quarrygirl
i eat, i drink, i take lots of photos.
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vita cafe is one of my favorite spots to hit up in portland. the menu is huge, almost entirely vegetarian, and everything on it can be made vegan. big hearty breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers, salads, entree platters, even tap beer—-vita has it all.
(click on the images to enlarge and see descriptions)
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vegan “bbq sloppy faux” sandwich on special right now at mendocino farms: shaved seitan and pinto beans slow braised in chipotle citrus barbeque sauce with avocado puree, vegenaise, pickled red onions, candied jalapenos, tomatoes, shredded romaine on toasted ciabatte. $9.50
jon wiener ate it, loved it, and sent us these pix. here’s his review:
Unlike The Shitty Beatles, the Sloppy Faux isn’t just a clever name. It’s a fantastic combination of thinly-sliced seitan, big fat pinto beans, lettce, vegenaise, etc on amazing soft (with just the right amount of chew) ciabatta bread. Each bite is a struggle because you are so happy to be eating the amazing sandwich, but so sad that each bite contributes to it being finished sooner.
What I wanted to say, however, has nothing to do with the experience of the sandwich, but with the name.
The Sloppy Faux is clearly a take on the Sloppy Joe. When most people think of the Sloppy Joe, they probably are thinking about the meaty, saucy concoction that gets served in a bun so porous that it is incapable of holding the aforementioned death-slop, resulting in an in-tact top bun and a piece of bread-slime on the bottom.
You probably remember them from the classic scene in Billy Madison (warning: the following clip contains ground up animal carcass - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJf8Je5H7-k ).
I grew up in New Jersey, not too far from New York City. Where I’m from, a Sloppy Joe is something totally different. It’s a t stacked sandwich consisting of several different meats (pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, turkey, etc), cole slaw, swiss cheese & russian dressing on rye bread. It’s basically the TurDuckEn of deli sandwiches. This is what they sometimes look like (warning…more rotting flesh):
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2vvFqyFKZ8/SLYru_oqcfI/AAAAAAAABo0/nCPA-MH32X0/s400/EvergreenSloppyJoe.jpg
Here’s an accurately labeled diagram from a very vegan unfriendly site called The Porkchop Express: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V2vvFqyFKZ8/R-lT—OTDMI/AAAAAAAABYg/Er1kcjQEu8w/s1600/AnatomyOfASandwich.jpg
In my “pregan” days, these were a fixture at Super Bowl parties and downtown “hangs” with my friends. Jeez…I was so young and stupid!
Anyway, as much as I loved the SLOPPY FAUX, it should consider a name change, should Mendocino Farms decide to add it to the regular menu, and create a true SLOPPY FAUX that matches the name more accurately. Has anyone ground up seitan for a classic Sloppy Joe vibe? Maybe create a New Jersey Sloppy Faux using different “meats” along with the seitan. In fact, I’d like to challenge several Los Angeles vegan delis to step up and give it a try. Locali? Figuroa Produce? Let’s start giving the Ruben a run for its money in the sandwich wars. -
vegan banh mi special at tony’s darts away! i tried a bite of brittany’s and was super impressed. at first i was skeptical because it didn’t look like your usual vegetarian banh mi—-it was made with seitan (not tofu) on a typical roll (not a baguette). i was dead wrong though; this thing ruled! the flavors were exquisite and it was spicy as fuck. try it.
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words can’t adequately describe how much i love city o’ city in denver. it’s an entirely vegetarian bar/pizza place where everything can be made vegan—-and they’ve recently doubled the size of the menu and even added breakfast options. here’s what a table full of friends and i ate last time i was there (during the 2011 GABF):
buffalo seitan wings with “ranch” and celery.
fork & knife sandwich: meatless loaf with gravy and fries on a pretzel served with sautéed greens.
fried pickles drizzled with malt vinegar gastrique.
florentine pizza with olive oil, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, homemade vegan cheese and rosemary.
the wings and the fork & knife sandwich were especially memorable. i’d say if you’re ever anywhere near denver, it’s worth making a special trip to city o’ city. wish we had a place like this in LA.
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…AKA my new favorite place to hang out.
golden road brewing recently opened the doors of their very vegan-friendly pub, and after one visit, i’m hooked.
in addition to a growing roster of freshly brewed beers, golden road offers an extensive menu with plenty of inventive meatless options. we tried:
the pretzel with spicy mustard. it was simple yet tasty, and the mustard was hot as hell. this also comes with a vegan cheese option for an extra charge.
next up: vegan meatballs! not all soy fake meaty, instead these were made out of rice! so delectable, and served with cornbread.
lastly: the potato sandwich (CARB HEAVEN!): roasted tatties with cheesy sauce, onions, and arugula in a huge baguette. (no peppers!)
we washed it all down with plenty of point the way IPAs, which made for a splendid saturday.
on top of the plentiful vegan food and craft beer, the atmosphere at golden road is chill and comfortable—-there’s loads of seating, the servers are friendly, and there’s a jukebox stocked with lou reed, pixies, and the smiths. the only thing i would warn about is the fact it got a bit chilly due to the giant doors, so bundle up!
OH!!! and i ran into tal ronnen today at golden road—-haha! this place is obviously a hub for vegan “celebs”!
definitely check out golden road ASAP. there’s nothing like it in LA. cheers!
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UPDATE 1/3/12: i was right. the reuben is now gone. RIP.
rumor mongering: i heard native foods is discontinuing their vegan reuben (sad!). let’s hope it’s not true. either way, go eat the sandwich while you can.
