Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Mediterranean Cafe, Charles Town, WV

We had a delicious lunch today at this Mom & Pop cafe.
The interior is a little shabby but cozy.
Complimentary Warm Pita Bread and fruity Olive Oil are served before the meal. (Along with a huge chunk of feta cheese).Our Hummus appetizer. The Hummus was very smooth and light. I ordered the Salata Horiatiki for $6.99. Fresh Tomato, Cucumber, Mixed Olives, Red Onion with Lemon-Oregano Vinaigrette, Fresh Romaine and Pine Nuts. It was a massive portion.Mr. SV had the Grilled Vegetable Kabobs for $10.99. They were served with Basmati Rice, some Hummus and Tzatziki Sauce.

This place has been open for over a year and I'm sorry I've missed coming here for so long. The quality of the food, the cooking and the personal friendly service is really excellent.

Monday, August 17, 2009

The Counter, Reston

My carry-out order from The Counter today was pretty good.
Called The 'Unique Veggie' - A Vegan Patty topped with Mixed Baby Greens, Roasted Red Peppers, Sprouts, Onion & Dijon Balsamic Dressing. $8.25 with Single Fries $1.25. A very generous portion, and the Patty, Peppers and Sprouts were excellent. The Bun & Fries not so great. I wouldn't order it again.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Pasta and Tomato with Honey Mustard Sauce

Another simple recipe, this time from the the Washington Post.I subbed Agave Nectar for the honey...
It turned out really well (there's Basil in there somewhere). We devoured all of it, so it's definitely a good recipe, but I'm not sure how I feel about using up eight gorgeous Tomatoes for one dinner.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Earth Dog Cafe, Berkeley Springs, WV

We had a very delicious and inexpensive lunch today at The Earth Dog Cafe.
The restaurant strives to be laid back and funky.
I ordered the Spicy Veggie Sandwich:Hummus, Black Olives, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Banana Peppers and Corn on Ciabatta roll w/ Fries for $6.25. It was messy, but so good. Plus the fries were amongst the best I've ever had. Very similar to Thrasher's Fries on the Ocean City, MD boardwalk.

The photo of Mr. SV's Veggie Burger shows the fries off to better effect.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Thai Pan, Leesburg

Dinner tonight was carry-out from this combination Gas Station/Thai Restaurant:
An Afghani gentleman owns both the gas station and restaurant:
I got the Si-am Cashew for $7.95. Tofu sauteed with cashew nuts, onions, bell pepper, water chestnut, scallions and carrots in a mild chili paste.
Another winner of a meal. Fear not the Thai restaurant in the gas station, the food and service are great. Highly recommend.

The Wine Kitchen, Leesburg

Lunch today was at this quaint restaurant. I sat at the marble bar and had a glass of Domaine Cruz Brunet, Granache, Syrah, 2006 from Rhone, France for $6.
All the wines come with a little description card which is helpful.
There were only a few vegan items to pick from, so I opted for the $9 Carrot & Chickpea Salad with Pistachios, Golden Raisins, Moroccan Spices and Lemon Vinaigrette. It didn't sound good to me and didn't look that great, but wow! what a unique mix of tastes and textures....spicy, crunchy, sweet and fresh. Totally a unique dish and way more food than it appears. Will definitely return!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Tempeh

I really wanted to make this meal, but I don't own 'Eat, Drink & Be Vegan'. So I surfed the net and found a recipe from Whole Foods that sounded similar and about my speed.First you marinate the Tempeh in Sesame Oil, Tamari, Mirin, Garlic & Onion. Then you toss the Sweet Potatoes with Olive Oil, Cinnamon, Ginger and a little of the Tempeh marinade.
After sauteeing the Tempeh, the Sweet Potatoes are tossed into the skillet, then all of it went into the oven for a half hour.
Served with a sautee of Kale, Garlic & White Beans. It was very scrumptious! I will make it again. Thanks for the inspiration, Nora!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Back to Whole Foods

1.16 lb @ $8.99/lb = $10.43 for some 'Global Cuisine'. Lunch today was $4 more than my usual Burrito Bol at Chipotle. Tasty but not worth the price difference.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Hillbrook Inn, Charles Town, WV

Lunch today was at this gorgeous Inn built in the 1920's. For $35 per person they offer a three-course lunch and they advertise it as very vegetarian friendly. The chef said that vegan is no problem.The first course was a deeply flavored Tomato Soup with Dill and I figured this was going to be one of those frou-frou meals where I'll still be hungry afterwards. I was wrong.The second course featured Mushrooms on Pasta sauteed with Sherry and Shallots, Roasted Red Peppers, Haricot Verts, Fluffy Indian Rice, Roasted Baby Eggplant, Flatbread, Mixed Greens tossed with fresh Melon in an Orange Viniagrette and an exotic Fig naturally coated with crystallized sugar. The third course was grilled Pineapple topped with fresh Blueberries and Strawberries.
The friendly service and bucolic view from the dining room made the $35 per person seem like a steal. It was so fantastic, before we left, we made reservations to go back.