Category Archives: Restaurants

Brass Monkey Waffle

Good Vegan Pastries

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I’ve been on a short retreat to Santa Fe, after burying my father last week. The hostess of the house we are staying at left the current weekly arts and entertainment papers for us to peruse. We found an advertisement for an establishment that only opened last winter.

Momo & and Co is nestled in Downtown Santa Fe, up the street from some of the more popular eateries. We were excited because they promised 100% gluten free and mostly vegan food. We trekked down there in the late morning to see what would inspire us. Immediately I loved the feel of the place. Painted in bright colors, with local art on the wall, and a play space for kids that included a “kitchen.”Play Area The woman behind the counter was ready to take our order and answer the inevitable pesky questions. “What kind of chocolate do you use?” “Everything is gluten free?” “What about Daiya cheese as an alternative on the sandwiches.” Gaia patiently answered these questions and more, even the ones about the artwork.

The space had a remarkable feel. Calm and peaceful. Not what you would expect in a pastry shop that just survived a weekend morning rush.

We ordered The Brass Monkey, a concoction Brass Monkey Waffleof gluten free and vegan waffle with bananas, chocolate sauce, almond butter and walnuts.When it was delivered to the table I was instantly in love. Eye-to-stomach sorta thing.

Eating this waffle was even better than I imagined. If you ever thought a GF vegan waffle must be dense and unflavorful, think again. It was fluffy and soft, with a delicate balance between the almond and chocolate sauce. It was not overly sugary (I mean the kind that makes your teeth ache), nor was it too salty. It was waffley goodness that compared to the best conventional waffle. We split the one waffle, and half way through I was wishing I had my own.

I look forward to my next trip to Santa Fe, and eating another Brass Monkey.

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Raw Jalapeno Poppers at 24 Carrots

A Bit of Vegan Heaven; 24 Carrots

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Once in a great while, I come across food that doesn’t just speak to my mouth, or just hums for me, it sings in my soul. On the quest for great quality vegan food that holds the flavors I’m looking for, I have been disappointed. Yes, there is great food out there, and the partner and I frequent the places where we can eat without too much hassle. Me; no corn, no peanuts, Her; no gluten, no dairy (in case we are in vegetarian places). But they’ve all seemed to miss one or two notes.

Along came 24 Carrots, in Chandler, Arizona. I got excited when I heard about them, but life kept getting in the way. It is a bit of a trek from our house. I knew I wanted to try it, and I keep an eye on the social media, and the specials were starting to make me drool. We were able to visit the other day, and found a relaxing, yet vibrant atmosphere, coupled with a knowledgeable counter person, and good smells.

Juice Bar at 24 CarrotsNestled between a Subway, and a Caribbean house, 24 Carrots is a strip mall slice of vegan heaven. The juice bar is prominent, and there are small dining tables up front. In coffee house tradition, there is a lounge area with couches, and comfy chairs, and a large flat screen t.v. on the quote board. There is a small library, and you can read while waiting for food, unless you want to take advantage of the wi-fi on your mobile device.

There is so much to choose from. They have an extensive menu with a variety of vegan cuisines represented. I was interested in their specials, and the veggie burger. I’ve been disappointed so far with most of the grain burgers I come across. It was Taco Tuesday, with Soyrizo Tacos on the special board, so the partner ordered two of those. I went for the Roasted Tomato Burger. We decided on the Raw Jalapeno Popper appetizer. After having a nice chat with Marcus, the counter guy, we ordered juices and food, and sat and waited.

Raw Jalapeno Poppers at 24 CarrotsThe wait was a little long, and that could have been for several different reasons, but once the food came, we were not disappointed. The Raw Jalapeno Poppers looked exquisite. Almond cheese stuffed into baby bell peppers, laid out on a bed of mixed greens, with what looked like a bit of cilantro pesto. Then there was the Soyrizo Tacos. Soyrizo smothered with avocado puree, purple cabbage, onions and mushrooms, all wrapped up in a warm corn tortilla.  An optional side of chips with a pineapple salsa fresca completed the plate. Then came the Roasted Tomato Burger, the ever present LTO, an oat bran bun, served with a refreshing mixed green salad with not only sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds as well. I love pepitas!

Roasted Tomato Burger at 24 CarrotsSpecial of the Day: Roasted Tomato Burger at 24 Carrots

Eye to stomach is what I’ve been taught as a chef, and 24 Carrots applied the rule. I wanted to eat everything as they set the plates down. But first, pictures! Can’t forget the pictures. Then we dug in. I’ve found my home for vegan Sonoran flavors. This is what I’ve been looking for. One other place came close to pleasing my chili/lime/cilantro craving palate, and that was Native Foods Cafe in Southern CA. Glad to know the flavors exist closer to home. The first bite into the Popper caused a bit of ecstasy in my mouth. A burst of flavors, and my mouth was singing. Then I tried the burger. Satisfying, and it did not squish or fall apart. It was warmed all the way through, and the basil aioli came through all the way. The salad was dressed perfectly, not too much, not too little. And I ate it all. We took a couple of the poppers home, and as I was writing the first draft of this review, I had to go eat one, I got so hungry just remembering how good they were.

Special of the Day: Soyrizo Tacos at 24 CarrotsSpecial of the Day: Soyrizo Tacos at 24 Carrots

The report on the Tacos were excellent. I could only take a little bite due to the corn tortillas. I tried the salsa, and it was very pleasing. We had fresh juices to wash everything down with, Apple-Ginger, and Ginger lemonade. When I tried the ginger lemonade my mouth puckered. Thanks, I’ll stick to apple-ginger. But the partner really enjoyed it.

We will definitely return to explore the rest of the menu, enjoy the specials of the day (posted daily on their Facebook page– great use of social media by a vegan restaurant), the decor, and the fresh atmosphere at 24 Carrots. I hope you do too, if you are in the area. Support independent, and support local.

 

 

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Eating Green

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There are days I am not cooking and on those days we get to eat out. There’s a favorite restaurant of ours, Green New American Vegetarian, located in Tempe, AZ. Tempe is a college town, and the restaurant reflects the image. It’s artsy, open, and in a strip mall. The clientele are college students and professors, and college dropouts who like to hang with the crowd. There’s a little mix of other types, but mainly that’s it. To get to Green one has to know the football and baseball schedules of the University to avoid the traffic. And it is 15-20 minutes away from our house, depending on traffic and time of day. Early this summer we got wind that Chef Damon was going to open a Phoenix location. Phoenix is a big town, we could only hope it would be close to us. As the plans progressed we kept a watch on Facebook for any news. I actually figured out where the location was. I frequently drive down 7th st , and I kept noticing this same area under construction. Finally, like a lightening bolt hitting my brain, I knew: that’s where the new Green would be. Three miles from our house. I found the Super Secret Location (it’s kind of like finding the Bat Cave). Then they posted that the bakery and coffee shop, Nami, was open. A vegan bakery in Phoenix that has a chance of surviving. And after a day or two, it was posted that the restaurant itself was open. Strawberry Mint Soynami We were in heaven. Not only do we get to save gas to eat at one of our favorite places, we also can have Tsoynamis more frequently. Last week we hopped on over to support the local vegan eating scene. We started with the Artichoke Gratin, with both corn chips and pita chips. Artichoke GratinI’m allergic to the corn, she’s allergic to the wheat. Then, the partner ordered a gluten free Secret BBQ Chick’n po-boy. What makes it gluten free? It comes with corn tortillas, not the bread roll. I had the Texas Moo-shroom Po-boy, “pulled” mushrooms in a thick spicy BBQ sauce. Messy and delicious. It is usually a four napkin sandwich.We took our time eating and digesting. And I finally got to meet the Mad Creator of the Valley’s favorite American vegan food.  The decor is much more urban than the Tempe location.

Secret BBQ Chick'n Po-boyMoo-shroom Po'boy

The current art was Signs. All big with funny and interesting statements on them. My favorite part was the back wall with car doors, and a spiral staircase leading upstairs. The staff at green are always friendly and helpful, and since this was the new adventure, enthusiastic about educating new diners on their particular vegan cuisine. After consuming our lunches, we strolled over to Nami and got to have lovely Tsoynamis.

Nami (bakery & coffee shop) and Green (restaurant) are in two separate buildings on the same property. I met the lead baker who had Chedder and Chive scones out for sale as well as a selection of cupcakes, cookies, and other pastries – even a daily gluten-free option. She’s using the Daiya cheese in the scones. I was too full to try one, but they looked heavenly. We ate our tsoynamis and soaked in the atmosphere of Phoenix’s newest contemporary eatery. If you are ever going to be in the Phoenix area, and want a great vegan meal, drop me a line and I’ll take you to Green, where the food is fantastic and the ambiance fabulous.

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Worth the Trip? Veggie Grill in Hollywood

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The fourth in a series of  Restaurant Reviews On My Trip to Orange County, and Los Angeles, CA. The previous posts were Satisfying Soul in OC,  Is Gluten-Free Dairy Free Worth It, and Vegan Food Found in O.C.

Our final excursion into Southern California vegan cuisine was the Veggie Grill. We went to the one in Hollywood, on Sunset Blvd, nestled inside a large retail building that included movie theatres. Again, we had difficulty with parking, but with it being Sunday and movie theatres in Hollywood at mid-day, it made sense that parking would be an issue.

We found the restaurant. As I entered I encountered bright orange and green walls with poster frames of different kinds of vegetables. It was bright, and light. One of my main complaints about restaurants is that we turn the lights down low, provide candles, and then you, the guest, really can’t see what you are eating. Not so at the Veggie Grill, the big windows and bright colors lit everything up.

We went to the counter and placed our orders. Again with the order-at-the counter, pour- your-own-drink, and wait for the food to come with a number on the table. Since my partner was connecting with an old friend the wait wasn’t too bad. We had good conversation, and drinks.

As we were ordering, I peeked behind the cashier/order-taker into the kitchen. The Veggie Grill sports an open kitchen where you can watch the cooks make food. I saw a couple of very young, green cooks back there. Well, it was Sunday.

Then our food came. I had the Santa Fe Chickn with crispy fried chickin’, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, and southwestern spiced vegan mayo. And because I love sweet potato fries, I got those, it was the Special that day. The partner had the Papa’s Portobello-Kale Style. It came with a grilled portobello mushroom, chopped tomato, basil & garlic, pomodoro sauce, caramelized onions, pesto, LTO, and chipolte ranch. And instead of a bun, she got it on Kale. Nice touch. We shared a bowl of the the Bean me up Chili, a combination of red & white beans, garnished with soy cream and chopped green and red onion.

Having recently lived in Santa Fe, anything by that name should be spicy and hot. What I got was a medicore flavored sandwich, and vegan mayo splattered with a little chili spice. The Chili was good, warm and comforting, like chili should be. I was impressed with the overall presentation of the food, but not the flavors. I’m used to big and bold (to quote the Food Network), not wimpy and whiny. The mushroom was flavored well, and I believe I appropriated the chipolte ranch for my sweet potato fries. Overall Papa’s was good, but still nothing to get excited over.

It’s possible that we were there on an off day. Or that the green cooks weren’t sure about how much flavor to add to the food. It was a flat end to a day that involved driving in circles in Downtown L.A. (see Babycakes), and having a great drive down Sunset Blvd on a sunny day.

Next time I’m in So. Cal, I will give the Veggie Grill another try. I know that there are Californians who revere this place. Still compared to Native Foods, and Freesoulcaffe, it felt like the Burger King of So. Cal Vegan Cuisine.

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Vegan Food Found in Orange County

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The third in a series of  Restaurant Reviews On My Trip to Orange County, and Los Angeles, CA. The previous posts were Satisfying Soul in OC, and Is Gluten-Free Dairy Free Worth It.

Nestled in a monstrous outdoor shopping mall called The District, snuggled in next to a multiplex cinema and a clothing store is a little place called Native Foods Cafe. This seems to be the most unlikely of places for a vegan restaurant, let alone one that focuses on Southwestern food., but it is a great restaurant in Tustin, California.

It was the dinner hour on a Saturday night, but not as busy as I expected. That could have been due to the weather. When we walked in I realized that it was the typical order-at-the-counter-seat-yourself style bistro. I actually went on a vocal rant about this later on, after our visits to other vegan eateries. (Why do vegan restaurants assume the clientele wants to seat itself with a number on the table?) The restaurant itself was decorated in earth tones, rich browns, and deep reds and orange. Some white was thrown in to break up the color scheme. I remember some avocado green as well.

We settled in with our drinks and waited for the food. The Partner ordered the Rockin Moroccan bowl, and I decided on the Portobella and Sausage Burger with Sweet Potato Fries (one of my little known addictions is sweet potatoes). When the food was delivered, it was hot, gorgeous and very delicious. The Bowl came with tofu, quinoa and loads of veggies bright, crisp and not over-cooked. My “burger” was scrumptious. I love pesto in all its forms, and loved the pumpkin pesto on this tasty sandwich. The dishes we dined on followed through with the restaurant color scheme of oranges, browns, and a little yellow.

Chef Tanya Petrovna has really outdone herself with this great restaurant concept. And it’s obvious she’s doing great busines, Native Food Cafe is opening three new restaurants in Chicago, IL this coming summer.

You can read a little more about Native Foods Cafe food here, and while your visiting, check out the menu. If you go on a weekend, expect to compete with movie-goers and diligent clothes shoppers for parking, and possibly longer lines to get a table to eat this outstanding food by this very active vegan Chef.

 

 

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Satisfying Southwest Soul in O.C.

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The second in a series of  Restaurant Reviews On My Trip to Orange County, and Los Angeles, CA.  The first in the series was Is Gluten-Free Dairy Free Worth It.

I briefly resided in Tustin, CA at the tender age of 18. I worked at a donut shop and a drugstore respectively. I remember the food being passable, something about all the farms in and around Orange County. But I never looked for vegan food because, though I had been exposed to the idea of Veganism, I could never, ever, ever give up meat.

Now Tustin is all grown up. The donut shop I worked at is still standing. There’s an Historic District, a few square blocks of “Old” Tustin.” That’s where you’ll find Freesoulcaffe, an all vegan Cafe. All Vegan. From the pastries to the latte’s, to the soups and dressings, no animals are harmed in carrying out the menu. This is their mission statement: “Freesoulcaffe was established to provide wholesome, sustainable, fine coffees, teas and foods for an alternative, compassionate way of life.”

Freesoulcaffe has a beautiful picture window that faces out to the street, a patio nestled in the back, which we were unable to take advantage of due to the weather, (reminder to self, next trip to CA, make sure it’s warm and sunny) and a simple elegant decor inside, with a very roomy Barrista serving counter. They do serve lots of tea and coffee so the roominess makes sense. I couldn’t get a glimpse of the kitchen, nor could I even locate it. My Chef’s sense having been dulled by the forces of nature.

It was rainy and very cold when we ventured out to dine at this small, cozy and intimate cafe. But venture we did and were well-rewarded with fresh, well seasoned, and pretty food. The Partner ordered the Smoked Tomato Tortilla Soup, which came with the traditional garnish of avocado, fresh tomato. and cilantro. The smokiness of the tomatoes made the trip in the rain worth it. I had the Vegan Chicken Salad. I failed to write down the details and description, and so cannot give an accurate account. I do know that it was very good, and satisfied my salad craving of the day. I’m a fan of Vinaigrettes, and love to create them myself, and when I come across a nice house-made dressing, I fall into a little bit of chef heaven.

If you are ever in the vicinity, check this cafe out, but do it during the day, or when it’s not raining, so you can sit on the patio and enjoy the view. And if you don’t believe me here’s another opinon from Quarry Girl.

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Is Gluten-free, Dairy-free Pastry Worth It?

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The First in a series of Restaurant Reviews on my trip to Orange County, and Los Angeles, California

A Trip to Babycakes Bakery

Los Angeles, Downtown, Sunday, mid-morning. The streets are crowded, and we are driving in circles, looking for a parking place. Around, and around. I’m seriously getting dizzy. I didn’t know there would be that much foot traffic in Downtown L.A. on a Sunday morning, blocking my ability to make a right turn before the light changes and the oncoming traffic starts. Half an hour of this.

Waiting for lights, waiting for cars. I wonder, is a gluten-free, dairy-free pastry worth this much trouble? Apparently I used my out-loud voice without realizing it. The partner glares at me. “Yes.” She growls.

I continue, in circles. Until, two blocks down and one block over, there is a parking space. We are in the Garment district. I know so because the signs say so. It’s  a working class section of town, thus all the foot traffic.

We park and lock, feed the meter, and hike it up to Baby Cakes. Once upon a time just a New York City operation, Baby Cakes has opened a bakery in LA. A small, tiny, 32 by 54 square foot bakery. We walk in and look around at the one table with two chairs, an ordering counter, a cash register, three display cases, and a window with shutters that are opened, facing into the “bakery.” And there’s a board to hang up cards and other miscellaneous flyers and event information.

The bakery consists of two ovens, a counter for processing dough and cake-like substances, and a mixer. My trained culinary eye takes it all in. I look down the hallway and see stacks of flour and other chemist-like products that bakers dare use to coax dough and batter into lovely, yummy sweet-tasting food.

The smell is well, heavenly. It’s a bakers haven. The one girl who takes our order multiplies into three as we sit eating our agave-sweetened goodies. The girls stand at the “Icing” station, icing cookies, and idly chatting about their lives, terribly unaware that two total strangers are listening in. When you work in an environment like Baby Cakes, who cares what strangers think. The bakers change shifts. The short but slender, long-haired boy turns into an older, smiling woman with slightly greying hair.

I’ll have to say that Baby Cakes wasn’t quite as small as the Wine bar next door, which was closed until 5 p.m., and looked to be half the size of the bakery.

Was it worth the trip into Downtown L.A. for those wheat free, dairy free pastries? You betcha. How ever the originators of Babycakes figured out the chemistry behind the cupcake, they are geniuses. It was worth it just to see the frosting smile on the Partner’s face. Is it worth another 7 hour drive just to get that smile again. Oh, hell yes.

Now, can we have a Babycakes in Phoenix, Arizona, please.

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