-Interstate | Veggin' Out And About

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Mar 21, 2014 in Charleston, Ethiopian, I-26 | 0 comments

Nitsuh Woldemariam from Ethiopian Taste Food & Coffee in North Charleston, SC teaches us how to make traditional Ethiopian Coffee. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and is an integral part of Ethiopian culture. It has evolved into a ceremony of roasting beans on a fire, with incense burning in the background. The smell of incense alerts visitors that coffee is being prepared. Once the beans are roasted, the hostess takes the pot of beans around and each visitor inhales of the savory bean aroma before the coffee is made and the rich, sweet beverage is served. (I’m sad to report that this lovely restaurant is not longer in business.)

Desert Roots Kitchen, Tempe, AZ – Organic and Green in the Heart of the Desert!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Mar 8, 2014 in Desert Roots Kitchen, Eclectic, I-10, I-17, Organic and/or Non-GMO, Tempe, AZ, Vegan | 0 comments

by Deanne Bryce

Desert Roots Kitchen Staff

During a road trip between the Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree National Park , my husband Steve and I spent one night and morning in Phoenix. In search of a place to enjoy lunch after a morning visit to the Desert Botanical Garden, we found Desert Roots Kitchen (DRK) through an online search for organic foods. We discovered on arrival that Desert Roots Kitchen is 100% vegan. Their menu changes daily and they make everything from scratch in-house (except the dolmas). Desert Roots Kitchen cooks with many organic ingredients, especially staples like beans, lentils, produce, etc. They support and use local ingredients when possible, which is increasing and constantly evolving.

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We are grieved to report that Ethiopian Taste Food and Coffee is no long in business. Ethiopian Taste Food & Coffee Brings Big Flavors To Charleston!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Feb 18, 2014 in Charleston, Ethiopian, I-26, I-526, Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly | 2 comments

By Danielle Bussone

Ethiopian is one of my very favorite cuisines so you can imagine how excited I was to learn of a new restaurant opening in Charleston, SC, only two miles from where Rich and I stay when we visit the area. Ethiopian Taste Food & Coffee is located on Dorchester Road in a little strip mall just off exit 16A on I-526. Alas, our first visit occurred before the Ethiopian Taste Food & Coffee had actually opened their doors for business. Our next visit fell on a Monday when the restaurant is normally closed. Drat!

Ethiopian Taste Food & Coffee Exterior

The third time was the charm! We were welcomed by owner, Nitsuh Woldemariam, and her husband, Arega Kebede, who works as an engineer by day and restaurant host by night. Arega is excited about Nitsuh’s new venture and works along side his wife to help her to succeed. Ethiopian Taste Food & Coffee is not a fancy establishment. It is a cheerful, welcoming place where a family can spread out and get comfortable. The floors are painted concrete and Ethiopian pictures and artifacts adorn the walls. The food is prepared by Nitsuh’s mother and is comprised of longstanding family recipes.

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Rosetta’s Kitchen – Feeding the Hungry In Asheville, NC

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Feb 16, 2014 in American, Asheville, NC, Eclectic, I-240, I-26, NC, Vegan | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Rosetta’s Kitchen is a plant-based restaurant with a mission. Rosetta’s is not only dedicated to serving healthy whole foods but is also determined to feed the hungry. Every day a red beans and rice dish is prepared at cost for those in need. The price is a sliding scale according to what an individual can afford to pay. If someone can’t pay the minimum suggested price, they may ask for a food voucher which was donated by previous customers who have paid something extra so that all may eat.

Rosetta’s Kitchen Asheville, NC Lexington Ave. Entrance

Located off exit 5A from I-240, Rosetta’s front entrance faces Merrimon Avenue just as you are coming off the exit ramp. There is no parking in the front so you must turn left onto Merrimon, take the next right onto Woodfin Street and then another right onto N. Lexington Ave. It’s isn’t as complicated as it sounds. There is parking on Lexington and also in a lot across from Rosetta’s. Be sure you put your money in the meter because the police patrol this area often, including the parking lot.

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Mela Indian Restaurant, Asheville, NC – Indian Food Just Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Feb 15, 2014 in Asheville, NC, I-240, I-26, I-40, Indian | 2 comments

By Danielle Bussone

Clearly the gods were with us. Rich and I arrived at Mela’s minutes before the lunch crowd overtook the place, and a parking spot opened up for us right next to the restaurant. Entering, we stepped into an inviting, spacious room and were greeted by a gracious hostess. Directly before us was a bountiful buffet bar of mouthwatering Indian specialties in which fully half of them were vegan! Everything is made from scratch at Mela, from as many organic ingredients as possible and locally sourced when available. Many of the dishes are naturally gluten free. The price for the buffet was $9.95. Add chai tea or a beer from the full bar and the cost is $12. One can, of course, order off the menu during the lunch hour.

Mela Exterior

Ordering the buffet was a no-brainer. With a profusion of colorful and fragrant temptations we could contain ourselves only long enough for Rich to order a beer and we were off to the buffet bar. By the time we returned to our seat, the restaurant was jammed packed with enthusiastic diners and filled with laughter and conversation.

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Plant – A Paragon of Plant-Based Cuisine in Asheville, NC!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Feb 7, 2014 in Asheville, NC, Eclectic, I-240, I-26, I-40, Organic and/or Non-GMO, Plant, Vegan | 4 comments

By Danielle Bussone

Plant-based is the name of the game in this all vegan restaurant in Asheville, NC. Everything in this restaurant is plant-based, hence the name, Plant. There are no animal products of any kind available in this cruelty-free, environmentally friendly and health conscious establishment. Of particular note, there are no genetically modified products in any of the foods prepared at Plant.

Plant Interior

Plant management has made a commitment to use only the finest ingredients available. Therefore, much of what you are served will be organic, to the extent it is available, and are sourced as much as possible from local farmers. Chef and co-owner, Jason Sellers, is fanatical about finding organic, quality ingredients. He has been instrumental in convincing other local chefs to buy organic products so that food venders will readily carry them. (more…)