Veggin' Out And About

Sue’s Super Nutrition, Harrisonburg, PA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jun 11, 2013 in Grocers, Harrisonburg, VA, I-81, Markets | 0 comments

If it had been a snake it would have bitten us. Rich and I were in Harrisonburg, PA to review Indian American Cafe and The Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant. On the way back to our hotel we chanced upon a terrific health food store. If you need to stock up on plant-based supplies while traveling I-81, this is just off the highway and is definitely worth the small detour.

Sue’s is a clean, well stocked, medium sized store. You can find some fresh and frozen foods, and plenty of bulk bin items. This is the ONLY place I’ve been able to find dried fava beans other than on-line. You can believe I stocked up!

Sue carries lots packaged goods, like Bob’s Mills products, herbs and supplements, essential oils and your typical health food fare. Her daughter was working the register the day we were in. She was pleasant and helpful. If you’ve left something behind in your travels, Sue’s may be just the place to find a replacement.

Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant, Washington, DC

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Jun 10, 2013 in Ethiopian | 2 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant is the oldest Ethiopian Restaurant in Washington, D.C and has been voted the best Ethiopian Restaurant in area newspaper polls for the past four years running. Dukem’s is located in the heart of D.C. and was the most expensive of the Ethiopian restaurants we visited. I suspect this has something to do with the high price of the real estate in this area of the city. The atmosphere is casual, there is a full bar and entertainment which is very loud. Once diners began to fill the restaurant, we could hardly hear each other over the din of customers and music. The entertainment consists of Ethiopian musicians and singers and runs from 11pm-3 am Fridays and Saturdays and until 2 am on Sundays. We arrived just as the Wednesday cultural show began from 7 pm-10 pm which includes Ethiopian drums, music and costumed dancers.

The prices ranged in combination platters from 4 vegetarian items for $12.00 to 7 items for $16.45. The choice of any single vegetarian plate was $13.25. The combinations contain selections of the usual Ethiopian fare, spicy split lentils, yellow peas, greens, cabbage, shiro, salad, chickpeas in a spicy sauce and/or potatoes in a spicy sauce. (more…)

Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine, Harrisonburg, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 31, 2013 in Ethiopian, Harrisonburg, VA, I-81 | 2 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Blue Nile is an Ethiopian restaurant/music club located on Main Street in Harrisonburg, VA. When I called to find out when they were open the noise blaring in the background made it nearly impossible to hear the answers to my questions. Since I was never able to get concrete information, I will do the best I can to enlighten you by sharing my experience and observations. It’s quite possible I’m just making this stuff up. There are two floors to the Blue Nile. The downstairs has a full bar and a dance floor with live music every night and dance parties on Friday and Saturday from 7pm – 2am daily. I don’t know if the phone was answered from this floor when I called or if the music was so loud it overwhelmed the second floor as well. The waitress wasn’t very helpful in answering my questions, though it was quiet when we dined there.

We stopped in for an early dinner and it was relatively empty at that time. The noise level was normal, no blaring bands in the background but the downstairs was not yet opened for business. We ordered traditional Ethiopian food which is comprised of Injera, a spongy Ethiopian sour pancake made from an African grain called Teff. On the top are little piles of food which you can order as an individual dish, each vegetarian entree is $9 or as a combination platter. We ordered the combination vegetable platter for two. ($30) This comes with two pieces of extra injera and a sample of most of their entrees. (more…)

Jade’s Market Has Changed Hands!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 28, 2013 in Cambodian, I-26, Johnson City, TN, Thai | 0 comments

Jade’s Market (see post under Thai Cuisine) has changed owners. For now the menu will continue to be Thai and will carry the identical menu items as when owned by Tara. In time, the name will be changed to Angkor Food and will serve Cambodian and Thai Cuisine with a significant vegan and vegetarian menu as well as their non-vegetarian fare.

The new owner is Phally (pronounced Pauly) Mein and her brother, Phalla (Paul) Nop is her manager. This lovely Cambodian team promises to bring something new and exciting to the experience of Johnson City diners. They also have agreed to allow us to video them preparing one of their Cambodian dishes as soon as their new menu is solidified.

Angkor Food will no longer carry market items for sale like sushi or summer roll wrappers or any of the Asian items Jade’s had for sale. It will be strictly a restaurant. Sorry folks. You can still find your Asian supplies at The Stock Pot in Johnson City near Sam’s Club.

We wish all the best to Tara, former owner of Jade’s Market. Her twins are keeping her busy. She and her husband still own and operate Lola’s in Johnson City.

Stay tuned!

Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant, Richmond, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 28, 2013 in Asian, I-95, Organic and/or Non-GMO, Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant, Richmond, VA, Vegan, Vietnamese | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

We discovered a real treasure in Richmond, Virginia. Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant offers Vietnamese cuisine and is the only completely vegan and completely organic restaurant in the city. The food was as gorgeous to look at as it was delicious. We were traveling late at night en-route to Washington, D.C. and only had time to review one restaurant during this mad dash through Richmond. We used a particularly ingenious and sophisticated method to determine which restaurant we would review. One of our monsters is a beautiful dog named Phoenix so we decided to grace Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant with our first review of the area’s cuisine. As it turns out, it was meant to be!

Phoenix is chef and co-owner with her husband, Vi Trinh. Phoenix became a vegan three years ago. She wanted to experience the foods she enjoyed as a child in Vietnam so she began preparing vegan Vietnamese food. They opened their Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant a year ago. The food is so flavorful it is no wonder it attracts visitors from as far away as Boston and Miami. It is a perfect stop when traveling I-95, accessible easily from the interstate. (more…)

Abingdon Olive Oil Company, Abingdon, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 28, 2013 in Abingdon, VA, Grocers, I-81, Markets | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

After reading the book, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, which exposes the seedy underbelly of the olive oil industry, I sought out Veronica Foods in California to learn where I can buy their products. This company was specifically mentioned in the book as a reputable purveyor of excellent quality olive oil. To my complete surprise they have a retailer three blocks from my house in Abingdon, VA!

Since my first visit to Abingdon Olive Oil I have visited numerous retailers and have found the experience at all the others lagging far behind what you will experience here. You will be met at the door by the owner, K.C. St. Louis or her culinary expert, Penny Arrington, or by Ashley Johnson or Lori Price, two of Abingdon Olive Oil’s full-time knowledgeable sales persons. You will be received like a special guest invited into a lovely home.

In the front parlor you will be introduced to the newest oils from California, Spain and Portugal. These regional oils will change over the months as Veronica Foods brings in the freshest oils from around the world and as the picking season varies from region to region. These oils are currently $17.99 for a 375 ml bottle. You will be educated on the region, the amount of polyphenols in each of the oils and the type of olives used. You are free to sample anything in the store. The specialty and gourmet oils are also found in this area, the decadent truffle oil ($33) , the richest and most flavorful sesame seed oil I’ve ever tasted ($23), and the sensuous walnut oil, ($23). (more…)

Everlasting Life Restaurant & Lounge, Capital Heights, MD

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 28, 2013 in American, Capital Heights, MD, I-495 | 2 comments

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…)

Strong Hearts Cafe, Syracuse, NY

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 18, 2013 in American, I-81, Syracuse, NY | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Strong Hearts Cafe is a particularly delightful find. Vegan restaurants are not always my favorites as they tend to use a lot of highly processed meat substitutes, rather than focusing on healthy vegetarian fare. While there is plenty of this at Strong Hearts Cafe, it is largely a restaurant which focuses on healthy, delicious vegan food. The vegetables are locally sourced as well as their organic tofu. We brought Rich’s nephew John, his wife, Tina, and their two daughters, Maria and Angie as our guests to try out this restaurant. They are all carnivores and each commented how much they enjoyed the meal. Strong Hearts Cafe is the only all vegan restaurant in Syracuse. It is conveniently located right off Interstate 81.

The breakfast menu is extensive from French toast and waffles to “egg” muffins, tofu scrambles and freshly baked muffins.They offer several tofu scrambles ranging in price from $5.50 – $7.00 for the fully loaded scramble. Angie ordered the French toast which was decadently delicious at $5. You can order fruit on top for an another $1. Maria, order the blueberry muffin, $2. A different kind of muffin is baked fresh every morning. They only bake a dozen and when they are gone, they’re gone. (more…)

2013 Charlotte VegFest

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 12, 2013 in Charlotte, NC, Charlotte, NC, Features, Veg Fests | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Today, May 11th, Charlotte VegFest celebrates it’s second annual gathering of health and animal rights enthusiasts. It is held from 12pm to 5pm off Commonwealth Avenue in Plaza Midwood in Charlotte, NC. Rich and I made the rainy 3 hour trek to Charlotte with high hopes but low expectations. After all, it’s only Charlotte’s 2nd VegFest. We were delighted to discover at 12:30 the place was already packed with vegans, vegetarians and the veg-curious sampling the wares of venders offering raw cookies, juice bars and vegan salads and pastas. We visited organic spice purveyors, yoga instructors, macrobiotic chefs, raw and vegan chefs and numerous animal adoption and rescue agencies. There were also recycling and green energy agencies represented. The turnout was fantastic! Every hour or so there were speakers discussing issues concerning health, fitness, and what we as individuals can do to reduce global warming. Shabaka Amen (Fitness & Nutrition), Dr. Michael Smith (Naturopathy Physician), Leilani Munter, race car driver, and Gene Baur (co-founder and President of Farm Sanctuary) were on the program. We connected with numerous establishments which cater to the plant-based diner and have plans to return in the near future to do restaurant and chef reviews as well as cooking videos. Even the weather cooperated! Just as we tooled into Charlotte and found a good parking place, the skies cleared and we enjoyed a sunny day made perfect by a light breeze. On the way out we stopped and had a fantastic vegan lunch at Fern. Just the ticket after a long drive and a few hours perusing the tents at the Charlotte VegFest. We are already looking forward to next year’s festivities!

Barter Theatre Cafe Removed from Veggin’ Out & About!

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 12, 2013 in -Cuisine, American, I-81 | 0 comments

While we love the Barter Theater and continue to support their fine actors and performances, we unfortunately have to remove them from our food blog. At an opening performance of The Blonde, The Brunette and The Angry Red Head, we stopped in to have dinner at the Barter Cafe. We were disappointed, to say the least, that the Barter no longer carries any Vegan or Vegetarian options. I can’t imagine what lead to this decision but until they see the light and add vegan options to their menu, we can no longer carry them on our site. C’mon Barter! Step up to the plate!