Great Sage, Clarksville, MD – This Vegan-Only Restaurant Wows Plant-Based Diners!!

By Katie Hussong

To say that this summer was busy would be an understatement. Planning a crazy beautiful do-it-yourself wedding for my sister, graduating from nutrition school, starting a culinary nutrition program, and working two jobs was maybe a little too much to take on at one time. With the wedding over and school settling into a comfortable rhythm, I finally have the time to write about my recent trip to the truly great Great Sage restaurant.

 

Great Sage Interior       Photo Credit – Liam Gideon

Great Sage Interior Photo Credit – Liam Gideon

WHO, WHAT, & WHERE?

If you live in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area and are even the slightest bit of the plant-based persuasion, you’ve probably already heard of Great Sage, an all-vegan restaurant with lots of heart, located in Clarksville, MD. And if you haven’t, let me assure you – it’s worth the trip. Allow me to set the scene. A modern, yet comfortable dining room welcomes you in. Knowledgeable, attentive servers and managers appreciate your coming in and are more than happy to answer any questions and make individualized suggestions. And the food – oh, the food! Let’s get to that.

 

Great Sage Crabcakes

Great Sage Crabcakes

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Everlasting Life Restaurant & Lounge, Capital Heights, MD

by Danielle Bussone

Everlasting Life Restaurant & Lounge is not just a restaurant, it is a movement. Located in a strip mall surrounded by fast food restaurants, Everlasting Life stands out as a beacon of hope to a sick and obese community drowning in a sea of poor dietary habits. Everlasting Life is a cafeteria-style restaurant offering fresh salads, whole plant-based entrees and side dishes, vegan desserts, juices and smoothies.

The first time we visited Everlasting Life, we had a little trouble finding it. We stopped and asked some guys in the neighborhood and they all exclaimed in unison, “Oh, that’s a great place to eat!”  We tried it and had to agree. The mac and cheese was the best vegan mac and cheese I’ve eaten to date. The portions are huge! I had sweet potatoes with brown sugar, collard greens and mac and cheese as my entree. I will admit, I also slipped in a piece of vegan zucchini cake and I would not let Rich have more than one bite. It was that good!  Southern soul food made healthy is my best description for it. Every day the menu changes. The hot bar offers one entree and two sides for $11.00 or one entree and one side for $8.75. You may choose to have only the vegetable sides or only entrees, the price is dependent on how many you choose. The cold bar offers a huge assortment of salads. A plate of two salad dishes is $7.00, three is $10.05 and four is $11.75. You may also purchase personal pizzas, sandwiches, breakfast rolls and much more. (more…)

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Ethiopian Cuisine In and Around Our Nation’s Capital

by Danielle Bussone

Ethiopian Cuisine is a sure-fire way to find healthy vegan foods on the road. There are 180 religious days of fasting in Ethiopia, in which no animal products of any kind can be eaten, and many personal fasting days relating to prayer and the death of loved ones means that some Ethiopians will fast up to 300 days in a year.  The cuisine lends itself beautifully to a whole foods plant-based diet. It consists of a variety of vegetable stews imbued with a unique savory blend of Ethiopian spices called Berberé. The flavors range from highly spiced red lentils to a dish of very mild carrots and cabbage stewed just to the point that the natural sweetness of the vegetables shine, contrasting with and at the same time complimenting the flavors of the surrounding dishes.

 

Ethiopian Wat on Injera

 

The stews, or Wat, arrive arranged in a circle on a platter topped with injera, a slightly sour spongy flat bread which is a staple in Ethiopia.  Injera is made of an African whole grain called Teff, which is high in iron and other nutrients. In the US there seems to be some problem getting the traditional mixture to rise properly and form the little holes, or “eyes,” in the thin pancake which give it its spongy texture.  Therefore, Teff is mixed with other grains such as buckwheat and spelt to give it the texture of authentic Ethiopian injera without the loss of flavor or nutrition.  Another piece of injera, usually rolled up in a kind of tubular shape, is served on the side. Utensils are not a part of the Ethiopian dining experience.  To eat the stews, one must tear off a piece of the injera, place it over a portion of the stew and pinch the stew within the bread.  Then just pop it into your mouth. What a liberating experience! When the side of injera is completed, then you begin eating the injera on your plate. Permeated with the juices of the stew it is often considered the best part of the meal.

 

Samboussa

Samboussa

 

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