O2 Vegan Cafe, Cambridge MA

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.

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.

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!