A feast for the senses at Fire & Spice

I found myself with a free afternoon yesterday, and since it was a beautiful sunny day with autumn leaves in full glory, I decided it was the perfect opportunity for a road trip.  My mission had two goals:  spice & chocolate.  The two are not necessarily incompatible, I soon found.

I headed north to a little hole in the wall treasure, Fire & Spice, a vegan Jamaican restaurant in the west end of Hartford.  It's a casual eating spot with three tables and a large counter where you order items from their warming trays to go.  A medium container with 5 items costs $7.95 - truly a bargain!

It was tough to decide with all of the offerings displayed in front of me, but I decided on a heaping portion of sauteed greens (kale & collard), pumpkin rice, jerk tofu, barbecue tofu, and Ital stew.  Each was rich, flavorful, and comforting as if prepared with love.

I also ordered the samosas (2 for $3) - one lentil and one potato.  These were crisp and tasty and worked perfectly scooping up the remaining sauce at the bottom of my container.

It was a quick lunch and perfectly satisfying for the next leg of my adventure:  a trip to Divine Treasures, the vegan chocolate shop in Manchester.

Restaurant Review: 6 Main, Chester, CT

I've been meaning to take a drive all summer to the quiet little hamlet of Chester, CT so I could sample the town's newest culinary addition, 6 Main, a vegetarian restaurant housed in a former bank. This sounds like an unlikely combination, but once inside you forget the room's history and instead focus on the food.

From the outside, the exterior with its "Savings Bank" title written into the yellow brick could leave one wondering if dinner would be served upon entering, but the bright red patio umbrellas and the renovated interior with its soothing blue hues and warm wood floors were reassuring.

The one page menu included simple dining options such as soup, salad, panini, pasta, and a couple of raw items, making ordering relatively easy.  Several of the items featured local eggs and dairy from the owner's farm.  Since I wanted to eat vegan and gluten-free, I chose a raw entree and dessert.

The entree featured a southwest raw wrap made from a collard leaf filled with sunflower seed pate, pepitas "chorizo," guacamole, cabbage and jicama slaw, and salsa.  The wrap was served with a side of some dehydrated flax seed crackers.  Overall, this dish was tasty, but at $15 I was left feeling like I wished there was more to it:  either more garnish, prettier presentation, filling... or all of the above.

For dessert I had the raw key lime pie which was garnished with brandy soaked strawberry sauce.  The first bite packed a powerful sweet-sour punch that took me by surprise considering the very mildly flavored entree.  I eagerly dug into each rich and creamy forkful, savoring the contrasting flavors and textures.  I'd highly recommend ending a meal with this treat.

The location is perfect, set along a babbling stream with windows overlooking the strollers and window shoppers on Main Street.  It's a nice way to spend a leisurely summer afternoon.

Chef Rachel indicated a cooking class series would be starting in September, so this is sure to be a fun gathering spot once the weather gets cooler.  I'll be looking forward to seeing what new seasonal items will be added to the menu.

Lunch at Sahara

One of the great things about being a vegan living in a city is that you can almost always find something to eat.  And since my life inevitably revolves around food, this is an important consideration for me whenever I set out into the world.  (and just to be safe, packing a Larabar or a bag full of trail mix is an essential "emergency kit" whenever I travel)

So after taking my mom on a whirlwind tour of New Haven the other day, we were both famished and in search of a late afternoon lunch.  It was 2:30, a time when most restaurants close in order to prep for the dinner crowd, so it was tough finding any open doors.  My first choice was La Libela which has a fabulous all you can eat lunch buffet with plenty of vegan items and lots of spongy injera, but we missed it by 30 minutes.  Feeling somewhat let down though not completely defeated, we turned our sights just two doors down to Sahara Mediterranean, a little oasis specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine that also serves pizza.

It turned out to be the perfect choice.  I ordered their vegetable soup to start.  I've had it here before, and it's loaded with huge chunks of veggies with a broth that has a bright, lemony note.  That's what I had been looking forward to, but on this occasion there was more spice than citrusy tang.

We shared a couple of entrees:  Dolmas, plump grape leaves stuffed with a tight mixture of rice, onion, garlic, and mint, and the Middle Eastern Specialty Combo with falafel, hummus, and babaganoush.  Both came with a small garden salad and warm pita.

This was a perfectly refreshing pick-me-up after a long day in and around the city. We both left feeling satisfied, but not stuffed, with the garlicky flavors lingering in a comforting sort of way.

Review of Musical Forest Cafe

Word is out in the southern Connecticut vegan community that there's a new vegetarian restaurant in town, and I finally had a chance this afternoon to seek it out.  Imagine driving along nondescript Route 5 in North Haven, strip mall after strip mall, interspersed by gas stations and fast food joints, and then suddenly you come upon a bright green yard sign proclaiming:  "Vegetarian & Vegan Cafe."  Wait, WHAT??!!  This would probably have caused me to do a double-take and drive off the road had I not been on the lookout for it.

Instead, I safely turned into the parking lot of the Music Center which is where the Musical Forest Cafe is located.  If I hadn't known there was a cafe inside, I would have been very confused.  Needless to say, if you drive up and see teens in t-shirts and Converse hightops carrying guitars and amps, you're in the right place.

There was a nice homey vibe here that made me wish I was a teenager learning to play guitar because I'd think it was The Coolest Thing Ever to have a vegan cafe right where I take lessons. The owner, Mark, is very friendly and accommodating, and is open to ideas since they've only been open for 2 weeks and he wants the place to be successful. 

The menu is basically a veganized cafe menu with burgers, grilled cheese, paninis... I had the empanadas for a little variety. There was also a curry dish which I probably would've ordered if I hadn't made curry for lunch. Everything comes with a choice of 2 sides (pasta salad, black bean salad or coleslaw) - I took 2 slaws because I wanted some veggies, and Mark gave me a free sample of today's special which was Jumbalaya. 

Everything was good, though I might've added some more seasoning to the empanada filling. I appreciated the hot sauce that came with it.  Next time I have a curry craving, I'll be sure to go back.  I was informed that there will soon be vegan desserts available, including Carrot Cake and gluten-free brownies, which I will also have to give a taste test very soon.  

Thanks, Mark, for adding another vegan dining option to the New Haven restaurant scene!

Karyn's Chicago

A friend's wedding has brought me out to Chicago for a few days and while in town I figured it was my duty to sample and blog about some local vegan cuisine.  I put the call out to my Facebook friends for recommendations and immediately received about a dozen tempting responses.  Thanks everybody for coming through for me!

It was a tough decision prioritizing that list with favorites including Ethiopian, veg soul food, falafel, an organic bakery, and of course the legendary Chicago Diner.  But after my previous day of teaching, cooking, flying, and driving, followed by a bridal shower and Korean karaoke, I decided that the theme of the day would be "recovery."  So, I headed to Karyn's Fresh Corner, a raw cafe located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood to be pampered with healthful indulgence.

This was a wise choice.  My lunch began with a thick and creamy coconut milkshake made with fresh young Thai coconut.  It was icy cold and refreshing, not quite pureed smooth so that I was chewing while drinking, with a hint of natural sweetness from the coconut and no added sweetener.

It was tough deciding on an appetizer since everything tempted me, but because I need to stay away from gluten, the menu simplified my selection process by marking items containing gluten which I avoided.  I decided on the Cauliflower and Red Pepper Hummus with Flax Seed Crackers and Crudites mostly because I wanted something crunchy and I was intrigued by the inclusion of cauliflower in the hummus.  The smooth and rich concoction did not disappoint, and it also added a surprising kick of chipotle to the mix.

For my entree I chose the Empanada with Mexican Mole and Basil Gastrique.  The spongy "crust" was made with ground flax seed and corn that had been dehydrated and stuffed with a savory and spicy walnut, jalapeno, and mushroom pate.  This was topped with pickled red onion, dehydrated jalapeno, and fresh cilantro springs.  My description cannot do this dish justice because I couldn't possibly come close to capturing the depth of flavor of each component, not to mention the symphony of flavors that composed the entire dish.  This was not only one of my favorite raw vegan dining experiences, but perhaps one of my favorite all-time meals.

Not only that, but there are the desserts.  Next door to the cafe there's a little wellness shop with a smoothie/juice bar, raw desserts, and grab-and-go items.  The gorgeous display of sweets made for yet another difficult decision, all of which provided the promise of "sinful desserts without the guilt."  I opted for the Mint Carob Cake, which had the density of a fudgey brownie made with pecans, cashew butter, coconut oil, agave syrup, dates, and carob powder.  Yes, these were entirely raw as well, made without any refined flour or sugar, and yet oh so good.  In fact, these were so decadent you wouldn't even miss the chocolate.

Anyone who has ever had qualms about vegan food being bland or boring just needs to take a trip to Karyn's (yes, it's worth the drive/flight from anywhere).  This is what turns skeptics into believers.  And it will probably change the way you think about food when you realize how tantalizing vegan cuisine can be.

As I crossed the street, I looked down upon this message, perhaps sent to such skeptics who had previously been turned off by bland, beige, limp, lifeless vegan fare and vowed to shun it henceforth.  Second chances make all the difference.  

Udupi Bhavan

If you're as much of a fan of dosas as I am, you will know how excited I was to discover Udupi Bhavan, a casual little vegetarian Indian restaurant tucked away in a shopping plaza off the main drag in Middletown, CT.  It's 100% vegetarian, and most items on the menu are vegan.  Word of caution, however: though dosas are traditionally made with a batter of rice and lentil flour, they also use wheat flour here, so they're not gluten-free.  (Nonetheless, I took one for the team.)

We shared a few appetizers, including a monstrous platter of Vegetable Pakoras.  These were nothing like the little greasey, sometimes gloppy, golfball-sized fried dough balls typical of Indian restaurants.  Instead, these were somewhat like heavy-battered tempura using whole florets of cauliflower, slices of onion rings, wedges of potatoes, and even an entire green chili pepper (which fortunately wasn't too hot).

We also had the Potato Bonda, which had a filling similar to a samosa, though this was battered in a lentil flour then fried.  The outside was crisp perfection while the inside stayed moist and fluffy.  The tamarind sauce and mint-cilantro chutney complimented the mild flavors nicely.

Typically when dosas are on the menu, I sample the Masala Dosa, a large crepe filled with spiced potatoes and onions.  But since I spied Palak Masala Dosa, a crepe made with rice and spinach and filled with the same mixture, I decided this would be the one to try.  Now, dosas are usually quite large, but I think I could've wrapped myself in this one and worn it like a Snuggie.  And it would've been as delicious as it was comfy.

The other item we sampled was the Aloo Palak, a spinach and potato curry.  This was made with fresh tomatoes cut into large chunks, and had different flavors from what is typically found in most Indian restaurants.  Maybe a little allspice?  Maybe even some fennel seed?  It reminded me of Vadouvan, which was savory and delicious.

This is a destination restaurant, and worth the trip from anywhere if you're in the mood for some homey southern Indian food.  Or, if you are unfamiliar with these regional treats, this is definitely a place you want to make your first time experience.  A friendly, informative staff will help guide you in making the best selections.

Himalayan Restaurant

Yep, that's what it's called.  I suppose you can't judge a book by its cover, or a restaurant by its name for that matter.  Although "Himalayan Restaurant" isn't a terribly creative moniker, it's accurate, and easy to remember.  Fortunately, the menu is a little more adventurous, featuring an extensive array of Nepalese, Tibetan, and Indian cuisine.

I dined earlier in the week at this new establishment on Temple Street, located right across from the Criterion Theater.  It is housed in the site of the former Mandala restaurant which I visited on a couple of occasions and always left satisfied (I have since learned to recreate their delicious yellow lentil and jasmine rice soup at home).  The decor and layout have pretty much remained the same, with a bar in front as you enter, a row of booths flanking the windows, and several 4-tops in the central dining area.

For lunch, there are several specials, including a few Tarkari (vegetarian/vegan) items to choose from.  Needless to say, I am always pleased when a restaurant prints the word "vegan" on its menu, and this one also had items designated gluten-free, which made me even happier.  For $7.95 you get a soup, entree, rice, and naan bread.  Although they were micro portions, the combined meal was quite satisfying and well worth the money.

To start, I chose the Kwati, a delicious Nepalese soup made with 8 different types of beans, herbs, and spices.  The luscious and flavorful broth seemed to have been simmered for hours and tasted quite homey and comforting.  One word of caution, however:  too many whole cardamom pods made an appearance in almost every spoonful, and though I like the intense flavor, this was just a bit offputting when I expected to be biting into some beans.

For my entree I chose Aaloo Cauli, sauteed potatoes, cauliflower and peas in a savory tomato based sauce.  This is similar to the Indian Aloo Gobi, though the curried gravy had slightly different, more savory seasonings.  I'd definitely have seconds on this.

My lunch companion chose the Daal to start, which is made with red lentils and garlic and had a lemony kick.  Her entree was Malai Kofta, soft vegetable balls swimming with cashews and raisins in a creamy gravy.

The naan was lovely:  perfectly crisp on the outside edges and fluffy as a pillow in the center.  I didn't indulge, but observed that it operated quite nicely as a vehicle for getting every last drop of gravy off the plate.

I look forward to a return visit to Himalayan Restaurant, perhaps as the opening act to a night at the movies.

India House

I'm always eager to try an Indian restaurant wherever I travel, so when I was in Northampton, MA the other night, I ventured into this cozy little spot on State Street, right next to Fly by Night Furniture (which has been there over 20 years).  At 6:00, India House was packed, and they don't take reservations.  So, I gave my name and patiently stood shoulder to shoulder in the foyer for 20 minutes along with all the other hungry guests.  This gave me time to ponder the menu, which was not only extensive, but also noted that the kitchen caters to those with special diets, such as gluten-free and vegan.  I wondered excitedly, could this possibly be my first chance in years to eat bread with my meal?

It was.  Though slightly more dense and chewy, Alka's Punjab Paratha was a gluten-free vegan version loaded with flavor from the clay oven and crispy edges, and topped with a light chiffonade of fresh herbs.  It was nonetheless perfect for soaking up the sauce from my entree.

I always try to order something I can't find elsewhere for my main course, so this night I decided to try the Vegetable Kofta Saag, a twist on the usual Saag Paneer which is curried spinach with cheese cubes.  The kofta are light vegetable dumplings, made with a gluten-free batter of chickpea flour, then pan-fried until crisp.  They soaked up the pureed spinach sauce nicely, which was also happily vegan.

I was also pleased to find that I could sample a dessert here, as there was a warm coconut soup on the menu.  The coconut milk was pleasantly soothing on a crisp night, and the shredded coconut and chopped pistachios added even more richness along with their crunch.  As this was my first experience at India House, I'm already dreaming of a return visit, perhaps on a weeknight where the wait is not so long.

Cumin India

Anyone who follows this Blog knows I'm a big fan of Indian food, so when a new Indian restaurant opened recently just up the road from me, I couldn't wait to check it out.  Cumin India has set up shop in the former IHOP restaurant on Skiff Street in Hamden.  The blue A-frame roof is still there, but inside you'd never know this used to be a pancake house.

I love the heady spices and flavorful cuisine, and am always on the lookout for a place that serves Dosas.  When I discovered that this South Indian treat was on the menu at Cumin India, I couldn't wait to go.  So I went last week in anxious anticipation of digging into a giant rice flour crepe stuffed with savory curried potatoes.  Alas, I was disappointed to discover there was only a limited menu available during the first month as the kitchen was not yet equipped to prepare this item.

Although a little thrown by this revelation, I decided to order a couple of stand-ins which turned out to be quite delicious.  The Aloo Tikki are spiced mashed potatoes which are hand-formed into little patties, dusted in chickpea flour and panfried to crisp perfection.  I topped these with various chutneys served along with the complimentary pappadom lentil wafers.

For my entree I went with the Chana Masala stand-by, which arrived in a huge bowl along with basmati rice.  The sauce was thick, rich, and savory, and had a homey quality which made me feel like I was sharing lunch in someone's kitchen rather than a restaurant.  I'd definitely order this again.

My friend ordered the lunch buffet which, at $10.95, was a bargain as long as you're not a vegan.  There were plenty of fresh looking items displayed in the chafing dishes, and this would make a substantial  meal that could eliminate the need for dinner.  For vegans, there was a coconut cabbage (yum!) and curried mixed vegetables, which contained a ton of cauliflower which I was happy to sample.  There was also Gajar Halwa for dessert, a sweet Indian pudding made with shredded carrots.  I tried a forkful to determine if it was delicious (it was), though highly doubtful it was vegan.

Once the full menu is up and running, I look forward to a return visit!

   

TGIFriday's

Normally when I do restaurant reviews they're of a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, or one which is at least veg-friendly.  Neither was the case when I sat down to eat at TGIFriday's (yep, that's right, the chain that features ads with patrons getting loaded after a hard day at work).  I'm not really sure what possessed me to walk through the doors, other than it was cold out, I was delirious from the cold, hungry because I had forgotten to eat lunch, and it was the only restaurant within walking distance of Town Fair Tire where I was getting new tires put on my car and had a couple hours to kill.  Plus, it was Friday.

I'd like to report that a vegan can happily find a decent meal here, but I'd be lying.  I think I scoured the menu three times in a vain attempt to flush out just one entree made without meat, and came up empty handed every time.  I contemplated ordering one of the salads but decided that for $12.99, after removing the chicken and cheese, I'd be left with ingredients that cost only about 35 cents, and I had organic lettuce sitting in my fridge at home.

Instead, I opted for the Fridays Fry Trio:  "an irresistible medley of thick cut Steak Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, and our legendary Crispy Green Bean Fries."  I'm a sucker for fried potatoes, so yeah, I couldn't resist trying this combo.  Plus, I had to find out what was so "legendary" about those green beans.  My server had no qualms about swapping out some guacamole and pico de gallo for the creamy bleu cheese and cucumber wasabi ranch dressings, so I was willing to give it a shot.

The Sweet Potato Fries were decent, but ION still wins in this competition (not that it's a competition).

The Steak Fries were a little less ordinary - more like hefty potato wedges that had been tossed in a significant amount of salt and a few extra shakes of the pepper shaker that were crisp and golden on the outside and creamy smooth on the inside.   I'm not complaining.

And then there's those legendary Crispy Green Bean Fries.  Inside the thick coating of breadcrumbs, you'd never know there was an innocent green bean.  I suppose that's why people like them so much.  I wish I had requested green beans au natural to counteract all the grease.  Alas, this was an appetizer, whose goal it was to make me want to indulge in more greasy goodness from the rest of the menu.  Or  wash it all down with a radioactive Appletini or two.  At least I have 4 new tires and my car doesn't shake any more when I drive it over 25 MPH.

Psychedelic IONic Lunch

Today's lunch felt like a cross between a homecoming and a visit with a long-lost friend, in more ways than one.  I used to work at Wesleyan University and would walk to It's Only Natural (ION) restaurant on Main Street in Middletown at least once a week, either for lunch or just to grab one of their hefty and homey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, which I would eat on the walk back to the office.  Then after I left that job, I decided I missed the place so much that I needed to work there.  That was about eight years ago.

I think it's been about a year since I've visited, so I was happy to go there for lunch today.  Some things have changed, some have stayed the same.  Most importantly, their famous sweet potato fries are still on the menu and are just as crispy and tender as ever, albeit in a less generous portion size.

(oh wait, I think a few disappeared before I could get my camera out)

Normally I order something from the Specials menu, but the Moroccan Chickpea Stew didn't tempt me today, so I opted for my standby of Cajun Tempeh with Brown Rice and Sauteed Greens.  It was a treat to be able to order tempeh at a restaurant since I rarely make it at home.  The two slices, looking kinda lonely on the platter, were surprisingly filling.

I took a bathroom break to contemplate dessert, and when I came back, this strange message appeared on the table.  Could it have been to cajole me into ordering a decadent baked good, or something more ominous? 

I pondered this mystery, and almost fell into the devious trap when I saw Coconut Cake on the menu, but decided that if I ate anything else I'd need to take a nap.  Next time... perhaps after a night of skating. 

After lunch I perused a couple of used book stores for old cookbooks.  I found a really cute little recipe pamphlet put out by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, copyright 1957. It was well worth the $1 pricetag. 

How can you go wrong with graphics like this?  Makes me want to brew a fresh pot of coffee and dig into a deep-dish pie with that cheeky illustrator (and I don't even drink coffee).

But the big find of the day was a 7" single by happy giant, the band I was in 20 years ago.  So yeah, that little 45RPM has been sitting in the dusty record bin of the Buttonwood Tree, a used book store/performance space where I've also played some shows, since 1993.  Freaky.  I'd buy that for a dollar. (and I did)