Gag me with a house salad.

If I had a nickel for every time I got invited to some cookie-cutter, meat-infested, casual dining craphole (if it's not a word, it is today) and told "you can have a house salad," I would use all of those nickels to buy a Bob Marley autographed guitar to bash the next person to offer me a house salad over the head.

I don't have a problem with house salads, per se, but I do have a problem with the fact that someone would invite me to eat with them while caring so little about my taste buds that they think a bowl of half-wilted iceberg lettuce, a cucumber slice, and three cherry tomatoes was going to be an enjoyable dinner.

I won't stand for it anymore, and you shouldn't either!  It is our duty as vegetarians to inform our friends, family and colleagues that we do have sophisticated palates, too.  Most vegetarians do not graze in a field.  We like variety as much as any carnivore and don't eat salads all day.  If I do have a salad for dinner, it is going to be a dinner salad, and it better have some nice, fancy stuff all over it, like craisins, apples, walnuts, artichokes or something else yummy.  If it's not on a dinner-sized plate, it's not a dinner.

Ok.  I'm done ranting.  Wow!  I could really go for a salad right now. How ironic? :-/

Share. Subscribe. Like. Add. Comment. Etc.

Vegetarian Web Presence

Obviously, I eat at restaurants all the time.  I also travel quite a bit.  I find it so difficult to find vegetarian food when I go places.  Sure, there are guides to vegetarian eating, and they are great.  But, for some reason, I find the best places through word-of-mouth and not on the web.  Why is that?

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that vegetarian restaurants tend to be small "mom and pop" type establishments.  They are often way more worried about the food that they are preparing than they are about their advertising.  This is good and bad.  While these places may enjoy a great following at first, due to the fact that vegetarians are always trying to find new places, once the novelty wears thin or another restaurant opens, they often go out of business.

Also, major restaurants do absolutely nothing to promote their vegetarian selections.  You never see advertisements for a meatless offering from any of the popular casual dining establishments, but most of them do offer something.  This, I believe, is because they do not value the business that these items bring.

I don't have an answer to this one.  This was more or less a rant.  I do think that vegetarians and vegans ought to do their best to encourage restaurants to build their web presence and to promote their vegetarian selections online.  The more this is done, the more other places will get the hint and develop their menus to include us herbivores.

That's it.  I'm done.  Feel free to weigh in.

Is Kava Dangerous? My Violent Torpedo of Truth About Kava...

There are not too many cool places for vegetarians to hang out.  Don't get me wrong, vegetarian hangouts are super-cool, but there aren't too many of them.  Vegetarian restaurants are usually pretty awesome, but it's hard to drag your meat-loving friends there.

That's why I love kava bars.  Kava is a funky drink that tastes gross and makes you feel great.  Kava bars are popping up everywhere and have opened the door to introducing carnivores to a more "earthy" environment.  But, there are a lot of places banning, or considering banning kava.

Why, you ask?  Because friendless people hate anything that popular people do to have fun.  Well, maybe that's not the whole story.  To sum it up real unscientific-like, there are reports that kava causes damage to the liver.  Does it?  Yes, kind of.  But also, no.  Through my hours of wiki-research, I have learned that there are chemicals in kava leaves and stems that do cause liver damage.  However, studies have shown that kava drinks that are made from the kava root, DO NOT have these substances and, therefore, DO NOT cause liver damage.

Please don't take my word for it.  I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on tv.  Look it up yourself.  If, after doing your own research, you feel safe drinking kava drinks (which are made from the root) like I do, find your local kava bar and enjoy.

I'll see you on Cloud 9. :-)

 

Typical Kava Set Up

Green Wave Cafe...Raw, Vegan, Delicious!!!

This weekend, I got to experience a real treat.  I had lunch at Green Wave Cafe, in Plantation, Florida.  Now I am not necessarily a raw food person.  I'm not even a vegan.  But I must say, if I could prepare raw foods like they do at Green Wave Cafe, I would be.

It was voted the Best Raw Food Restaurant 2010 by the New Times.  However, it's not easy to find.  It's not big.  It's not fancy.  It's not cheap.  But, when you eat raw, vegan, organic food, you just feel good.  I had every color on my plate and a smile on my face.  I tasted the black bean soup, the creamy asparagus soup, the burrito and the open-faced hummus sandwich.  Neither of them looked at all like I expected.  There were lots of veggies and sprouts and beans, and I didn't even know how to pick it up.  What a delicious mess it was.

After all of that nutritious yumminess, I decided to order the chocolate banana pie.  Wow!!!  It is so, so good!  I don't want to spend a lot of my blog time talking about local spots, but Green Wave Cafe earned it.  Go there and eat a lot.  You'll thank me later.  I hear they have raw food preparation classes.  I have a strong suspicion that I'll be in one before long.

Here's their info:

Green Wave Cafe
5221 West Broward Blvd
Plantation, FL  33317
954-581-8377
www.greenwavecafe.org

Promoting Vegetarianism

I feel like it's important for me to take a moment and explain why it is important to promote vegetarianism.  Some of the reasons are altruistic, while others are tools to satisfy my own wishes.  Here are my favorites:

1. Vegetarianism is healthy.  I want those around me to be healthy.
2. Vegetarianism is good for the environment.  I want the environment to be healthy.
3. The price of vegetarian products will decrease as they get more popular and competition increases.  I want my bank account to be healthy.
4. More places, including restaurants, will provide vegetarian options when the market becomes lucrative.  That would be awesome!

Anyways, at the risk of sounding like a simpleton, those are my reasons for promoting vegetarianism.  But, I don't hold up a sign or stand on street corners preaching the benefits of a herbivorous diet.  So, what do I do to promote vegetarianism?  I'm glad you asked.  I support businesses that offer vegetarian options, and so should you.  It's nice to go to Tim & Moonglow's Corner Store to buy homemade kava kava suncakes, but the "big guys" deserve some reward for catering to our finicky needs.

If everyone would make a point to stop by Applebee's and have their vegetarian sliders, or by Johnny Rockets and enjoy a Streamliner, or just go to Publix or Winn-Dixie or Albertson's, or whatever your local grocery store is, and patronize their tiny vegetarian food sections, one day they will have many vegetarian options and huge vegetarian food sections.  Can I get an "Amen"?  Or, at least give me a "kumbaya" or whatever hippies say. :)

Vegetarian Breakfast

Well,  I'm up early today and it dawned on me that you barely ever hear of any vegetarian breakfast foods.  That's because vegetarians don't wake up until after noon (kidding).  There really aren't many options.  At home, you can make oatmeal, cereal in soy milk, and a number of soy products.  But, when you're a social animal such as myself, it is hard to eat a vegetarian breakfast on the town.

So, here's what I do.  Starbucks (where I'm going in a few minutes) has a couple of options, including croissants, bagels and muffins.  Oh yeah, there's fruit.  Fruit is light and works for most healthy types.  You can always just eat some pancakes or waffles, hold the sausage.  Speaking of holding the sausage (LOL), there is one fine establishment where I got an amazing vegetarian breakfast.  Our veggie buddies to the north, in Atlanta - I'm from Miami - have a great treasure in Ria's Bluebird.  You can check them out at www.riasbluebird.com. While they do serve meat, they also have treats such as their Southwest Tofu Scramble, Bionic Breakfast, Country Fried Tempeh, and Soysage.  What a spot!  Breakfast might not be the best vegetarian meal of the day, but hey, it helps you survive until lunch. :-p

If you know of any other places where you can get a greasy-delicious vegetarian breakfast, I'd really like to know.  For now, I have to take my proverbial hat off to Ria's for having the best vegetarian breakfast in the universe.

Bionic Breakfast @ Ria's Bluebird, ATL

Why is Pizza so Awesome?

Why is pizza so awesome, you ask?  How dare you!  Pizza is delicious!  I know, I know, I'm eating cow mucous, cows are suffering for my food, my arteries are getting clogged, but pizza is delicious.  I can't resist it.  If you can, I envy you.  At the same time, I feel sorry for you, because you're missing out on pizza.

But, seriously, there are a few great things about pizza for the vegetarian socialite.  First of all, it's yummy.  Second, it's cheap, when you have to "ball on a budget".  Third, most people love it, so it is universally agreeable.  Fourth, it is available EVERYWHERE.  Fifth, no matter how "high-brow" your company is, pizza is a a low-brow food that gets a pass (Donald Trump eats pizza!).  Sixth, it's yummy (did I mention that I like pizza?).

If you're a lucky vegan, you'll find a pizza joint with soy pizza.  But, odds are, if you're not on the west coast or in New York or Miami, you probably won't.  If you do enjoy some cheesy sin from time to time, don't be afraid to suggest pizza as your dining preference for your night on the town.

Surviving Interrogation

When out and about, vegetarians all tend to get the same question, incessantly:

"So, why are you a vegetarian?"

You can reply, "because I'm not an animal-murderer" or "none of your business" ... but neither of those will earn you any vegan brownie points.  Therefore, I suggest a more measured approach - I tell the truth.

Now, there are many shades of the truth, so choose yours carefully.  I became vegetarian for many reasons, in fact all of the reasons (I think).  So, without getting to "deep" into the subject, I politely smile and say "well, all of the popular reasons."  If questioned further, I say that I enjoy the health benefits, like veggies, prefer not to eat animals if I don't have to, and feel like I'm doing good for the environment.

Usually, at this point, I get a "that's cool," and I order another round of vodka-cranberries (did I mention I'm a lightweight?).  On the rare occasion that I am questioned further, such as, "don't you know you need protein" or "don't you miss meat," I simply smile and reply "so far, it's been working for me."  If a person doesn't recognize your passive response as an invitation to stop interrogating at this point, then just punch them in the face (I kid, I kid).  Really, at that point, I just joke it off and say something like "animals don't eat me, so I don't eat them."

Remember, you don't want your diet to lose you valuable contacts or friends, and you don't want your attitude to turn off a potential future-vegetarian.  If you don't convert at least 24 people to vegetarianism in your lifetime, you don't make it into Veggie Heaven. ;-)

Chain Restaurants

I am not a huge fan of chain restaurants (what vegetarian is?). But, vegetarians learn quickly that they are popular among the business crowd and must be tolerated for the purpose of socializing.  While it is difficult to always be the person who picks the meeting place, it is easy and convenient to make suggestions.  Here are some of my favorites, by cuisine.  They are not all "up-scale", but being a socialite does not mean you have to be pretentious (don't judge me).

• Asian: Pei Wei - fast, friendly and delicious food.  You can have anything with tofu and they'll let you know if the sauce is vegetarian.
• Italian: Any place - pastas, pizza, eggplant parmigiana.  It's the food of the gods.  Just try not to be too messy and watch the garlic breath. Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, and Carrabas are all acceptable chains for entertaining.
• Mexican: Tijuana Flats is awesome - plenty of stuff without meat.  Moe's Southwestern Grill and Chipotle Grill are both good and offer tofu as your filling.  WARNING - at Mexican restaurants, always ask if your rice is cooked in chicken broth and whether or not the beans are cooked with meat.  You will often find that one type of beans is and another is not.
• American: Outback Steakhouse offers a surprisingly good veggie burger.  Believe it or not, Denny's has awesome veggie burgers and I hear reports that some are now using Amy's brand (yay!).  Johnny Rockets offers the Streamliner.  Just make sure you tell them not to cook it in a pile of burger grease.  Ruby Tuesdays has a decent avocado quesadilla, fresh guacamole and chips appetizer, and vegetarian minis (little black bean burgers with barbecue sauce and fries).
• Sandwiches: I hate Subway (you always leave smelling like a, well, Subway), but if you are into that sort of thing, they have a veggie sub (salad in bread).  I prefer the veggie sub at Quiznos - mushrooms, olives, guacamole, peppers, etc.  Jimmy John's has an AMAZING gourmet veggie club, if you eat/like cheese (lots of provolone, my favorite).
• Other:  I have to mention Panera Bread Company.  They have vegetarian soups and salads that are tasty and healthy.  This is a good place for the sophisticated ambiance.

I know that none of these are exactly China Grille, but real movers and shakers need to eat at places that are quick and convenient.  I'll make some classier recommendations another time.  Just be glad I didn't talk about Taco Bell...yet. Feel free to post any of your favorites or critique mine. :)

Vegetarian Socialite

Somewhere out there, there are vegetarians living in a campground, growing their own food, playing drums and weaving straw hats.

Then, there's me.  I am not a hippie.  I do like to camp and hike from time to time, but, I work in an office, drive a lot, play sports, go to clubs and eat in every restaurant with the decency to provide at least one meat-free dish.  I eat cheese, as I am addicted to pizza, and I eat cookies that I know (somewhere in my hidden subconscious) were made with eggs.  I won't eat any flesh, but most of my friends and family do...and I'm okay with that.

This blog is for those vegetarians who have chosen not to rage against the machine.  It is for those who just want to peacefully coexist with the majority, without compromising our own standards.  I will post about dishes, good and bad, that I've had at popular restaurants.  I will offer quick meal suggestions and make recommendations of all types for vegetarians on the go.

I hope that others will do the same.