Horizons Visit with Sue

Unfortunately, many of the pictures of the great meal I shared with Sue did not come out great; they were all taken with a camera phone.

I got my usual, the green salad as an appetizer and spinach salad (Yucatan salad) as my entree.  Not all raw but mostly raw.

Sue got the vegetable sampler tasting menu, which was really cool.  It came with a beet salad to start, then a tomato soup with spinach and asparagus, then a heart of palm cake with horseradish sauce and guacamole, an exotic mushroom dish with a parsnip ravioli, and then a dessert sampler with brulee, cheesecake, and biscotti.  Sue said everything was great except for the biscotti. 

Pictures are of the heart of palm cake, the spinach salad, and the beet salad.

Spiral Diner

www.spiraldiner.com, an all-vegan restaurant in Fort Worth, TX and Oak Cliff, TX

 

For me, an all-raw salad with greens, apples, raisins, zucchini, cucumber, avocado, walnuts, pine nuts, red bell peppers, carrots, and walnut-basil dressing

 

For my sister Tracy, the McNut burger, which she likes so much, she got it on our return trip to Spiral (and I loved my salad so much, I did the same!).

*Salad is gluten- and wheat-free, not burger.

Raw Cheezburger - Arnold’s Way

(Disclaimer - picture was taken on my phone camera!)

www.arnoldsway.com

In Lansdale, PA, there is a raw vegetarian cafe with juices, smoothies, entrees (wraps, soups, sandwiches), and desserts.  There is also a store section with produce and miscellaneous items, such as agave, seeds, nuts, dried fruit, seaweeds.

I went there yesterday with my friend Tracey and purchased a green smoothie along with this cheezburger, with flax bread, red sauce, a patty with beets (see website for all ingredients), sunflower seed cheese, avocado, broccoli, carrots, and onion.  I loved the bread, cheese, and vegetables.  The patty was so-so; I only liked it combined with the other ingredients, but keep in mind that I’m not a HUGE fan of beets.  As you may be able to tell from the photograph, this item is eaten with a fork. 

We will definitely be going back to Arnold’s for these treats and they also have raw potlucks monthly.

Pure Food & Wine, ‘Snice, New York City

www.purefoodandwine.com

Part of my adventures in New York City today with friends included going to Pure takeaway, where you can order salads, sandwiches/light dinner items, juices, smoothies, and desserts, all raw and mostly vegan, with some items containing bee products.  I got a salad with dulse, rosemary crackers, hempseeds, avocado, and cucumber.  It was one of the best things salads I had ever had, albeit pretty rich with the avocado, hempseeds, crackers, and dressing.  I really like dulse on salads.  Sue and I also got caramel bars, with chocolate on top, just the right size and very delicious, not too sweet. 

In addition, I got some thumbprint cookies with raspberry filling, an expensive treat that I’m pretty sure was also dehydrated, but how many times do I have the chance to indulge in such things?  The raspberry flavor is awesome.  I highly recommend trying Pure.  Next time we plan on getting the ice cream.

Sadly, my pictures of ‘Snice didn’t turn out well, but it is a salad and sandwich place with coffee and espresso drinks, teas, and desserts such as cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and cookies.  Most items are vegan, and I heard good reviews of the vegan panini sandwich.  I got the house salad, a HUGE plateful of mixed greens with shaved carrots and cherry tomatoes.  I was very pleased!

http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?neighborhoodid=0&restaurantid=5860

VeganMoFo - First Vegan Restaurant Experience

As far as I can remember, Sublime is the first vegan restaurant I have ever been to, years ago when my sister Tracy lived in Florida.  We drove there, to Fort Lauderdale, from her place in Bonita Springs, fully expecting to stuff our faces.  In fact, I think she might have been pregnant the first time we went (help me out, Trace?!). 

I don’t have pictures from that visit or any good ones from subsequent visits.  I find that many of my favorite vegan places, such as Horizons, have low lighting such that if you use no flash, it’s too dark; if you use a flash, it’s too bright.

Anyway, I recall sitting down and ordering, getting an appetizer, dinner, and dessert.  We also had delicious (sublime!) bread with garlic spread served to us to curb our hunger while we waited for our entrees.  It was a wonderful experience to be sitting in a place, ordering from a menu where you didn’t have to question anything - it was all peaceful, all animal-friendly. 

I remember being extremely full when we left with our take-out boxes.  I think I got the tiramisu on that first visit - one of my favorite desserts, the vegan versions usually tasting more “pure” and full of flavor than their omnivorous counterparts. 

Everything was tasty, though a little bit higher in fat than I was used to.  I’ve since learned to eat light before going out to gourmet restaurants, so I will have mostly fresh fruit/vegetables for lunch on a night that I’m dining out.

You might recall that I went back to Sublime in June of this year:  http://utopiankitchen.wordpress.com/2007/06/16/sublime-fort-lauderdale-florida/

Will I go back to Sublime again?  Not being able to predict the future, I’ll just say it’s probable. 

Cheezly Craze

Yes, I have some Cheezly….and I will make a pizza soon!  I just don’t have the desire for fatty/melty foods as I used to.  I think a lot of times we crave things merely because we are accustomed to them and/or there is some psychological attachment to certain foods.  I don’t have a cheese monster inside of me, but I am looking forward to trying this product and will let everyone know how it is!

In the interim, I have been eating tons of raw food and a bit of cooked.  It’s all part of my detoxification, as I term it, from a few days of eating rich (albeit healthier than omnivorous counterparts) restaurant meals.

Certainly, I would recommend heading over to Horizons at 7th & Kater (between South & Bainbridge) and getting the Pumpkin Pie Martini with a cinnamon stick and the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.  If the thought of pure chocolate strikes your fancy, get the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb.  My favorite entree dish there is the Spinach Salad with delicious avocado and corn pieces; however, many people prefer to start their meal with the BBQ Seitan.  Get over there and splurge for the fall season!

Blue Sage Grille, Visit II

Plantains Pacific Rim~
Crispy smashed plantains & wonton chips surround a savory parfait of wasbi crema, mango papaya salsa & sesame-soy black bean hummus. 8.75

Indonesian peanut & sweet potato soup.

These are lentil dumplings with lemongrass.

Cubano Supper*
Flaky plantain pastries stuffed with sunflower seed-smoked red pepper pesto surround tower of yellow tomatoes & avocado corn salsa. Served with chipotle jicama slaw & mango-papaya relish. 16.95

Macadamia Black Bean Cakes *
Trio of macadamia black bean cakes surround grilled hoisin pineapple & red quinoa-black rice pilaf. Served with watermelon jicama slaw & mango barbeque glaze. 18.50

Hazelnut Toffee Basket*
Filled with rich chocolate buttercream mousse, caramlized bananas & toasted hazelnuts

It was another awesome dining experience, this time with a glass of wine!  We’re missing a photograph of a carryout order mysteriously placed by one of my cohorts!

I still don’t know why this restaurant chooses to serve animal products.  Clearly, the chef is capable of making delicious, peaceful items.

Sang Kee Asian Bistro

This is an excellent restaurant in Wynnewood, PA, with very understanding waitstaff when it comes to requesting items without fish/oyster sauce and also a good ole plate of steamed greens (shown here with broccoli and bok choy).

 

Also shown is the vegetarian General Tso’s, which an excellent sauce.  I love the green onions with it!

Merrick Farm & Kaya’s Kitchen

Yesterday, I went to Merrick Farm in Farmingdale, NJ, and picked some berries, received plenty of organic vegetables, and enjoyed a potluck with friends.

Then we went to a park for a while and headed to Belmar, NJ for Kaya’s Kitchen.

Bean & cheese burrito with guacamole and salsa

Fried gluten with gravy, steamed vegetables, and mashed potatoes

A beautiful disaster.  I was too full for this but ate it anyway.

Bertucci’s

When going to Bertucci’s, I find that the pizza can get pretty pricy if you add individual vegetables.  However, they have the side of roasted Tuscan vegetables that you can order and put on top of your pizza yourself!  This pizza shown is ordered with two vegetables that come with it (this time, eggplant and fresh tomatoes) and then topped with the side of vegetables.  Make sure you order no cheese, including no parmesan, as their oil mixture does have cheese in it.

The crust and sauce are extremely tasty!  I love Bertucci’s.