I made it back to Farm Sanctuary this weekend, and it was just as amazing (though sadly much shorter) as my time there in August. We left early on Saturday morning and arrived around 12:45. We enjoyed some hot cider and some snacks (including the amazing peanut butter brownies that they had served in August) as we waited for farm time to begin. We started in the cow pasture, where Meg was not as happy to see us as she had been in August. We moved on to some of the bigger cows instead. Next we got to meet Ari, one of the new additions to the farm. That little guy can moo! He is absolutely adorable, and Aimee is featured once again on the website as she was captured having a moment with him. After a visit to the sheep barn, it was time to feed the turkeys!
The Thanksgiving event is truly a special one. Low tables are set up with platters of lettuce, cranberries, and pumpkin pie filling. The turkeys are let out of the barn and it is their chance to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. They were unsure about approaching the tables, so the kids stepped in and brought the platters to them. Once they did so, they were no longer shy about eating. I got the chance to feed a couple of them some pumpkin pie once the crowd died down. It was wonderful to see turkeys being fed instead of the other way around.
We headed to the pig barn next. The pigs were agitated and noisy, and we didn't really get to get close to them. It turns out someone had thrown a pumpkin into the barn, and when it was taken away, they became upset. They had planned to feed the pigs the pumpkins at 3:45, but apparently someone got too eager. They ended up feeding them a half hour early, since they were so upset. And so guests threw pumpkins into the pen, onto the cement so they would open, and the pigs went to town! They chomped away, often carrying huge pieces in their mouths as they trotted around the pen. It was so cute!
After the pig feeding, we headed to our hotel to change for dinner. We arrived at the Harbor Hotel (not our hotel - maybe next year!) in time for appetizers. There were curry stuffed potatoes, which where okay, and a crostini with tomatoes and fava bean puree which was out of this world. We also snacked on veggies and dressing, plus some vegan cheeses that were quite delicious.
We snagged seats at one of the reserved tables, since Aimee is a Hilda Club member. We put our things down and then went to the bar to get some wine. When we came back, there was a piece of paper on my chair. I didn't think much of it, and put it on the seat next to mine. Turns out it belonged to Gene - his notes for his speech. Yes, I sat right next to him during dinner (and I guess kind of took his seat, though my stuff was there)! I actually talked more to his girlfriend, Suzanne, however, who was seated next to Aimee; she is so nice! And yes, we did offer to move so they could sit together, but they didn't seem to care that they were separated.
After salad and some delicious squash soup, dinner was ready. It was buffet style, and there were several dishes to choose from - a cabbage and nut salad, wild rice, green beans with bread crumbs, mashed potatoes, and Tofurkey with cranberry sauce and gravy. I took a little bit of everything. Everything was wonderful, though I'm not a huge fan of Tofurkey; I don't love the fake meats. Dessert was an amazing pumpkin cheesecake, but sadly, I was so full I could only eat half. I honestly can't remember the last time I was that full after a meal!
This morning we headed to Ithaca for breakfast. We decided to try Waffle Frolic downtown, which offers vegan waffles. You then choose your toppings; I went with banana, almond butter, and walnuts. The waffle went perfectly with a soy pumpkin spice latte. It was a good breakfast choice! We stopped at Green Star Co-op on our way home to pick up a few groceries. I also ordered a vegan Reuben sandwich for the road. It was delicious even two hours later when I was hungry enough to eat it.
It was a wonderful weekend! Aimee and I are already planning our next trip out there for the Hoedown in August; we're thinking of taking an extra day and doing some wine tasting. Sadly, August seems far away right now. Anyway, it was worth the six hour trip in one weekend. Normally, I would hate doing that much driving in a two day period, but for Farm Sanctuary, it's totally worth it. :)
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Checking In
It has been quite some time since my last post! That is mostly due to the fact that I have been incredibly busy with the start of the school year, and have not been traveling. I also have not been eating out much. I have discovered the joy of cooking simple, delicious food at home. It's part of my new goal in life - to enjoy being home more, and not out running around all of the time. So instead I've been making soups, stews, chilis, and very simple meals with grains, beans, tempeh, and lots of veggies.
That being said, I did check out brunch at Root this weekend, and it was fantastic! They seat you for brunch, which is different than dinner, when you order at the counter (At least that's how dinner was when I went for the first time when it first opened this summer. Maybe it's changed since then?). My friend and I had a nice, relaxing meal, with ample time between coffee and our entrees, but not too much that we were wondering where our food was. We decided to get a sweet and savory dish and share. So we ordered the vanilla waffles, which came with a delicious pumpkin spread and whipped cream - they were amazing! We also ordered the tofu scramble, which had a delicious, "creamy" sauce and came with potatoes served with their sweet, homemade ketchup. We were highly satisfied with our choices, though I want to go back and try some of the other goodies on the brunch menu. We ended our food event with some ice cream next door at FoMu - pumpkin spice for me, and banoffe pie for Faye. The ice cream was excellent, as always.
And do not fear - I will be traveling next weekend! I am heading up to Farm Sanctuary in New York to feed the turkeys and enjoy a delicious, vegan Thanksgiving meal. I'm sure I will have lots to write about after that trip!
That being said, I did check out brunch at Root this weekend, and it was fantastic! They seat you for brunch, which is different than dinner, when you order at the counter (At least that's how dinner was when I went for the first time when it first opened this summer. Maybe it's changed since then?). My friend and I had a nice, relaxing meal, with ample time between coffee and our entrees, but not too much that we were wondering where our food was. We decided to get a sweet and savory dish and share. So we ordered the vanilla waffles, which came with a delicious pumpkin spread and whipped cream - they were amazing! We also ordered the tofu scramble, which had a delicious, "creamy" sauce and came with potatoes served with their sweet, homemade ketchup. We were highly satisfied with our choices, though I want to go back and try some of the other goodies on the brunch menu. We ended our food event with some ice cream next door at FoMu - pumpkin spice for me, and banoffe pie for Faye. The ice cream was excellent, as always.
And do not fear - I will be traveling next weekend! I am heading up to Farm Sanctuary in New York to feed the turkeys and enjoy a delicious, vegan Thanksgiving meal. I'm sure I will have lots to write about after that trip!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Wine Country
Deb and Scott got married this weekend! Thanks to the four day weekend that Ashland always gives for Labor Day, I was able to make the trip out to California to celebrate. Today's post will, of course, focus on food, but it will also comment upon the fantastic weekend that good friends were able to spend together.
We arrived in San Francisco late on Thursday night, and immediately went to bed in our hotel by the airport, as it was about 2 AM according to our internal clocks. We enjoyed breakfast in the Hyatt restaurant, where they had three delicious oatmeal choices. I went with the one that offered pineapple chutney, coconut milk, and macadamia nuts. That would have been amazing on its own, but an entire spread of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit was also brought to the table - yum!
We picked up our rental car after breakfast and braved the San Francisco traffic so that we could drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. Our goal was to get to the Meritage Hotel in Napa by noon to attend a tea ceremony given by Deb's family. Had we realized that the hotel was in Napa and not Sonoma, we would have been on time. Luckily we figured out our mistake quickly and were only about twenty minutes late. There was still plenty of delicious food on the buffet table, and I enjoyed a variety of fruits and vegetables, including my new favorite food - fresh figs! They had just been picked from the tree and were amazing!
After the tea ceremony we had some time to enjoy the pool at our hotel. We left plenty of time to get ready so that we wouldn't miss the bus to the ceremony, which was in Sonoma (hence my earlier confusion). The ceremony took place on the lawn of the vineyard just before sunset - it was beautiful! Cocktail hour was on the terrace as the sun began to set, and we were able to enjoy the beautiful grounds as we sampled their wines. Dinner was delicious - salad with more figs to start, and an eggplant dish with Israeli couscous for the main dish. It provided the fuel I needed for a night of dancing, picture taking, and catching up with friends.
On Saturday, we boarded another bus for our winery tour. We began at Domain Chandon, where we sampled three of their champagnes. Most of us decided that the rose variety was by far the best. Though there was enough champagne for each person to have half a bottle, we kept it to two small glasses each and strolled the scenic grounds as we sipped our wine. Our next stop was V. Sattui, where we were given a tour before our tasting. They had set up three tables in the shade and we sampled two whites, a rose, two reds, and a dessert wine. We were then able to choose one to accompany our boxed lunch. I chose the Riesling to go with my roasted veggie wrap (which turned into more of a salad since it was hard to pick up the Romaine leaves that wrapped the veggies), sauteed veggies, and fruit salad. Our final stop was the Franciscan winery where we enjoyed a sampling of four wines in the shade. We were exhausted by the time we returned to the hotel, but after a quick power nap, we headed downtown for dinner. We chose a bistro that offered a delicious homemade black bean and barley burger along with cajun spiced fries. We ended the evening by the fire pit at our hotel.
On Sunday we headed back to San Francisco after breakfast to drop Lori off for her flight. Erin and I then headed downtown and walked the Embarcadero from the Bart station. We decided we wanted Mexican food for lunch, so we stopped at Mangos on Pier 39. Since it was busy and there was a bit of a wait, we sat at the bar and enjoyed complimentary chips and salsa (watery but good and spicy) and a delicious veggie burrito on a whole wheat wrap. After lunch we boarded the ferry for Alcatraz. What a great experience! We did the audio tour of the cell block where we were able to view numerous cells, "the hole", the dining hall, the recreation yard, the warden's office, the library, and the visitation area, all while learning about the history of the island and how the jail was run. Afterward, we walked the property for a bit before catching the last ferry at 6:30. We ended our evening at the Mission Rock Resort, where we met Amy, Colleen, and Justin for dinner. Once again, I had a fig salad (I needed my last fix before heading home!) and summer veggie risotto that the chef kindly made vegan.
To round out the eating, I made a stop at The Plant in the airport this morning. I stocked up on oatmeal, vegan banana bread, and a thai peanut wrap for lunch. And now it's back to reality. I think I'm staying put for awhile, but I'm sure I'll have more food adventures to post very soon!
We arrived in San Francisco late on Thursday night, and immediately went to bed in our hotel by the airport, as it was about 2 AM according to our internal clocks. We enjoyed breakfast in the Hyatt restaurant, where they had three delicious oatmeal choices. I went with the one that offered pineapple chutney, coconut milk, and macadamia nuts. That would have been amazing on its own, but an entire spread of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit was also brought to the table - yum!
We picked up our rental car after breakfast and braved the San Francisco traffic so that we could drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. Our goal was to get to the Meritage Hotel in Napa by noon to attend a tea ceremony given by Deb's family. Had we realized that the hotel was in Napa and not Sonoma, we would have been on time. Luckily we figured out our mistake quickly and were only about twenty minutes late. There was still plenty of delicious food on the buffet table, and I enjoyed a variety of fruits and vegetables, including my new favorite food - fresh figs! They had just been picked from the tree and were amazing!
After the tea ceremony we had some time to enjoy the pool at our hotel. We left plenty of time to get ready so that we wouldn't miss the bus to the ceremony, which was in Sonoma (hence my earlier confusion). The ceremony took place on the lawn of the vineyard just before sunset - it was beautiful! Cocktail hour was on the terrace as the sun began to set, and we were able to enjoy the beautiful grounds as we sampled their wines. Dinner was delicious - salad with more figs to start, and an eggplant dish with Israeli couscous for the main dish. It provided the fuel I needed for a night of dancing, picture taking, and catching up with friends.
On Saturday, we boarded another bus for our winery tour. We began at Domain Chandon, where we sampled three of their champagnes. Most of us decided that the rose variety was by far the best. Though there was enough champagne for each person to have half a bottle, we kept it to two small glasses each and strolled the scenic grounds as we sipped our wine. Our next stop was V. Sattui, where we were given a tour before our tasting. They had set up three tables in the shade and we sampled two whites, a rose, two reds, and a dessert wine. We were then able to choose one to accompany our boxed lunch. I chose the Riesling to go with my roasted veggie wrap (which turned into more of a salad since it was hard to pick up the Romaine leaves that wrapped the veggies), sauteed veggies, and fruit salad. Our final stop was the Franciscan winery where we enjoyed a sampling of four wines in the shade. We were exhausted by the time we returned to the hotel, but after a quick power nap, we headed downtown for dinner. We chose a bistro that offered a delicious homemade black bean and barley burger along with cajun spiced fries. We ended the evening by the fire pit at our hotel.
On Sunday we headed back to San Francisco after breakfast to drop Lori off for her flight. Erin and I then headed downtown and walked the Embarcadero from the Bart station. We decided we wanted Mexican food for lunch, so we stopped at Mangos on Pier 39. Since it was busy and there was a bit of a wait, we sat at the bar and enjoyed complimentary chips and salsa (watery but good and spicy) and a delicious veggie burrito on a whole wheat wrap. After lunch we boarded the ferry for Alcatraz. What a great experience! We did the audio tour of the cell block where we were able to view numerous cells, "the hole", the dining hall, the recreation yard, the warden's office, the library, and the visitation area, all while learning about the history of the island and how the jail was run. Afterward, we walked the property for a bit before catching the last ferry at 6:30. We ended our evening at the Mission Rock Resort, where we met Amy, Colleen, and Justin for dinner. Once again, I had a fig salad (I needed my last fix before heading home!) and summer veggie risotto that the chef kindly made vegan.
To round out the eating, I made a stop at The Plant in the airport this morning. I stocked up on oatmeal, vegan banana bread, and a thai peanut wrap for lunch. And now it's back to reality. I think I'm staying put for awhile, but I'm sure I'll have more food adventures to post very soon!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Vegan Paradise
This weekend I went to Farm Sanctuary's annual hoedown in Watkins Glen, NY. My friend refers to Farm Sanctuary as vegan paradise. After spending the weekend there, I have to agree. It is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been to.
Watkins Glen is not close to Massachusetts; it is about 45 minutes from Ithaca. We got on the road around 9:30. My friend wanted to push straight through to Ithaca, and we arrived there around 3:00. Our original plan was to get food to go from Green Star Co-Op and take it to a local state park. However, we got caught in a downpour as we drove into Ithaca, so we decided to eat at the grocery store instead. Green Star is a bit of a vegan paradise on its own! We had a ton of options for lunch. We went with sandwiches - falafel, vegan Reuben, and vegan "chicken" salad. Everything was delicious! We grabbed salads to go for dinner, along with Rice Dream mint ice cream sandwiches - how have I never eaten those delicious things before??
The rain had stopped when we left Green Star, so we headed to the state park. Our original plan was to swim in the river under a waterfall. Unfortunately that part of the swimming area was closed because the lifeguards were off duty. It was also pretty cold after the rain, so we admired the waterfall from afar. Then we headed to paradise!
We arrived on the farm just before dark and were able to set up our tents with plenty of light. As dusk fell, we wandered over to the campfire and chatted with the group that had gathered there. We ended the night with a late, flashlight lit dinner.
Saturday's breakfast was simple, muffins and fruit. We spent the morning in the people barn, listening to various speakers, including an introduction by Gene Bauer. Lunch was outside in the sun, as it was a gorgeous summer day. The food was delicious - two different pita sandwiches and two salads on the side. After lunch we finally got to visit the animals! We toured the farm with Susie (thanks for the invite to the private tour, Aimee!) and spent time with the cows (including baby Michael), pigs, sheep (who were all over me!), and met Turpentine the turkey. We did not have enough time to visit all of the animals before sanctuary time was over, but luckily more time was built into Sunday's schedule.
After another presentation, it was cocktail hour. Even more importantly, it was appetizer hour!! My favorite was the vegan crab cake which had a delicious dipping sauce to go with it. We sampled some different nut cheeses, which I'm sure sounds gross to anyone who hasn't tried them, but they were delicious! There was also guacamole, salsa, fruit, and spinach pie. Despite all of the appetizers I ate, I still ate a huge dinner - Mac and cheese, kale salad, broccoli, sweet potato fries, and cornbread. And of course, I had to try some dessert - an amazing peanut butter brownie. It's a good thing we danced for three and a half hours! Yes, I danced non-stop, including country line dancing, for over three hours. That's a testament to how comfortable I felt among all of these people I didn't know. It was one of the most fun nights I've had in a long time.
Sunday morning we did yoga on the lawn with Derek, who is an excellent yoga teacher in addition to his hula hooping and ukelele skills. Breakfast was amazing - tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, potatoes, oatmeal, and fruit. We ate it during coffee talk, a Q&A with the speakers. We were not particularly hungry for lunch after that, but we made room for Thai peanut salad, veggies, and greens (and another peanut butter brownie). Our time in paradise ended with another trip to the barns and pastures, where I laid down next to pigs and chilled with the goats. Then, sadly, it was time to leave.
I knew it would be a fun weekend, but I had no idea how much it would affect me. Everyone there was just inherently welcoming and friendly. It was so nice to not have to worry about food. And I loved hearing about the animals and meeting them, knowing they have been spared from an otherwise horrible life. I will be counting down the days to next year's event!!!
Watkins Glen is not close to Massachusetts; it is about 45 minutes from Ithaca. We got on the road around 9:30. My friend wanted to push straight through to Ithaca, and we arrived there around 3:00. Our original plan was to get food to go from Green Star Co-Op and take it to a local state park. However, we got caught in a downpour as we drove into Ithaca, so we decided to eat at the grocery store instead. Green Star is a bit of a vegan paradise on its own! We had a ton of options for lunch. We went with sandwiches - falafel, vegan Reuben, and vegan "chicken" salad. Everything was delicious! We grabbed salads to go for dinner, along with Rice Dream mint ice cream sandwiches - how have I never eaten those delicious things before??
The rain had stopped when we left Green Star, so we headed to the state park. Our original plan was to swim in the river under a waterfall. Unfortunately that part of the swimming area was closed because the lifeguards were off duty. It was also pretty cold after the rain, so we admired the waterfall from afar. Then we headed to paradise!
We arrived on the farm just before dark and were able to set up our tents with plenty of light. As dusk fell, we wandered over to the campfire and chatted with the group that had gathered there. We ended the night with a late, flashlight lit dinner.
Saturday's breakfast was simple, muffins and fruit. We spent the morning in the people barn, listening to various speakers, including an introduction by Gene Bauer. Lunch was outside in the sun, as it was a gorgeous summer day. The food was delicious - two different pita sandwiches and two salads on the side. After lunch we finally got to visit the animals! We toured the farm with Susie (thanks for the invite to the private tour, Aimee!) and spent time with the cows (including baby Michael), pigs, sheep (who were all over me!), and met Turpentine the turkey. We did not have enough time to visit all of the animals before sanctuary time was over, but luckily more time was built into Sunday's schedule.
After another presentation, it was cocktail hour. Even more importantly, it was appetizer hour!! My favorite was the vegan crab cake which had a delicious dipping sauce to go with it. We sampled some different nut cheeses, which I'm sure sounds gross to anyone who hasn't tried them, but they were delicious! There was also guacamole, salsa, fruit, and spinach pie. Despite all of the appetizers I ate, I still ate a huge dinner - Mac and cheese, kale salad, broccoli, sweet potato fries, and cornbread. And of course, I had to try some dessert - an amazing peanut butter brownie. It's a good thing we danced for three and a half hours! Yes, I danced non-stop, including country line dancing, for over three hours. That's a testament to how comfortable I felt among all of these people I didn't know. It was one of the most fun nights I've had in a long time.
Sunday morning we did yoga on the lawn with Derek, who is an excellent yoga teacher in addition to his hula hooping and ukelele skills. Breakfast was amazing - tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, potatoes, oatmeal, and fruit. We ate it during coffee talk, a Q&A with the speakers. We were not particularly hungry for lunch after that, but we made room for Thai peanut salad, veggies, and greens (and another peanut butter brownie). Our time in paradise ended with another trip to the barns and pastures, where I laid down next to pigs and chilled with the goats. Then, sadly, it was time to leave.
I knew it would be a fun weekend, but I had no idea how much it would affect me. Everyone there was just inherently welcoming and friendly. It was so nice to not have to worry about food. And I loved hearing about the animals and meeting them, knowing they have been spared from an otherwise horrible life. I will be counting down the days to next year's event!!!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Vegan Thursday
Colleen is upset that I haven't been blogging since I returned from my trip, so here is a short post from last week. I intended to spend most of last Thursday afternoon in Boston before meeting Faye for the Guster concert in Providence. However, my plans were thwarted when I got a rather large splinter embedded in my heel. So after visits to both the Minute Clinic and Urgent Care to remove it, I was finally on my way. Unfortunately, it was after 1:30 by the time I got on the T at Riverside, so I had to make a change to my original Davis Square falafel plan. That would just have been too much food too late in the afternoon - I wanted to save my appetite for Providence. So instead I got off the T in Central and walked to VO2, the cafe in the O2 yoga studio on Mass Ave. What a great place! The staff was super friendly. I ordered a chuna sandwich, which was made from chick peas and tasted uncannily like tuna. I also got a spicy monkey smoothie, whose main ingredients were bananas, coconut milk, peanut butter, cocoa, and cayenne pepper - it was delicious! I chatted a bit with the owner, who is still in the process of tweaking the menu. She worked on it at the counter with another staff member while I ate. She brought me a sample of her nacho "cheese" - it was awesome! It was the most real fake cheese I've ever eaten. It was a perfect stop for a late lunch, filling but not overly so and delicious.
My goal for dinner was to eat at Veggie Fun in Providence. Rush hour traffic almost thwarted that plan. However, we made it to Providence at 6:50. The concert started at 7, but neither of us had much desire to see the opener. Since the restaurant is around the corner from Lupo's, and since it wasn't very busy, we decided to go for it. A good decision, as far as I am concerned! We each had a summer roll to start - thin rice paper around firm tofu and veggies with a delicious dipping sauce. I went the unhealthy route and ordered General Tsao's seitan - so good! The sauce was fantastic. Faye ordered eggplant in black bean sauce, which was also delicious. I enjoy the fact that this is a vegan Chinese restaurant that is not focusing on fake meat - I will definitely go back!
We made it to Lupo's with time to spare, and I caught my first headlining Guster show in quite some time. It was a good day. :)
Tomorrow I'll write a longer post about vegan paradise weekend!
My goal for dinner was to eat at Veggie Fun in Providence. Rush hour traffic almost thwarted that plan. However, we made it to Providence at 6:50. The concert started at 7, but neither of us had much desire to see the opener. Since the restaurant is around the corner from Lupo's, and since it wasn't very busy, we decided to go for it. A good decision, as far as I am concerned! We each had a summer roll to start - thin rice paper around firm tofu and veggies with a delicious dipping sauce. I went the unhealthy route and ordered General Tsao's seitan - so good! The sauce was fantastic. Faye ordered eggplant in black bean sauce, which was also delicious. I enjoy the fact that this is a vegan Chinese restaurant that is not focusing on fake meat - I will definitely go back!
We made it to Lupo's with time to spare, and I caught my first headlining Guster show in quite some time. It was a good day. :)
Tomorrow I'll write a longer post about vegan paradise weekend!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Le Fin
Today we head back to Boston. It has been an amazing trip, but I'm ready to go home (especially since I get to see Guster, Ben Folds Five, and BNL at Tanglewood tomorrow!). Yesterday we visited the botanical garden in Golden Gate Park. It was quite large, and featured plants from all over the world. They are able to mimic a cloud forest because of all of the fog, which is pretty cool. They had s tree that is only able to thrive in a few places in the world, and foggy San Francisco is one of them.
We headed to the Mission district for lunch because we had been craving mission style burritos since we arrived in the city. After some careful Yelp research, we settled on Pancho Villa Taqueria for its excellent reviews and extensive vegetarian burrito menu. Even at 2:15, there was a decent line. Apparently it is sometimes out the door. Luckily we did not have to wait too long. I ordered a veggie burrito that beats Anna's in Boston, hands down. The flavoring was delicious and it was tightly rolled - no abrasions in this burrito! They have a salsa bar that also included grilled jalapenos. The food was delicious, quick, and inexpensive, with plenty of seating for their many customers. A great find!
Last night was the culmination of my vegan eating - dinner at Millennium. On Sunday nights, you can do a three course tasting menu for $42, so we all decided to do that and order different things. For starters, we tried the crusted king trumpet mushrooms, the raw Pad Thai salad, and the grilled flatbread. The mushrooms were my favorite by far - lightly breaded and fried, served with a delicious soy sauce based sauce. The Pad Thai was good, made from carrots and zucchini and dressed lightly in a peanut sauce. The flatbread was served with delicious, garlicky butter beans. For my entree, I chose the Vietnamese style crepe with lemongrass and marinated tofu - amazing! Kristin chose the eggplant dish, which was served with a delicious tomato sauce and a cashew ricotta. Amy ordered the nettle tamale, which came with an excellent Mole sauce. All of the entrees were fantastic!
Surprisingly, we were not as impressed with dessert. We ordered the chocolate almond midnight which had come highly recommended and was my favorite. The cheesecake was very grainy and too sweet for my taste. We also ordered a three layer ice cream dessert which included lavender ice cream. The best part of that dish was the amazing caramel corn it was served with. All in all, it was an excellent way to end the trip.
We headed to the Mission district for lunch because we had been craving mission style burritos since we arrived in the city. After some careful Yelp research, we settled on Pancho Villa Taqueria for its excellent reviews and extensive vegetarian burrito menu. Even at 2:15, there was a decent line. Apparently it is sometimes out the door. Luckily we did not have to wait too long. I ordered a veggie burrito that beats Anna's in Boston, hands down. The flavoring was delicious and it was tightly rolled - no abrasions in this burrito! They have a salsa bar that also included grilled jalapenos. The food was delicious, quick, and inexpensive, with plenty of seating for their many customers. A great find!
Last night was the culmination of my vegan eating - dinner at Millennium. On Sunday nights, you can do a three course tasting menu for $42, so we all decided to do that and order different things. For starters, we tried the crusted king trumpet mushrooms, the raw Pad Thai salad, and the grilled flatbread. The mushrooms were my favorite by far - lightly breaded and fried, served with a delicious soy sauce based sauce. The Pad Thai was good, made from carrots and zucchini and dressed lightly in a peanut sauce. The flatbread was served with delicious, garlicky butter beans. For my entree, I chose the Vietnamese style crepe with lemongrass and marinated tofu - amazing! Kristin chose the eggplant dish, which was served with a delicious tomato sauce and a cashew ricotta. Amy ordered the nettle tamale, which came with an excellent Mole sauce. All of the entrees were fantastic!
Surprisingly, we were not as impressed with dessert. We ordered the chocolate almond midnight which had come highly recommended and was my favorite. The cheesecake was very grainy and too sweet for my taste. We also ordered a three layer ice cream dessert which included lavender ice cream. The best part of that dish was the amazing caramel corn it was served with. All in all, it was an excellent way to end the trip.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
San Francisco
We've seen quite a bit and eaten quite a lot in the past two days! On Friday, we checked out Streatfair, the San Francisco food truck area. We got there fairly early, around noon, and the place was already hopping. After a stroll around the perimeter to see what they had to offer, we settled on falafel. And what a falafel it was! They crammed lettuce, tomato, cucumber, hummus, and French Fries (yup, you heard it right) in there. Then there were a bunch of other toppings to add on yourself, so I loaded m pita up with pickles, cabbage, and jalapenos, along with hot sauce. It was not easy to eat with all of that crammed in, but I managed somehow.
After lunch we explored the Mission district and then Haight and Ashbury. We had tickets to the 7:15 Giants game, so we walked to the stadium after eating our leftovers from Thursday night. We made sure to leave room for garlic fries though! The game was fun an the stadium is gorgeous, right on the water, but it was cold!!!
Today we checked out the farmer's market at the ferry building - it was massive! We started with the shops in the building, where I found vegan donuts! I tried a Mexican hot chocolate one, and it was chocolatey, cinnamon goodness. We then ate our way through the market, trying a variety of samples. There is also a craft portion of the market, so we spent some time browsing there too. We then walked along the water through the tourist areas on our way to Fort Mason to try Greens. Unfortunately, when we arrived we realized that the restaurant was closed for a private party. Luckily, they have a to go counter, so w picked up sandwiches and ate them in the park where we chatted with a dad and his 21 year old son. My grilled tofu sandwich with avocado was delicious, as was the oatmeal granola cookie I had for dessert.
We made a quick stop at Ghiradhelli Square before waiting in a very long line to get on a cable car. It was worth the wait, though, as we climbed up and down the hills. I kept having Full House flashbacks as w drove along...
Kristin picked our dinner restaurant - Baonecci in North Beach. They are known for their thin crust pizza, and they did not disappoint. We started with their house salad, which was simple and delicious. I had a spicy pizza with lots of garlic and parsley. I had read that this pizza was very spicy, but I didn't get that at first. However, there were a few bites that set my mouth on fire! It was good, though - I like to keep it spicy.
Tomorrow night we go to Millennium - I'll have lots to write about that one!
After lunch we explored the Mission district and then Haight and Ashbury. We had tickets to the 7:15 Giants game, so we walked to the stadium after eating our leftovers from Thursday night. We made sure to leave room for garlic fries though! The game was fun an the stadium is gorgeous, right on the water, but it was cold!!!
Today we checked out the farmer's market at the ferry building - it was massive! We started with the shops in the building, where I found vegan donuts! I tried a Mexican hot chocolate one, and it was chocolatey, cinnamon goodness. We then ate our way through the market, trying a variety of samples. There is also a craft portion of the market, so we spent some time browsing there too. We then walked along the water through the tourist areas on our way to Fort Mason to try Greens. Unfortunately, when we arrived we realized that the restaurant was closed for a private party. Luckily, they have a to go counter, so w picked up sandwiches and ate them in the park where we chatted with a dad and his 21 year old son. My grilled tofu sandwich with avocado was delicious, as was the oatmeal granola cookie I had for dessert.
We made a quick stop at Ghiradhelli Square before waiting in a very long line to get on a cable car. It was worth the wait, though, as we climbed up and down the hills. I kept having Full House flashbacks as w drove along...
Kristin picked our dinner restaurant - Baonecci in North Beach. They are known for their thin crust pizza, and they did not disappoint. We started with their house salad, which was simple and delicious. I had a spicy pizza with lots of garlic and parsley. I had read that this pizza was very spicy, but I didn't get that at first. However, there were a few bites that set my mouth on fire! It was good, though - I like to keep it spicy.
Tomorrow night we go to Millennium - I'll have lots to write about that one!
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