Tuesday, April 15, 2008

My Mom's Visit, Part One

It's always a good time when my mom comes to town, but a few things made this trip especially fun. Like the fact that I got to take her on her first wine tasting in Napa. Or that we saw an amazing Ani Difranco concert in Santa Rosa. Or that we got to witness my silly, silly friends play "bar golf" upon our return to SF. But, of course, what I want to write about is the fantastic meals we experienced along the way - all at other-friendly establishments.

First up was the East West Cafe in Santa Rosa. I found this gem using the mighty Happy Cow, a must-use resource for all vegans. Now, here I should mention, rather, announce with glee, that my mom has been vegan for over a year now (thank you Earthlings) and is healthier than ever! So, while this place is other-friendly, it was so nice to be able to pick at each other's plates for once. But I digress.....
It was a hot day and the breezy high ceilings and eclectic mix of Native American and Asian-inspired art was welcoming. Wanting to avoid wine because we knew we'd be up to our gills in it the following day, we settled in with two beers and took a look at the menu. So many things sounded so good that I'm already looking forward to going back and trying more. My mom ended up going all out and getting the taco plate - a pile of veggies, rice, beans, and a unique walnut-basil pesto to go inside of the prettiest blue corn tortillas you ever did see. Yum. It was too hot for me to consider anything but a salad, so I went for the organic green one and ordered a side of falafel to smash on top. It was perfect with the vibrant lemon-tahini dressing, which was not nearly as heavy as I feared it would be. Hit-the-spot perfection. Upon inspection of the bakery case, however, I suddenly had more room for vegan chocolate cake. Funny how that happens. I only agreed to share with my mom because I know she has no sweet tooth. Good for me, because this was dense, gooey, fabulousness. I'm pretty sure I closed my eyes with every bite.
The perfect meal to send us into the night...

No comments: