VeganFabulous

Grand Central Consumer

on April 5th, 2009

A little bit of grub and a lot of bowling!

Fresh off spring break I’ve been trying to kick back into my normal routine but am having difficulty focusing. I feel like I have been hibernating for six months and am wide awake and ready to start little projects around the house, fine tune wedding details, and shop for spring/summer clothes. It seems only appropriate I’d be taking a Marketing Management course this term as I am knee deep in consumerism.

Speaking of money, what better way to spend $42/hour than on a bowling lane for a group of amateurs! That’s right, close out your savings account because bowling these days is not cheap! The once dilapidated bowling alley is now a bridge and tunnel mecca! On weekends the restaurant is packed and expect a 2 hour wait for a lane! Don’t be afraid to join in the fun though, the Portobello Sandwich ($9.25) is easily vegan without the cheese, aioli, OR fries and it is pretty good. In addition, the bowling shoes were renewed with the building renovation so you won’t be trapped sticking your feet in 30 year old slogs. Phew! I think we did our part to stimulate the economy yesterday!

Posted in Portland | 11 Comments

Chilling Recession Proof at East End

on March 20th, 2009

Super cheap eats!

Just when I was about to swear off local businesses for their lack of business sense and overall bitchy attitude, I spent a couple hours at East End and feel better about Portland. It is amazing to me in this economy how difficult it is to correspond with restaurants, bakeries, venues and wine bars. Either all of them are insanely busy (doubtful) or none of them understand the first thing about customer service (likely). Nonetheless, I threw back a tall glass of lemon water and good grub last night and feel much better!

The East End, formerly The Rabbit Hole, is a low key bar with a cheap as hell happy hour menu, photo booth, and a restroom at the end of a long dark scary hallway. If it wasn’t for my friend always keeping me up on the food scene, I would have never guessed this place would have been an option for my finicky ass. Everything on the dinner menu is <$10 and includes a vegan burrito ($7), tacos ($6), and BBQ Tofu sandwich ($7). More importantly, Happy Hour is from 4-7 and offers the burrito and BBQ Tofu sandwich for $4! No need to bust the piggy bank on this one folks, eat your heart out!

Posted in Portland | 14 Comments

The Farm in the City

on February 8th, 2009

Hot spot on Burnside!

In an effort to understand Portland city planning and the various zoning codes, I attended a Land Use class sponsored by the City of Portland. Despite being one of the youngest in a sea of retirees, I finally understand the difference between R5, CS, and IG1 and can decrypt the meaning of overly zones including h, x, j, to name a few. Who knows if this knowledge will ever prove handy, it certainly makes for interesting conversation over dinner at The Farm and annoying Facebook status updates. The important lesson I did learn from the Land Use class is it doesn’t take much to stay informed; choosing not to can mean having an eight story condo building as your neighbor rather than a park.

Despite The Farm’s current menu having only one vegan entree, I can’t think of a single vegan who doesn’t absolutely love the place. Just one block off East Burnside, The Farm occupies an early 1900’s house complete with a cramped dining room and kitchen. They are undergoing contruction to expand the undersized rooms, but until then, expect 30 - 90 minutes to be seated. During your lengthy wait you can enjoy the Roasted Garlic ($6) or Hummus Plate ($8) appetizers to tide you over until the highly acclaimed, often replicated but never duplicated, Herb Crusted Tofu with Mushrooms Marsala ($12) arrives. The dining room is too dark for pictures but expect a rich mound of garlic mashed potatoes, crusted tofu wedges, and a sea of crimini mushrooms. While dining we heard rumor there are plans to expand the vegan menu. My god, if the rumor is true, they better start contacting the city to obtain permits for additional expansion. Let’s hope the setbacks won’t stand in the way!

Posted in Portland | 12 Comments

Tommy O’s - Second Chances

on January 7th, 2009

Reasonably appetizing Vancouver option.

My 30th birthday is nearing and this year we decided to skip town and head to Montreal for the big celebration, however, I was torn at the thought of turning 30 in isolation from my friends and family. In previous years I have thrown parties where I ended up blistering drunk or hyper-stressed with party details. Either way I spent the next day fraught with regret. With hesitation, I threw myself a birthday party complete with Dove Vivi pizza and a Sweet Pea Baking Mocha Chocolate Cake. The party was a smashing success and I’ve never had so much fun at my own party! Not only have I learned to give myself second chances but I have begun to do the same for others, including restaurants.

Tommy O’s has now embarked on franchise status with a new location having recently debuted in one of the many tired strip malls blanketing Camas, Washington. This new restaurant turned out to be the perfect location for my grandmother and I to meet for our traditional birthday celebration. The decor of this classy brother establishment includes dim lighting, bamboo tables, and Asian inspired flatware. The menu is a step above but the service staff haven’t quite ironed out all the details. There are only two vegan options and I ordered them both, starting with the Tofu Wraps ($8) accompanied with sweet chili sauce and the Tofu Stir Fry ($12). The stir fry arrived very dry forcing me to ask for a serving of sweet chili sauce, but that completed the large dish of fresh vegetables and brown rice. Overall I was happy with the meal and experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for a vegan dish among the baron options in Vancouver.

Posted in Vancouver | 10 Comments

When Two Bellies Equals One

on December 28th, 2008

Romantic restaurant offering custom vegan fare!

Aside from the snow, Christmas holiday, and new Facebook addiction, last Tuesday was the best day of my life. It is on that day my boyfriend Scott asked me to marry him, on bended knee. I have wanted to marry this man since the moment I met him and after four years it is really going to happen. There are many reasons I love him, but the most astonishing is despite how much each of us has grown over the years, we have grown together, building a strong, cohesive relationship capable of weathering any snow storm or basking in any sunlight. I have no idea what I ever did to deserve such a wonderful thing.

After the proposal we walked through the snow to celebrate at Belly, which occupies the same space as the now defunct Terrior. Belly is owned by a husband and wife who are happy to accommodate special dietary needs. The meticulous decor, dim lighting, and friendly service make celebrating any special occasion at Belly and absolute must! In fact, they asked immediately upon arrival if we were celebrating anything special! We started with a side order of fries ($5), great but a bad idea if you plan to finish your entree! Although there are no vegan dishes on the menu, they created a pasta dish ($14) complete with brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and chanterelle mushrooms, among other fresh ingredients. Finally, just as we were preparing to leave (and of course knowing we were celebrating our anniversary), they presented us with a candlelit vegan apple tart. Whether you are celebrating, curious, or plain hungry, Belly is fantastic!

p.s. Check out the VeganFabulous Facebook site! Go ahead, become a fan!

Posted in Portland | 12 Comments

Higgins - Sustainable Food and Sustainable Love

on December 14th, 2008

local, seasonal, fantastic!

Last weekend my beloved friend and cat Rupert died suddenly and tragically right before our eyes. As I watched him take a few of his last silent breaths on the floor beside our bed I clutched our little dog Snap, hating myself for all the times I scurried him away when he walked across the keyboard as I tried to write blog posts such as this. I’d like to think he chose to be near us during his last few minutes, but all I can do is savor the 12 years we had together and learn lessons about his patience and forgiveness.

It’s been a long time coming but we finally had a special occasion suitable for dressing up and dinner at Higgins! Located in a classic building on SW Broadway, downtown Portland, Higgins is a traditional restaurant offering NW cuisine and professional service. Although the menu changes weekly, the chef often offers at least one vegan dish or will prepare one upon request. After polishing off artisan breads and olive oil we shared the beet soup ($7), followed by the squash samosas ($19.25). The samosa dish was an exquisite combination of presentation, taste, and portion. Unfortunately, my satiation precluded a dessert of sorbet ($8.50) but we vowed to return for dessert when we were not so damn full and it was not so damn cold outside! Nonetheless, Higgins is a wonderful place to enjoy food and the people and pets we love.

Posted in Portland | 13 Comments

Andina - Yes We Can

on November 7th, 2008

You will never feel left out here!

It is difficult to articulate the feelings that I have about our new President-elect Obama. On Election day I left work early and scrambled to the 15th & Killingsworth Obama HQ’s to put in my last ditch effort at “Getting Out The Vote”. I walked through the streets of the Piedmont neighborhood dodging rain to find the stragglers who had not yet turned in their ballots. I was met with “I’ve already voted”, “I don’t have time”, “It is against my religion to vote”, or no answers to my knock. I have never volunteered for something I believed in with so much conviction. It is difficult work both physically and emotionally. Knowing that I was one of the legions of Obama foot soldiers believing in change and hoping for something great, Tuesday night was my realization that the words “Yes We Can” aren’t simply words, they are words to live by.

Last weekend we jammed the best of the Pearl district in one night. Shopping, Theater, and dinner at Andina. Andina is the type of place where advanced dinner reservations are required, otherwise you will be stuck with a very early or very late meal. Although it looks intimidating and vegan unfriendly, it is quite the opposite. The service is fantastic and well paced, the atmosphere is perfect for both special occasions and casual dining, and they have an amazing vegan menu including tapas and entrees. Regardless of your order things will kick off with unlimited bread and three sauces, of which the hibiscus and hot sauce are vegan. We started with the potato cake that I cannot remember the name of and I ordered the Porto Saltado ($17) for my main course. The yucca and mushrooms were earth shattering with a portion larger than I was capable of eating entirely (quite rare). The entire experience was outstanding. Clearly there are no limits to what this country is capable of and where vegans can eat in Portland.

Posted in Portland | 20 Comments

Pambiche - Religious Perspective over Cuban Cuisine

on October 5th, 2008

Super super good!

I’ve had a great weekend for movies and food! Friday night Netfix delivered 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 days, a riveting Romanian film about a college student receiving an illegal abortion during the Ceauşescu era. Saturday night we saw the earth shattering Religulous, a defiant documentary by Bill Mahr about the self fulling prophecy of the world’s religions. Followed by dinner at Pambiche and finally vegan cupcakes purchased at the Obama Mama Bake Sale. In summary, get informed, vote, speak out, then head to Pambiche.

Pambiche is that multicolored building on 28th & Glisan that everyone has seen and wondered what the hell is it is and why there so many people out front. Authentic cuban cuisine, eyeball popping coffee, and fresh juice bevys under one roof! Don’t try to figure out the four page menu on your own as it is mostly filled with meat items. Just ask for the vegan items and you will find only two, but both incredible! As with everywhere else, take your pick of salads, the waitress swore by them but I wanted something hearty. As a result we went straight for the Tostones Viandas ($5.75), fried plantains (similar to french fries) with spicy sauce as the appetizer. Followed by the entree Plato Comunista ($11), a plate of beans & rice, beets, and yuca. Sure, you can thank god for the mouth watering food but you’re only kidding yourself and taking credit away from the chef!

Posted in Portland | 9 Comments

Discussing Vendettas at Vendetta

on September 16th, 2008

Vegan friendly bar with a few cheap eats!

With 50 days left in the campaign my anxiety ridden friends and I can’t stop obsessing over what is happening on the campaign trail. What talking points did Palin babble about today, how often did McCain mention he is a POW and how badly did the Republicans try to smear Obama? I’ve never in my life felt so strongly about politics, even after Bush won two elections. Anyway, you didn’t come here to talk politics but admittedly that is all that is on my mind, even while dining at Vendetta. While catching up with a girlfriend we only broke from the politics for air and a brief discussion of my trip to Burning Man. Phew!

Vendetta is a chill unmarked bar that is difficult to find due to its lack of signage. It comes equipped with shuffle board, interesting artwork, a larger than life outdoor seating area, and a smattering of hip clientel. It reduced its vegan offerings to two down from three, leaving the tofu sandwich and sloppy jane. The tofu sandwich ($7) was lacking substantial spice making me long for the Weeping Tiger at Bye and Bye. All entrees come with aloof service and a choice of tortilla chips or side salad. If you are looking for an afterwork haunt or place to hang on Friday night, Vendetta is a great choice, just know you are going for the fantastic conversations you will have with your friends and not the food.

Posted in Portland | 9 Comments

Late Night with the Nightlight?

on September 11th, 2008

Hip SE scene with ample booze and some vegan choices.

In school, if I didn’t see my friends a least twice a week something was wrong! Now, it is nearly impossible to meet up on a semi-regular basis. In some cases it can take up to 3 months before we all can find time in our schedules. When we do find the time the next challenge is determining the most central, yet fun place to meet. Earlier this week the stars aligned, nobody canceled, and we settled on Nightlight. Phew! Now for next time.

Clinton St. offers several dining options including Dots, Vinhalho, Clinton St. Cafe, and more! Additionally, you can grab coffee at Press Club or watch a poorly projected, sub par sound quality showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show or some other 70’s extravaganza at Clinton St. Theater. When you are through with all of that you can wrap up your night at Nightlight, a shadowy bar with sunken booths and stiff bevys. Scattered through the menu are a few options for us, making this joint a a place to meet for Happy Hour or anytime you are making a conscious effort to compromise on a gathering spot (except you’ll have to live without HH options). Choices include the Falafel Deluxe ($7.5), Cottage Fries ($4), and my choice, the Vegetable Stir Fry ($7). The best part about the stir fry was the rice and chili sauce, everything else was overcooked and only had the appearance of fresh. I heard reports that the Falafel has about the same impression factor. Nothing exciting. Don’t get me wrong, it was edible and sustaintainable while I caught up with my girlfriends, but you won’t be seeing me burning the midnight oil. Well, I don’t really do that anyway, but you know what I mean.

Posted in Portland | 6 Comments

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