has a homey vibe and friendly service, as well as some delicious food. Here's a portion of what we had.

I highly recommend this starter of fried artichokes if you're into these thistles. Crispy outside and creamy inside, these polenta-breaded bites are crazy tasty, especially when paired with the smoky BBQ sauce. A great start to your meal.

This Thai BBQ salad I had on my first visit was also a fave. The combination of the BBQ soy curls and the sweet and tangy ginger dressing is really nice. Same can be said for the difference in textures between the chewy golden raisins and crispy rice sticks. Just an all around great salad/meal.

My dining companion had the lasagna and LOVED it. I would tell you more but I didn't even get a bite. Looks good though, right?

On that trip we also has the chocolate cake. Not the richest chocolate flavor in the world, but moist as all get out and still terribly yummy. Mmmmm..... cake. :)

If there is soft serve somewhere I must have it. Blossoming Lotus only does one flavor a day and they have no toppings. Fail in my book. It was still decent, but this type of vanilla is exactly why the word now has the negative connotation of "bland and boring." Vanilla should sing... this one merely hummed.

On my second visit, I decided to see what else they could do with salad and I got the house salad with tempeh. I think this was even better than the other one. The mounds of savory tempeh (some of the best I've had) really make the dish but set against the crisp fresh veggies and creamy house dressing it is divine. I love a good salad, and this is up there with the best.

That's it from Blossoming Lotus. Up next, I finish up the Portland eats and get us back on down to Texas. I'm also heading to L.A. soon so stay tuned for some SoCal eats soon. Hope you had a great weekend, everyone. Enjoy the week!

A Brief Detour Through Austin

2011-09-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all! Don't mind my newfound Southern accent - I acquired it on my recent 3 day trip to Austin, TX. :) So, while I am well aware of how many more Portland eats there are to tell you about, I wanted to do a quick round up of some of the best of Austin. First up? Breakfast of course!

I've been to Austin before, but never to The Steeping Room, and I'm sure glad it was our first stop of this trip. Their Sunday brunch is AMAZING! Even though they are not an all-vegan place, they have a ton of vegan options, like the tofu scramble above. I love that they don't feel like they need to dye the tofu yellow with mustard or turmeric like so many places do (as though that makes it any more egg-like), and instead they focus of texture and flavor. The tofu has a nice bite to it and is paired with the exact right amount of peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Super-tasty fried potatoes and a crisp green salad round out the meal. I capped off my meal with a currant scone that had a beautiful crumb and light sweetness to it. Perfect with any of their gazillion teas! My husband got his sweetness elsewhere, however. Check out his beautiful French toast:

Vegan French toast is not something many vegan restaurants try, let alone omni places, and even from the one bite I was allowed to have, I could tell they nailed it. Wonderful balance of cinnamon and sugar, good coating on the chewy bread, real maple syrup and fruit. Not a bad way to start the trip, eh? But, alas, one can not live on breakfast alone!

Want to eat the best darn veggie burger ever? Get the guacamole burger at Mother's. I've had this before and I still think it's one of the best burgers you can buy. You can get it plain or with vegan cheese and with or without guacamole, but I'm telling you that the combination of the savory burger with the fresh guacamole is perfect. Ready for dessert? I've got two good options for you:

You could try a peanut butter cup from Wheatsville Coop and you would be a very happy camper. More like a peanut butter cookie with a thick layer of fudge than the peanut butter cups you've come to know, this is one for a hearty sweet tooth. It is rich and decadent and worth eating your vegetables for. BUT....

.... there's also soft serve from Toy Joy. Vegan soft serve ice cream is a pretty elusive commodity in this country, so if it's an option somewhere, you know I'm getting it. If I can get it topped with crushed Chick-O-Stick and chocolate syrup, I'm in heaven. Toy joy makes their own soy and coconut-based soft serves and they have two flavors everyday, which they churn out in addition to making shakes and sundaes galore. It's smooth and creamy and even better than the soft serves of my youth. I love Toy Joy!

Ok, that's enough for now. We did have one hugely epic meal in Austin, as well as a day trip to San Antonio, and I'll get to that, promise. Up next though, more Portland talk. How awesome that all these U.S. cities are so vegan-friendly, eh? Here's hoping it's that way where you are!

Portobello in Portland

2011-09-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

While in the lovely city of Portland, we ate at many places, but I'm starting with the best. Not only was this hands down my favorite meal of the trip, it was one of the best meals I've had pretty much ever.

I'd heard good things about Portobello, and about the gnocchi in particular, but I really was not prepared for just how happy my taste buds would be. First up, the mushroom rillette:

I'm pretty sure rillette is just a fancy word for pate, but it's fitting in this case because this is some fancy-ass pate! Earthy mushrooms combine with herbs and spices (and probably magic) to make this delectable spread, and the spicy mustard and tangy cornichons are the most wonderful complimentary flavors to all that savory, smooth goodness. I would definitely order this again and again - but not if I was dining alone. The portion is HUGE! Still, we had room for entrees, of course. Up first, the cashew cream pizza:

This was one tasty pie, I must say, but honestly I've had better. I've been spoiled by the insanely good cashew cheese at Gather and the amazing sauce at Beretta I guess. In any case, it was still very good.... but let's cut to the real deal, shall we? Check out the best gnocchi in the universe:

I will be dreaming of these puffy potato clouds for some time. The way they melt slowly on the tongue, the ever so slightly crispy exterior (they're pan-fried after all), and the way they soak up all that beautiful sauce..... heaven. This is a close-your-eyes-and-go-slowly kind of dish, as you'll want to make it last as long as possible. The vegetables are cooked to perfection and the sauce (which varies depending on the season) was an orgasmic combination of pesto and olive oil and herbs and lord knows what else. Truly a dish worth traveling for... and I WILL be back!

Of course, we still had room for dessert (or at least we pretended we did), and in no time we had tiramisu with salted caramel ice cream on our table:

The tiramisu consisted of light and fluffy layers with the most creamy sweet filling and is dusted with cocoa powder and served on a zigzag of chocolate sauce. I don't remember ever eating tiramisu before going vegan, so I have no idea if this is anything like the original, but I do know that it's delicious! And that salted caramel ice cream? It tasted EXACTLY like a salted caramel, only cold and ridiculously smooth. Other ice cream can only dream of being that good.

Because, for me, dessert must always mean chocolate, I opted for the rosemary chocolate tart, and boy am I glad I did. I was a little fearful that the rosemary flavor would be overwhelming, but it balanced the decadent chocolate nicely, freshening it up a bit by providing a slight kick of lightness in an otherwise rich dessert. The silky layers of deep dark chocolate, crunchy cocoa nibs, and caramel drizzle, make this a study in texture as well as a true chocoholic's delight. This was honestly one of the best desserts I've had in a long time.

I can't tell you how sad I am that Portobello is not closer to me. I guess I need to start coming up with excuses to visit Portland more often!

Up next: More Portland eats, plus I'm on my way to Austin, TX soon and will surely be eating well there as well, so stay tuned!

Final Bites at Cha-Ya.... Next Stop: Portland!

2011-08-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I enjoyed my last dining out experience in SF for a while, and since it was a gorgeously hot day, I chose the delicious and beautiful sushi creations at Cha-Ya. Not wanting to have any of their very yummy noodle soups on such a warm evening, I was still hungry after a few rolls, and decided to order dessert, something I've never done there before. The ice cream sundae was calling my name, however, and it was on the table in no time flat.

With red bean and green tea syrups, I was sure this was going to be one interesting dessert. Sadly, it tasted like old school chalky Tofutti ice cream and not much else. And those pineapple chunks were straight from the can. Oh well. Next time I know to just eat more sushi. :)

In more exciting news, I leave tomorrow for VidaVeganCon in Portland, OR. I can't wait to mingle with other vegan bloggers, including Shelley of course! And then there's the food. I have to loosen my belt just thinking about it! Right after Portland, I'm off to Austin, TX to celebrate my parents' 40th wedding anniversary.... and eat even more great vegan goodies. All I have to say i stay tuned, people. There's gonna be a lot of eating well to go over when I return!

Back to Some Old Faves

2011-08-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

When my friends are in town, I like to show off the bounty of great vegan-friendly restaurants we have here in the Bay Area, and what better way to do that than by picking two places that also feature our watershed's amazing produce. Back to Gather and The Plant Cafe we went!

At Gather, the vegan charcuterie is a must. This time around it was as stellar as ever, with the bbq "pulled mushroom" slider (second from the left) being my favorite. Smokey bbq and cool coleslaw perfection.

Up next I had the crazy good - and good for you - kale salad. There is always some version of a kale salad on the menu and it is always delicious. This time there were carrots and capers and pine nuts - oh my!

Behold the beauty that is the spicy tomato pizza. Made with cashew puree instead of cheese, it is warming, rich, and wonderful. The crust alone is worth writing home about. I miss it already.

At The Plant, I got my standards. The summer squash soup (above) was peppery and light and just the right thing to take the ever-so-slight chill out of my bones.

Here you see the MNM salad, my go-to. It was, as usual, full of fresh and crunchy veggies. Like a salad should be.

My stomach is taking a break today after our week of dining out (no I didn't take more pics, sorry), but I'm sure to back out and eating well soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Napa Eats

2011-08-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Napa this past weekend for some good wine and sunshine. Of course you gotta eat too, and Napa has some of the best food around. As you know, I am a big fan of Ubuntu, but on this trip, we decided to try some new spots. First up was Michael Chiarello's Bottega. I was psyched to dine here, especially as Chef Chiarello won the vegan challenge on Top Chef Masters. Sadly, I wasn't that impressed by their vegan fare. They also seemed totally taken aback by the vegan request, even though I had noted it on the online reservation AND called to make sure we could be accommodated. Sigh. Anyway, here's what we had:

This heirloom tomato and beet salad was actually delicious. Don't let the hue throw you off. We were underneath the orange awning, making all our food appear reddish. In any case, it was tasty, mainly because it's the height of summer and the ingredients are outstanding.

Our main was a risotto. It was good, but nothing to write home about. Maybe I set my expectations too high? Do I have to be Zooey Deschanel for the Chiarello kitchen to step up the vegan goods?

So, of course, there was sorbet for dessert. The cantaloupe was the best. It's cantaloupe season after all.

The next night, we decided to try to get some better Italian food in our bellies and crossed our fingers as we entered Uva Trattoria. You know what? It was great! My husband got the big bowl of pasta with veggies he was craving (pays for you to have egg-free dry pasta sometimes, Italian restaurants) and I was delighted as well.

I started with a simple but scrumptious veggie pizza topped with arugula. So satisfying after a day of wine tasting! Crisp crust, perfectly roasted veggies and a slightly sweet sauce made for a great dinner.

The raspberry zinfandel sorbet didn't disappoint either. It really packed a wollop of flavor and was a beautiful way to end the meal. Thanks Uva!

Next up, more Bay Area dining, as I've got friends in town and we're eating our way around the Bay....

Piacere

2011-07-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last night, me and the fam tried out Piacere, which has long been on my to-try list. I'm not sure how I heard about this San Carlos restaurant, but once I saw the well-marked menu (*denotes vegetarian, **is vegan) online, I knew I had to go.

I started with the Market Cucumber Salad. The description said "barely dressed" and they weren't kidding. This tasted like nothing but cucumber and a bit of mint. I like cucumber, but would have appreciated some more effort flavor-wise.

We also ordered the roasted garbanzo beans. I have wanted to try fresh, in the pod, garbanzo beans since learning about them on Chopped, so I was happy to see this on the menu. Not so happy-making was the fact that they were challenging to get out of their papery and inedible skins and, once you did remove them, they tasted like starchy nothingness. Again, some seasoning maybe? Bleh.

My entree was this roasted squash, black rice, and pesto dish. I don't know how else to put it - it sucked. The rice tasted weird, the pesto was flat, and the squash were mushy and bland. So disappointing, especially as my vegan hubby ordered the most delicious portobello burger and I had serious food envy.

On the plus side, it was a lovely evening, they had the front of the restaurant open to the fresh air, and they had a great low-key band playing near the bar. If I had had some drinks, the whole experience might have been a lot better. As it was, however, I'm in no rush to head back. I love places that accommodate all types of diners, but the food has to be good too! All I know is that if I do go back, I'll get the portobello burger.

Heading to some old faves over the weekend. Hope you're eating well too....

New Dish at DOSA

2011-07-21T12:09:00.001-07:00

The husband and I have developed a delicious habit of eating at DOSA once a week, so our visit there this past Sunday was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, we sat down and ordered without even opening up the menu. Much to my surprise, our familiar waitress then informed me that my favorite salad (mango and goat cheese, sans goat cheese) was no longer on the menu! I was shocked and saddened, until she told me about its inherently vegan replacement.

Meet the "Mixed Greens, Avocado, and Peach" salad. Served up on an architectural bed of crisp gem lettuces, the buttery avocado and peaches are kissed with a citrus chile dressing that is a beautiful blend of flavors. It's the perfect bright and fresh contrast to the savory and dense dosa that is always my main dish. I think I like it even better than my original fave!

I can't imagine this salad sticks around much past summer, as peach season is short and (literally) sweet, so get in and try it soon.

Meanwhile, I'm dining at a new-to-me place, as well as an old fave, this weekend. Stay tuned and eat well!

A Mediterranean Feast at Dunya

2011-07-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

The husband and I tried out new-to-us DUNYA this past weekend, and it was great. VERY vegan-friendly too! For one thing, they have a deliciously savory entree aptly named the "Vegan Pyramid":

This architectural wonder consists of layers of grilled vegetables and pita triangles in an herbaceous tomato sauce that would please even the most carnivorous of palettes. We were certainly happy. But, before all that, we had a quartet of appetizers not unlike that which you would find at a typical Mediterranean restaurant, only taken up a notch.

First up was the hummus. Tasty in its own right, but that sprinkling of sumac really made it sing. I want to put sumac on everything. So good.

The ezme (a walnut and red pepper spread) was outstanding as well. It has a nice warm spice to it. Not so much as to overwhelm, but just the perfect little kick.

The greek salad, sans feta, was pretty standard. But, again, the addition of fresh herbs (there's that sumac again!) really took it to the next level.

Our hands down favorite of the meal, however, was the falafel. It was some of the best I've had - and I've had A LOT of falafel in my day. This was crisp on the outside, soft and warm in the middle, and full of flavor. The tahini sauce was also quite nice. Not bitter at all like some can be.

We will definitely go back to Dunya, and you should try it out too! Stay tuned for an update on an old fave and some more new-to-me places as well. Also, there's a CONTEST going on over at my other blog, so go enter! :)

Something New at The Plant

2011-07-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend, everyone! I just wanted to give a quick update on The Plant Cafe's Pier 3 location. Of all the cafes they have around the city, this is the only one that's a full-service sit down restaurant to boot, and I love it. I have been many times since they've opened, and I was there again on Wednesday. Just when I was sure what I was going to order, they revamped the menu! This is a positive, however, because one of the new additions is "The Plant Palette" - 4 tastes, all vegan and wheat free. Check out how pretty:

The tofu skin rolls with carrot tarragon puree were definitely my faves, but everything here was super tasty. This appetizer definitely made up for the fact that my beloved MNM salad is gone from the menu. Still there, however, is the infamous Plant Burger, and that was my delicious entree. Maybe next time I'll try something new. The Pistachio and Cornmeal Crusted Tempeh sounds good....

This weekend I'll be trying some new-to-me places, and you can be sure I'll be back to let you know my thoughts. Meanwhile, don't forget to enter the Lightlife contest over on Vegan Favorites, my other blog. Enjoy the weekend and eat well!

Flour+Water: Take Two

2011-07-13T14:29:00.001-07:00

The last time I checked out the yummy pizzas at Flour+Water, the chef happily made me a special vegan pie, but this time was even better because I got two vegan pies! That's because I dined with another vegan and he made one for each of us so we could mix and match. As I mentioned before, the service with a smile at F+W is worth a visit alone, but the food.... oh, the food!

This gorgeous melon salad with mint, lemon verbena, and sea salt is a regular on the menu right now (thank you, summer) and it is remarkable. The play on savory and sweet is refined and mouth-watering. I loved it. You can also see the simple arugula salad the chef made us because we were craving greens and there was no green salad on the menu. Like I said, happy to accomodate = happy vegan diners.

Sadly, I only snapped a shot of the pizza they put in front of me - this gorgeous tomato, caper, and pepper pie with parsley sauce drizzle. It was divine. The crust at F+W is always amazing, but I think it was even better on this visit. Perfectly chewy, charred, and crisp.... quite the feat! Combine that with the fresh tastes on top (I mean parsley drizzle, y'all!) and I was in heaven. The other pizza was equally unique in that it was sauce-less and was simply topped with thinly sliced summer squashes and really good olive oil. SO tasty.

On this trip, I also learned that if you get there at 6 on Tuesday, you may actually be seated pretty quickly. They keep half the restaurant open for walk-ins, so if you don't feel like waiting two months for a reservation, getting there early is the way to go. I predict I visit again soon...

Meanwhile, the husband and I will be trying out some new-to-us and very vegan-friendly spots this weekend, so stay tuned. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

Camino

2011-07-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

We've got some friends in town from D.C. and they're staying in the East Bay. This means the husband and I had no choice but to make the trip over the bridge to eat, drink, and be merry with our pals. Since our most beloved restaurant over that way, Gather, was booked up, our omni friends suggested Camino. It's one of their favorite spots, and they have enjoyed the vegetarian dishes they've ordered in the past. So, off we went...

First up was my arugula and parsley salad with hazelnuts (and without pecorino). It was beautifully dressed in a light olive oil vinaigrette and was really refreshing. Again, I was reminded that I really need to put fresh herbs in my salads more often. The bite of the parsley was so nice!

Sadly, the vegan entree option for the evening was the dreaded vegetable plate. Omni restaurants do this so often when all their proteins are from animals and their grains are full of butter and cream. Luckily, it's summer, so we at least got some uber-scrumptious corn on the cob. Don't get me wrong, the mushrooms and squash were tasty and the artichokes were actually REALLY good (and covered with garlicy fried breadcrumbs! Yum!) but as a vegan who dines with omnivores a lot, I'm just over the vegetable plate. I mean Camino obviously knows what they're doing with food, so I'd love to see some more creativity. That being said....

...let's not forget what meals together are for. More important than the food was the time I got to spend with far-flung friends, like Jaynie - an omnivore who loves her corn! :) All meals, even the worst tasting, are made better by the moments we have with our friends and loved ones. Speaking of which, I'm off to L.A. this week for a good friend's wedding, so stay tuned for some Los Angeles updates in the near future. I hope that no matter what you're eating this week, you're in delicious company.

Real Food in L.A.

2011-07-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

I was in L.A. last weekend for an uber-fun bachelorette party, but I managed to meet up with a guy friend of mine for dinner at one of my favorite places before the girl-fest began. It's a restaurant with a huge menu that has never disappointed me no matter what I've chosen, and I look forward to dining there again and trying even more dishes when I go back down for the wedding in a few weeks. Real Food Daily has got me hooked!

The nachos are one of my favorite things to order, and I hadn't had them in so long. I had forgotten just how creamy and delicious the combination of RFD's cashew cheese and sour cream is, and the guacamole and salsa are the perfect toppers to this mound of chips and black beans. I seriously heart these nachos, right down to the last bite of (inevitably) soggy chip at the bottom.

For my main, I had the "Basic 4" in which I chose 2 sides of kale, a side of mashed potatoes and a side of blackened tempeh. This comes with 2 sauces, and I chose the perfectly sweet BBQ sauce and the rich gravy. The Basic can be done as a 3 or a 5 also. I would have gone 5, but I had spotted my dessert in the bakery case on the way to my seat and knew I needed to save room.

It's a "fauxstess" cupcake! I used to LOVE the original as a kid, and I loved this one too. It's definitely more dense and rich than the non-vegan version, but that's how I prefer my sweets these days. The chocolate ice cream on the side is hemp-based and was the perfect partner to my cupcake. What a way to end the meal!

When I'm in L.A. for the wedding I'm hoping to make it back to RFD for their Sunday brunch since I've never tried it. If I do, I'll be sure to document. :) Meanwhile, stay tuned for more SF eats. Enjoy the long weekend, everyone. Eat well!

The Brick Yard

2011-06-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

I love good vegan eats, as you well know, and I'm happy to report that there are more and more of them in my neighborhood! While the Cow Hollow/Marina area is yet to get an all-vegan joint, plenty of omni places are stepping up their offerings, and the husband and I had the pleasure of sampling some from The Brick Yard last week. It's nearby, has great big screens for sports watching, a relaxed (yet elegant) vibe and, when I emailed to find out about vegan options, I got a quick and encouraging response. Restaurants who actually reply to email inquiries are alright in my book! Better yet, the hostess noted my vegan note on the OpenTable reservation and was prepared to let me know all my options. I love when places are on top of their game, you guys. And, the food was great too!

We started with the hummus with roasted chickpeas, pita crisps and cucumber salad (sans cheese). Actually that's not true - we really started with a spinach salad with strawberries and pumpkin seeds, but it was so good and we were so hungry that I never photographed it. Oh well. Back to the hummus; We were both a little thrown off by the fact that it is served warm, but once we got over that, we really started enjoying the slightly spicy concoction, loving every one of those roasted chickpeas. Great dish.

The husband had himself the roasted veggie panini (sans cheese) and I must say it was really delicious... that side salad, however, is the BOMB. The Brick Yard knows what the heck they're doing with vinaigrettes, y'all. It has the prefect herbaceous dressing and was just enough to coat the huge butter lettuce leaves. Yum.

My main was the personal pizza with mushroom and tomatoes (sans cheese). This was the only dish that was just OK. In a town where great pizza can be had, I'm a bit of a pizza snob I guess. Still, it was tasty enough, and the really and truly fantastic Brick Yard french fries made up for any lack of pizza goodness. I'd go back for the fries alone.

All in all, this is a really cool neighborhood joint and I will definitely be back to watch a game or meet up with friends for drinks and noshing! Up next: One of my favorite places to dine in LA, complete with more crappy iPhone pics. Sorry about that. I just keep forgetting my real camera. :) Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!

PowerSource Cafe

2011-06-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

My aunt recently moved from Atlanta to SF for work and her office is in the financial district. This is not an area of town I frequent, but thanks to her lunch-time text messages I now know of a few places I've definitely got to try. The other day, I met her at new-to-me PowerSource Cafe and was pleasantly surprised! This little place is serving up extremely vegan-friendly cuisine with very little environmental impact.... and, most importantly, they make their salads almost as big as mine at home. Almost.

That's their "Super Food Salad" which is a huge bowl of spinach topped with goji berries, hemp seeds, broccoli sprouts, and shredded carrots. The dressing is a berry vinaigrette. It was delicious, healthy, and totally hit the mid-day spot. If I worked downtown I'd be there all the time for reals. I was fueled (um, powered) by this lunch for the rest of the afternoon.

I look forward to trying more FiDi lunch spots with my aunt, but stay tuned meanwhile for a vegan feast at a very omni place in my neck of the woods. Happy Monday everyone!

The Old and The New in NJ

2011-06-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

My last few days on the East Coast were spent primarily in New Jersey, my home state. There was plenty of home cooking going on, especially as my restaurant-a-day lifestyle was becoming tiresome (I know, poor me, right?), but I did manage to get to an old favorite and a new-to-me restaurant with some great options. First up, Caffe Galleria.

I've been to CG before, as I have family who live nearby. Not only is it in the cute town of Lambertville, NJ (across the walkable bridge from other cute town, New Hope, PA) but it delivers on its promise of being "the place where the unapologetic carnivore and the dedicated vegan can dine together happily." There are plenty of tasty vegan options - from my ginger veggie couscous dish, above, to pastas and hummus platters and roasted seitan - and your idiot friends can eat steak too! Plus it's cozy, the people are nice, and strolling around post-meal is uber pleasant.

In another neck of woods lies Highland Park, NJ and Zeina. Normally when I'm in this hood I head to Pad Thai (super great and vegan-friendly Thai food), but this Mediterranean restaurant is serving up some fine fare, folks! Above you see my mixed greens salad which I topped with an order of falafel. If you look hard, you'll see that we had already devoured the hummus and a spiced tomato and herb appetizer as well. There were also dolmas involved. It was a feast... and yet there were so many vegan things on the menu I didn't get to try. Next time I'm in NJ, I will definitely go back.

Off to LA this weekend, but I've been having some great eats at new-t0-me spots in San Francisco that I'll tell you about when I'm back. Have a great weekend, everyone. Eat Well!

Ravens' Restaurant at The Stanford Inn

2011-06-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

I had the genuine pleasure of spending this past weekend at The Stanford Inn in Mendocino, and all-vegan hotel with an award-winning restaurant. Am I lucky or what? It was rejuvenating, relaxing, and the food was delicious. Every hotel guest gets breakfast in the dining room included with their room, but we decided to splurge on dinner one of the nights we were there too. Boy are we glad we did - Ravens' Restaurant dished up the perfect early summer dinner!

First, we had the savory and smooth French Onion soup. Full of beautiful caramelized onions, and happily without any vegan cheese (would have ruined it!), this was the perfect thing to whet our appetite. Plus it smelled divine!

Our salad of choice was wilted spinach with shitake "bacon", walnuts, and crostini. I don't know what, if any, resemblance the mushrooms had to bacon, but they were quite tasty. They were also a bit chewy... in a good way. The contrast of texture with the crunchy walnuts and crisp crostini was quite nice, and the warm vinaigrette left the spinach well-flavored and wilted, without totally killing it.

My husband had the BBQ tofu with cabbage slaw for his entree and, thanks to his capacity for sharing, I can say that it was awesome! The sauce was tangy, but with a good sweet balance and just the right amount of spice, and the fresh cilantro in the slaw brought a very nice brightness to the dish. This one just screamed "summer"!

My entree was also quite summery - portobello sliders with dill potato salad. The sliders themselves had a scrumptious nutty flavor and a sweet and salty chutney spread on the homemade buns. My only complaint here was that the bread could have been softer to make for easier eating, but it was so tasty that I was happy to be messy. And that potato salad! It rekindled my love of dill. Yum!

Dessert time is the best time at Ravens' in my opinion! I mean, just look at that beautiful pecan torte with maple ice cream! So pretty, but it tasted even better. Like a pecan pie without all the gooeyness. And the ice cream added just the right amount of creamy goodness the torte needed. A real winner, if you ask me.

Then there was the chocolate tart. I loved this dessert. I know it doesn't look like much (note to Ravens': Edible flowers does not a presentation make) but it was heavenly on the tongue! Silky smooth filling atop a chocolate crust with a really nice salt balance. In fact, all the sweet treats we ate during our stay - from the muffins at breakfast to the cookies left in the room at turndown - showed off the chef's real skill for using salt in baking. As a salt lover with a sweet tooth, I was particularly happy with this... and with our whole meal!

I can't recommend a trip to beautiful Mendocino, CA more highly, and a stay at The Stanford Inn is just icing on the vegan cake. Add it to your bucket list - VegNews did! :)

Up next, more vegan eats in NJ. Meanwhile, have a great day, everyone!

NYC Eats

2011-06-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

On my recent trip, I surprised myself by not hitting up any of my NYC favorites. Instead, I tried out two new-to-me spots. One was the recommendation of my brother, the other a spot I'd heard good things about which also happened to be conveniently location near a concert I was attending. Up first? Dojo. This omnivore-friendly spot was my bro's recommendation. Located near NYU, I could see why it would be a favorite among students there. Everything was reasonably priced and quite tasty.

We started with the chips and guac, above, and the chips were crispy and thick, the guacamole full of good garlic flavor, and the salsa fresh and with just the right amount of spice.

Up next I had the spinach salad with their tahini dressing, which is surprisingly orange in color, thanks to carrots methinks. In any case, it was a really delightful way to meet my green quota for the day.

Then I had the veggie burger, which comes with more of that tahini dressing (hooray!), a small salad, and fries. I was too full to try the fries, but the burger itself was good. A bit mushy, but nicely flavored. Good job, Dojo!

Over the bridge in Brooklyn lies The V-Spot, and all vegan eatery, where my dad devoured those buffalo wings, above. I wasn't feeling it, but he loved them. On the other hand, my tortilla salad was great.

Full of corn, black beans, and avocado, and surrounded by a frame of tortilla chips, this was the perfect dinner on a hot day. It was full of great textures and tastes and was quite enjoyable.

I don't think I'd be rushing back to either of these places on future trips, and I'm sad I didn't have a return trip to Candle Cafe (though I suppose I could try out their new line of frozen meals) or Lula's, but both were good enough options if you're in the 'hood.

The hubster and I are heading up to Mendocino this weekend and will be dining at a place that has been on my to-try list for years. So excited! Bummed that I'll be missing the SF Vegan Bake Sale though. Peep the flier above, then go, support, and have a great weekend everyone!

Last Call for Bike Basket Pies!

2011-06-15T07:58:00.001-07:00

I have been on the Bike Basket Pies mailing list for a long time, and I had heard of their deliciousness from many a friend, but just never bit the bullet and ordered one. This was, in part, because I live on the expensive side of her delivery zone, but then I realized I could just pick them up at Mission Minis, so that excuse was lost. Still, I hesitated.... until I got her last email in which she declared June to be the last month for BBPies! I checked the menu for this week: Asparagus Quiche (tofu/daiya-based) and Ginger Peach. Done and done. I am happy to say I picked up my goods yesterday and had an epic pie dinner.

First up was the savory quiche. Isn't it beautiful? The crust was perfection and the filling divine. Silky smooth tofu seasoned perfectly and chock full of fresh asparagus. I was in heaven and thought it could really get no better, until...

Isn't she pretty? And that's just the top view! See those gorgeous peaches inside just dying to get out and into my belly. Well, let's get a close up.

At this point I was already kicking myself for not having ordered BBPies sooner, but tasting it really put me over the edge. First, that crust! So flaky and moist and amazing. And then, that filling! I thought this would be a tasty peach pie with just a hint of ginger powder or something, but boy was I wrong. There was fresh ginger galore in this baby, and it danced with the peaches all over my tongue in such a delightful way I could hardly stand it. What a sweet and warm and spicy combo! I loved it.... and, as you might imagine, I now wish I had been ordering all along, having gluttonous pie meals every week, all while supporting a great vegan-friendly company in my city. Sigh...

BUT - There are still a view delivery dates before it all goes kaput, you lucky San Franciscans, you! Check HERE and to see if there's a day that works for you and then order away. You will not regret it. Only regret here is not ordering sooner. But, I'll be a bigger person and just wish the pie maven good luck on her next steps in life (with fingers crossed that her pies meet my lips again in the future!).

Horizons

2011-06-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I wrote about my most fave casual dining spot in Philadelphia over at Vegan Favorites recently, but I thought my birthday meal was more of an EWWO post, what with all the pretty pictures and multiple desserts. Yes, that is how I roll on my birthday. And where did I have such fantastic eats? At Philly's only high-end vegan restaurant, of course: Horizons.

Don't get it twisted - just because it's the only high-end place in the city doesn't mean it ain't as good as other fancy vegan restaurants. In fact, in my opinion Horizons rivals all the best food you can get in NYC or San Francisco. I mean, just look at that beautiful shaved asparagus and arugula salad. It hit all the right flavor and texture notes and was frankly one of the tastiest ways I've eaten my greens in a long time. Perfect start to my celebratory meal!

My entree choice was the grilled seitan. I was a little apprehensive because I'm more of a tempeh girl myself, but this seitan was cooked to perfection and wasn't chewy (my main seitan complaint) at all. It had a perfect char to it, and the horseradish cream and silky smooth potatoes is sat upon were out of this world good. If there hadn't been some delicious bread on the table for sopping it up, I would have licked that cream sauce off my plate. No joke. It was that good... and I have no shame.

Next up was dessert number one and it was INSANE. What you're looking at is a deep dark chocolate tart with some blackberry jam and PEANUT ANCHO ICE CREAM. Good lord, Horizons. You have killed me for all other desserts. The ancho chili added just the right amount of warmth to this dish and when it all came together in the perfect bite, it was euphoria. But then, oh then....

...there was dessert number two! To be fair, this was my husband's dessert. One of the things that I love about that man, however, is his complete lack of a sweet tooth. This means he always orders dessert, takes a bite or two, and then hands the rest over. In this case, that meant chocolate-filled beignets for me! These bad boys were melt-in-your-mouth perfection, from the sugar-coated, fluffy, exterior to the warm dark chocolate inside. Heaven on a plate.

What a birthday meal, eh? The saddest news ever is the Horizons is actually closing up shop sometime soon so this was my last meal there. I look forward to checking out their new venture next time I'm in Philly, as it sounds Ubuntu-esque (focusing on the veggies rather than the proteins), but will miss Horizons for sure. Meanwhile, I'm still out on the east coast and finding more great food all the time, so I promise to post more soon. I hope your summer is off to a great start!

Epic Eating at Ubuntu

2011-05-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, we had a spectacular brunch at Millennium on Mother's Day proper, but I think the highlight of the weekend was still our Friday night dinner at Ubuntu. We had the Chef's Tasting Menu, and since there were two options for each course, all of which could be made vegan, we got to try one of everything! Actually I take that back - there was only one vegan dessert option.... but it was so good we were happy to have two. Join me in reliving this insanely wonderful feast, won't you? First up - some items not on the chef's menu but that we had to have anyway:

The olives in fennel pesto and the vadouvan spice almonds were full of crazy good flavor and were the perfect way to start our meal at Ubuntu. There are always olives and almonds on Ubuntu's menu, but the spices get changed up. Last time, we had citrus olives and lavender almonds, for example. You really can't go wrong though. They're guaranteed to be good no matter the variation.

First on the tasting menu was this duo of asparagus. In both roasted and raw form, and complimented by pine nuts and currants, this inventive dish screamed ASPARAGUS! and made me want to do the same. I love asparagus, and this homage to one of my favorite veggies was delicious.

Welcome to perfection. This artichoke and lime vichyssoise with crispy potatoes had us swooning. Why the flavors of artichoke, lime, and potato work together is beyond me, but the light broth with the hearty potatoes was divine. Oh, and there were kale chips too for crunch and the perfect touch of bitter green-ness. LOVED this dish.

The "Garden Snake" salad was next and was just as tasty as it was pretty. I love greens and these were fresh, crisp, and paired with edible flowers with just the right amount of seasoning to enhance their already brilliant taste.

And how pretty is that? These roasted beets and broccoli with yuzu kosho were AWESOME! I love beets and I love broccoli and getting to drag them through those little dots of highly-flavored sauce was so much fun. Another inventive and scrumptious dish.

The pasta for the evening was this fiore with artichoke and grapefruit. Again, whoddathunk to put those flavors together? But the bitterness of the grapefruit actually paired very well with the pasta, which was silky smooth and smothered in the herbaceous sauce/broth. Could have eaten two plates of this.

There were more savory dishes, but there was also a ton of wine, so forgive me for forgetting some. I did, however, get the dessert! You're looking at a deconstructed German chocolate cake. The chocolate cake strips are sitting atop an avocado puree and are topped with coconut sorbet and crushed spiced almonds. Oh. My. God. So good. There are really no words. I just closed my eyes and thanked the universe for such good food.

Ubuntu has gotten some bad press in the past, but I don't get it. I think it's some of the most wonderful vegan food you can get anywhere and I always enjoy my meals there. Yes, it's expensive. And yes, it's small plates, so you have to order more. But the quality and thoughtfulness is unparalleled. I will definitely be back.

Have a great weekend everyone! More food soon, promise. :)

Saha.... again

2011-05-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's something that's no secret. I LOVE Saha. Like if Pee-Wee Herman asked me, "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?" I might actually start drawing up the paperwork to make it official. Because, you know, that's the next logical step after gays can marry. Me and Saha 4Eva!

Anyway, my mom loves it too (because she is a human with functioning taste buds), so it was our first stop on our Mom's Day Weekend adventure. I started with the fattoush salad.

Why anyone would want to muck up this tasty salad with cheese is beyond me, but you vegans will have to order it without, like I did. It's the perfect crisp and deliciousy seasoned way to start your meal at Saha. There is, however, another small plate starter to die for.

The Vegan Knaffe is a beautifully composed mound of shredded phyllo dough, vegan cream cheese and mushrooms in an out-of-this-world savory sauce. It's crazy good and you must eat it at least once in your lifetime.

Entree-wise, I'm a huge fan of the Vegan Bastilla. This phyllo purse is stuffed with veggies and vegan cream cheese and served with a crazy good saffron sauce. It's so fun to crack it open and see what vegetable surprises hide inside!

For dessert, we split the Bisbusa and mango sorbet. It normally comes with gelato, but the cake itself is always vegan. This Yemeni treat has a thin layer of crunch from the caramelized sugar, but the rest is syrup-soaked soft wonderfullness. We lucked out and got a caramelized banana too!

Not a bad start to a weekend full of delicious food, eh? Stay tuned for our meal at Ubuntu. It'll just about make your head explode. For reals. Meanwhile, have you entered the amazing giveaway at Vegan Favorites yet? Do it!

Holy Crap -a Post! About Brunch! At Out the Door!

2011-05-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

I know, I know.... it's been, like, FOREVER since I posted here. My bad. I've been busy over at Vegan Favorites, taking an e-course, and plotting a new career direction. The former will be revealed in due time, but rest assured I've been eating well during all this stuff of life too! For example, we went to one of our favorite places, OUT THE DOOR (the Bush Street location) this weekend and got to try their brunch menu. Delicious! See for yourself:

Much of the vegan brunch items at OTD are the same as what's offered on the regular menu, with one shining exception that we'll get to later. But first, let us gaze upon the papaya salad (sans fish sauce). It is the best papaya salad I've ever had, and sometimes I crave it so badly that I must get it immediately lest people get injured. There is just something about the combination of crunchy veggies and green papaya with the savory dressing, peanuts, and plethora of fresh herbs that is SO GOOD. Speaking of fresh herbs...

Check out another fave of ours from the regular menu. Those are the veggie imperial rolls. I love this dish because you take one of the crispy fried nuggets of joy, wrap it up in a lettuce leaf, add some rice noodles, and (here's the best part!) some huge fresh mint leaves, and then you dunk the whole thing in the tangy sauce. Love them! But, you know what? Sometimes you want something sweet at brunch to balance out your savory. At most omni joints, this means a fruit cup or some other such nonsense, but not at Out the Door. Oh, no. For here there lies the hidden gem of the brunch menu. The warm sticky black rice:

I can not exaggerate the tastiness of this item. Basically they take black sticky rice and add sweetened coconut milk, salty peanuts, and some pureed avocado. It is a flavor sensation unlike anything you've had. Super sweetness balanced with just the right amount of salt, all warmed to perfection and ready to dance all over your taste buds. A must-try for anyone up for a unique brunch experience!

I love Out the Door for any meal, but brunch is now officially my favorite time to go. Go too, and bring an omni friend. Everyone will be happily eating well. Promise. I also promise that you can keep up with me better over at Vegan Favorites these days, so click that link and "like" us, dammit! And until next time.... eat well!

Tropisueno

2011-04-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

The weather has been wonderful here lately, and there is something about sunshine that makes me want Mexican food like nobody's business. So, on Saturday, I sated the craving. Knowing that we were going to have drinks and hear some jazz at Les Joulins later in the evening (highly recommended btw), we decided to search for Mexican food in the vicinity. As it turns out, about two blocks away is the cantina-style restaurant Tropisueno. It's tucked away on an alley between 3rd and 4th streets so I'd never even seen it before, but it's a welcoming and festive space. Having concerns about vegan options just from looking at the menu, I emailed beforehand and had a nice exchange with Erin, who assured me that two of their beans are vegan and that the veggie tacos could easily be made vegan by removing the cheese. (Vegans beware: The vegetarian entree contains cream, and it doesn't mention that on the menu.) So, here's what I had:

Those are the might tasty veggie tacos with black beans. That green tomatillo salsa was nice and mild but full of flavor and the veggies themselves were cooked beautifully. These were great as is, but when topped off with some of the house-made (and REALLY delicious) guacamole that we ordered, they were perfecto! Also, the chips and salsa that came to the table gratis were fantastic. We will definitely be back next time we're craving some spice. It's the perfect place pre or post shopping, movie, or MoMa excursion, and I'm so glad to have discovered it!

Keep checking in at Vegan Favorites, of course, but stay tuned for some more new-to-me SF eats soon.... :)

Glorious Greens

2011-03-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of a leisurely lunch with friends at Greens Restaurant this past Saturday. I love this vegetarian restaurant - from its spot right on the water (the views can't be beat on a clear day) to its delicious food. Speaking of which....

I started with the warm spinach salad (sans cheese). You know I love my greens, and you know they're going to be good at the restaurant of the same name! Most of the varieties of greens at Greens come from Green Gulch and they are some of the best around. This salad is made even tastier with a drizzle of hot olive which slightly wilts the tender leaves. Simple pure goodness.

For my main dish, I had a favorite of mine, the Mesquite-grilled brochettes. I love the fluffy bed of quinoa studded with currants and almonds, and the sauce is flavorful yet understated enough to allow the veggies to shine. Oh, and they're even better than the last time I had them since Greens is now using Hodo Soy tofu. Good stuff!

Just because they were pretty and my husband raved about them, those are the Bengali Potato Cakes. I was too full/slow (they went fast!) to try them, but word is they rule. :)

There seems to be a misconception that Greens isn't particularly vegan-friendly, and that was maybe true years ago. But now? Almost everything is vegan or can be made so, and they always have at least 2 vegan dessert options too (not even counting the vegan cookies you can get on your way out from Greens-to-Go). I look forward to going back to this San Francisco gem soon. Meanwhile, stay tuned for some new-to-me places in the near future... and don't forget to check out Vegan Favorites for your daily dose of all things vegan. Have a great week everyone!

Roaming Again

2011-03-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I went back to ROAM. I do so love it there, what with their beet-red (literally) vegan burgers and crispy sweet potato fries. Unlike last time, however, I skipped the bun yesterday and ordered a trio of mini-burgers atop their "Farmer's Market Salad":

Vegans will have to order up the salad without the cojita cheese, but this mix of baby greens, tomatoes, chives, and avocado is the perfect bed on which to rest your mini burgers. I just love this option (all their burgers are available in this form) for a light dinner. Plus, I figure if I skip the bun I can eat more of their awesome sweet potato fries, right? Right.

Had some canceled dinner plans this week, so this is all I have to report. Next week promises to be full of culinary adventure though, so stay tuned! Oh, and don't forget to keep checking out Vegan Favorites. We're gonna have some mega-awesome giveaways coming up that you don't want to miss.

Have a great weekend and eat well, everyone!

Mas Sake

2011-03-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

I must admit I was skeptical of Mas Sake at first, what with their promise of Japanese Mexican fusion food. But I'm here to tell ya it works. Mainly because the intermingling of the two is very minimal. For example we started with some really good guacamole:

So, yeah, it was really dark and red in there so all these pictures are gonna suck. But you get the idea. What is impressive is that they hand-make their tortillas every day, and you can really taste the difference. These chips were thick and crispy, and the guac was fresh and flavorful. We also had some edamame to start. Because Japanese AND Mexican, y'all!

There are a few vegan rolls on the menu, and this here is the Super Veggie. It's filled with all sorts of veggies and sprouts and was damn fine eats. I got the grilled vegetable salad too:

I really liked this dish as the veggies were cooked perfectly, and the sesame marinade has lots of good umami flavor. That's all I got pictures of (and really, do you need to see any more of these horrible pictures?) but we also had some other rolls. Next time I want to try the tofu tacos (not on the menu, but we were assured they are an option) since the Mexican food we ate was more impressive than the Japanese.

I overheard the waitress explaining that the fusion aspect can be seen in the jalapeno that pops up in your sushi or in the seaweed that might be in your taco, but really the cuisines are pretty distinct and there is no mind-blowing new food happening here. It's good food in my 'hood though, and the atmosphere would be fun for groups, so I might be back....

Up next: Some more veggie sushi at a place that's been on my list for a while. Have a great week everyone!

The Old and The New in Southern Florida

2011-03-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

I love Southern Florida for it's white sand beaches, turquoise waters, and warm sunshine, but it is also home to some seriously good vegan eating! In Miami Beach, I love The Cafe at Books and Books with it's separate vegan menu, Sushi Samba for their plentiful vegan offerings and willingness to veganize, and Pasha's for their healthy Mediterranean food. However, on this trip, I discovered a new vegan-friendly gem just a little ways north of the South Beach madness: Canyon Ranch Grill at (where else) Canyon Ranch Hotel and Spa. Warning: Going to eat a meal here will make you want to book a room...

First of all the view while you're eating doesn't suck, right? For real. Also, CRG clearly marks all their vegan menu items and will make adjustments to veganize something if possible. They also have all the nutritional information (calories, fat, etc) on the menu too. This is spa cuisine after all! I started with the green salad, which was so plentiful I felt like St. Patrick's Day had come early:

Mmmmm, greens. And the shallot vinaigrette was tasty too!

The husband had the roasted tomato gazpacho. It had a deep smokey flavor and got some nice crunchy balance from corn and other veggies. A real winner that I would suggest trying whether you're vegan or not.

For my main dish I got their veggie personal pizza without the cheese but with the addition of broccoli. A great tomato sauce and the bright flavor of the basil really made this dish. And the crust was oh-so crispy and full of whole grain goodness. :)

Next time I want to go for dinner when they have even more vegan items on the menu. Hopefully that won't be too far in the future...

And, of course, no trip to the Fort Lauderdale area (in case you didn't know Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are only about 30 minutes apart) is complete without a stop at Sublime. This huge (in both size and reputation) vegan oasis is a shining star on the vegan culinary map and this was my 4th or 5th meal here. Love at every bite.

Up first we each had our own Caesar salad. The creamy dressing is just perfection and the bagel chip-esque croutons are garlicy crunches from heaven. Love this salad.

For my entree, I got my fave - the piccata. Once made with seitan, and now made with Gardein cutlets, it is just scrumptious. I must say I preferred the pre-Gardein version, but the mashed potatoes and lemon caper sauce are just divine. As usual, I had to fight the urge to lick my plate.

My husband had the "steak" sandwich, also made using Gardein faux meat, as well as a healthy topping of Daiya cheddar. Even as a non-veggie, I was never a beef person, and I've never tried Gardein's version. I must say that this sandwich was too "meaty" for me. I mean it really tasted and chewed like meat, or what I remember anyway, and I almost couldn't get it down. That's a compliment I guess? I dunno.... but those sweet potato fries were BANGIN'. I could have eaten those all day.

And then there was dessert, beautiful dessert. We split the "Chocolate Nirvana" (a rich chocolate cake with Kahlua cream and chocolate ganache coating) and an ice cream sundae (three scoops of vanilla, chocolate shell, and peanuts). Both were even more amazing than you are imagining right now. We were so full but, well....

Yeah, that about sums it up! We're back in SF now and have some plans for good eats coming up in our own neck of the woods, so stay tuned!

Outstanding Orlando Eats

2011-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

I spent the early part of last week in and around Orlando, Florida. My whole family was there to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday, but I managed to sneak away with my other vegan family members to try out some of Orlando's best vegan offerings, of course! As far as major cities go, it is definitely not the most vegan-friendly out there, but there are some gems. First on your list of places to go in O-town should be Ethos Vegan Kitchen.This order-at-the-counter joint has a comfy cozy atmosphere, and the food is equally comforting. I started out with a spinach salad that perfectly whetted my appetite.

Fresh spinach gets paired with walnuts, apples, red onions, and plump raisins, and the whole thing gets topped with a bright orange-ginger vinaigrette. It is the perfect combination of tart, sweet, crunchy, and chewy.

I also had a few bites of my dad's appetizer, the "Healthy Trio" which consists of hummus, olive tapenade, and a tomato-mango salsa served up with veggie crudite, bread, and chips for dipping. The chunky homemade hummus was my favorite. YUM!

For my entree, I went with the "Sheep's Pie". This playful take on a Shepherd's Pie is a carb-lovers feast and oh-so-tasty. Underneath that pile of mashed potatoes is a ton of veggies like broccoli and carrots in a savory veggie gravy. In case you didn't get enough potatoes on the pie, the bread this dish is served with is a potato-chive variety... aka my new best friend. Go to Ethos and eat this NOW.

But wait, eat this too! My husband ordered the "Chickun Marsala" and it was so full of mushroomy goodness I could have burst. An herbaceous and garlicy gravy made with marsala wine is the star of this show. I could have taken a straw to that stuff. Normally, I'm a not big fan of food so, well, brown, but Ethos' comfort cooking could win me over.

What about dessert you ask? Well there were certainly options at EVK, but we had already purchased so sweetness earlier... from none other than Babycakes!

Yes, Babycakes NYC is now open in Downtown Disney! It's kind of tough to find - it's located in a food court of sorts and without much signage - but how great that an all-vegan and allergy-free bakery exists in the heart of fast-food land! We were psyched.... and just look at what we got:

After tasting a sample of their incredible vanilla crumble donut, I had to have one. Then there was the super moist and amazing banana chocolate chip bread. Divine. My aunt loved the red velvet cupcake I got for her, and my husband ate the vanilla cupcake in two bites. I love Babycakes. My only complaint is that it that the space doesn't smell nearly as good as the small bakery on the lower east side of NYC, but that's a food court for ya. Still, I'm just so glad they're there and doing well! So many kids with food allergies these days, and all of them go to Disney, so I think it's only a matter of time before we see more and more options like this open up in touristy areas. Hooray!

Up next, I go back to some old faves and discover a new one in Southern FL. Stay tuned...

Plant Revisited

2011-03-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love The Plant Cafe. They have numerous locations around San Francisco, but their sit-down dining outpost is right on the water at Pier 3. It is a gorgeous space in which to enjoy some really yummy food, and my visit there a few days ago was no exception. What was exceptional, however, was my ordering! Normally I go for the Napa Cabbage Salad with baked tofu or the Plant Burger and call it a day, but I was feeling feisty (and super hungry) so I mixed it up this time:

First up was the avocado salad. So glad I tried this! The avocado comes served atop a bed of arugula, fennel, and grapefruit segments, and the whole thing gets topped with crushed macadamia nuts and a creamy black pepper-macadamia dressing. Delicious, and the perfect bright and fresh compliment to my hearty entree:

This is their seasonal special (get it while it lasts) - a cornmeal-crusted tempeh with brussel sprouts, olives and baby broccoli all atop a bed of quinoa and served up with a savory sauce. There were a lot of bold flavors on this plate and I'm not sure all of them worked perfectly together, but it was very yummy and satisfying all the same.

Moral of the story? I (and maybe you?) need to order outside of my comfort zone when dining at familiar places. I may just discover a new favorite!

Speaking of favorites, don't forget to keep checking in at Vegan Favorites. The daily posts there are awesome, and not just because I write half of them. :) I'm off to Florida soon, so say tuned for updates from the land of 80 degree weather and some of my favorite restaurants in the world!

Pizzeria Picco Prevails

2011-02-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago the husband and I did one of our favorite Bay Area things. We hiked the Dawn Falls trail and then had dinner at Pizzeria Picco. I know I've written about this before but it really is awesome to get out on that beautiful trail (especially in later winter when the falls are abundant!) and then cozy up near the wood-burning oven in Pizzeria Picco's tiny space for some amazing food. We both agreed that even though we always love dinner there, somehow this time the food was even better than it's ever been. Magic? Too much fresh air in our city-dwelling brains? Who knows, but, um, YUM.

We started with the warm olives. Lemon, rosemary, and garlic goodness right there. So tasty.

Then we both got their signature "Marinara" pizza. It is a simple tomato sauce pie that comes already cheese-less and it is just so wonderful. The dough? Perfect. The sauce? Perfect. The fact that you can top any pie at PP with a salad? Brilliant, and the "Rocket Man" which is simply arugula with olive oil, is the perfect addition the this one.

So there you have it. Another fantastic time at Pizzeria Picco. Up next, I go back to an old fave and go crazy ordering new stuff. Stay tuned!

Valentine's Dinner at Home

2011-02-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

Dinners at nice restaurants are, as you well know, one of my most favorite things in the world. But, since nothing says love like a home-cooked meal, yesterday I donned my apron and cooked my heart out for my husband. The results? A scrumptious feast that I was pretty proud of.... and which I enjoyed devouring almost as much as I enjoyed our fancy dinner Saturday. Almost.

First up we had a simple salad of spinach and arugula topped with a homemade avocado dressing. Basically I blended up an avocado with some salt, pepper, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Delish and super easy.

The star of the show was Chef Jesse Miner's red posole, which I wrote about HERE (includes recipe). I highly recommend using Rancho Gordo beans, hominy, and chili powder if you make this. It will make all the difference in terms of taste. This dish was seriously yummy, with just the right amount of heat. It's bound become a staple in our house. Thanks Jesse!

Because nothing goes better with a spicy stew than cornbread, and because you can't have a Valentine's Day dinner without some sort of heart reference, these are the cornbread hearts I made. Cute, right? It's amazing what a heart-shaped cookie cutter can do. :)

As for dessert - a vital part of any VDay celebration - you'll have to wait and check out Vegan Favorites tomorrow when I post what I had as my fave of the day. I hope you guys had as wonderful a Valentine's Day/Weekend as I did. Up next? A trip across the bay to revisit some of the best food our area has to offer. Stay tuned!

Souley Vegan's Brunch

2011-02-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

The way to my heart is most definitely through my stomach and though my husband can't cook worth a damn, the man can make reservations like nobody's business. Hence, we spent a romantic Valentine's weekend eating at some of our favorite spots. The fanciest of these was, of course, Millennium, which I wrote about over on Vegan Favorites. It was amazing, but our brunch the next day at soul food spot Souley Vegan also hit all the right notes as far as flavor (so tasty), service (with a smile), and ambiance (see Big Mama Thornton painting and disco ball, below) go.

First of all, I love that brunch at Souley Vegan is kind of like the homemade Sunday brunches of my youth in that Soul Train is on the TV but you can't hear it because the Parliament Funkadelic is turned up too loud. Yes, I know my parents are cool... but they can't cook like SV can! We ordered at the counter (which is how they do things at SV) and took a seat at a picnic table in the back, singing along with George Clinton the whole time. Before you could say "Make my funk the P. Funk" a massive plate of food had arrived:

That was the breakfast combo special from Sunday, and it included the most creamy and delicious grits you ever could imagine, a perfectly spiced tofu-scramble, savory potato hash, a refreshing corn salad, fresh orange and honeydew, and two pieces of toast for $10! I added the biscuit and gravy for $2 because I just had to try it. Boy am I glad I did. Light and fluffy and with a herbaceous and not-too-heavy gravy on top. Yum! The husband got a simple plate of tofu scramble and two pancakes and I ended up sharing much of my food with him because there was just so much.

For a place that only started serving brunch less than a month ago, Souley Vegan has already got it mastered! I will definitely be back. Let's not forget that lunch and dinner there also rule. If you live in the Bay Area, definitely check it out.

Up next: Some more Valentine's eats... 'cause I love ya!

Cafe Gratitude Update

2011-02-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

I hadn't been to Cafe Gratitude in a long long while before last night. I do love it there but lovefest-disguised-as-restaurant thing doesn't always sit well with me, and their affirmation-laden menu still doesn't have an "I am bitter and disgruntled" option. Plus it's winter and I'm not into raw food when cold all that often. That being said, I had a really good meal... and I was happy to see some changes to the menu when I went last night.

All my old favorites were still there, like "I am Fulfilled" (large salad, above), "I am Cheerful" (raw veggie burger made from pumpkin-seeds, walnuts, and spices), and "I am Abundant" (appetizer sampler plate), but there were new cooked additions too!

My cooked curried lentil soup (I forget its affirmation as it was the special soup of the day) was absolutely delicious and perfectly warming. They also added a taco plate and a tamale entree to the menu, both of which sounded reminiscent of the tastiness offered at CG's sister restaurant, Gracias Madre.

So, quirky affirmations aside, I was happy with the new (to me) menu and will happily head back again and again for more organic goodness. Update success!

Up next: Probably some Valentine love. And, as usual, don't forget to check in daily over at Vegan Favorites. Have a great weekend y'all!

Kingdom Cake

2011-02-07T15:48:00.001-08:00

I love a good deal, so when I saw a Groupon for a promising new cupcakery, I jumped on it. Well, first I made sure there were vegan options, of course. Then I jumped on it. Then for no good reason, I stalled on ordering. So I decided to wait until just before the deal's expiration and get some cupcakes for the SuperBowl. A dozen mini red velvets were ordered. Meanwhile, they offered another, even better, Groupon, which I also bought. Hooray! A dozen mini carrot cupcakes were ordered to go with the red velvet, and yesterday I went to Kingdom Cake's adorable pick-up window in North Beach with my two Groupons, and picked up two dozen of the most pretty cupcakes you ever did see. First the red velvet:

I have a confession. Until yesterday, I had never had a red velvet cupcake in my entire life. I guess I went vegan before having one and haven't come across a vegan version before? Seems impossible, but true. In any case, these were worth waiting for. My red velvet-loving friend claims they were more chocolatey than she normally likes her red velvet to be (no problem with that on my end!) but we all agreed the frosting was the bomb:

Mmmmm, frosting. Even my no-sweet-tooth-having husband loved them. But wait, it gets better!

These carrot cupcakes had me salivating as soon as I picked them up because the smell of all those warm spices was just so inviting. And when I finally got to eat one? Heaven. Perfectly gingery, cinnamony, and carroty (hehe) and topped with more of that awesome frosting, crushed walnuts, and what I'm guessing is Kingdom Cake's signature edible glitter.

I could have EASILY eaten a dozen of these little beauties all by myself. Luckily I had the help of friends at the SuperBowl, but I will definitely be back to Kingdom Cake for more. If you're a vegan in the Bay Area please please please go support them and prove that there is a demand for quality vegan baked goods in the city. I mean, just check out the delicious-sounding vegan flavors on their menu. Now go order some. The process is easy, the people are super-nice, and the product couldn't be better!

Up next, back to an old fave later this week, so stay tuned. Have a great week y'all...

No Worries

2011-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

I know I'm totally late to the Bay Area vegan game on this one, but I finally made it to the all-vegan Filipino restaurant No Worries the other night. I have good reasons for waiting though! You see, not only is it in the East Bay (sorry, but it's true) - I also wanted to take some Filipino friends along so they could explain the menu... and see if some omnivores could enjoy vegan versions of their momma's home cookin'. To that end, I let them do all the ordering, and here's (some of) what we had:

First up we had lumpia (spring rolls with soy ground beef) and fried "shrimp." The former were exactly like any other fried spring rolls I've had. The latter, on the other hand, were way better than I thought they would be. One member of our party was so enamored of them (he claimed to be "in love" with them) that he ordered another plate just to get his fill. In the end, the truth of the universe remains: Fried=tasty.

Next we enjoyed some pancit, which is rice noodles with veggies and soy chicken. This one was not a hit. Pretty bland and blah and way salty. Moving on....

This eggplant dish, talong sitaw adobo, was one of the favorites of the table. First of all, it contained no soy meat which was nice, and the sauce was super tasty, if just a tad on the salty side (again).

The sinigang is made with soy fish which I just found to be way too fish. Even in the days before I was vegan, I loathed fish, and it all came rushing back. That texture, ugh. My table mates, however, were not at all offended by the faux fish and seemed to enjoy it.

Two dishes not pictured that we really loved were the afritada, which is potatoes and "pork" in a lovely light tomato broth, and the kare-kare which is basically cabbage and other veggies cooked in a traditional peanut sauce. It doesn't look like much, but trust me, the kare-kare is bangin'!

For dessert we all got turon with ice cream and everyone loved it. I mean, what's not to love about wrapped and fried plantain with coconut milk ice cream all coated with powdered sugar. It was divine.

All in all No Worries was hit or miss (not to mention SALTY) and I won't be rushing back across the bay anytime soon just to eat there. I'm glad I tried it, but there are better places.

Up next? I have no idea.... but keep checking in over at Vegan Favorites for the fave of the day!

Oprah Goes Vegan Viewing Party

2011-02-02T14:51:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining a packed house of fellow vegans at Harvey's in the Castro to watch an episode of Oprah. Yes, Oprah. I know, some of you may not be fans, but she did some really groundbreaking work on yesterday's show. She, along with almost 400 of her staff went vegan for a week... and lived to tell about it! In fact, many of them talked about how they are continuing because they feel too good to stop. Yes, there was too much of Michael Pollan making all sorts of excuses for killing animals ("But I loved it before I murdered it and ate it!") and probably even too much talk about bowel movements (us vegans are "regular" folk) but overall it painted veganism in a positive light. This was due, in large part to Kathy Freston's eloquence. Bravo, Kathy!

Around these parts, we have our own vegan guru, Colleen Patrick Goudreau (with yours truly, above) and, timely as she is, her book coming out later this year is The 30 Day Vegan Challenge. If you know anyone even considering the plunge into a cruelty-free life, I highly recommend they pre-order this book today!

I also recommend that you Bay Area people go to Harvey's and try some of the numerous vegan items which they developed with Colleen's help, like the tasty chili in the picture. Harvey's is mainly a bar so the food is geared in that direction, but c'mon, even vegans need onion rings and burgers sometimes... especially when they taste this good!

A great time was had by all, and although Oprah only vowed to remain "veganISH," I hope this program inspired people across the country to give it a try.

Up next? I finally get my booty to a restaurant that's been on my list forever, with friends who are experts in its cuisine, no less. Stay tuned!

Sunrise Deli

2011-01-31T15:34:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure that simple Mediterranean food like dolmas, falafel, tabouleh, hummus, etc., are some of the best foods on the planet. Luckily for me, there is a plethora of such fare in San Francisco, and last night I tried out a new-to-me place that delivered on both flavor and cost: Sunrise Deli.

You're looking at the large Vegetarian Combo. You get two dolmas, two falafel, a mountain of tabouleh, huge scoops of hummus and baba ganoush, tahini, pita (not pictured) olives and pickled turnips all for $8.99! Even better was that it was all delicious. The falafel was cooked perfectly and the baba ganoush was some of the best I've ever had. Delightfully smoky and rich.

I went to the location on Irving Street, but there are two more in the Bay Area, with a third opening soon in downtown SF. I highly suggest you pick one and go.

Up next, I finally make it to a place that's been on my to-try list for months! Stay tuned....

Marengo

2011-01-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

Marengo on Union opened in my hood a while ago and I've been wanting to go mainly because of the restaurant's subtitle of "whisky, wine & sliders." A good friend of mine has been promising to school me in whisky (a bit of an obsession of hers) and having my lesson while noshing on some veggie sliders sounded awesome. Alas, the "shroomer", as they call their veggie patty, is not vegan. Way to accomodate some but not all, guys. Sigh. However, with a few alterations, there was plenty to eat on the menu.

In the picture you can see everything I consumed at Marengo. On the left was the Asian Grilled Chicken Salad. Since I obviously got it without the chicken, they gave me extra edamame. Hooray! It was a tasty bowl of lettuces, napa cabbage, black sesame seeds, slivered almonds, edamame and crispy tortilla strips in a sweet and sour vinaigrette. Quite good actually, and would be worth going back for. The sweet potato fries on the the right were super duper delicious, but then again sweet potato fries are pretty much my favorite food ever, so I might be biased. All in all a good meal. In the back there you can see my Knob Creek bourbon. My aficionado friend really likes that one and thought it would be a good way to ease into the world of whisky for a newbie like me. I don't know that I'm a convert from my beloved wine, but it really was nice and warming and I'd try it again. Oh, and Barnivore says it's vegan too!

One cool thing about Marengo is that on nice days the roof is fully retractable, so when we get some nice warm weather, I'd definitely go back for open-air whisky sipping and fry eating. Now if only they would get the damn cheese out of their veggie slider...

Have a great weekend everyone, and don't forget to check in over at Vegan Favorites for our daily picks!

Frozen Soy Goodness

2011-01-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to keep it to myself out of respect for my freezing cold East Coast pals, but I can hold it in no longer.... SF is having a full on heat wave full of 65-70 degree temps and cloudless days. It's amazing! In fact there's no rain in the forecast until the first week of February! Sorry to all my cold friends out there. When you're enjoying summer and we're all fogged in, feel free to rub it in my face. Meanwhile, let me tell you how the husband and I took a stroll (with NO JACKETS!) and enjoyed some frozen yogurt on Sunday. It was glorious. And the fro-yo of choice? Well, Fraiche of course!

How lucky are we that the only place with an organic soy variety of this frozen delight is within walking distance of our apartment? Very lucky. As you can see, I topped mine with strawberries and chocolate and he got almonds and pomegranate seeds. The toppings at Fraiche rule! And the yogurt itself is light and tangy and wonderful. It's no secret that Fraiche's soy yogurt one of my favorite foods in SF and, warm weather or not, I will be back. You should go too!

Time for a brief EWWO break, but don't forget you can find me blogging away over at Vegan Favorites. See you there...

Junnoon

2011-01-24T15:17:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we took a trip down the peninsula to meet up with the fam in Palo Alto. Being unfamiliar with the area's restaurants outside of my old fave Zibibbo, I let my sister-in-law pick our dinner destination: Junnoon. I must admit that, after reading through the online menu, I had my concerns about vegan options, but I needn't have worried. Our lovely waitress kindly brought over a menu she personally marked up with all the vegan or veganizable items clearly visible, and there were tons of choices. Being the salad junkie I am, here's where I began:

That is the Water Chestnut and Sweet Potato Salad. So inventive, right? Besides those two unique ingredients, the bowl also included almonds, dried figs, spinach, and a tangy tamarind dressing that was crazy addictive. The only alteration the chef had to make was to remove the drizzle of yogurt that normally sits atop the plate. Really, this was one of the best salads I've had in a while. Soft roasted sweet potatoes and crunchy water chestnuts are best friends. Who knew?

Up next, we shared the Broccoli Shaslik - a dish of broccoli, onions, and peppers cooked with tons of cream cheese. In this case the chef swapped out the cheese for another tamarind preparation, and it was awesome. The broccoli was cooked beautifully and the mint chutney was a great for dipping. Bold flavors here, people, super bold. I loved it!

We also shared the Keema, a more traditional Indian curry (and one of the inherently vegan menu items). However, in a totally untraditional twist, this dish is comprised of soy crumbles and peas. Yes, soy crumbles! Normally this dish is a side order at Junnoon, but we ordered it as an entree and it was so good! It had a rich deep tomato curry flavor and just the right amount of spice. The peas were pop-in-your-mouth perfection. It was perfect with the Roti - their uber-tasty (and warm and chewy and VEGAN!) bread.

Once again I've been impressed by the vegan-awareness at an omni restaurant. Could it be that this vegan thing is really catching on??? Stay tuned for more eats at omni places, and don't forget to check in daily over at Vegan Favorites for our faves of the moment. Have a good week everyone!

Orange-Hued Delights

2011-01-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I have an awesome friend who invited me over for dinner - dinner which she made using recipes in the "orange" section of Color Me Vegan, Colleen Patrick Goudreau's latest cookbook. The book focuses on the nutrients found in veggies, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds, grouping them by color. This makes for a fun read (who new that there was alpha, as well as beta, carotene?!?) and some deliciously healthy food.

Speaking of which, check out the beautiful Peach Salsa (p.50). I wrote about it over at Vegan Favorites, but the summary is that it's awesome. :) What I didn't tell you over there is that we served this with another orange-colored delight:

Sweet Potato Chips from Food Should Taste Good. These crispy corn tortilla chips have just a hint of sweet potato flavor and are the exact right size for dipping. I'll definitely be getting these bad boys again!

For our entree, we had the flavorful Orange-Glazed Tempeh (p.61). I really liked this recipe a lot, and the suggestion to serve it over sauteed kale is spot on. It adds just the right amount of bitterness to the semi-sweet glaze. This was also super easy to make and just might become a go-to meal in the EWWO house.

For dessert, my pal deviated from Color Me Vegan, but kept the "orange" theme with this pumpkin pie. She also kept the Colleen Patrick Goudreau theme, using a recipe from her earlier book (and my sweet tooth's favorite!), The Joy of Vegan Baking (p.104). I am ashamed to admit I've never made a pumpkin pie, even though it is one of my favorite desserts of all time. However, this pie may just get me out of my lazy pants. It was divine, and a wonderful ending to our meal.

Up next? I'm off to Palo Alto this afternoon for some fun family time and with high hopes for what appears to be a vegan-friendly restaurant. Fingers crossed... full report to follow. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of your weekend, y'all.

Brunch at Gather

2011-01-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

As you know, I loved my dinner at Gather a few months ago, and I've been dying to go back ever since. Well, my wish finally came true today when I met up with some East Bay friends for brunch.

One thing I was a bit sad about was the lack of sweet vegan items. No French toast or pancakes (or even granola!) for us herbivores. However, this was all quickly forgiven when I tasted the savory things we ordered, like the side of roasted potatoes, above. Laden with green onion and herbs, they were some of the best breakfast potatoes I've had, and the perfect accompaniment to my winter kale salad:

Oh my goodness, people. This was delicious. I know I'm a kale freak, but this is an amazing dish. The sunchoke-tahini sauce on the plate is sublime, and the brussel sprouts and artichokes are awesome, but the real show stopper is that almond "parmesan" sprinkled on top. It is salty, tangy, and adds the perfect bite to the wilted kale. I was in heaven.... and that was before I tasted the pizza!

Cauliflower pizza with olive caper sauce and cashew cheese, how I love thee. All those tasty toppings and a ridiculously good crust to boot! How they get the edges to get all puffed up and fluffy while the rest remains sturdy and unfloppable - not to mention scrumptious - is beyond me. I could seriously eat this pizza every day and be a very, very, happy person.

There we are happy and sated. Another great meal at Gather, and surely not my last. Tonight my friend is cooking an orange-themed meal for us from Color Me Vegan and I can't wait! I'll be sure to let you know how it went. Meanwhile, don't forget I'm blogging fairly often over at Vegan Favorites. Go on over and say hello..... and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Shelley Visits... and I Develop Multiple Personalities!

2011-01-17T15:49:00.001-08:00

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.

More Hawaiian Eats!

2011-01-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

A few days into our Honolulu vacation, we rented a car and drove around the island looking for more secluded beaches and, of course, more good eats. We found the former in abundance (that's my fave, above). The latter? Not so much. Sure, there were plenty of shrimp and seafood places, but as far as good vegan fare was concerned, the pickings were slim. As any good vegan would, I broke out the iPhone and began scouring menus near our destination, the town of Haleiwa, on the North Shore. Before long, we were steering our way toward Cho lo's Homestyle Mexican. Having worked up an appetite jumping waves, I was really looking forward to some chips, guacamole, and cervezas.

The sun having set, we settled in and placed our orders. Things were off to a good start when I started to ask about dairy in the veggie burrito and the waiter piped in, saying "The veggie burrito is completely vegan." Hooray! Ordering done, cold beer in hand, I awaited the chips and guac. Soon some greasy chips and obviously frozen and thawed guacamole showed up. So disappointing. It was, literally, the worst guacamole I have ever tasted. Sadly, the house salsa was not much better. Things could only get better from there, right?

Well, kind of. I mean, the veggie burrito was at least edible. But really, nothing to write home about. Maybe we're spoiled by having some of the best Mexican food outside of Mexico available to us in SF, but this just wasn't good. Oh well, it was at least filling enough to last me into the next day - New Year's Eve!

For our NYE celebration, we chose the Moana Surfrider where for one set price you got a fancy 5 course dinner at their Beachhouse restaurant and admission to their party. Unfortunately, they seemed totally unprepared for all the people and though we had a 9pm reservation, we didn't even start eating until 10. But, at least the food was good! They even went so far as to print out a special vegan menu (above) for me and the hubby.

Our first course was the tomato and avocado tartare and it was delicious. Finally the guacamole I wanted from the day before, only this guacamole had its fancy pants on! Great start.

Next up was the gazpacho. This was a little thick for my liking, but the flavor was big and robust, and the crunch of the granny smith apples and walnuts was really appealing. Another winner!

The third course was my favorite. This steamed tofu was stuffed with a mushroom reduction that was earthy, savory, and satisfying, and the baby bok choy had just enough crunch left to assure this dish was not just one big sog-fest. It was very yummy.

By this point I was drunk (NYE = champagne!) and didn't even take a picture of the last course. I assure you the fern shoots were very good. After that it was off to the dessert bar (above) where the only vegan items were fruit. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. Plus they had more champagne!

So 2011 was rung in with style, and now I'm back in SF and trying not to miss the warm sun too much. On the super-duper plus side, a good friend and fellow vegan is on her way to me from Boston right now. There will be many delicious bites to be had over this long weekend. Not the least of which are all the goodies available at Saturday's SF Vegan Bake Sale. Peep the flyer (above) and get yourself there. You'd be a fool not to!

Hawaiian Eats

2011-01-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to spend the days surrounding New Year's Eve in Honolulu and it was amazing. It was a week of warm breezes, frozen drinks, and lots of good eats... like this Mediterranean Salad:

This was my first meal in Hawaii, and I got it right in my hotel. At the Hyatt Regency's casual Terrace Grill to be exact. Comprised of fluffy couscous, tart red onions, sweet cranberries, and just enough veggies and almonds, it's a real winner. It (and a daiquiri or three) definitely helped get me acclimated to my new, tropical, surroundings. I could have lounged on the open air terrace for the entire vacation actually.... but there was a town to explore!

One of the best places I found for vegan food in Honolulu was Peace Cafe. I ADORE this place. So homey and welcoming, this little bistro serves up some seriously good (and all vegan!) food. They are mainly a lunch restaurant, heavy and the salads and sandwiches, but they also serve up fresh vegan baked goods and delicious coffees and teas as well. I really loved my Caesar Salad (above). The crisp lettuce held up beautifully to the cashew cream dressing and crumbled nut "cheese." A few slices of toasted garlic bread drizzled with fruity olive oil completed the plate nicely.

And then there was this bad boy - The Popeye. This sandwich of miso-tahini spinach and tofu is outstanding. First of all, the bread is perfection. Super soft and able to soak in the tahini without getting soggy. But the flavors were what really got me. Everything was so fresh and

there was obviously so much care that went into making this sandwich. If everyone ate this food all the time, I really think there would be a little more peace in the world. I'll be back Peace Cafe!

After lunch there we decided to walk down the street to what I thought was a small health food store so I could see if they carried kombucha, and so we could get some snacks for the beach. Well, not only does Down to Earth have kombucha and all the snacks you could ever want, this huge all vegetarian grocery store also has a salad bar, deli, vegan pizza and baked goods, and just about anything else your heart could desire. We decided to come back for lunch another day so I could make myself a mean salad at the salad bar and my husband could have this wonderful creation:

That is DTE's mock chicken sandwich and it is awesome (well, the one bite I was allowed before my hand was swatted away was awesome)! Crispy breaded "chicken" is served up with all the fixin's on a toasted bun. Down to Earth has tons of made-to-order items like this on their menu and if we'd had more time in Honolulu, and if it wasn't a $10 cab ride each way from our hotel, we would have eaten there a lot more often. Next trip for sure. :)

Okay that's all I have the energy for right now. Is it just me, or is this week a lot more crazy than it should be? Where does the time go? In any case, keep eating well and I'll be back with more Hawaiian eats soon.....

The Holidays in SF: The Final Chapter

2011-01-07T14:13:00.001-08:00

After our East Bay Day, we had a pretty chill Wednesday. We went to see the Japanesque exhibit at the Legion of Honor (go if you haven't, it's awesome) and then we headed over to my mom's favorite place in the city - Underdog.

I never really make it out there myself because A. I don't normally go for the meat analogs, and B. I feel like veggie dogs and tater tots are easy enough to make at home. That being said, Underdog is fantastic. The Vegan Polish (above) has just enough pepper and spices and, when topped with their super delicious fresh sauerkraut and some whole grain mustard, it is cylindrical brilliance. My dad loved his Vegan Italian too, and my mom, always smitten with Underdog, reveled in her plain old Vegan Dog. We all got the perfectly crispy tater tots too of course.... because what goes better with dogs than tots??? Maybe I should head out to Underdog more often!

The next day we went back to another old fave: Saha. I've been there tons of times so I decided to just enjoy the moment and not take pics.

Following that was Christmas Eve and we had a wonderful day! First stop was Ananda Fuara, where I had some really lip-smacking butternut squash soup (above) and this hearty salad with tahini dressing:

I used to go to Ananda all the time when I first moved to SF, but I hadn't been in forever. It may have slightly religious overtones, but the food is quite tasty and reasonably priced. Yet another place I really should patronize more often. (It's also really close to the Symphony, which was our post-lunch destination.) Anyway, I was keeping it kind of healthy at lunch because I knew we were in for some decadence at dinner. Ready for the pictures? Well, too bad because I didn't take any! Apologies really, as our dinner at Fleur de Lys was quite wonderful. If you ever want some super high-end vegan amazingness, just call in advance and they'll hook you up with a feast. My Christmas Eves of past have certainly not contained as many truffles, foams, and nuanced flavors as this one!

On Christmas itself, we kept it low key, opting for the "movie and Chinese food" route. Instead of straight up Chinese, we went for the the Pan-Asian vegan stylings of Loving Hut. My parents were intrigued by all the "Supreme Master" stuff, but we all enjoyed our food, the Veggie Curry (above) and the Cashew "Chicken" (below) being the faves.

All in all, we had such a fun time eating our way through SF for the holidays. What could be better, right? Well.... two days after Christmas, me and the hubby (and 6 of our good friends!) took off for Hawaii! Stay tuned for some great island eats in the near future. Meanwhile, enjoy the weekend and, of course, eat well!

The Holidays in SF (or thereabouts) Continued

2011-01-06T12:32:00.001-08:00

Where were we... besides in a food coma? I believe we were on the Tuesday before Christmas. In which case, it's East Bay Day! Me and the folks headed over the bridge to partake in some of Berkeley and Oakland's fine fare. It's no secret that most of the good vegan food 'round these parts is over in that neck of the woods, so every now and then it's worth the trek to the hinterlands to scoop some up. First stop? Saturn Cafe.

As you know, I've been to the Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz, and I've been meaning to get over the the new(ish) Berkeley location for a while. What finally got me going was that they recently revamped their menu to make it oh-so-much more vegan friendly. Hooray! My chipotle corn chowder (above) was a perfect start, bringing just enough heat to warm me from the inside out.

Then, in need of greens as I always am, I had the Crispy Tofu Sesame Salad. I never have high hopes when ordering salads, but this was really good. It had nice sesame flavor and the tofu wasn't over-fried - just slightly crisp on the outside, making it the perfect partner to som

e smooth avocado and crunchy greens. Yay salads!

After taking in a play at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (just a few blocks from Saturn), we walked on over to Cinnaholic and got some ridiculously amazing cinnamon rolls (above). Like really really amazing. As in warm and gooey and sweet and over-the-top. In case you don't know how it works, Cinnaholic is an all-vegan cinnamon roll bakery in which they take a plain cinnamon roll and top it with any combination of frostings and toppings. So, yeah, it's basically heaven. We got 2 Old Skool rolls which were crazy good and then a Rocky Road (for my Dad) and a Chocolate-chip cookie dough (all mine!). And a worthwhile sugar coma it was....

After much needed walking around, we got in the car and made our way to one of my faves: encuentro. This cafe and wine bar serves some top-notch tastes, like the Little Gem Salad (above). I LOVE the salad by the same name at Millennium, but this is somehow better even though it comes from the same chef. The tempeh? Magic.

We also had the vegan cheese plate, of course. This might be my favorite thing on the menu, and it consists of 3 different nut cheeses (smoked pecan was my fave this time around), some fruit, crostini, candied walnuts, whole grain mustard, and fig paste. This is a plate of flavor you won't soon forget!

We ate lots of other things (it's a small plate-focussed place after all) but I always like to finish with their macadamia nut cheese-stuffed prunes (sometimes it's dates). Topped with candied walnuts and a balsamic reduction, it is beautifully sweet and savory and a wonderful end to the meal.

As you can see our East Bay Day was fantastic, but the trip was far from over. Up next, we're back in the city for even more yum!

SF During the Holidays

2011-01-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the above message is a little late, but Happy New Year, you fabulous eaters, you! I do so apologize for falling off the face of the planet there for a while, but I assure you I was eating well and plan to catch you up completely. Starting now! So..... my parents came to stay with us in SF the week before, and including, Christmas. They are both vegan and love food just as much as I do so, needless to say, we had a great time, starting with the Maggie Mudd cake you see above. I had it delivered (free in SF!) on the day they arrived and that amazing little package contained some of the best darn vegan ice cream in the world. One double dark chocolate layer, and one 'peanut butter palooka' layer, to be exact. Those are my favorite flavors and I highly recommend that combo should you order yourself a cake from MM any time soon. (HINT: You should!)

On our first night together, we headed to Cha-ya for some vegan noodles and sushi. This place never disappoints. The food is always fresh, tasty, and beautiful. I mean, just look at the noodle salad my mom had (above) and this sushi plate:

Yeah, I love Cha-ya. But let's move on, shall we?. The next day we headed up to wine country. There was lots of drinking. :) Can't do too much of that without needing some food though. After reading a recent horrible review of the once-so-wonderful Ubuntu, we decided to forgo our usual trip there and we hit up Whole Foods instead. Gotta love the Whole Foods salad bar:

That hearty creation kept me full through some (read: lots) more drinking and the drive home (thanks, sober Dad). Once back in SF, we had only enough sobriety left to order pizza from Amici's. Daiya-laden deliciousness arrived in minutes. (Too drunk for photos)

The following day we at at home until dinner time, when we hit up Gracias Madre for their awesome Mexican fare. As usual, the wait was long and the service was pretty crappy, but the food more than makes up for it. Also as usual, I had the Platillo de Lugumbres (above), which is your choice of two sides, served with rice, beans, and tortillas. My two sides? Always two sides of the greens. What Gracias Madre does with kale is nothing short of magic. Same thing goes for their

potatoes:

The perfectly roasted potatoes in their Papas al Horno are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and topped with the just-spicy-enough cashew cheese sauce. To. Die. For.

So that's all I have time/energy to write about for now. Holidays part 2 coming at you shortly, promise! Meanwhile, eat well and, if you're in SF, enjoy the sunshine!

Mehfil Indian

2010-12-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Yay! There is finally a North Indian restaurant in walking distance of my house that doesn't suck. Welcome to the neighborhood, Mehfil!

In case you forget where you're eating, the name is on the plates. :)

Since we were a larger group, I made a reservation a few days ago. While I was at it, I told the nice man on the phone the 3 of us were vegan. He told me to ask for him when we got there

and he'd go over the vegan options with me. Well, I did just that, and Ravi kindly pointed out

the numerous choices.

First up we had these fluffy and spicy samosas. I've eaten tons of samosas in my day, and these certainly ranked with the best. Crispy dough, pillowy potatoes and peas, and just enough spice to leave your mouth aglow, and ready for the entree.

In the foreground is my Aloo Gobhi: Potatoes and cauliflower in a spicy curry. My only complaint would be that I prefer a much higher cauliflower to potato ratio, but that is the s

ame wherever I order this dish. Overall quite tasty. Still, I think I preferred my husband's Paneer Chana Masala (minus the paneer (cheese) of course), which is the dish in the background. It was more mild and savory and had nicely balanced flavors. Plus the chickpeas were cooked perfectly - not mushy at all. I didn't get to try the Mixed Vegetables, which was the entree of choice for the other vegan in our group, but she said it was quite good. Hooray!

Sadly, none of the rice at Mehfil is vegan because they add cream to it (what???) but they do offer a vegan roti, above. This whole wheat bread was perfect for sopping up sauces, and quite tasty in its own right.

Mehfil is also a winner because it carries a variety of Sula wines, the Chenin Blanc being one of my favorite beverages to pair with Indian food. Verdict: Anytime I'm craving North Indian food, it's off to Mehfil I'll go. Hopefully they do well in their new, and very large, space. Fingers crossed....

After dinner we went back to a friend's house in the 'hood and had dessert. The vegan mint chocolate cookies from Arizmendi Bakery (above) were amazingly moist and decadent and went perfectly with a few scoops of Alkemie's vanilla bean ice cream, which is cashew and coconut based and very delicious. A lovely sweet ending.

This weekend will be getting its own sweet ending this evening, as I'm attending the launch party for Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's new cookbook, Color Me Vegan. Stay tuned for the full report in the next few days. Meanwhile, eat well and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Avatar's

2010-12-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, the husband I braved the wind and rain and headed up north to Sausalito (one of my fave places, btw) to try out a restaurant we've heard good things about: Avatar's. What drew us to Avatar's in the first place is their menu's declaration: "Please note that we can make any dish Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, or to your specific taste. No dietary restrictions!" Gotta love that. Also gotta love that they serve Indian/Mexican fusion cuisine... so not exactly your everyday fare. Named after the original owner, and having nothing to do with blue-hued, nature-revering, humanoids, this place felt like our kind of joint right away. It is homey, unassuming, and full of characters. From the we-never-smile old ladies cooking in the back to the owner/waiter who immediately took our menus after hearing we were vegan. "You won't be needing these", he said, snatching them away, "I am going to prepare for you the best food you've ever eaten anywhere in your life. Now how many places can say that?" I didn't want to hurt his ego by regaling him with tales of hours-long meals at some of the best restaurants in the country, so we conceded. Sure, go ahead, knock our socks off.
First up was the chapati. No ghee here, folks, and super delicious, especially with the mint chutney, pickled carrots, and pineapple salsas with which it was served. We were off to a good start.
Then this curry dish appeared. Unlike the typically greasy Indian curry, this was light, fresh, and packed with veggies. There was also some unidentifiable tastiness going on. Spices and/or cooking techniques I'm not familiar with? All I know is that soon the bowl was empty and I caught my husband's eye with a look that said, "Alright, that was really good. Let's see if he can top it."
Sure enough, he did. Behold the pumpkin enchiladas. I have no idea why this works, but it really really does. Spiced pumpkin puree (not quite curry, but something like it) gets wrapped in corn tortillas, baked, and then topped with a scrumptiously savory sauce. For added measure, a dollop of tamarind glaze gets drizzled on top. Heaven. And that rice is no throwaway either. Cooked to perfection, and containing just the right amount of veggies and herbs, it complemented the dish in all the right ways.
We were happy campers.

So, was it the best food we've ever eaten? Well, probably not. But, it more than warrants a trip to Sausalito, and we will definitely go back for more in the future. The enchiladas alone are worth the trip, and I look forward to seeing what else they've got up their vegan-friendly sleeves!

Next up, we'll be trying out a new Indian spot in our hood this weekend, as well as attending Colleen Patrick Goudreau's launch party for her new book, Color Me Vegan. Can't wait to sample some recipes and report back, so stay tuned!
Oh, I almost forgot! The next SF Vegan Bake Sale is coming up on the 18th. Yay! My parents arrive in town that day so I won't be baking this time around (Hopefully someone else can provide you with your dose of white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies!) but we'll definitely be swinging by to get some goodies and support the awesome charities, Mickaboo Bird Rescue and Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. See you there I hope!

Umami

2010-12-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I've written about Umami before but I went back with a friend last night so I have to give a little update. It is just such a great place to eat well with others, especially if you're craving some Japanese-influenced morsels.

First up I had this salad of mixed greens, radicchio, pomegranate and sunchokes. Its awesome texture comes from the crunchy greens and little pomegranate seeds popping in your mouth, but it's the miso-ginger vinaigrette that really makes this salad rock. A great start to the meal.

For my "entree" I got the gardener roll (their very good veggie sushi roll which I wrote about last time) and a side of the beautiful steamed broccolini, above. They use the most awesomely sweet brocc to begin with, but the addition of the lemon tahini sauce and the crispy fried shallots take this dish over the top. I could have just eaten this all night and been happy.

So there you have it. A brief update on a neighborhood favorite. Up next? Gonna hit up some new-to-me spots this weekend to see how the vegan offerings at some omnivorous places measure up. Stay tuned....

Thanksgiving Weekend Eats

2010-11-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

As per our usual tradition, we spent all 4 days of the Thanksgiving weekend in San Francisco, relishing the quiet of a near-empty city, and just relaxing together. We also decided to dine out every night in an effort to rid ourselves of the stress of washing dishes. Yes, it was a glorious weekend, and filled with some of the best food I've eaten in a very long time. Sadly, I kept forgetting my camera. Was I delirious with relaxation? Perhaps. In any case....

We spent Thanksgiving itself where we always do: At Millennium. It was, as it was last yea r and all the years before, superb. The highlight for me this year was definitely the fennel and squash soup, but everything from the pumpkin spread on homemade bread to the pecan pie was divine. As far as I'm concerned there is no better way to kick off the holiday season than Thanksgiving at Millennium. See you there next year....

The next day we took a trip down the street to our local Amici's for some good old pizza. And look! I remembered my camera and captured this Daiya-laden beauty. I got black olives, spinach, and roasted garlic because that ish is yummy, and I loved every bite. I know some

people aren't down with the Daiya, but I really like it. So there, haters.

On Saturday we made our way over the bridge to try out a restaurant that's been on my radar for some time: Gather. Oh boy do I ever love it there. It's not all vegan, but it is very vegan-friendly, and everything we had was insanely tasty. Of course we had to order the vegan charcuterie, what with all the hub-bub about it being so good and all:

Of course I forgot my camera, but the internets have come through to provide the pic above. Ours was a bit different, as it changes with the seasons, but this was really one of the single best plates I've food I've ever received at a restaurant. I couldn't even tell you my favorite part. I adored the kabocha squash with cashew sage sauce, but the mushroom pate was so savory and earthy. Then again the smoked persimmon 'salsa' on the pear carpaccio was so unique, so happy-making... Basically every bite was a treat and as soon as it was done I wanted to start all over again. This dish is smart, gorgeous, and filled with flavor. I can't wait to eat it again sometime soon.

Oh, and the kale salad, as well as the fried artichokes (above pic taken from the website, but ours really did look just like that), were also delicious. This omnivorous place really knows it's veggies!

On Sunday, we kept it low-key and got take out from one of our faves: Burma Superstar. I'm happy to report that the tea leaf salad, samusa soup, and wok-tossed broccoli are as good as ever. I'm also happy to report that BStar Bar, their sister restaurant down the street, has a very similar (though condensed) menu and takes reservations. As anyone who has waited in the long, long line at Burma Superstar knows, reservations would be awesome. Next time, I'm heading to the BStar Bar.... full report to follow of course.

Now that the food coma is wearing off, I'm looking forward to trying some new-to-me places in the Bay Area over the next few weeks, so stay tuned for that. Of course I'm also gearing up for a visit from my awesome vegan parents. Can you say holiday eating extravaganza?!? You've been warned.... :)

Cha-Ya Revisited

2010-11-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

Since we are people with a plan to eat dinner in a restaurant every night of Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to give it a rest this weekend and eat at home. I originally thought this would mean no new posts, but then I remembered a trip to Cha-Ya I took right before we went to Vegas. For those of you who don't know, Cha-Ya is the most wonderful all-vegan Japanese restaurant ever. The decor sucks and the ambiance is non-existent, but the food RULES. On this trip I had one of my old favorites as well as discovered a new fave that I can't wait to eat again.

Old School Hit: Sea Vegetable Salad. I always order extra dressing because it is miso tahini and is so creamy and rich and delicious, especially when paired with the briny seaweeds. Love this salad!

New Flavor in Your Ear: Goma Ae. This is blanched spinach and broccoli with the most savory sesame dressing I ever did try. It's nutty and kind of sweet and I could have licked the plate but somehow managed to restrain myself. We also ordered the must-try Cha-Ya Roll and a bunch of other mini-rolls like cucumber and avocado, but the two salads stole the show this time around.

I don't know about you, but I'm counting down the days to my most beloved holiday. We'll be having Thanksgiving dinner at Millennium like we do every year, and I promise to report on that as well as our other eating adventures over the long weekend. Until then, eat well everyone!

Vegas, baby!

2010-11-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

I go to Vegas a few times a year, and it's always a good time. Mostly because my friends rock and, as always, the people make the party. I was even more excited than usual for this trip, however, because Steve Wynn has gone vegan and this means that ALL the restaurants in his hotel/casino now have separate veggie menus. Hooray for positive change in Vegas! Sadly, I was only able to eat at one of his places, but I was happy to find some other great vegan eats as well. Here's the rundown.

We stayed at The Palazzo and were starving as soon as we arrived. Best place for a vegan dinner in the hotel? Hands down, Grand Lux. Its huge menu has a few vegan options, like the tofu and veggie stirfry, cheeseless pizzas, and tons of salads and sides. For me, the Manhattan Salad was the winner.

This huge pile of greens, herbs, veggies, and beans is hearty and delicious, though I recommend getting the dressing on the side. The balsamic vinaigrette is vegan and tasty, but you really don't need all that it comes with.

That salad kept me full through a night of gambling, but I woke up starving and headed immediately to the Canyon Ranch Grill, also in the hotel. As someone who knows a little about Canyon Ranch, I knew I would be getting 'spa cuisine' which I assumed would include some vegan options. Right I was!

Here is the vegan tofu scramble and potatoes I had for breakfast. To be honest, I also had a sprouted grain bagel with peanut butter too because I was just that hungry (and because 'spa' cuisine also means stupidly small portions). Plus, bagels with peanut butter rule. The scramble, however, was just alright. Not the best I ever had... but for Vegas? Amazing.

That night we finally headed over to Stratta at Wynn for dinner. As promised, the vegans among us were presented with vegan menus. Hooray! Sadly, the options were pretty much what you'd expect from any Italian place: Pizza without cheese, pasta, salads, etc. But still, our own menus! It's the little things that make me happy. Also making me happy? The mushroom puree and truffle oil pizza.

It may not look like much, but it was quite good. Could have used more truffle oil... or even some olive oil (was a bit dry) but I also got a side of sauteed spinach and just put it on top. Viola! Pizza perfection.

All in all, this was one of the most delectable trips to Vegas I've ever had. I REALLY want to go back and try more of the fine dining spots at Wynn because I've heard the fancy pants places have way more creative vegan options. One day....

Meanwhile, more SF eats are coming your way soon. Yay!

Roam

2010-11-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

For as much as I love veggie burgers and fries, I don't eat them very often. I'm generally a stickler for getting as many fresh vegetables (as opposed to their fried cousins) into my system as possible, but after my visit to Roam this past weekend, that could all change. Now, only a couple of blocks from my house, exists a mouthwatering all-vegan burger and sweet potato fries that can be mine any time I like:

I got this burger "classic" style without the house sauce (mayo-based) but you can add whatever toppings you want from their extensive list. Add an organic Mothership Wit (which they have on tap) and you have an elevated version of this infamous American meal. I say elevated because we're talking organic ingredients served up in super-tasty fashion. The fries are crisped to perfection in rice bran oil and the veggies on the bun are fresh and vibrant. The patty is on the softer side, and obviously (from the color) there are beets in it, but other than that, all I know is it's really good. One of the best veggie burgers around for sure. And coming from a non-vegan restaurant, that is pretty impressive.

Since a veggie burger every now and the never killed anyone (I dare say that's not true of a meat burger), and since this one is so yummy and so close to my house, I know I'll be back to Roam. Maybe next time I'll kick it even healthier and try their other option: A huge salad topped with three mini-burgers. No bun, no fries, but I bet it's still delicious....

A Weekend of New SF Eats

2010-11-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of trying some great new-to-me food right here in good old San Francisco. First up, from now on no trip to the Farmer's Market will be complete without a stop across the street at Blue Hawaii for an acai bowl:

The pic is from their website because I forgot my camera, but mine looked EXACTLY the same. The base of this dish is soy blended with acai berry. Either the soymilk is frozen or there is ice involved because it's like a thick milkshake in both temperature and consistency. Mixed into the base is their homemade granola which adds a nice crunch, and then the whole thing gets topped withe bananas and berries. It regularly comes with a drizzle of honey, but it can be easily omitted. In any case, it is a refreshing and tasty way to start the day, and perfect fuel for shopping and strolling the Farmer's Market.

Later that evening, the husband and I decided to try a Mediterranean place we'd heard good things about: Fattoush. Man oh man, where has this place been all my life? I've eaten at countless restaurants like this, and Fattoush is hands down the best.

First of all there wass the freshest, most flavorful tabouleh and hummus, complete with pickles, olives, veggies, and warm whole wheat pita.

Then there was a slammin' salad (sans feta) which was crisp, sumac-laden deliciousness and so big it could have been my entree.

Speaking of entrees, this is one of the greatest things ever - falafel tabsi. This is basically falafel cooked in a mild yet super flavorful curry and served with slightly sweet (think vanilla and cinnamon) rice. It was one of the best things I've tasted in a while. But wait, there's more!

Dearest cauliflower, why do you not taste like this when I make you at home? Seriously, I don't know what sort of voodoo magic is happening in the Fattoush kitchen, but this cauliflower is AMAZING. I know the picture sucks, but we nearly devoured it before I realized I hadn't taken a picture. In any case, if (no, WHEN, because you must) you go to Fattoush, get the cauliflower side. It is stewed with onion and tomato and spices so complex I couldn't even begin to tell you what is in there. This little number definitely stole the show.

Much, much later that evening (as we were full from dinner for a while) I had this little cutey above. Well not really, as I took a photo of this 'pumpkin spice' donut, but actually ate a 'salted caramel' instead. I purchased both at the Farmer's Market earlier in the day from the all-vegan and all-wonderful Pepples Donuts, and picking a flavor was hard! I mean lemon poppyseed, double chocolate, blueberry, matcha green tea... ? I totally chose right with the salted caramel, as I'm a sucker for the sweet/salty combo, but I can't wait to try some more next time I'm near the Ferry Building.

Quite a good-eats-filled Saturday, no? Of course Sunday was Halloween, so I had my favorite vegan candies - Skittles and Chic-o-Stick - to round out the weekend of yum.

Next up? More good SF eats....

Mi Lah Vegetarian, Philly

2010-10-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

While I was back in NJ last week, I also had the pleasure of meeting up with vegan pals of mine at Mi Lah in Philadelphia for lunch. They had been for weekend brunch before, and loved it, so I'm happy to report that weekday lunch was pretty good too!

First up I had this amazing mango and avocado salad. The dressing is a "Spicy Caribbean Lime" but it wasn't really that spicy or lime-y. What is was, however, was delicious. This was really one of the tastier salads I've had in a long time. Mi Lah was off to a good start.

Next, I tried the olive, sun dried tomato pesto, and spinach flat bread. Super yum! I love this Mediterranean flavor profile anyway, but this was above and beyond yummy. The pesto was more of a relish consistency and super flavorful. Crisp dough with some of my most favorite edibles on top? Winner.

One of my pals had the veggie burger with sweet potato fries. While I did not try the burger, he seemed to enjoy it, and I can attest to the awesomeness of those fries. I love a thick-cut fry and these were crisp yet pillowy slabs of sweet potato goodness.

My other friend had the Vietnamese hoagie. She gobbled it up and was impressed with the flavors. So there you have it. Mi Lah is a great little spot for vegan eats in Philly. Cause we can't be big spenders and go to Horizons every time, you know? :)

Up next: I'm back in SF and trying out some new eats, so stay tuned!

The New New Jersey

2010-10-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up in NJ, vegan options were few and far between. In fact, most people had never even heard the V word, let alone knowing what it meant. Hence, my vegan life was one full of veggie dogs (thank goodness for a nearby food co-op), chips, and cheeseless pizzas. Sigh, lament, shake head. Well I am happy to report things have changed. Like really changed. And, I had some great food in NJ this time around, starting with the all veg Maoz.

This is a chain with only 6 locations in the U.S, and one of them happens to be in my hometown of New Brunswick, NJ. Yay! College (in this case, Rutgers) kids like veggie food, and this veggie food is bangin'. The deal at Maoz is this: You either get lettuce and falafel in a pita pocket or in a salad bowl. You can add things like hummus and eggplant, and then you top your creation with as much of the salad bar (above) that you can fit on that bad boy. Oh, and then you MUST order the sweet potato fries because they are the best you will ever eat.

That's my salad on the left and the amazingly crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside fries on the right. So good. Try them with the tahini sauce. Oh man, I have just given myself a Maoz craving. Luckily for us Bay Areans, there's one over in Berkeley. To be visited soon!

On the more fancy pants end of the spectrum, I take you to Eno Terra. First of all the feel of this restaurant is so wonderful. It is like eating in a very fancy old barn somewhere and it's super eco-friendly. It's not an all-vegan place by any means, but they are committed to using local products, and specifically as many heirloom varieties as possible when it comes to their produce. They always have a few veggie options on the menu, and are happy to make stuff up on the fly, as was the case with our not-on-the-menu bruschetta sampler:

As is often the case in fine dining establishments, the lighting really blew for pics, but I hope you get the idea. Each one of these poppers was sensational - from the earthy sauteed mushrooms to the light and vibrant chickpeas with lemon. Such a fun way to start the meal!

I didn't a picture of my salad, but it had roasted cherries and toasted almonds and was amazing. Seriously, so good. Still, the entree (above) stole the show. This is Eno Terra's seasonal veggies and quinoa and, while it may not look like much in my picture, I assure you that the quinoa was light and fluffy, the veggies seasoned and cooked perfectly, and the whole dish just sang with flavor. Hooray for vegan food at fancy places... in NJ!

Back on the budget-friendly tip, we have another chain - Pizza Fusion. I would not mind one bit if this place, complete with their organic crusts, plentiful veg toppings, and Daiya cheese, made it's way out to SF (my lucky SoCal readers - go!). This was some of the better pizza I've ever eaten actually. Above was my mom's large pie with tomatoes, black olives, and spinach. For me?

I went for a small (I also had a tasty salad) pie with spinach, artichoke, and roasted garlic. Really really delicious. Lastly...

Here we have the massaman curry from Pad Thai in Highland Park, NJ. Their list of vegetarian options is longer than the regular menu at most places and they are in-the-know about sneaky fish sauce. For my money, the massaman wins for its rich flavor and the combo of pumpkin and peanuts. Yum. Hands down the best Thai food I've eaten outside of Thailand and a must-stop every time I'm back east.

So there you have it. Some good NJ eats, right? I also took a side trip to Philadelphia while I was home, so stay tuned for that next!

NYC!

2010-10-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Another trip to NYC, another post about all the amazing eats there. Seriously, visiting New York is like drowning in a sea of palate pleasing vegan food, only you don't suffocate and die, you ingest and emerge victorious (read: 5 pounds heavier)... or something. Anyway, here's what we ate on our whirlwind tour:

On our first night we went to our old Lower East Side fave, Pala. Since we go every time we're there, I didn't bust out the camera, but I swear to you it gets better every time. Try the vegan etna pizza (eggplant, basil, cherry tomato sauce, daiya) which you will find on their separate vegan menu. Love that about Pala - such a great place to eat well with others. And it's so dang delicious!

Now for food I did photograph. The above is the bread and garlic oil which started our meal at Candle Cafe. It may not look like much but that oil is packed full of roasted garlic goodness. Definitely something you and your date (or husband in my case) should both eat lest the eater be shunned for the rest of the evening.

Next up I got the house salad with tahini dressing (on the side). It was good, but not spectacular. I just wanted some raw greens. Mission accomplished.

Now for my favorite thing to order at Candle Cafe - the 4 sides plate. Basically you just pick 4 sides and 2 sauces from their extensive list and call it a meal. Here I got 2 sides of steamed kale (love those greens!), a side of grilled tempeh, and a side of quinoa. For my sauce, I got 2 sides of spicy peanut sauce. It is simple pure tastiness. All the sides at CC are great, so your meal can be a different combo every time!

For dessert we headed across town to Lula's Sweet Apothecary because they make the best ice cream on the planet. I had 2 scoops of chocolate-chocolate chip with chocolate sauce, peanuts, coconut whipped cream, and a cherry. Yes, I like chocolate. Yes, it was fantastic. Yes, I miss Lula's already. Sigh.

The next day we went to brunch with the fam at Teany and I had the chicken-less salad salad (as opposed to the chicken-less salad sandwich) and it was the bomb. Teany does right by all things sweet too, but since it was so nice out, we went on a very short walk to Babycakes to sate our dessert cravings. I had the oatmeal cookie sandwich, which is really more "cream" filling than cookie and which made me very happy:

See? I'm delighted. After this, we headed back to NJ to hang with the fam for a few days. More on NJ eats soon. We did eat in New York once more before heading home though because right by our gate at JFK there was a ZPizza! I've always wanted to try their Berkeley Vegan Pie, so I did:

My favorite part was the veggie burger crumbles, but really it was just ok. As far as airport food goes, however, it was the best! If the ZPizza San Francisco ever opens, I'll definitely hit it up. Of course the site has been saying "Opening 2010" for more than a year and I kind of doubt it'll happen....

I'm already dreaming about my next trip to NYC, but it remains just a dream for now. It's no surprise that there is great vegan food there, but I was very impressed by NJ this time around too. Stay tuned to see what I mean!

Old Jerusalem

2010-10-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to try Old Jerusalem (way fancy website, not so fancy restaurant) after reading good things in both vegan and non-vegan write-ups alike. Sadly, when it came time to dine, I was feeling jetlagged and icky and didn't have much of an appetite. I ordered a salad and a side of hummus and between those two items, and the olives, pickled radishes, pita, and sauces that come free to the table, I was quite sated and happy with the flavors. Since the husband was left at home for this meal, I got him the Vegetarian Combo to go:

I also left my camera home, so this was taken on my coffee table. Gotta love it when food still looks good after crossing the city, no? I think this plate of hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, ful, arabian salad, and eggplant still looked quite beautiful for having made the trek, and my husband confirmed it was equally as delicious. The sauces in the back were the same ones from the table at the restaurant and the one on the left was spicy sweet and very tasty. The one on the right we didn't taste because it appeared to be dairy-based. For all I know it was pure tahini, but I don't take chances!

In any case, I would totally go back to Old Jerusalem and get a veggie combo myself. The food is authentic and yummy. 'Nuff said.

Off to NYC soon, so stay tuned for some amazing Manhattan eats. Some fall weather will be nice after this 90 degree heat wave in San Francisco. Can't wait to dine and share!

Love Those L.A. Eats

2010-10-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

I was in Los Angeles this past weekend for my college reunion and, as usual, I was blown away by the vegan options in the City of Angels. Seriously, there is so much good vegan food in L.A. it kills me. That being said, I want to fit all my weekend eats into one post, so I'll try to be brief. Let's go!

First up, Fatty's. If you're anything like me, this Eagle Rock restaurant's name conjures up vision of all things deep-fried and sugar-coated. Not the case. Instead, you will find an ambiance-rich dining room (twinkling lights, high ceilings, garage door front) serving up some very high-end vegetarian food, most of which can be made vegan. We started with 3 apps:

This is an appetizer after my heart. Simply called "Oils" it consists of 3 fresh-baked rolls and 3 different oils. In our case, there was California premium EVOO, pumpkin seed oil, and white truffle oil. I'm partial to all things truffley, but my favorite was actually the rich and nutty pumpkin seed oil. Go figure.

Fatty's calls their mushroom and rice balls "Cleopatra Balls" but I just call them tasty. The tomato, caper, and olive relish makes these little poppers irresistible.

Our last app was the potato tacos - a truly ingenious idea. Mini potatoes are hollowed out and the skins get fried to become taco "shells" before being stuffed with some of their original potato insides, corn, veggies, salsa and avocado. Addictive!

Wanting to save room for dessert, I had a nice light entree: The Farmer's Market Roasted Vegetable Salad. These were some beautifully cooked veggies, y'all. And I do so love a balsamic reduction. Highly recommended salad.

Speaking of dessert, meet "Fudgey". Anyone who knows me knows that there is no way I could resist a dessert with such a great name, and boy did it live up to expectations. Warm chocolate cake with a molten center, covered in toasted coconut and pecans and served with a dollop of chocolate frosting and strawberries? Um, yes. I'd eat it again and again. I'd also dine at Fatty's again and again if I lived closer. I so badly want to go back to try the vegan chocolate fondue. Sigh...

The next day, I went to Real Food Daily for lunch. I've been there before so I didn't break out my camera on this trip but, like everything on the menu, my salad with tahini dressing was super yummy. RFD is one of my faves. For dinner, I was still in Santa Monica but I wanted to try something new. Enter The Golden Mean Cafe. This was a Happy Cow find and quite a good one! In fact, I dare say they make one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had:

I got this bean, grain, and veggie patty with tempeh bacon and avocado and it came with a side of refreshing watercress salad. From the toasted bun to The Golden Mean's own special sauce, this was a real winner. Seriously tasty from first bite to last.

Dessert was no disappointment either! This apple tart with vanilla coconut ice cream was the perfect ending to my fun day in Santa Monica.

The next day was the reunion and there were plenty of vegan options there too. Check out my papaya and mango salad with plantain chips and veggie rice:

Beautiful right? Right. After the festivities, me and 16 or so other reuniting folks had dinner at Wolf Creek Brewing Company, where I had made a reservation. I chose them because they seemed to have space for a large party, they had a bar for everyone who wanted to keep the buzz going, and when I wrote to ask about vegan options, I received a prompt, kind, and extremely helpful email regarding their menu. For the record, the hummus and flatbread, bruschetta, pizza dough and sauce, guacamole and chips, and the veggie sandwich (sans mayo) are all vegan. The pasta all has egg, but most of the dressings are vegan so salads without meat and cheese are good to go. Here's my salad:

It was really good, though in an effort to make up for taking off the cheese, I think they added way too many walnuts, but whatever. I also had the hummus trio and all 3 were way better than I expected, with the sundried tomato version being my favorite. Others were helping me to devour that and I couldn't get a pick. Anyway, the moral of the story is that next time you find yourself in Valencia, CA looking for a place to eat well with others, check out Wolf Creek!

On our last day, we hit up The Veggie Grill in El Segundo before getting on the plane back to SF at LAX. I have wanted to eat at one of their SoCal location ever since reading about them on Quarry Girl, and it was awesome. I want a Veggie Grill to come to SF! To be clear, this is an all vegan, order at the counter, have your food brought out kind of place. Mostly burgers and wraps and salads, but everything we got was so good!

The husband consumed his Santa Fe Crispy Chicken within minutes and loved it.

My V-Burger was also really good. The pickles and relish and sauce really make this pop on the tongue, and the soft warm bun is the perfect vehicle to get it all in my mouth. As you can see, we both got the "Sweetheart" fries. Crispy sweet potatoes are the perfect addition to any meal, and these are superb.

I also had to order a side of the Mac and Cheese since a good vegan version is hard to find. This one was decent, but not my favorite. Oh well - there are so many other things on the menu it hardly matters. I am officially keeping my fingers crossed that Veggie Grill franchises its way up to SF SOON.

What a trip, eh? I had a blast and before you know it, I'll be off to NYC (5 days and counting!). Keep your eyes peeled for that, but meanwhile I'll be hitting up a new-to-me San Francisco spot soon. Stay tuned!

Long Time No Write

2010-10-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well hello there. Sure has been a while, hasn't it? I guess I've been a bit busy, and blogging has hit the back burner. Rest assured, dear readers, I've still been eating well (I know you were worried). Just haven't been up to the task of writing about it. I guess we all need a break every now and then, right? Right.

That being said, I would like to state some facts about the last few weeks:

1. Vegan options at Out the Door abound and are all delicious.
2. The green salad at Herbivore still rocks my world.
3. Saha continues to produce vegan food that blows my mind.
4. Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant has decent pizzas (though they're not making my Top 5), easily veganized sans cheese.
5. New Ethiopian restaurant, Moya, is the bomb. Fresh flavors and all-teff (read: delicious, tangy and gluten-free!) injera make them my new fave. Check out the fantastic veggie combo:

Even the salad, normally a throw-away at most Ethiopian places, is tasty. Moya rules.

So that's it for now, and I know it was a pretty lame catch up, but fear not. Soon I will be in L.A. and then it's off to NYC, so the eating and photographing shall occur. Stay tuned!

Guayamas

2010-09-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

Escaping the blanketing fog in SF, we headed up to Napa this weekend and basked in the sunshine for a few hours. It was heavenly. So much so that we decided to linger north of the Golden Gate Bridge a while and have dinner in Tiburon on the way home. We'd scoped the menu at Mexican restaurant Guayamas last time we were in Tiburon and made a mental note to check it out sometime. The huge eatery sits right on the bay - the perfect place to pull up a chair, have a cocktail, and watch the water - San Francisco's skyline in the background. And that's exactly what we did, except food instead of alcohol and San Francisco remained hidden behind a wall of fog. A wall which, as you can see, was determined to sneak back into our lives over dinner. Luckily, the food was so yummy (and plentiful!) that we could have cared less.

Because if it's on the menu I have to order it, we started with guacamole. It was good, but lacked a full flavor punch. On the other hand, the house salsa that comes to the table for free is delicious. Full of onions and roasted tomatoes, it added the salt that was missing from the guacamole when paired up on one chip, which is my fave way to eat the guac/salsa/chip trifecta anyway.

Next up we each had a salad, and they both had the same jalapeno vinaigrette because it was the only vegan dressing. Still, these were very different salads, the one on the left consisting of greens with papaya, mango, and jicama, and the one on the right having potatoes, beans, and corn. Both were high quality salads, and I'd order either one again in heartbeat.

Between the salads and chips/guac/salsa we had already had enough food, but we'd ordered this huge entree as well, so we dug deep and had at it! This is the Platillo Vegatariano, and it's as tasty as it is hearty! What aren't shown are the pile of corn tortillas and huge bowl of some of the best black beans I've ever had. This dish normally comes with rice too, but they make their rice with chicken broth at Guayamas (lame). But really? Rice would have been overkill. As it was, the beautifully charred corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, and veggies nearly did us in. And by that I mean took me to my happy place. :)

All in all, we would definitely go back to Guayamas. We'd order less food and more margaritas and aim for a nice warm day to get the full effect, but even in the fog, this place hits the spot!

Next up: New-to-me eats within San Francisco's city limits. Stay tuned...

Zero Zero

2010-09-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

In desperate need of a another wonderful bay area pizza to round out my Top 5 list, I headed to Zero Zero (named for the uber-fine flour used to make good pizza dough) last night. I had heard great things and had high hopes but, overall, this newish spot is only kind of a winner in my book.

The mixed greens salad gets high marks for taste despite its complete simplicity. Just goes to show the importance of good ingredients. It also served as a reminder that I should add parsley to my salads more often! It adds such a nice fresh bite. Alas, laziness....

Now for the pizza. First up was the vegan-by-default Marinara, which I asked to be topped with arugula because that's just how I roll. Crust-wise, it was tasty but kind of dry, and definitely no match for Pizzeria Picco. The sauce was pretty yummy too, but not as much as Beretta's perfectly sweet concoction. Still, it was a quality pie.

Next up we tried the Mission, which consists of broccoli rabe and a bit of chili flake. It also comes loaded with cheese, which we obviously did not want. I think this was my fave of the two. The spice from the chili pepper was really nice - not overpowering at all. And the slightly bitter broccoli rabe with the slightly sweet tomato sauce was quite nice.

So how does it fare among the best of the best I've had? Here's my official top 5 artisinal pies:

1. Beretta
2. Flour + Water
3. Pizzeria Picco
4. Zero Zero
5. Delfina

There you have it, folks. Next time I'm at Zero Zero I'll order the salad and the marinara and then put said salad on top of the pizza for harmonious consumption. But that's just me. Oh, and one BIG downer at Zero Zero. They have this awesome build-your-own-dessert sheet where you get a pencil and check off what you want. For example, a base of brownie (or cheesecake or a waffle...), with chocolate (or vanilla or swirl) soft serve ice cream, and a myriad of toppings. None of it is vegan though. Sigh.

Up next: I hope to hit some new local (read: in walking distance of my house) places as well as a new-to-me place up north a bit. Stay tuned and eat well in the meantime!

Saha Revisited

2010-09-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Saha is, hands down, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. They completely embody the Eats Well With Others philosophy in that they serve enough meat to satisfy your omnivores friends (sigh) but have plenty of gluten free and vegetarian options, most of which are already vegan or can be made so easily. Needless to say, I've been back many times since my last visit, but I figured it was time again to bring along the camera and do a little update.

When I went a few days ago, this was the salad special for the evening. These golden beets were roasted perfectly and then topped with a really flavorful tabouleh, complete with some green olives for tang. At the pinnacle of the tabouleh pile rested two peach slices, both of which had a thin layer of sugar bruleed upon them. Like most things at Saha, it sounds like it totally won't work but then you take one bite and realize that, in fact, it's the tastiest thing ever!

We also tried the mushroom pate appetizer and were quite happy with it. The pate itself was slightly sweet, and the spicy harissa on the side made for a great addition, helping every bite achieve a sublime taste balance. My only complaint is that it doesn't come with quite enough toast points. Luckily, we had plenty of table bread left. See?

The bread that comes to the table is alright, but it's really all about that dipping oil. More herbs and spices than oil, it has a deep, rich taste that is surprising but super delicious. Let's move on to entrees.

Here we have the North African Couscous. I didn't try it, but word on the street is it's bangin'. And, really, what can be wrong with veggies, tofu and olives with couscous and harissa sauce? Um, nothing, that's what.

For my entree, I strayed from my favorite (the vegetarian bastilla) and ordered the Zahara. This dish is comprised of veggies stewed in a rich curried gravy and topped with a fresh pesto-y type sauce. The taste was spot on and I really enjoyed it. I missed my phyllo though, so it'll probably be back to the bastilla next time.

Sadly we were too full for dessert or the vegan Slap Ya Mamma would have been in my belly. I have no idea how this dessert has earned its silly name, but "roasted fruit, date & almond marzipan, and chocolate wrapped in phyllo and baked" (as it's listed on the menu) is one heck of a way to finish your time at Saha, and I highly recommend it

Up next: A trip to a new pizzeria/Italian place in SF means I may have to update my "best pizza in the Bay Area" list. Stay tuned!

Manresa

2010-09-09T12:10:00.001-07:00

As you know by now, last weekend we took a little trip to Los Gatos. It's a cute town surrounded by lots of natural beauty, and we enjoyed that, but really? We went to eat at Manresa. It is not vegan, but like most fine dining restaurants, they will be happy to accommodate you and I've wanted to go to this high-end joint for a few years now. Chef David Kinch is known to do remarkable things with vegetables, all of which are grown exclusively for him at the biodynamic Love Apple Farm. When your food is harvested in the morning and served in the evening, well, it's just better. But, in the hands of the crew at Manresa, what you get is not just good veggies, but food as art that comes at you in 14 different plates (15 if you include the bread!) over the course of about 4 and half hours. I promise to keep the writing to a minimum, but you still better get comfy in that chair because there's a lot to look at!

The first four courses (served with a champagne, if you're doing the wine pairing, which we did) are called "Snacks from Garden."

First up: A warm stone serving up 2 red pepper gelee squares. If you've never had a gelee like this, imagine the very essence of a red pepper (or whatever flavor they happen to be) cooked down into a soft bite size soft candy. It is surprisingly intense and I get a smile on my face every time I have one.

Next we had an herb granita (like shave ice, but better) in a carrot foam. Bright flavor and texture galore. Light and airy foam meets cold and crunchy ice. Such fun!

The fun continued with this strawberry gazpacho shot. This had such a nice combination of sweet and savory - not to mention a luxurious mouthfeel that leaves you wanting more.

Our last 'snack' was a lemon granita with lavender and mint. Perfect end-of-summer palate cleanser.

With the first of the non-snack courses, you get your first class of wine, as well as bread service. The vegan breads that evening included the whole grain (on the bottom), the black olive (on top) and an amazing sourdough (not pictured, sadly). Bread at Manresa = some of the best ever.

First savory course was this cucumber salad. It had tons of herbs and what appeared to be way too much pepper, but it was all so nicely balanced. A lovely mouth awakening for sure.

Our second savory course was one of my favorites. This dish of gorgeous carrots, edible flowers and herb oil gets a little hint of sweetness from those tiny berries. I would eat a lot more carrots if I could make them taste like this!

Up next was Manresa's famous "Into the Garden". Picturesque and delicious, I adored it. The name is quite appropriate as it contains the best of what the garden has to offer, and all the ingredients work in concert to create one heck of a salad.

In the fourth savory course, I was introduced to a vegetable I'd never met before: Celtuce. How I managed to go my whole life without eating this hearty green is a mystery, but paired with paper thin radishes (look, you can see through them!), silky potatoes, and truffle shavings, it really shined. I need to get my hands on some of this unique veggie and try working it into some dishes at home. Thanks for the tip, Manresa. Just for the record, we've been getting a half - 3/4 full glass of wine with each dish. It was around course 4 or 5 (gee, I wonder why I can't remember?!) that we were switched from white to red. Wine pairings are crazy awesome!

Savory course number 5 was a mushroom fest. "Hello, umami," said my happy mouth. :)

One of my other favorites of the night, savory course 6 was a bean dish with garlic oil. These were beans elevated to another level. Smooth, creamy, and wondrous, especially with the garlic oil and herbs. This dish just sang.

Our last savory course of the evening revisited the mushroom theme, but this time the little beauties were paired with fresh basil and pine nut "pudding". If it hadn't been for the fact that I was reaching capacity, I could have eaten a lot more of this dish. As it was, though, I was ready for some sweetness.

With dessert came a full glass of port. A full glass this time because it is to last you through two desserts and a post dessert 'snack'. Number one was this stunning strawberry ice. It was refreshing and just screamed STRAWBERRY. In a good way of course. I could have licked the bowl.

Real dessert (because, for me, "real" dessert involves chocolate) was this simply amazing dish you see above. First of all, I love the use of space on this plate. Definitely one of my favorite platings of the evening. But then the taste! Oh my god. The heavenly chocolate sorbet did a tongue tango with the coconut tapioca - so enjoyable to eat. The two slices of perfectly caramelized banana added just the right amount of warmth to the dish. Way to end on a high note! But wait, there's more....

Just when we thought the check was on its way, we got this dish. Confused at first, because it looked like we were starting all over again with the red pepper gelee, we then found out that this was instead a strawberry version. Flavor intensity and luscious texture was exactly the same, only this time sweet not savory.

All in all, I loved this meal. I even loved the freakin' coffee I got at the end (above). Superb coffee to cap off a superb meal! What I did not love was the price tag. Don't get me wrong, I knew it would cost an arm and a leg to eat here. However, most fine dining restaurants charge a lesser price for the vegetarian tasting menu than the regular tasting menu. * Not here. So, while it was amazing and I loved it, I don't think I could justify the cost again. Not when Fleur de Lys, right here in SF, will create you something just as fantastic for about half the price.

Phew, well I'm exhausted just remembering that meal. I hope you all got to eat well over Labor Day two, even if that meant good veggie burgers on the grill! Up next, I return to an old San Francisco fave and visit some new places too... so stay tuned!

*One notable exception would be The French Laundry, which is also more expensive than Manresa. However, the experience of eating there is unparalleled, which is why it is known as the best restaurant in the country, if not the world. Go if you can.