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O2 Vegan Cafe, Cambridge MA

2/26/2015

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The other week I had a friend in town visiting MIT, so after a Saturday morning gym class we went to O2 Vegan Cafe in Cambridge for a brunch we could feel good about. Of course, since we were at an all vegan restaurant I went a little overboard... I got a side order of the nachos to start. I must be on a nachos kick recently. After not having them for a long time this was my third time in about 6 weeks. Their homemade cheese sauce was featured a couple times on the menu, so I wanted to give it a try. I loved that the nachos came in a small version so I could have a taste of them and not feel like it was too much food! They were a nice simple little treat with some homemade cheese sauce, a little pico de gallo and a sprinkle of black beans. The cheese sauce seemed like it was maybe a cashew sauce with some nutritional yeast. I really like the texture of it, it was smooth and creamy, but not too thick.
O2 Vegan Cafe, Cambridge MA
My friend went for the breakfast burrito, which also featured the homemade cheese sauce. It was also packed with tofu scramble, quinoa, and black beans, which made it a great post-workout protein re-fuel.  I loved how everything inside the burrito was soft, warm, and gooey, but its surrounded by a well pressed and crispy tortilla. They really offset each other well. Plus the warm burrito was paired with a fresh dollop of cool pico de gallo.
O2 Vegan Cafe, Cambridge MA
O2 Vegan Cafe, Cambridge MA
I went for the classic tofu breakfast sandwich. I loved the thin, crispy, slice of grilled tofu. It did a great job of giving me the crunchy, crispy, greasy, feeling of a fried egg sandwich without the stomach full of regret I'm used to following. Once again, the vegan cheese made an appearance, as well as one of my favorite - slices of warm tomatoes. I am so excited that we are starting to make into springtime months and I'm getting closer to being able to put real, fresh, local tomatoes on my sandwiches again. In the meantime I'll have to deal with thin little slices on my sandwiches from time to time cause that's all you eek out of tomatoes this time of year without them being gross and mealy. Because the sandwich as cheese sauce instead of just a slice of vegan cheese, it kind of gave you the same sensation and texture that the yoke from a fried egg sandwich would have. Overall, it was delicious. Something I'm definitely going to try to replicate at home.
My sandwich also came with a side of pico de gallo - which I really like as an idea of a standard side instead of french fries or potato salad (i.e. something I really don't want to be eating anyway). 
One thing that I love since going vegan is being able to have an awesomely satisfying brunch - in both flavor and substance - and yet still feel good about myself, that I ate something healthy and fresh and I don't feel so full I need to take a nap. After my brunch at O2 Vegan Cafe I felt nourished and energized and ready to take on the day!
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Bahn-Mi House, Boston MA

2/25/2015

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Bahn Mi House, Boston MA
The other week I was meeting a friend downtown for the afternoon to check out the Boston Athenaeum and do some shopping. I had eaten a hardy breakfast so it hadn't quite occurred to me to have another meal before I headed out the door. Well, once I got off the T at Park Street I was STARVING. I knew there was no way I would make it through the afternoon without eating anything, but I hadn't really planned on buying food, so I wanted to get something cheap.

Since I had beaten my friend to our meeting location I decided to whip out my Yelp! app and see what was nearby. I spotted the Bahn-Mi House - one dollar sign and within a block - perfect. A little less perfect was my ability to find it. I walked up an down Winter Street a couple times before I realized the place was inside a little arcade/food court type thing with other little lunch spots.

It was after lunch and a holiday, so there was no line. I walked right up and ordered the tofu bahn mi and had it made right in front of me.
I love bahn mi sandwiches for their combination of warm, creamy tofu (or other filling - check back soon for the eggplant bahn mi I had recently) and fresh crunchy vegetables with spicy sriracha. While I only learned about bahn mi sandwiches after becoming vegan - I really think that the combo of tofu with the spicy sauce and crunchy veggies is spot on - I'm not sure it would be quite as good with meat on it.
This bahn mi came with piles of shredded carrot, radishes, cucumber, mushrooms, scallions, and a nice big branch of cilantro. Be warned - if you are one of those crazy people that think cilantro tastes like soap this sandwich is not for you - cilantro is a main staple here. It says on the menu that the tofu is fried, but I watched her put fresh slices of tofu on a toaster oven type thing and it just had a light crisp on the outside, no heavy deep fried oil.

The sandwich was huge, delicious, and 5 dollars.  I was able to get something quick, cheap, and healthy - their motto is even "think and eat healthy!" My dismay at having to buy lunch was quickly banished by my joy at having discovered this little gem! If you're looking for a quick, healthy, and affordable lunch in downtown Boston - look no further!
Bahn Mi House, Boston MA
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The Sidewalk Cafe, South Boston

1/26/2015

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Last week Jay and I got some take out from one of our favorite places - the Sidewalk Cafe in South Boston. They recently changed their menu and while they got rid of a lot of their vegetable panini options, they did add a falafel. Falafel is one of my favorite take out foods, but it's so easy to mess up and there are few things more disappointing than a bad falafel! I'm always nervous to take a shot on a new place, but I knew I liked this place so I thought I would give it a go.
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Great choice! I'm so happy I have a go-to falafel place to get take out from that's affordable and Jay will always be down for ordering from the same place! The falafel was great. It had a good combo of crispiness and moisture. I especially loved the tahini that the put on it. It was a little uneven in the distribution of the tomato and tahini, which left some of the bites to be a little dry, but overall it hit the spot! The only comment I could have would be to put it in a more traditional pits instead of just a regular wrap Jay loved it too - I've slowly been turning him on to what a great sandwich the falafel is! I can't wait to get it again!
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Falafel King, Boston

12/20/2014

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Jay and I grabbed a quick bite last night at Falafel King in downtown Boston. I had heard good things about it wanted to give it a try. They have a lot of vegetarian and vegan options - falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, grape leaves, and tabbouleh. You can get everything as a wrap or on a platter.
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The falafel was nice and crispy on the outside and not too dry. Although they were pretty big so you needed to eat them with some hummus or baba ganoush. Everything was great. A good quality meal if you're looking for something quick!
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Scholar's Pub

11/6/2014

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Last night I had an alumni event at Scholar's Pub in Boston, which means this blog is quickly turning into more of a restaurant review blog instead of a cooking blog... oops. It's been a busy week, but don't worry, for the most part I'll be posting recipes as opposed to restaurant reviews. 

In the meantime, Scholars... I've been there on weekend nights before, but never for dinner. I hadn't realized until recently how creative of a menu they have, definitely more than your average bar fare. 

I had the Lemon Scallion Risotto, which is the only thing marked on their menu as vegan. They also have a portabella sandwich that seems to be vegan by reading the menu, but for some reason is not marked as such. It was dark (hence the poor quality photo) and loud, plus I was at a networking event so I didn't want to eat a messy sandwich and therefore did not inquire about it.
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My dish was delicious. It was not what I expected based on the description, but it was still great. I was expecting more of a light Italian dish, when I read about the risotto, lemon, and asparagus, but I guess I should have paid more attention to the shishito peppers in the dish. The waitress informing me that it was a slightly spicy dish should have been my key that it was not a typical Italian risotto. While it was not spicy to my standards, the sauce was distinctly Asian, and not lemony at all (which is fine with me cause lemon is not my favorite flavor). Based on the thickness of the sauce I'm not sure how healthy it was, but the pepper, asparagus and tomato were great (I love some cooked tomatoes!!).

Overall, it was a great dish, a little misleading, but still good. I was surprised to find such a great menu at Scholars, since I think of it as a place to dance on the weekends. I appreciate the fact that not only do they have designated vegan items on their menu but, even though it's only one item, it's an interesting dish you don't find everywhere and not a boring go-to just so that they can say they have something. Thanks Scholar's!
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    Author

    This blog is about my adventures adhering to a plant-based diet in a meat-based world and incorporating vegan practices into more parts of my life. As many of my friends and family aren't vegan, and the best part of cooking is sharing your food with others, I try to make recipes that can be enjoyed by vegans and meat-eaters alike. 

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