NYC Eats

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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.... :)