My New Site

For all of my loyal blog followers- I have shifted gears and started a new website. Please save the website and follow www.LaVegetariana.com from now on as I will no longer be able to post on this site. The website is filled with reviews, recipes and stories about my life as an Italian vegetarian.

Enjoy and I can't wait to hear some feedback!

Grazie- thank you for following me on my journey.

-Monica

Essene is the Place to Be

It has taken me way too long to get here! Essene Market. The hub of all things vegan and delicious and me- being so behind and being an Essene virgin. I'm glad I finally made it and shared the experience with two amazing veg friends ;)

I was incredibly hungry and my blood sugar was dropping by the minute. As you could imagine I couldn't wait to get inside of Essene to see what good eats awaited. I heard a lot of things about Essene because a lot of my friends have been there before and one thing they told me about was the vegan buffet located in the back of the store. So where do you think I went first? You got it, to the back of the store I went letting my nose direct me to the luscious goodness of vegan fare. Tofu, tempeh, seitan, rice, veggies, soups, salad, etc etc all in front of my very eyes- I think I suffered a food coma even before I put anything in my mouth! Phew- I digested the sight of all of the food quite easily and within minutes I was loading up my plate with all that could fit.

After minutes of plating my food and exchanging $20 with the cashier (yes, I bought $20 worth of plated food and soup, don't judge) I was ready to eat, eat, eat! I started at 12 o'clock on my plate- broccoli rabe, brown rice and cucumber slices. Then worked my way around clockwise to the beets, crispy potatoes, vegetable tofu lasagna, then to the roasted veggies and all at the same time I was scooping spoonfuls of the sweet potato and kale soup to my right. There was a lot going on I confess....however it was my first time and I was completely allowed to indulge. My favorite part of the dish were the roasted vegetables along with the red beets. They melted in my mouth and were the first things to go on my plate!

The soup is in a category all its own. It was half creamy, half brothy and the kale was nicely pureed together with the sweet potatoes. Nothing was chunky or uncomfortable to eat and though I may have got some greens in my teeth- I'm sure it wasn't an over powering amount ;). All in all the flavors blended fantastically and it even had a nice spicy kick to it.

Was it everything that I expected? Not at all because I had no idea what it would look like or what the food would taste like- my friends were right though it can get pricey but the quality and uniqueness of the products is surely worth even just a visit.

Though I confused the heck out of my palette, I do believe it was satisfied and had gotten its fill of the food at the vegan wonderland they call Essene. It wasn't until I took to the aisles to browse around, search for dessert and actually buy some groceries that I solidified and completely accepted that fact that I am obsessed with food. Oh well. At least I can admit it!

A Meal with the Ithy Hippies

Let me tell you about the journey I took with coworkers. A journey 4 1/2 hours north to Ithaca, NY.

It all started at 10am Monday morning and ended at 11pm Monday night. The drive was long, long and long- or did I mention that already? We drove through parts of PA that I have always heard of, but never once seen. Places like Jim Thorpe, Scranton, Mt. Pocono...absolutely incredible! What was most shocking was the fact that there was still snow on top of the mountains and hanging out outside of the rest stop we ate lunch in near Scranton. I couldn't believe it! It was a total flashback to wintertime. We were stepping back into winter instead of moving forward into spring. After a great veggie sandwich at Quiznos for lunch, we continued on our journey through the extremely rural towns of upstate New York and saw abandoned farm houses, mud covered pick up trucks and hippie-like people (whatever that means anyway).

I saw all of this between all of the sleeping of course and because I was riding in the backseat, I took advantage of nap time. On a side note, I am extremely narcoleptic in cars for some reason, but only when I'm not driving or responsible for telling the driver where to go. I can't help but feel so relaxed in a car it's the only time where I have no other option but to sit in my seat and take in the scenery as it calmly passes by...

Anyway back to the food portion of this post- Ithaca, New York, 30 degree weather, not much going on, interviewing a nutrition expert at Cornell for work- the whole bit. Where do we stop for dinner?? Moosewood Restaurant. Where the moose is the mascot and a huge part of the decor, as well as blown up images of insects on the wall, which is a whole other story.

The menu is very simple and concise. There were only 4-5 choices for an entree and two appetizers, as well as a few soups. Each entree comes with a salad too! I decided to go with a magical green ginger tea to start. It had ginger, lemon, orange and green tea in it- very powerful and definitely gave me a energy jump that was needed after the 45 minute interview we had to do. Next we ordered guacamole and chips for the appetizer and for my entree I chose an Indian Curry dish with sweet potatoes, zucchini, tofu and other veggies over a bed of brown rice. Absolutely delicious! The curry sauce was not too soupy and was not at all overbearing, which made it a heck of a lot more enjoyable for me and my tummy (especially looking toward that long car ride home!) The food was fresh and one could tell that Moosewood is no joke when it comes to fresh, organic, vegetarian/vegan cuisine. The wood decor and earthy feel to the restaurant set a great environment to eat in. They also have a very extensive wine and beer list, which we couldn't take advantage of because of our long ride home.

The food at Moosewood warmed me up and left me satisfied as I took on the chilly air in Ithaca and anxiously awaited our return to Philadelphia (because I missed it so much!). The ride home was dark and scary, but the stars in the sky brightly shining as if I was looking up into the ceiling of a planetarium. Completely unreal. This was definitely a trip to remember. Just hope if I ever head back north that I don't have to leave and come back in a day's time because it is completely exhausting! oh the "ITH" (as my coworkers and I like to call it...)

The Melting Pot- no not America, the restaurant!

Take a stroll down Filbert near 12th St and you'll spot The Melting Pot located close to places like Maggiano's and the Reading Terminal Market. But what's so attractive about The Melting Pot is the way the food is prepared or better yet how you prepare your food. Be ready to put on your chef hat and jacket and get cooking when you sit down in front of the electric stove tops that the Pot has on its tables.

My visit was a bit different from others that have experienced the essence of the Melting Pot. I walked in for a table for one and I was sat at the bar that has a mini burner in front and a fantastic waitress on her toes and ready to take my order. The first thing I told her was that I was a veggie so no meat and no cheese, which could get tricky if you order the whole Big Night Out meal that includes the cheese fondue. However, she made things very cut and dry and helped me decide on a great veggie dinner for me to enjoy. I ordered the Spinach Portobello Salad with fresh spinach, thinly sliced baby portobello mushroom, rings of red onion, Roma tomatoes with a warm Burgundy Shallot Vinaigrette.The sweet shallot vinaigrette was so delicious that I repeatedly dipped my own fork into it just to eat it. It was a perfect compliment to the rich flavors of the green spinach and mushrooms. The salad was very colorful as well! I could have eaten another salad that's how much I enjoyed it.

When it came time for my entree my decision was quite easy and the option of THE VEGETARIAN was screaming at me. I ordered the vegetarian entree prepared the Court Bouillon way. It was a homemade, seasoned vegetable broth that the server let come to a boil before my entree came out. I was so excited to actual cook my vegetables and when the huge tray of artichoke hearts, Portobello mushrooms, Thai-peanut-marinated tofu, asparagus, spinach artichoke ravioli, edamame pods and potatoes. The two sauces it came with were a ginger plum and a thick soy sauce sort of sauce. The ginger plum is a Melting Pot unique recipe made with red and green bell peppers, ginger and just a hint of plum. Both sauces were absolutely fantastic and complimented the veggies to the max. I used so much sauce for the veggies that I had to ask for seconds. I took my time to cook the veggies and savored each bite. Each part of the entree had a different cooking time, so I kept track of it in the boiling pot in front of me.

Throughout the dinner I was fortunate enough to be sipping on a glass of Malbec. The bold red color and taste of the wine was fantastic for dinner. Although it's not my favorite type of wine, it was enjoyable with the rest of my dinner. I couldn't be happier to have eaten at the Melting Pot and the added fact that I could sip on a glass of wine made my dinner for one experience complete.

Unfortunately I didn't have enough space in my stomach to try out the chocolate fondue, but I'm planning on going back for dessert at some point!

Visit The Melting Pot in Center City to experience some of the incredible things I did and enjoy picking and choosing what you want to eat along with actually cooking it! But be ready to spend quite a bit of money- one visit to try it won't hurt though!

Shoot One

I finally had a film crew come to my apartment to shoot an episode for La Vegetariana.com and I could not have been more excited! Thanks to Professor Paul Gluck in the Broadcasting Department and TUTV students I was able to shoot my first episode to post on my website (which will be launched by the end of this month). I can't wait! The energy in the room was incredible and it felt so awesome to have two cameras on me, as well as a mic. Basically I felt like a star haha, but really I did.

I was able to teach people more about my life as an Italian vegetarian and more about cooking. WOW- I actually had people's attention and all of my training as a journalism major came into play (something my parents would be happy to hear). I prepared by writing a script, but I was better ad libbing and not paying attention to anything scripted- I let things flow and felt so free to tell stories about my past, my family and my cooking experiences. Watching the FOOD NETWORK religiously paid off for this because as I was in mid-shoot, all I could remember was watching starts like Rachel Ray and Giada talk about their lives while cooking to keep the viewers' attention, so why couldn't I do the same? Could I be the next Rachel/ Giada? Could my name be up there with people like that? Sure I would be on a different level, but the meer thought that that is possible gives me chills.

I have been testing new recipes weekly and am planning to make this website a lifelong endeavor and hopefully at one point, I will receive funding and support to make it big! Not even that, but even just to teach people and communicate ideas of Italian cuisine, healthy cuisine, veg cuisine and even simple ways of cooking even for college students.

Someone told me that I am way to young to even think of the possibilities of being a cooking show host or get anywhere near being a TV star, well I have this to say to them: I'm going for it no matter what my age, no matter what my experience and no matter what you say because there have been way too many different people in this world who have been successful without fitting any specific "perfect" mold.

So with episode one done and prospects of more episodes in the future, I am continuing my push to the top. At one point this dream faded and I no longer felt motivated to keep pursuing my passion, but when it's such a huge part of my life, I don't think there is a way to escape it. It creeps around me and it pokes its way through my thoughts at the most strategic times and in the most positive and motivating way possible.

Tutto e' possibile <3

What's New...

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...

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.

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!

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!

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 ;)

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

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!

Confusion of the Corn

Yessss corn bread. The delightful smell of the corn bread, the appealing look of the corn bread, the tantalizing feel of the corn bread, the addicting taste of the corn bread and the influential sound of the corn bread calling out for me to eat it. The joys of corn bread. Vegan corn bread. or should I say: Vegan corn bread?

I was at Whole Foods this past Sunday buying groceries and I went past the bakery to buy some corn bread to compliment dinner for that evening, so I picked up a loaf of corn bread that had the vegan sticker on the front. I chose the cranberry corn bread this time because I wanted to try something a bit different and a bit more seasonal. I went for it. Bought it. and began eating it with my dinner. Well, about 1/5th into the actually log of corn bread, I flipped it over to read the back sticker of what ingredients were put into it and lo and behold I saw the ingredients listed were not vegan. This is precisely the moment where I began to flip out. I threw the corn bread down, analyzed the wrapper flipping it front to back, front to back and realized that the vegan sticker on the front didn't match the non vegan ingredient list on the back. Wow I was confused! I thought I has just picked up the non-vegan corn bread by mistake and had eaten the one with whole eggs and milk. I passed pieces of it around to my family members and had them taste test it to see if there was any difference in the taste compared to vegan corn bread (because none of them are strict veg like me). Well, no one said really said it could or couldn't be vegan, so I decided to call Whole Foods to tell them about it.

The lady from the bakery was completely outraged by it and confused and unsettled about the fact that the labels were different and they were confusing customers. She made sure the items were pulled and changed. She did mention that the bread was vegan and there was no doubt about it- they just put the wrong back label on it. I wasn't really that sure still, so I asked about three different ways if she was sure about it. She kept saying yes, so I finally believed her and spent the next 10 minutes finishing the corn bread :) I was happy! Yay to cranberry corn bread (when labeled appropriately)!

P.S. I was going to ask for my $2.87 back from Whole Foods because of all the confusion and upset I had to deal with (still planning on seeing a psychiatrist), but my mouth was too full with corn bread to bother asking ;)

The corn bread lives on!

Fajitas for the Veg

Yummmmmmy. I went to eat at Las Margaritas yesterday and had vegetarian fajitas for lunch. I was impressed with how cheap the prices were, especially because the portion sizes were the normal dinner size! I couldn't even finish my meal and with the side of corn tortillas, as well as the refried beans and rice, there was absolutely no room left in my stomach for it all!

The vegetarian fajitas came out sizzling. The plate was filled with mushrooms, peppers, onions, guacamole and more! I rolled up the warm corn tortillas with the vegetables, topped off with beans, guacamole and hot salsa. De-li-cious! Absolutely tasty and authentic Mexican food.

The seasoning of the vegetables and the spice of the salsa gave my mouth just what it deserved- a tasty sit-down lunch meal for about half the cost of other lunch dishes. Las Margaritas food has it going on, not to mention the ambiance is perfect to really feel the Mexican vibe.

Whoever said that Mexican food was filled with pork, beef and chicken?! Not true when there are so many vegetarian dishes and sides to choose from- just make sure to ask for no cheese or sour cream on anything if you are vegan because sometimes they forget!

Back in Business

Phew...I am back and ready to go. No, I didn't fly off to Italy again or go on a mini road trip this weekend. Mentally and physically I feel whole again- maybe it was that early morning workout today or the sleepover I had at my house with the fam. Hmm...whatever it was or whoever it was, thanks. I am ready to take on this week and when I say take on, I mean really get on my grind.

As academia would have it, I have about 5 million (or just 5) things due this week and I have little time left to finish it. But in the meantime, I am working on grad applications, studying for the GRE AND writing for my new internship at Philly Magazine. I am officially (they added my name to the contributors page) a writer for the BE WELL PHILLY.com website! I am starting a vegetarian/ vegan special blog on the website to welcome readers into the veg world. Not to mention I am using my job at Horizons to give me an inside look on what people want to know about the veg world and what I know enough to tell them. Very excited...check the site www.bewellphilly.com for updated blog posts and articles on healthy living tips, events going on in the city, new fitness advice, etc etc. It is honestly something worth looking at!

Who knows maybe I have a future in this vegetarian counseling/ writing thing huh? :)

Lyric of the week: "Can't stop, won't stop"---young gunz

Spriggin' Delicious!

WOW! I took a drive with my mother and sister to New Hope on this gorgeous, autumn Sunday and we stumbled upon this fairly new vegan restaurant called Sprig and Vine. Our original intent was to go to a bridal shoppe to browse through for my mom's mother-of-the-bride gown, but we made a detour to the restaurant once we saw that it was in the same Union Square Shopping Center. Upon walking into the restaurant I fell in love with the woodwork and the small, intimate dining space it had. When we were seated in the booth in the back of the restaurant, we noticed that the New Hope train passes through. This just added an even more unique flair to the space!

Let me tell you though...when the waitress brought over that Sunday brunch menu my jaw dropped and I was salivating like crazy and was surely not thinking about that train anymore! There were options like biscuits and gravy, grilled peach and green zebra tomato salad, french toast, breakfast burrito, chocolate chip pancakes, caraway-crusted tempeh reuben and...and...and...so much to choose from! We decided to order a few things and sample each other's plates. My mom ordered the biscuits and gravy and home fries. The biscuits tasted like pure buttermilk biscuits from KFC or something- definitely not anything I've been able to eat in quite awhile and the gravy was dead on- thick and creamy just like it is on Thanksgiving Day. The home fries were crispy and seasoned lightly and topped with caramelized onions- YUM! I can still taste them. Now my sister ordered the french toast. The dish was covered with berries, apples, nuts and this sweet vanilla cream. The toppings were delicious and weren't too sweet and actually the tarty berries calmed the sweetness down a bit, but the one thing I didn't like was the bread they used for the toast. The most important thing for french toast is the bread! I was annoyed by the chewy, hard to cut baguette bread that was used and would've like maybe a softer, grainier bread instead. What I had in front of me was the complete opposite of the sweet dish- it was a savory dish. The breakfast burrito was filled with scrambled tofu, potato, black beans, avocado, salsa verde and smoked paprika aioli. The flavors came together so well and having the potatoes in the burrito definitely helped- While I was eating it though I was waiting for a creamy sauce to surface, but it didn't come through until my last two bites and I was disappointed that I hadn't tasted it from the beginning. Also, my sister and I agreed that maybe it could have been made without the black beans, but then again it would be hard to call it a true burrito-wouldn't you say?

In the end, we didn't leave one bite on any of the plates! Everything was super delicious with a few personal critiques here and there, but it is definitely a place I'd go back for brunch and even try it out for lunch or dinner. Those menus had more options and could satisfy many different palettes. The prices are so reasonable and for the amount of food and quality of food- it is very much worth every penny.

P.S. we checked out the dessert menu even though we knew we couldn't fit any more in our stomachs and there were a few simple dessert items on it- nothing that really caught my eye, especially because I had just eaten the sweet french toast and savored every last bite of that burrito.

What a great way to spend the day in New Hope. Oh yea...we did end up going to the dress shop- once we digested our food!

Hut Hair

Seriously though what is up with eating out lately? I go to South Street today to try the Loving Hut that just opened up and it's the only one in Philadelphia, so I'm totally stoked because the one in New York that I went to was pretty cute and the food had a pretty decent taste. Well I ride my bike on down before work and go in to order something inexpensive and with as much food included as possible...the Vegan Burger.

I ask for the eggplant patty instead of the soy patty and I end up getting the soy patty anyway. Listed on the menu description was organic fried tofu as well, but that never made its way onto the burger. Anyway, I ask for the vegan cheese, which ended up tasting like cream cheese. Basically I had a beautiful bun filled with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions, a soy patty, vegan (cream) cheese and some goopy sauce that was a mix between a BBQ sauce and a plain old goopy sauce. :P Somehow it had a delightful taste and I actually enjoyed it- I may have enjoyed it even more though if I ate it with my eyes closed because a lot of what was in the burger looked weird. The worst part came once I bit into the soy patty in the middle because I noticed a white hair! GAH! The server was so nice and helpful I couldn't get up the courage to tell her about it though. Obviously she was young with black hair and I'm sure she wasn't graying yet, so the hair must not have been hers so who could it have been! YUCK I was definitely turned off. I finished what I could of the sandwich and drank up my iced water before heading out. I'd have to give Loving Hut a 4 for service, 3.5 for food because some looked a little limp and not so appetizing and 4 for options- the desserts and drinks did look good, but a bit overpriced, so pricing would get a 3 ( all on a 1-5 scale).

I'm going to be making it my goal to try a new restaurant every week or so I can blog about it and you can read about it :) but really just so I can keep eating different foods all around the city...hopefully without the hair included!

Vegan Brunch? Are you serious?

So there's this fairly new place called Mi Lah Vegetarian on S. 16th Street near Rittenhouse Square that I had the opportunity to eat at this past Saturday. I didn't think it would be a full out vegan place- I only thought it was vegetarian so when I walked in and sat down to read the Saturday/ Sunday brunch menu in front of me I noticed all of these cheese items listed, as well as creamy sauces on the dishes. I was insanely disappointed and sat there staring- thinking about how I would have to go through the whole "I'll take this, but can you not put cheese on it please" deal. However, I asked the waiter if they used real cheeses because on the top of the menu it said "vegan brunch," so I was like "yo Mr. waiter dude- are these 'American cheeses' real cheeses or vegan cheeses?" and he's like "yo Miss customer- they are rice cheeses" and that was when I fell in love...with vegan brunch at Mi Lah Vegetarian.

My world opened up to all the choices I had.

My decision became harder to make.

My stomach began to growl louder...

so I decided to order the veggie sausage meal with biscuits, mushroom gravy, fried portobello mushrooms and red bliss/ sweet potato home fries....WOW- among the other choices though were pumpkin pancakes, veggie breakfast burritos and more. I just couldn't decide! Once the dishes came out I dug right in and was a bit taken back by how smokey the veggie sausage tasted. I was not happy with that part of the dish, however I did enjoy the red bliss/ sweet potato home fries and the mushroom gravy atop the biscuits. I kept questioning the fact that it was all vegan because normally places don't serve vegan brunch this way...oh but it was surely vegan. The breakfast burritos my boyfriend got was incredibly delicious and all of it was filled with spice and flavor beyond compare. I could've probably eaten his whole dish of seitan taquitos and tofu scramble burritos. It was very colorful and down right delicious! Both dishes were great and something different to experience, especially for brunch on a Saturday afternoon. One thing that kind of bugged me was the difference in food portions between my plate and his plate- his plate was completely filled with color and life and mine was sort of boring and sparse with the food. That may be something they'd want to try and keep an eye on next time they plate the food. On the other hand, I was impressed by the menu options and found it to be an intriguing place to try for dinner and for the regular lunch menu or just to go back for those pumpkin pancakes!! YUM so SSSSEASONAL!

don't be afraid to try different things...you may be pleasantly surprised at what you'll find...especially cause at Mi Lah they start you out with a plate of fruit- totally rad :P

Thai!

This is my first attempt to review a restaurant in the city and I'm just going for it. Lately I've been going to weekly girls nights with some close girl friends and we decided to try this Thai place near 2nd and South Street called Tamarind.

Let me start off by saying the place is small, but somehow looks like it could manage a busy weekend night and still manage to make the customers happy. The decor is a bit outdated, but gives one the right quaint feel one needs to sit and have a cost-efficient, delicious meal.

One thing I can say is that is BYOB, so most customers take advantage of that, especially because there is a Wine and Spirits Shoppe a few blocks West on South. The second thing I'd like to point out is that it is incredibly vegetarian and vegan friendly. I had many choices laid out for me on the menu and I didn't have to pay a lot for it either!

The ladies and I enjoyed a tasty meal together and with the fast and friendly service we could have been in and out in less then an hour, but there were five of us, so we weren't in a rush. My meal consisted of spring rolls (the vegetarian alternative to egg rolls) and though they were a bit greasy and I had to pat them down a few times, they were filled with flavor and had a nice crunch when chewing the cabbage and vegetables stuffed inside. The orange sauce on the side was so sweet and a perfect match for the rolls. Next, my entree was the tofu and vegetables sauteed with garlic and Thai red chiles and served with rice on the side. Well, I asked the waitress to make the dish fairly spicy for me and gave her the rating of a 4 out of a spicy scale of 1-7, so I didn't expect it to be that spicy. Apparently, a 4 is more like a 40 and the spiciness of the sauce burnt my tongue a few times and made my eyes water. My mouth was on fire! I wish I would've known how the scale worked- if my dish was a 4 who in the world could manage to eat a 7 dish?!?!

I was delighted and definitely pleased with my meal at Tamarind and would recommend the restaurant to those interested in a different spin on Asian cuisine right on South Street. Just make sure to be very specific of how spicy you want your food!

Gettin' back into the food

Recently I have been experimenting with different flavors and foods, especially with working in the vegan restaurant kitchen because I am able to see how professional chefs put ingredients to work and create fantastic dishes! It is so amazing to be able to work in a kitchen of a restaurant in the city and to be able to make desserts for them and prepare foods for the main dishes. Just being in the kitchen gives me a feeling of comfort. I am inspired to cook, to be creative and to do research about new recipes.

I worked incredibly hard this week and after each shift, I feel completely exhausted, but also like I actually did something with my time. Serving people might not be the most ideal position for some, but for me I enjoy analyzing the customers and watching for their reactions to the food. It can be very emotionally and physically draining and I think that's what affects me most at the end of the night.

This past Saturday night was a bit rough because I had to learn all of the new desserts features on the menu and I had gotten so accustomed to the old desserts that I had to rewire my brain to make the new cheesecake dish, chocolate tart dish and the others. Though they are so incredibly delicious and totally fun to prepare and present to the customer, it takes mental and physical power to successfully create the dessert dish. Up until now I have been working on the desserts, but I just got news that I will be promoted to working on cold appetizers because of my ability to quickly prepare dishes and accurately time out the prep work. How exciting! Sweet deal! Time to get my fingers dirty in food other than powdered sugar and chocolate- hmmmmmm. Also, I learned where not to touch a knife. I got cut twice at work because my fingers slide across the sharpest point on the knife and that is right near the handle. It's the sharpest because it is never used! Apparently my fingers were drawn to this point and I had to wear two band aids and two gloves to shield my cuts. I thought it was pretty funny, but the pain and annoyance of sprinkling granola and scooping pear slices into the desserts while wearing gloves was not so funny! :P