Hello all! It's been awhile- mostly because I have been completely bogged down with work and work and more work, but I have been on a roller coaster ride for the past few weeks trying to piece my life together in more ways than you can imagine.
I am launching my own site in the coming weeks and will be starting a whole new vegolution with my site. I am building my life around Italian vegan cuisine so get ready. I will now be known as La Vegetariana and will only answer to that- just kidding! But really, I will have my site and I will be posting show broadcasts of me cooking and teaching everyone who is interested how to make great traditional (and not so traditional) Italian dishes only for vegetarians and vegans! How great right? Well, I am working tirelessly to gather recipes and be creative with it and I am having a blast. I am still working in the restaurant and though it has taken a toll on me physically, mentally and emotionally, I am hanging on strong to build a shell. I need to toughen up and face the bullshit life carries so I will be prepared for a lot worse if it comes (which I hope it doesnt!)
So wish me luck as I work on LaVegetariana.com and you can check it out as time goes on to see what's new
P.S. Since the last post I have eaten at a few new restaurants and have loved them all...Square 1682 in Center City, Divan in South Philadelphia and Radice in Blue Bell- from eco-friendly chic to Turkish fare to all around modern Italian these restaurants were fabulous and each brought a different taste to my palate that drove my taste buds wild! I was so happy to have been able to try such great food at three different locations with three very different styles of cuisine. That's what I call foodxploring.
Go out and explore and check out my site www.lavegetariana.com. Everything will be posted soon and I will be able to officially welcome you into my world as the Italian veg...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
AMADA-licious
It was late Monday night and my boyfriend surprised me with
a dinner at AMADA in Olde City.We sat in the swanky, yet simple restaurant surrounded by other couples and parties enjoying the exquisite tapas that were listed on the menu. Sure there weren't a lot of vegan options on the menu, but we made it work. With the support of my boyfriend and the knowledge of what was in each of the dishes, we made sure to order mostly vegan options except for the chicken dish that he ordered :) (which still looked awesome!)
Dishes that came to our table for either one of us to eat included "escalivada" which is a dish with roasted peppers and eggplant, cipollini onions & confit tomatoes; "patatas bravas," which were spicy potatoes and the chicken dish that my boyfriend chose was called the "madre e hijo," which was chicken breast with fried egg, mojama & truffles. Of course I stayed far away from it, but the vegetables that came to the table were delicious and if you are a vegan at AMADA, you have to make sure to ask which sauces and dips you can or can't eat. The "escalivada" was a tiny portion and I was in no way stuffed after eating it, but it was a delicious explosion of flavors in my mouth. It was light and we used the cool two prong fork that was at our seat to stab at the veggies. None of the dishes are typical or like any that I've seen. AMADA is a great place to have a unique dining experience, but it is also a challenge that you have to be ready to embrace.
As a part of the Garces Restaurant Group, AMADA "wows" customers with an extensive and very different menu that may not be the most convenient and easiest for vegans, but is well worth the time.
a dinner at AMADA in Olde City.We sat in the swanky, yet simple restaurant surrounded by other couples and parties enjoying the exquisite tapas that were listed on the menu. Sure there weren't a lot of vegan options on the menu, but we made it work. With the support of my boyfriend and the knowledge of what was in each of the dishes, we made sure to order mostly vegan options except for the chicken dish that he ordered :) (which still looked awesome!)Dishes that came to our table for either one of us to eat included "escalivada" which is a dish with roasted peppers and eggplant, cipollini onions & confit tomatoes; "patatas bravas," which were spicy potatoes and the chicken dish that my boyfriend chose was called the "madre e hijo," which was chicken breast with fried egg, mojama & truffles. Of course I stayed far away from it, but the vegetables that came to the table were delicious and if you are a vegan at AMADA, you have to make sure to ask which sauces and dips you can or can't eat. The "escalivada" was a tiny portion and I was in no way stuffed after eating it, but it was a delicious explosion of flavors in my mouth. It was light and we used the cool two prong fork that was at our seat to stab at the veggies. None of the dishes are typical or like any that I've seen. AMADA is a great place to have a unique dining experience, but it is also a challenge that you have to be ready to embrace.
As a part of the Garces Restaurant Group, AMADA "wows" customers with an extensive and very different menu that may not be the most convenient and easiest for vegans, but is well worth the time.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Burb Grub
It was time for a trip outside of the city and into the burbs. I had a girls lunch at Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille in Southampton. I have been there many times before and every time I go I try to order something new, however the last time I went I ordered the EL FINO wrap and I really enjoyed it so I wanted a repeat. The EL FINO wrap is a griddled spinach wrap with grilled pears, maple pecans, grilled onions, baby greens & dairy free carmelized onion mayo. It's served with a spring mix in pear-walnut vinaigrette, oranges, roasted baby yellow beets & sundried cranberries. The first time I had it it was incredible and the carmelized onion mayo was so rich and creamy and not one part of the ingredients overpowered another, however this time I ate it and there were way too many pear slices. I wish I could have tasted the maple pecans and mayo more and though I was a bit disappointed, I couldn't have been more satisfied after eating both halves of the wrap along with the spring mix salad on the side.
For the table we ordered the sampler and the warm pita slices were gone in less than 10 minutes. We dipped the pita in a smoked red pepper hummus, baba ghanoush, israeli farmers salad of black lentils, tomato and cucumber with feta and falafel topped with Moroccan glazed carrots with pepitas. Everything was delicious and completely fresh and we all agreed that the food was satisfying but not overly stuffing. We enjoyed our appetizer and main dish and had some great conversations about life and girly things of course! The atmosphere is relaxing and nice for lunch meetings with friends, family and coworkers. It can get a bit loud in the room because it's quite small, so be prepared to speak loudly when necessary!
Overall this place is great for people willing to try vegetarian dishes in a crazy cool restaurant with amazingly tasty combos on their menu. Don't be surprised if you spend 20 minutes just trying to figure out what you want because the options all sound delicious!
For the table we ordered the sampler and the warm pita slices were gone in less than 10 minutes. We dipped the pita in a smoked red pepper hummus, baba ghanoush, israeli farmers salad of black lentils, tomato and cucumber with feta and falafel topped with Moroccan glazed carrots with pepitas. Everything was delicious and completely fresh and we all agreed that the food was satisfying but not overly stuffing. We enjoyed our appetizer and main dish and had some great conversations about life and girly things of course! The atmosphere is relaxing and nice for lunch meetings with friends, family and coworkers. It can get a bit loud in the room because it's quite small, so be prepared to speak loudly when necessary!
Overall this place is great for people willing to try vegetarian dishes in a crazy cool restaurant with amazingly tasty combos on their menu. Don't be surprised if you spend 20 minutes just trying to figure out what you want because the options all sound delicious!
Friday, December 17, 2010
My Mom Does not have a tattoo, but I DO!
Tattooed Mom at 5th and South Street is a place I have long been curious about, but somehow had no idea that I could get food and drinks at...well I discovered this when I walked in with my friend. It was a Wednesday and luckily there was a special on burgers! Three dollars for a regular burger or in my case, for a vegan burger. What a deal! It's the coolest when you walk in and are surrounded by these teal-colored walls and crazy different decorations.
We weren't sure what to put on our burgers, but the server made it simple by giving us an order sheet where we could check off exactly what we wanted on our burger and see how much the extra I would be charged for certain things. I went for a vegan burger with Veganaise, lettuce, tomato, fried onion, mushrooms and of course I would do the honors of topping it off with spicy mustard, ketchup and hot sauce once it got to the table. The server brought out a basket filled with these condiments and toppings- it was incredible! The burger patty was filled with bits of veggies and that made it feel like a true veggie burger. I really liked how different the service was and the food fit the creative atmosphere that takes you in once you walk in the door.
There are so many other specials listed for other days during the week like Thursday night 50 cent perogies- delicious! The food specials are fantastic and the regular food menu includes tons of vegan items like the vegan steak sandwich, falafel with tahini and various apps and sides. I will certainly be returning to Tattooed Mom's maybe even next Wednesday for my three dollar burger or maybe I'll try the perogies?...I'm getting hungry already!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Slammer
No I'm not talking about jail (even though this place is across from the Penitentiary)...I am talking about "the slammer" I ate at MUGSHOTS yesterday. Yummmm...my friends and I walked up to the door and right away I noticed the sweet smell of veggie bacon seeping through the vents. Once I went in, I felt like I stepped into California, West Coast land. Amazing. It is a pure taste of West Coast living in the coffee shop setting. The environment is really chill with a whole lot going on both sides of the counter.
Ordering was a little hectic because it was loud and people were crowding the counter, not to mention there were chalkboards all over the place for customers to order from, so I had a lot of trouble deciding what to order and figuring out what was vegan and what wasn't. I settled my mind and decided on "the slammer" that had veggie sausage, guacamole and salsa stuffed in a whole wheat wrap. I expected the wrap to be warm for some reason, so when I bit into a cold wrap my taste buds were a bit confused. I eventually adjusted and enjoyed the creamy avocado and chunky tomato salsa that melted in with the veggie sausage chunks. To wash down the wrap, I drank the Peanut Butter and Strawberry soy shake. It was so smooth and creamy and vegan! The strawberry flavoring was a bit strong, but the peanut butter goodness came through as an aftertaste. There were quite a few items on the menu that I wanted to order, but with only a certain amount of money in my pocket, I'll just have to wait till the next visit to try out another menu item like the BLT or REUBEN...
I had waited to visit Mugshots for a long time and I was satisfied because not only did it give me the West Coast vibe that I've been craving, but it also gave me the tasty, vegan food that I needed to get me through work Saturday night ;)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Falafel Fever @ Maoz
Do you want to "Veg Out?" (as the sign outside of Maoz says) Who wouldn't want to, especially if a "Veg Out" type of meal consists of falafel, salad bar specials and fries! Yum Yum. I was walking around the city today taking pictures of what I consider to be the "Top 10 Vegetarian/ Vegan Places in the City" and when I passed by Maoz to snap some photos for the Philly Mag article, I couldn't resist stopping in for lunch.
I ordered the uuuusual- Junior Maoz Meal Deal. It comes with falafel on a whole wheat pita. belgian fries, a drink and the option of putting whatever one wants from the salad bar. Well I did not let those veggies go to waste on the salad bar line. I loaded up on carrots, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, chile salsa, tahini sauce, hot peppers and of course KETCHUP. My tummy was overly satisfied by the time I took the last bite of the pita and stuffed the last fry into my mouth. Absolutely a lunch that Philadelphia foodies and curious wanderers have to try, especially because of how inexpensive a meal like this is!
Check out the other items on the menu- you can get anything from hummus to eggplant to avocado added to your falafel for a few cents more!
Maoz has two locations in the city:
11th and Walnut and 2nd and South
Sunday, November 7, 2010
ME...WANT...PIZZZZZA!
I have had a craving for a nice, hot, steamy, cheesy, ooey, gooey (need I go on?)...slice of pizza for TOO long. I decided to satisfy this craving a few times in the past two weeks actually. (It was a recurrent craving, what can I say?)
The perfect place for me to satisfy this pizza craving was at Blackbird Pizzeria on 6th and South Streets. Not only was it a convenient location for me (because of how close it is to my work), but it also happens to be owned by a former Horizons employer!
Now coming from a family of pizzeria owners with sauce and cheese oozing from our blood, I'd say the alternative to regular pizza at Blackbird comes pretty darn close. Sure it's a whole different texture, but in a good way. You don't have the greasy cheese piled up on the crust that sometimes causes the slice to bend just as you lift it to take a bite, but rather this pizza stayed perfectly still so I could snag that first bite (which in my opinion is the best).
The dough was quite amazing and reminded me of my uncle's pizza- classic Italian pizza dough- fluffy with a bit of a crispy edge. The sauce was a simple tomato base and the cheese, though vegan, blended perfectly with the rest of the slice. Some people prefer slices without the vegan cheese because they don't think it comes close to the regular cheese taste, but I prefer to leave it on. The Daiya cheese that is used for the pizza is not soy-based which is great for people with certain allergies to soy products. I say it wouldn't be a classic slice of pizza without the whole sauce and cheese combo!
One thing that is very important to any pizzeria, but a vegan pizzeria in particular is the TOPPINGS! Blackbird has such a wide array of topping choices for their pizzas- veggie meat, veggie pepperoni, sauteed veggies, Philly cheesteak, avocado, potato, etc etc. The list goes on and the deliciousness lives on through every slice. My personal favorites are the plain, veggie meat and broccoli rabe and the potato (though it's not the same potato pizza that my parents make at home ;) ).
So if you have a craving for pizza and are in the mood to try something new and different head down to 6th and South and indulge in vegan pizza heaven. Who knows I may even run into you there!
The perfect place for me to satisfy this pizza craving was at Blackbird Pizzeria on 6th and South Streets. Not only was it a convenient location for me (because of how close it is to my work), but it also happens to be owned by a former Horizons employer!
Now coming from a family of pizzeria owners with sauce and cheese oozing from our blood, I'd say the alternative to regular pizza at Blackbird comes pretty darn close. Sure it's a whole different texture, but in a good way. You don't have the greasy cheese piled up on the crust that sometimes causes the slice to bend just as you lift it to take a bite, but rather this pizza stayed perfectly still so I could snag that first bite (which in my opinion is the best).
The dough was quite amazing and reminded me of my uncle's pizza- classic Italian pizza dough- fluffy with a bit of a crispy edge. The sauce was a simple tomato base and the cheese, though vegan, blended perfectly with the rest of the slice. Some people prefer slices without the vegan cheese because they don't think it comes close to the regular cheese taste, but I prefer to leave it on. The Daiya cheese that is used for the pizza is not soy-based which is great for people with certain allergies to soy products. I say it wouldn't be a classic slice of pizza without the whole sauce and cheese combo!
One thing that is very important to any pizzeria, but a vegan pizzeria in particular is the TOPPINGS! Blackbird has such a wide array of topping choices for their pizzas- veggie meat, veggie pepperoni, sauteed veggies, Philly cheesteak, avocado, potato, etc etc. The list goes on and the deliciousness lives on through every slice. My personal favorites are the plain, veggie meat and broccoli rabe and the potato (though it's not the same potato pizza that my parents make at home ;) ).
So if you have a craving for pizza and are in the mood to try something new and different head down to 6th and South and indulge in vegan pizza heaven. Who knows I may even run into you there!
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