Restaurant Roundup: Fresh Pizzeria, Au Bon Pain, Black Market Bistro and Chipotle

A busy week prepping for one of my office's major events meant a lot of eating out this week.  I feel like the times when people are pressed for time and on the go are the times when it's easy to fall off the vegan wagon.  Fortunately, there are a ton of options available to make eating out as a vegan easy.

After a late work night Thursday, my husband and I decided to try Fresh Pizzeria on Rockville Pike.  I was disappointed when Z Pizza closed, since it was a reliable source of vegan pizza.  When Fresh Pizzeria took over the space, fortunately, they decided to keep the vegan pizza options open, offering daiya cheese and vegan burger crumbles, and a variety of vegan pies to choose from.

I tried the Vegan Garden Pizza. without olives.  The crust was good and the veggie toppings were fresh.  Additional vegan menu options include the Vegan Fiesta, which has black beans and guacamole, and the Vegan Burger.  You can also make your own vegan pizza.  Also, if you're gluten free, any pizza can be made with a gluten free crust.

Friday, I had to grab a quick lunch before running back to my desk, so I hit up Au Bon Pain.  There are at least five Au Bon Pain locations in walking distance to my office, so it's incredibly convenient.  They seem to have moved away from the "make your own sandwich" slips to more of a set menu, but they will still happily make an off menu sandwich for you.  I chose multigrain bread, avocado, arugula, tomato, onion and cucumbers.  The woman making my sandwich couldn't believe that I didn't want mayo, but I assured her the avocado made an excellent condiment.

I also had a chance to peruse the soups, which are clearly labeled with their ingredients, including milk, so it's easy to choose a vegan soup.  I went with the Barley & Creamy Lentil ,which I found to be hearty and flavorful.

I wish Au Bon Pain had a vegan sandwich on its set menu, but since they offer a variety of veggies, it's easy to make your own sandwich.  Most of the breads are vegan, but note that some include dairy, including the Ciabatta and the Cornbread.  The soup menu includes a plethora of vegan options, including the 12 Veggie, Black Bean, Tomato Lentil, Gazpacho, Tuscan White Bean and Vegetarian Chili.  Not all soups are available every day, but there should be at least one vegan option.


Friday night, we took my parents to Black Market Bistro in Garrett Park.  Black Market Bistro is located in a historic post office, and tucked away in a residential neighborhood, over by the Garrett Park MARC  station.  One of my favorite things about Black Market Bistro are the quality of their salads.  Last night, I had the Black Market Salad, which was a variety of lettuces, orange wedges and almonds with a citrus vinaigrette.  The salad normally comes with goat cheese, but the kitchen was happy to leave it off.

For dinner, I opted for the Black Market Vegetable Plate.  When I asked the server if it was appropriate for a vegan, she shared that the chef normally finishes the dish with butter, but that they could easily omit it.

The veggie plate changes regularly, based on what fresh vegetables are available.  My plate included eggplant, yellow squash, broad beans, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots and wax beans.  It was beautifully seasoned with a variety of fresh herbs and sea salt. As you can see, the portion is enormous, but I easily got three meals out of the plate above, which helps soften the $22 price tag.

Today, my husband and I were running a bunch of errands, and we ended up grabbing a quick lunch at Chipotle.  Chipotle is a fantastic choice for vegans.  Choosing a black bean burrito or bowl with a peppers and onions, any of a variety of salsas and guacamole will make a hearty, satisfying meal.  As it's clearly stated on the Chipotle website and on signage, the pinto beans are cooked with pork, so stick with the black beans if you want to stay vegan. 

My preferred meal is a burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, peppers and onions, fresh tomato salsa, chili corn salsa, guacamole and lettuce.

I know living in the DC area means I have a ton of food options, but, no matter where you live, vegan options can be plentiful.  What are some of your favorite vegan menu options?

Vegan Hot Dogs at Bold Bite

When I was looking up vegan options near our place in Maryland, I came across Bold Bite Dogs & Fries, a new hot dog place in downtown Bethesda.  Hot dogs and vegan normally don't mix, but Bold Bite offers a Veggie Sausage option for all their menu items.

To be safe on the allergy and vegan side, I emailed Bold Bite over the weekend to ask what the ingredients were in the veggie sausage.  I got a nice response from Alonso with the ingredients: Eggplant, fennel, red wine, garlic, sweet peppers and gluten.

Tonight after work, I met my husband for dinner.  When I went to the counter, I asked about the ingredients in the arugula pesto, as sometimes pesto is made with walnuts and that would be an allergy debacle.  The gentleman at the counter asked if I was vegan, and shared that the pesto didn't have nuts, but it did have mayonnaise.  He then asked if I was the person who sent the email over the weekend.  When I told him that that was indeed me, he proceeded to show me how different menu options could be veganized, mentioning specifically that their Cajun Ketchup is a great option for vegans.

I went with the Veg-Out Show Dog: Veggie Sausage, diced tomato, red onions, lettuce, topped with crispy shallots.  It normally comes with the argula pesto, but I omitted that due to the mayo.  It was really good - the texture of the sausage was nice and meaty and seasoned well, and the toppings were fresh.  The fries were also delicious.

I really like it when conventional restaurants go above and beyond to make vegans feel welcome, and Bold Bite certainly delivered.  What restaurants do you feel go the extra mile for vegans?

Two Days of Vegan Deliciousness

I've had two days of really delicious meals to share.

As I've mentioned before, our local market has a number of neat food options.   One of my favorite things about it are the variety of snack options that are friendly to my allergies.  When I popped in to pick up a few things last night, I noticed a new product, Beanitos Black Bean Chips. 

These chips are vegan, and they're also gluten-free, which makes them a great option for folks with celiac and other forms of gluten intolerance.  They also have 4g of protein and 5g of fiber per 10 chip serving.  If GMOs concern you, also note that this product is verified as Non-GMO.

The chips are light and sweeter tasting than your average tortilla chip.  My guess is that the sweetness comes from the brown rice.  They paired well with the avocado, tomato and sea salt you see on the right.

I know for sure that I've mentioned my love of Whole Foods many a time in this blog.  Today, for lunch, I visited the Foggy Bottom store and enjoyed a number of items off of their prepared foods bar.  I particularly like getting prepared foods at Whole Foods since they clearly label their allergens, as well as which items are vegan friendly.

In the picture to the right (left hand corner clockwise around), you'll find Quinoa Ranchero, raw dandelion, beets, kamut citrus salad and carrots with ginger.

 

This is my second time eating the kamut citrus salad, and it continues to be a favorite. The kamut has a chewy, nutty texture, and it's a good source of protein and fiber.  The carrots were even more delicious than I was expecting.  It was also my first time eating dandelion greens.  Like most greens, they are an excellent source of vitamin A & C.  They weren't as bitter as I expected, and I actually thought they were good mixed in with the kamut.

Changing gears.  Sometimes, in the middle of my yoga practice, I get strong food cravings.  Since part of yoga is listening to signals from my body, as long as the cravings are healthy, I listen to them. In my pre-vegetarian days, my cravings were for the fancy McDonald's burger with the red onions and a large fries (the fact that there is a McDonald's across the street from my yoga studio may have contributed to these cravings).  However, as I embraced a pescetarian diet, and then a lacto-ovo one and now my plant-based/animal product free/veganesque one, I noticed that my cravings gradually became for healthier and healthier foods.  For example, I might crave a large salad from Sweetgreen or falafel (or, better yet, the Sweetgreen salad with Falafel).

 

Today, my craving was for vegan pizza.  Yes, specifically, vegan pizza.  This was big for me.  It's been about 19 days since I had my last serving of cheese.  Yes, I fell back on the cheese wagon pretty hard last February.  Recently, I decided it was time to eliminate it again.  That is the subject of another post.

 

If that sounds like the terminology of an addict, it's a fair point.  Dr. Oz and Dr. Neal Barnard back me up on this subject, and these guys know their stuff. I know that dairy and I don't get along - it upsets my stomach, makes me break out, gives headaches, makes me congested, you name it.  Also, I tend to eat much larger portions of food when the dish has a dairy component.  Plus, there's the whole ethics of vegetarianism that makes me pause when I think about dairy products.  

 

That said, if you put cheese it in front of me, I can't stop eating it.  So, it's best that I just kick it out of my diet altogether, and get my protein, calcium and Vitamin D from other sources.

 

So yes, the fact that I wanted vegan pizza, in my mind, was a good thing.  I'm lucky that there are three good options for vegan pizza near our place:  Pete's-A-Pizza, Z Pizza and, you guessed it, Whole Foods.   Since Whole Foods is the closest to our apartment, we opted to go there.  Their vegan pizza is always excellent.  Rather than using daiya or another cheese substitute, their vegan pizza is cheese free and loaded with veggies like peppers, spinach and mushrooms.  It's a little heavy on black olives for my taste, but those are easily removed.  

The good news is that I didn't crave my husband's cheese pizza, so I am guessing that's another sign that I have kicked my desire for dairy.  I'm looking forward to checking out more vegan pizza options in the near future! 

Vegan Kickstart Check-In

Source: etsy.com via Miriam on Pinterest

Well, I've finished the first two weeks of my version of PCRM's Vegan Kickstart.  While I've been eating almost entirely vegan since December, it was nice to take 21 days to really focus on what I've been eating. This was, I can see what's working well for me and areas that I might want to focus on changing.  Additionally, I wanted to challenge the concept that eating vegan on a regular basis is "too hard," and that it can be done with a busy lifestyle like mine.

You can see the recap of everything I've eaten so far on my personal kickstart page.  Here's what I've learned:

I eat a lot of toast.  Yep, I have little or no variety in the morning when it comes to breakfast.  To be fair though, with my seasonal issues, it's a miracle that I make it out the door in the morning, much less get up in time to make breakfast.  I used to dash out the door in the morning and grab a bagel and cream cheese, so this is a definite improvement.  But, as I start waking up better in the morning (aka, after the clocks go forward in the Spring), I'll explore more variety for breakfast

I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Looking back at the past two weeks, I've noticed that I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal.  Between the food I prepared myself and the food I ate at other people's homes or at restaurants, I had over 30 different kinds of fresh fruits or vegetables since January 2.  Let me list them for you!  I ate artichokes, arugula, asparagus, avocado, blueberries, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumber, eggplant, green onion, honeydew, kale, kiwi, lettuce, mesculun mix, mango, mushrooms, pear, pineapple, radishes, red cabbage, red onion, raspberries, spinach, sprouts, strawberries, tomatoes, yellow pepper and watermelon.  And that doesn't include the fresh herbs I enjoyed as well.  That's a cornucopia if I ever saw one!  If you focus on eating "real food," versus meat substitutes, you will have no issues with variety on a vegan diet.

Eating out is not a problem.  I went out to eat in DC, suburban Maryland and Southern New Jersey.  Nowhere I went had any issues putting together a vegan meal for me.  At sit down restaurants like Seasons 52 and Founding Farmers, our servers were wonderful about helping me find vegan options on their menus, and the kitchens were happy to customize dishes to make them vegan friendly.  It never hurts to ask a restaurant if there are vegan options - chances are, the restaurant will be happy to oblige.  On the "fast food" side, it helps to choose places that you know have vegan selections on the existing menu - I knew Cava Mezze Grill, Elevation Burger, Roti, Chop't and Sweetgreen would have options that worked for me.  So between a little advanced research and asking questions, you should be fine.

But, I need to be prepared and patient.  Sometimes, you may be in a situation where a vegan option isn't obvious.  When my husband and I were on the way back from visiting my parents, we stopped at a rest stop on I-95.  I was frustrated at the lack of apparent vegan options and ended up getting a plain bagel with fixins from the Roy Rogers station.  Had I taken the time to look harder (aka, been patient), I could have gotten a pita, veggies and hummus from Starbucks.  Even better, I should have packed a sandwich from the various vegan-friendly delights my mother had for us at home.  Granted, one less than satisfying meal in 15 days is really nothing to complain about.

I need to adjust my portions.  My husband gets credit for noticing this before I did - I am eating less food now that I'm not eating cheese or any dairy products.  Not sure if it's because I'm eating higher fiber dishes or if my body is less "confused" without dairy (I found it very easy to overeat when cheese was involved), but I've had tons more leftovers than I usually do.  So, I'll adjust my meal planning accordingly in the coming weeks.  I tend to get bored with eating the same thing three days in a row, so, now that I know I need less food to keep me satisfied, I'll make less to begin with to ensure I get more variety throughout the week.

I'm grateful for a supportive family.  I've heard a lot of people say that their families wouldn't support a vegan lifestyle, but mine have been fantastic about it.  They've also been supportive of my various food allergy issues.  From my husband taking me out for my favorite vegan burger and trying my various concoctions (even the green frankenburger), to my Mom making a vegan version of a favorite childhood soup and stocking her fridge with daiya, hummus and other veg friendly treats, to my husband's grandmother buying a veritable buffet of vegan prepared foods at Whole Foods, I'm downright spoiled. Talk to your friends and family about why you are making the choices you are and how your eating might change from what they're used to.  You may get questions - answer them politely, offer to bring a dish to the next family gathering, etc. 

What questions do you have about eating a vegan diet?  What excites you?  What are you hesitant about?

Restaurant Review: Founding Farmers Potomac

The original Founding Farmers is located right by my office, so I've been there a few times.  The second outpost of this restaurant recently opened in the Park Potomac development, which is near our home in Maryland.  My parents and I decided to check it out on Friday.

The menu is very similar to the DC location, with a focus on fresh, seasonal and regional foods.  According to one of our servers, the vegan menu that is available in DC is not yet available in MD, but there are a number of vegetarian friendly options available at the MD location.

We started with an apple, brie and onion jam flatbread that was delicious, but immediately tripped my allergies - my own fault for not asking more about how it might have been prepared.  (Side note - This past weekend has been a bit brutal food allergy wise).

For lunch, I opted for the veggie burger.  The server asked me how I wanted it cooked, which flummoxed me a bit.  But, they may have just been used to doing that when they heard "burger."  The flavor was good, but it was a bit overwhelmed by the big bun, and I ended up eating it with a knife and fork.  The accompanying fries were very good - you could taste the potato.

In addition to the veggie burger, some veg friendly entrees on the current menu include a number of the flatbreads, a roasted vegetable and avocado sandwich, a melted squash on ciabatta, the Many Vegetable Salad, and a number of pastas.  Items containing tree nuts and peanuts are noted on the menu, but no other allergens are specified, so ask your server for more details if you have any allergy sensitivities.

Veg Options at Silver Diner and Seasons 52

Wanted to provide a review of the veg options at two Maryland restaurants I've been to recently: Silver Diner and Seasons 52.

Mango Vegetarian Stir-Fry at Silver Diner

Silver Diner is a local chain - the restaurants look like a traditional diner, but the menu veers into more upper scale casual restaurant territory.  They're mostly in Maryland, but you can also find one in my hometown of Cherry Hill, NJ.  Recently, Silver Diner went through a menu makeover to incorporate local foods and healthier options, and the menu incorporates a ton of fresh produce and healthy preparations.

Vegetarians have a lot of choices at Silver Diner, and vegans will also have a few options.  If you eat eggs, there are any number of omelets and scrambles available, as well as a number of lacto-ovo friendly breakfast foods that can be ordered all day.  There are also a number of good looking salads, a veggie chili and a veggie quesadilla.

For my dinner, I had the Mango Vegetarian Stir Fry, which normally comes with mushrooms, carrots, mixed peppers, edamame beans, cilantro, napa cabbage, reduced sodium teriyaki, scallions, black sesame seeds, and whole wheat angel hair.  Because of the soy allergy, I asked the waiter if the dish could be made without edamame and the teriyaki, and he immediately said it could, and noted my soy allergy for the kitchen.  This is a great sign - it means the dishes are made to order and that the kitchen is conscious of food allergy issues.

The stir-fry was very good - the pasta was cooked exceptionally well and had good flavor and texture, and whatever the veggies were sauteed in made everything moist enough so that I didn't miss a sauce.  All of the produce was fresh.

Silver Diner does a nice job of highlighting "heart healthy" items that are lower in fat & cholesterol, as well as gluten free items, which are denoted by a (GF) on the menu.  I do wish they also had an easy symbol for veg items.  Some of the menu items have "Vegetarian" in the title, but a green "V" would go a long way in helping make the menu more easily scanable for veg eaters.

Last night, we went to Seasons 52 on Rockville Pike.  This was my third trip there, and husband's first.  For those of you not familiar with Seasons 52, all of the menu items are under 475 calories.  The menu changes four times a year - winter, spring, summer and fall.  There are 22 locations around the country, including the Maryland one and a new location in Tyson's Corner, VA.  There's also one in Cherry Hill that's been open quite awhile.

This is the last week of the summer menu, and I was able to find a number of veg friendly options.  I am a big fan of Seasons 52's flatbreads - there are normally a few veg friendly options, and you can also ask for the meat ones to be made veg.  Last night, we had the tomato one, which was very good.  I then had an avocado, tomato and argula salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.  The salad came with some grilled bread, whic had a delightfully smoky flavor and a texture that was both crispy and chewy.  For my entree, I got what I always get - the farmer's vegetable plate.  The staff is always happy to make it for me without tofu and give me extra veggies.  Since the plate changes seasonally, it's a different experience every time I go.  Last night's plate had carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, golden beets, grilled onions and caramelized red peppers.  It also always comes with this tabouleh I'm slightly obsessed with and must try and re-create: slivered almonds, cranberries and lots of parsley.

Seasons 52 is very friendly to vegetarians and those with food allergies - the servers and kitchen staff are all very knowledgeable about the menu, and the kitchen is set up so that substitutions can easily be made to any dish.

Veg Options at Moby Dick's House of Kabob

Since we'll be eating leftover Moussaka for the next meal or two, I thought I'd go back in time a bit and do a restaurant review from this weekend:

Moby Dick's House of Kabob has 15 locations in the Washington area, including restaurants in Georgetown, Dupont, Bethesda, Rockville and Gaithersburg, as well as Virginia.  When you talk about Moby's to anyone in the DC area, chances are folks will rhapsodize about their basmati rice or their grilled pita bread. 

There are a number of vegetarian items on the menu, such as my dinner choice,"Moby's Veggie": Sautéed fresh mushrooms, onion, tomato, and spinach served on a bed of the famous Basmati rice.  A heads up to vegans - the rice is prepared with butter.

Other veg items include falafel sandwiches and platters, veg sandwiches and grape leaves.  I've had the falafel, and I can definitely recommend it.

A Vegetarian Goes on the Road Part V: If You Happen to Be In . . .

I've spent a lot of time recapping my road trip and mentioning eating on the go - airports, rest stops, etc.  However, I also wanted to highlight some fine dining, aka "white tablecloth" restaurants in some of the cities I visited that happened to have nice vegetarian options:


Columbus, OH: Rigsby's Kitchen,  - Rigsby's Kitchen is located in the Short North area of Columbus, which is a vibrant downtown area with a number of restaurants.  We had a business lunch here, and I was very impressed with the menu.  I had the D'Angelo, a pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh parsley.  There weren't a lot of veg options other than that on the lunch menu, but, I took a peek at the dinner menu and saw some additional veggie choices - including a roasted beet salad and eggplant parmigana.

Windsor, ON: Nico Ristorante - Nico Ristorante is a tiny, elegant restaurant in Windsor's Little Italy, just a few blocks from the river that separates Windsor from Detroit.  The menu changes frequently - seven or eight dishes are handwritten in the front of the menu daily by the chef.  But rest assured that you will have a variety of vegetarian options!  I had an absolutely astounding tomato and fennel salad, as well as a gnocchi with a delicious mushroom sauce.

Grand Rapids, MI: Bentham's  - Bentham's is located in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, an enormous historic property in downtown grand rapids.  At Bentham's, there are a few good vegetarian options on the dinner menu.  From the small plates, I sampled the kumato tomato salad and the asparagus hummus with grilled flatbread.  For dinner, there was an option called the "vegan vacation," which had roasted veggies, tofu, legumes and rice.  I thought about ordering it without the tofu, but I instead opted for the mac & cheese, which included smoked gouda, artichokes, broccoli and tomatoes.  It's listed as including chicken on the menu, but the kitchen was happy to leave it out.

Valparaiso, IN: Bistro 157 - Bistro 157 is one of a number of restaurants that opened as part of the revitalization of downtown Valparaiso.   I got a great tip from one of the folks we were visiting whose wife is a vegan.  If you call the restaurant a few days ahead, they'll be happy to have vegan options available.  We didn't give them enough notice, but I still was able to have a nice vegetarian meal from their regular menu.  The Greek Salad with Haloumi Cheese was very good.  I also was able to get a version of their rigatoni without sausage - it came with a tomato confit, broccoli rabe and roasted fennel and was quite good.

Bethesda, MD: Food & Wine Co.   - Okay, this is cheating a bit, as Maryland is home.  But, while I'm recommending higher end restaurants with good veggie options, I have to give a shout out to Food & Wine Co.  Located in the old Pizzeria Uno's at Wisconsin Avenue, Food & Wine has a robust menu with a number of veggie choices.  Last Saturday, I enjoyed a roasted beet salad with pistachios and goat cheese, as well as the Spaghettini with asparagus, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant and parsley.  The eggplant was cooked amazingly well, and the dish was very flavorful.  Other veg options on the menu include a portabello burger, tomato-watermelon gazpacho and a variety of interesting house made pizzas.

Here are some tips for vegetarian fine dining, no matter where you are:

Don't Be Afraid to Ask if It Can Be Made Veg: My experience is that most fine dining and higher end casual dining restaurants are happy to make vegetarian versions of menu items.  These types of restaurants are more likely to make your meal to order, so special requests are more easily accommodated.  You may have less leeway if the restaurant has a set, prix fixe menu, so in those cases, call ahead.

Use the Internet: Almost every restaurant has a PDF of its lunch and dinner menus online, so you'll be able to get a sense of veg options before you sit down.

Check out the Vegetarian Group's Resource Guide: This handy site has listings of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in all 50 states & Washington, DC, as well as the Canadian provinces and Puerto Rico.  And, if you're going further abroad, VRG also has some links to international options.  You can also send updates on your favorite restaurants to VRG!

Readers, what are some of your favorite vegetarian friendly fine dining restaurants?

Adventures in Vegan Convenience Part II

My weeklong vegan adventures continued this week with a few meals out and cooking with our new pots and pans.

Last night, we went to Evolution Burger.  While a majority of their menu items include beef patties, they also offer a vegetarian burger (Veggie Burger #1) and a vegan burger (Veggie Burger #2).  If you have allergies, ask the counter for the ingredients list.  That's how I discovered the vegan burger was soy free and thus safe for my consumption.

A while ago, I did a post about salad options in Downtown DC.  At that time, I neglected to mention Devon & Blakely, since I primarily went there for pre-made sandwiches, namely their English cheddar and avocado on whole grain.  But, it has a terrific number of vegan options as well.  There's a selection of soups, all of which are clearly labeled to note if they are vegan or vegetarian.   Anyone with any sort of food sensitivities will feel comfortable eating here  - I also saw labels for gluten-free and dairy free.  There are also a number of vegan sandwiches.

The salad options are a lot of fun.  You can opt for a small or large salad, mixed leaf or spinach.  You then take your bowl of greens to the counter.  At that point, you choose from a variety of toppings, including tons and tons of fresh veggies, as well as beans, sunflower seeds, nuts and other vegan friendly toppings.  There are also a number of dairy-free dressings.  Today, I opted for a spinach salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper.  I also had a cup of the vegan lentil soup, which was hearty and full of veggies.

So, while I've been enjoying all of these convenience foods, tonight, I was determined to cook with our brand new ginormous saute pan, as well as some of our other new cookware.  We had an eggplant in the fridge, so I diced that and sauteed it in olive oil with red onion and yellow and red grape tomatoes.  I then threw in some chopped kale, added vegetable broth, and put a lid on the whole thing to steam the kale down.  I seasoned it with salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder (alas, we were out of fresh garlic - I thought we had a few cloves) za'atar and fresh parsley.  I then stirred in some whole wheat rotini (and yes, it was vegan) and the last of my current stash of mozzarella daiya.

The broth added an extra dimension of flavor to the dish, so I think I'll try that trick again soon.  However, it had a higher pasta to veggie ratio than I would have liked.  Rather than making two cups of pasta, next time I'll cut back to a cup and a half.  We'll still have multiple servings, but the veggies will stand out more.  White beans or chickpeas might also be a nice addition, and this mixture can also nicely go over quinoa, farro, couscous or the grain of your choosing.

A Vegetarian Walks Into a Deli

When you think "deli," vegetarian rarely, if ever, comes to mind.  But, given I was raised Jewish and the Northeast, deli is as close to a sacred eating experience as I can get.  When I was more pescetarian than vegetarian, deli was easy - lox & cream cheese on a bagel. But now that I have eliminated seafood from my diet, and that I'm also cutting back on dairy, would I still be able to enjoy a good Deli meal?

Enter Bubby's, a new deli on Cordell Avenue in Downtown Bethesda.  At first glance, Bubby's is your traditional deli - luncheon meats, rye bread and lots and lots of pickles.  I figured I'd be able to get a cheese sandwich or a salad, or perhaps some tabouleh.  But, this morning, when I checked out the menu on Bubby's website, I found some pleasant surprises.  Not only were there vegetarian options, but a number of vegan options!  These include:

• Southwestern Quinoa Salad: Mixed baby greens, quinoa, avocado, black beans, corn and toasted pepitas with orange vinaigrette (Vegan)
• Roasted Garden Vegetable Sandwich: Eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, mushrooms, pickled red onion, spinach, chickpea puree and balsamic glaze on ciabatta (Vegan)
• Powerhouse Sandwich: House-made hummus, sprouts, avocado, cucumber, lettuce, pickled red onion and tomato piled high on ciabatta roll (Vegan)
• Crispy Eggplant Sandwich: Eggplant, black olive tapenade, roasted tomato and provolone on ciabatta (Vegetarian)
• The Vegan Burger: Housemade vegan mushroom grain burger with lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion and "Bubby's Vegan Sauce" (Vegan)
• Crispy Eggplant Stack: Eggplant slices, layered with sauteed spinach over Ratatouille (Vegan) 

 For my meal, I opted to try The Vegan Burger.  It was good, though, in retrospect, I'd recommend the following tweaks - cut down on the spicy Vegan sauce, which was a bit overwhelming, and switch to a ciabatta or whole grain roll versus the overwhelming Kaiser.  But the "burger" had a nice flavor, and it paired well with the crisp lettuce and juicy tomato garnish.

The owner, Jeff Manas (who I recognized from his picture in the entryway), stopped by my table to ask how my meal was.  He then said, "You ordered The Vegan Burger, right?  We make that from scratch in house!"  I told him that I had and that I enjoyed it.  He then told me his son came up with the recipe.  When I said I was pleasantly surprised to see so many vegan and vegetarian options available, he explained that his son and his daughter-in-law were vegans and thus they decided to make multiple vegan options available.

Fast Casual Assembly Line Eating: Vegetarian Edition

As a vegetarian who loves to eat, I am loving the increasing availability of "The Chipotle Concept": Now, I'm no expert on restaurants, so I can't say for certain that Chipotle pioneered the fast-casual assembly line.  But, I can say from a consumer perspective that most people I know think of Chipotle first for this sort of set-up.  Regardless of who did it first, I am really enjoying seeing the assembly line concept applied to other cuisines.  You get a quick, fairly healthy meal with lots of variety, and, odds are, you're going to get a vegetarian option.

Two I've tried recently in the DC area are Cava Meze Grill and Merzi. 

Cava Meze Grill, located on Bethesda Avenue in downtown Bethesda, is Mediterranean style assembly line fast casual.  You start with a rice bowl, pitas or mini pitas or salad, and can layer on sauces, meat or falafel and a variety of fresh veggies.  My vegetarian version was the rice bowl with falafel, crazy feta and harissa spreads and all the veggies - tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cabbage, feta and lettuce.  I also had some pita chips on the side to scoop up the sauce.  It had a nice kick and was a satisfying meal.  Bonus points for their sustainable serveware, which is all compostable!

Cava Mezze Grill has a nutrition calculator if you're keeping an eye on calories, fat, carbs, etc.   You can also consult their allergens list to see which items are gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan.

Merzi, located at 7th & D Streets in Gallery Place/Penn Quarter, is Indian style assembly line fast casual.  Similar to Cava, you start with a base.  The options at Merzi are naan (Indian flatbread), basmati rice, salad or chaat (at Merzi, beans and other vegetables topped off with yogurt and a tamarind-date chutney).  You then have the option of adding different kinds of meat, chicken or shrimp, or skipping it if you prefer a vegetarian option.  You then can choose from a variety of fresh vegetables, chutneys and hot sauces to finish off your meal.

My dinner last night consisted of a basmati rice bowl with chaat, garbanzo beans, all of the fresh veggies available and the medium sauce, which was a Tikka Masala.  All of the veggies were delicious, and the sauce had a good amount of heat.  If this was medium, I'm downright terrified of the hot!

Merzi has an allergens list that is helpful to vegans, as it lists milk and dairy.

I think we'll be seeing even more fast casual assembly line food concepts soon, especially with DC set to be the first location of Shophouse, Chipotle's new Southeast Asian Concept.  It's set to open in Dupont Circle this summer, and will surely have options for vegans and vegetarians alike!

Out on the Town - My Favorite Vegetarian Meals in the DC Area

Yes, I love to cook.  But I also love to be fed in a restaurant where people bring me wine and hot crusty bread and then do the dishes after.  Even better is when the waiter or waitress arrives with an amuse bouche, which I translate as "Tasty Two-Bite Food Present of Yumminess."

Now, one would think being a vegetarian might limit your fine (and casual and quick serve) dining options, but rest assured there are plenty of tasty treats to be had in DC.  You  may even enjoy them if you're not veg yourself.  Here are some of my favorites:

1. Dolsot Bibimbap at Mandu.  Mandu is a modern Korean restaurant on 18th & S Streets, in between Dupont and Adams Morgan.  When I was still living in Dupont, my friend Jenn and I, after our regular invigorating vinyasa yoga class, would descend ravenously upon the restaurant and howl until the waitstaff brought us the complimentary pickle tray.  We eventually think there was a picture of us in the kitchen with the words "Do not approach this table without pickles in hand.  We think they may eat you."

But, I digress.  No matter how many times we go and how often we study the menu, we always order the exact same thing, Dolsot Bibimbap.  Bibimbap is a delectable concoction of veggies and rice, with a fried egg.  The Dolsot part refers to a hot stone bowl that said concoction is served in.  When the server brings you this delectable dish, you swirl the egg with the chopsticks in the hot veggies and hot rice and mix together all of the yumminess.  If you eat meat, you can get it with beef or chicken, but the veggie version is mighty tasty on its own.

2. Roasted Baby Beets and Arugula at Redwood.  Redwood is a contemporary American restaurant in Downtown Bethesda.  They have a ton of veggie appetizers and sides on the menu, but this one is my favorite, hands down.  First, I love arugula.  I can take out a large clamshell of it in a week.  Then, add roasted beets, and not just beets, but red AND golden beets.  AND, not just red AND golden beets, but red and golden BABY BEETS.  And, just when you think it can't get any more delicious . . . they put GOAT CHEESE on it. 

3.  Kobocha Squash at SEI Restaurant and Lounge.  SEI is a hip, upscale sushi restaurant in Penn Quarter.  When I started this vegetarian journey a year ago, I was still eating fish and a lot of sushi.  When I decided I was ready to give up fish, that was the end of sushi.  But, when out with my sushi loving friends at SEI, I still was able to enjoy a tasty meal of various veggie delights, including the Kobocha Squash, which is sauteed in the most amazing caramel butter.  Kobocha squash is my new celery root - I am now officially stalking it at grocery stores everywhere.

4.  Veggie Burger #1 and Veggie Burger #2 at Elevation Burger.  There are multiple Elevation Burger locations in the area.  The fiance and I are partial to the new one at Park Potomac off of 270.  I normally have to be very careful of veggie burgers due to the likelihood of a high soy content.  But, Elevation Burger's are completely soy free, made with roasted veggies and whole grains.  Veggie Burger #1 has cheese in the mix, and Veggie Burger #2 is vegan.  They both taste great with a side of french fries, which are fried in (healthierish) olive oil.  Okay, fries are not remotely healthy, but man, these are good!

5.  Haloumi Cheese Appetizer at Lebanese Taverna.  There are multiple Lebanese Tavernas in the DC area.  When I lived in DC, I hit the Woodley Park location, but, as a new Marylander, tend to go to the one in downtown Bethesda.  The entire menu has great vegetarian options, but I am a particular fan of the Haloumi Cheese, which is crispy and salty and chewy and cheesy all in the same bite.

6.  Spring Garden Hoagie at Taylor Gourmet.  Taylor has three locations in the area - I've been to the H Street and Bethesda outposts.  As a native Philadelphian, I am obsessed with hoagies.  DC, as you all may have noticed, is somewhat lacking in this area. However, Taylor's arrival on the scene helped make hoagies possible on a regular basis.  Run by two great guys from Westchester, these guys GET hoagies, and they also bring in Herrs Chips (if you haven't had Herrs, you don't know what you're missing).  Better yet, they have a number of vegetarian options - my favorite, the Spring Garden, pairs broccoli rabe with a sharp provolone with a garlicky dressing on an insanely good, crusty hoagie roll.  I always order the large size so I'll have leftovers and then end up devouring the whole thing.

7.  Pasta Sabrosa Special at Mamma Lucia's.   Mamma Lucia's has umpteen Maryland locations - we tend to hit the one in the Falls Grove shopping center.  Mamma Lucia is a favorite of the fiance's family, so we are there quite a bit.  I got this special once and it was so awesomely good that I asked the servers why it wasn't a regular menu item, and they told me they'd make it for me whenever I came in, and I always take them up on it.  It's orichette (or penne if they're out) with roasted red peppers, artichokes, asparagus, garlic and parmesan.  Tasty!

8.  Sabzi Salad at Sweetgreen.  Sweetgreen is a local chain of salad restaurants.  There are two in Dupont I hit regularly, as well as one in downtown Bethesda.  It's hard to pick just one favorite salad at Sweetgreen, but the Sabzi wins for me for the inclusion of beets, cranberries and quinoa.


9.  Mushroom Loaf at Eatonville.  Eatonville is a Southern restaurant at 14th & V.  I just checked the menu, and sadly, the Mushroom Loaf was nowhere to be found.  However, if they bring it back, order it with a side of Mac and Cheese.   The combination of the two is homey and delectable and some of the best comfort food I've enjoyed in recent memory.

10.  Mediterranean Plate with Falafel at Roti.  Roti has multiple locations in the area, including one a block or so from my office on 18th & Pennsylvania.  Roti has amazing falafel - a ball of mashed and whole chickpeas that, if you're lucky, are available for you to snack on while you're waiting in line.  The place is a smash hit, so the line is often out the door (I promise not to cram anymore cliches into that sentence).  I like the Mediterranean plate, which you can get with falafel and all sorts of veggie sides - tomato & cucumber salad, couscous, eggplant, hummus, etc.

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In other news, I am still making my way through Sunday's lasagna.  Man, this thing makes good leftovers!  Tonight, I paired it with a fresh yellow and red tomato spinach salad with balsamic vinegar:

I've been getting a lot of greenhouse tomatoes lately - they have a nice texture, color and flavor.  Check them out the next time you see them.