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Oleana, Cambridge MA

5/31/2015

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Oleana, Cambridge
Jay and I went to Oleana for my birthday dinner way back in February and had a great time. They have a special menu for vegetarians and the waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and could explain in detail what was vegan or could be made vegan. Unfortunately the Spinach Falafel wasn't included in this list, but as you'll see there were a lot of other great options! The food was so good, you can see from the photo above that I forgot to take a picture before we started eating! Also, it was pretty dark in there and I just had my phone, so I apologize for the poor quality of the photos.
Oleana, Cambridge
The menu is tapas style, so we ordered a bunch of small plates - all vegan.
The photo above shows clockwise from the top left: fried cauliflower, a chickpea terrine, my plate of food and grilled red pepper pita.
I wish I had taken a picture of the chickpea terrine earlier, but it was so good we ate it so quickly. It was layered with pureed chickpeas, sliced radishes, and greens.  I loved the combo of the smooth puree with the crunchy radishes. I paired it wish the red pepper pita and bread basket they provided. I'm not sure how they expected you to eat it since it didn't come with any bread or pita itself, but it went really well with the pita.
On the left you can see an up close shot of the pita with the cauliflower in the background and below an up close shot of the flat bread with the chickpea terrine on top.
The pita was tasty, but not what I was expecting. I thought it would be warm, since it was grilled, and have bigger pieces of red pepper. It was still really tasty though and I used it a lot to eat the rest of the items.
Oleana, Cambridge
The fried cauliflower (below) was the real winner. Jay was a little skeptical when I ordered it since he has yet to like a cauliflower dish that I've ever made, but this was a real game changer for him! His hang up has always been the texture of the cauliflower, but this melted in your mouth! It was seriously some of the best cauliflower I've ever had and Jay said it was the best thing he ate that night. Coming from someone who has never like cauliflower before that is high praise!
Oleana, Cambridge
Oleana, Cambridge

The spicy fideos, pictured on the left, were really good. I wanted them to be a bit more spicy, more flavorful, but they were all around solid. Not as good as the cauliflower or chickpeas, but still a great dish. To be fair I probably had extremely high expectations for them, since I always love a good noodle dish.

The flattened potatoes, pictured below, unfortunately were underwhelming. You can see how dark they are in the picture. I don't know if this was on purpose or not, but they were very burnt and the taste was overwhelming, in a bad way. The potatoes were nice and soft inside, but since they were flattened potatoes there wasn't much of an inside. I liked the oregano flavor, but the burnt edges were too overpowering. Jay was disappointed as they were the last item brought out and he had been looking forward to them. Luckily he was able to enjoy the cauliflower instead.
Oleana, Cambridge
For dessert we had blood orange sorbet and it was soooo good! It had an extremely intense orange flavor that was great and a phenomenal texture. It was very smooth and creamy, not at all overly icy. Overall it was a great meal. The potatoes were a disappointment, but the rest of the meal was great, as was the whole experience. It's a cute little place with a cozy atmosphere and great service. I was just checking the menu out again, and it looks like there are some seasonal updates - I would definitely go back and try some more items!
Oleana, Cambridge
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New York Deli, Westborough MA

3/18/2015

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One of my favorite places to get lunch at work is New York Deli. Even though they are a deli they have a wide variety of vegetarian (most of which can be made vegan) and vegan sandwiches. It's one of the only places that I'm willing to drive to to pick up my lunch since they don't deliver. Luckily it isn't too far away!
New York Deli, Westborough MA
One of my favorites is the Nirvana - grilled curried eggplant, tofu, red onion & Thai peanut sauce on sourdough bread. The curry has a little bit of a kick to it, but it's not overpowering and combines well with the peanut sauce. Many sandwich shops and delis that focus on meat have skimpy vegetables offerings. Not this place. That sandwich is stuffed full of tofu and eggplant just like it was meat. I wish that they had a whole wheat roll, but the sour dough was tasty!
New York Deli, Westborough MA
Another one of my go-tos is the falafel and tabouli roll up. I love the combination of the two. Having the tabouli evenly spread throughout the roll up and provides balance and moisture till the last bite. The tabouli is more effective that just tomato and lettuce because the tabouli mixes together the sauce, greens, and tomato and ensures an even distribution throughout. Dryness is one of the easiest mistakes to make. The combo of an excellent falafel and the tabouli takes care of that. The parsley in the tabouli also adds a nice freshness that you don't get from standard iceberg lettuce.

If you ever find yourself looking for lunch in Westborough - check out New York Deli and stay tuned to see what other great sandwiches I get from them!
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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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Green Bean, Northampton MA

2/15/2015

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Back in January I had a work event out in western Massachusetts so I took the opportunity to stop by the vegan haven of Northampton Massachusetts with Jay and a few of my work friends. There are five colleges in the same valley as Northampton so the area is full of college students and professors. It is a very liberal and counterculture area - ripe for some great vegan feasts. I was really surprised by how vibrant the town was. I was expecting a sleepy little rural village - but it was anything but. Northampton is full of cute little boutiques and eclectic shops and cafes.

We only had time for one meal in Northampton - so we went for brunch at theGreen Bean. It is a cute and eclectic cafe, complete with a random assortment of coffee mugs that you chose yourself. The Green Bean serves food sourced as local and sustainably as possible and their menu is full of minimally processed, whole foods. While they do serve veggie sausage and have veganaise on some of their sandwiches, you won't find many fake meats or cheeses here. Their vegan options are from traditional sources such as tofu, tempeh, and veggies.
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While the restaurant isn't entirely vegan, they had plenty of options that are designed vegan, plus you can replace egg with tofu on any of the non-vegan options. I went with the local favorite - the Tempeh, Arizona. I loved the name plus I'd read it was a favorite of vegans and non-vegans alike. If it was the dish the locals kept going back to I figured I should give it a shot.

It came with their standard vegan corn pancakes, tempeh, and steamed veggies. While I appreciate the health factor with the steamed veggies, I could've used some sort of seasoning on them. I used a combination of local maple syrup and ketchup (not at the same time...) with the dish and often ate the veggies in conjunction with the tempeh. The tempeh was done very well. It was thin and crispy and had good flavor - and there was a lot of it. The pancakes were my favorite part. I love cornbread - so corn pancakes are a great idea in my opinion. They had a nice combination of sweet and savory and the local maple syrup was a great addition. They really soaked up a lot of syrup so I had to keep adding more.

The corn pancakes were an inventive option but the flavors on the rest of the dish were very simple. It would have been great with some salsa or some sort of sauce on the tempeh and veggies. While it was a lot of food - it was definitely healthy. Looking at the other items on the menu, there are many with their famous almond gravy and other additions, so I must have just picked the healthy option. Interesting that it's the go to favorite for locals - must be a healthy place!

I'm definitely going to have to go back to Northampton to check out some of their other local vegan restaurants and try some more things at the Green Bean!
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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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Zucker's Bagels, New York City

1/21/2015

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Last post from my trip to New York back in December! We were looking for a classic New York bagel shop and wanted to stop by Grand Central Station so went to the nearby Zucker's Bagels. It did not disappoint for the authentic New York bagel experience. One thing that I love about bagel shops in New York is that they all seem to have some sort of tofu spread. Zucker's had a couple to pick from. I went for the Organic Tofu No-Egg Salad and it was great. It was just like egg salad! I know tofu egg salad is nothing crazy spectacular to vegans, but I've actually never had it before. I've used tofu to make scrambled eggs (check out the recipe!) but not egg salad. It was great!
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I'm not New York bagel connoisseur, but Zucker's were great. My sandwich was piled high with no-egg salad, tomato and lettuce. Look how great those tomato slices are! In December! It was awesome, and filling, and delicious. If you have a chance to make it to Zucker's while in New York I highly recommend it! Try one of their other tofu spreads and let me know how they are! 
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Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh PA

1/21/2015

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Back over Thanksgiving, while I was home in Pittsburgh, my mom and I went down to the Carnegie Museum of Art and walked over to Phipps Conservatory for lunch. Their menu is very refreshing for a cultural institution. It can sometimes be hard to find something healthy and interesting to eat a museum or other such institution, since the restaurant/cafeteria isn't the focus of the institution's mission, plus they typically have you trapped inside since you paid to get in!
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I shouldn't have been surprised that Phipps had such a great menu - if you're going to find a healthy and sustainable menu somewhere, a botanical garden and conservatory would be it! It's great to see to see its spirit of conservatism extend into it's food offerings. Check out the great menu below! So many veggie options!
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It's a great deal too! My mom and I split the Roasted Veggie Sandwich and the Tomato Basil soup. It was so great. I hadn't had tomato soup in so long, since most places normally add some sort of cream. The sandwich came with two sides so we got the cabbage slaw and the lentil and black bean salad. It was such a filling meal!
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I love how much the recycle and compost too! These signs make it so easy to know where everything should go. I wish every restaurant had this set up! It's great knowing that I can count on Phipps for a great meal I can feel good about - I'm helping my body and the planet!
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Champs Diner, Brooklyn New York

1/18/2015

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Jay and I were in New York at the end of December and made a point of stopping by Champs Diner in Brooklyn. An old friend of mine works here so it's been on my list for a long time. I typically get overwhelmed when I go to an all vegan restaurant, since I've become accustomed to only having an option or two on the menu to choose from. As you can see, I went a little overboard at Champs.
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We started out with the loaded nachos. I haven't had nachos in the longest time, so I figured this was a great place to get my fix in! It's not too difficult to order vegan nachos at a restaurant - simply omit the cheese and sour cream and our left with tomatoes, avocado, beans, onions, etc. - most people aren't too thrilled at the idea of sharing a plate of nachos with no cheese on it. They were delicious. Great ratio of chips to toppings. Jay loved the cheese and sour cream. The sour cream was really thin and smooth, which is one of the main criteria Jay judges my sour cream substitutes on - great consistency. It was not readily apparent what you were eating was vegan - job well done.
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Jay went for the grilled cheese. As you can see from the pictures. It was quite decadent. Look at that melty cheese goodness in the photo above! Jay absolutely loved it. It had that amazing quality of being so good you kept on eating it even though you swore you couldn't fit anything else in your stomach. You just couldn't imagine leaving any on your plate and you didn't want the taste to stop.
One of the things I liked about the menu was the ability to add toppings to your grilled cheese. As you can see, Jay went with tomatoes  - other options included avocado or jalapenos.
Jay's comments - "it's awesome! So cheesey and melty!" That's high praise coming from a grilled cheese
connoisseur.
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I went for the Eggs Benedict, since they're something you can really only get if you go to an all vegan restaurant. They were awesome. I don't really know a lot about Hollandaise sauce, but this was great. It had a lemony twist to it, which helped offset the richness of the dish. The tofu eggs were thinly sliced and crispy, so they had a great consistency, although I was expecting more of an egg flavor. There wasn't anything to replicate yolk.
There were enough other things going on in the dish that you didn't miss it too much, but I had been expecting some yolk. I really liked whatever was used for the ham. Ham was one of my favorite breakfast meats before I went vegan, and I always looked forward to baked ham at Christmastime. Vegan ham isn't something you see too often, so I appreciated the thought and the execution!

Vanilla sundae with chocolate sauce and whipped cream may be my favorite dessert after a big meal. It's simple but delicious, with so many different flavors and textures. When I saw it on the menu I knew I had to have it even though it was getting late and we had to head back to Boston (I got it to go). The Brownie Sundae took me right back to my childhood. Everything in it was done perfectly - the whipped cream was light and fluffy, the ice cream was rich and smooth, the sauce was chocolatey, the brownie was moist on the inside with a great crust. The only change I would make about it is the ice cream to brownie ratio. There was way more brownie than ice cream, I would have preferred it to be more balanced.
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One comment Jay had about the menu was the descriptions. The menu items were in large part described using non-vegan words. Jay's grilled cheese was said to be a cheddar-mozza mix, but clearly there was no cheddar or mozza in it. We were both very curious about what it was. Is it store bought vegan cheese? what kind? Did they develop it themselves? What is it made out of? Soy? Cashew? Rice? Almond? Tapioca? Same goes for the ham that came with my dish. It was simply described as ham. I've never seen vegan ham at a grocery store or found a recipe for it online, so I don't even know where to start in guessing what it was made out of. Take for instance the Buffalo Chik'n Sandwich -  "spicy buffalo chik’n, greens, tomatoes, sautéed onions, ranch dressing on a hero" - what is it exactly? Tofu, seitan, tempeh, TVP? Is it Gardien or made in-house? I think one reason I decided to go with breakfast instead of lunch was that for many of the sandwiches I wasn't exactly sure of what I was getting. 

I often hear many non-vegans comment on this - "You say your recipe is vegan cheese or vegan chicken or vegan meatballs, but what is it actually? Why don't you just call it what it is?" I think as vegans we tend to use non-vegan descriptions because we think that it will be easier for others to understand and relate to, but I think it might turn people off because they don't know what they're eating. Thoughts?

Overall we loved Champs Diner. It was tough making a decision on what to pick and there's a ton left of the menu we want to try. Jay said he would go back to New York to eat there again - I'd say that's high praise coming from a non-vegan!

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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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    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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