Cantina D'Italia, Winchester

We've driven by this place a million times, but it always looked closed. It still looked closed when we drove up today. The employees should park their cars in front, not in back.Once you do venture inside, it is actually really nice and inviting.The prices start around $8.95 and the entrees all come with Bread and Salad.My Pasta Primavera ($9.95) and was one of the best I've ever had. The slow roasted Cherry Tomatoes tossed with Broccoli, Onions, Mushrooms, Zucchini and lots of Garlic really made the dish unique. This is one of three Cantina D'Italias. There is the original in Herndon and one at Fair Lakes. We will return.
Dinner was Celebration Field Roast and baked Sweet Potatoes. I hope I can post daily for VeganMofo. I'm gonna try my darndest.

Not The Most Exciting Food Weekend

As the title of this post indicates, not much was worthy of posting about this weekend.

We had lunch at Mimosa on Saturday. I don't know what was going on in the kitchen, but they salted my Asparagus Tempura and left Mr. SV's Edamame completely salt free.

My Kung Pao Tofu didn't 'agree' with me either if you know what I mean.
I found a few good deals at Big Lots -- Organic Soda for $2, Polish Mustard for $1 and imported Marzano Tomatoes for $1.50.Today I made Susan's Split Pea Soup.

It turned out great as usual. Hopefully, this week will prove more interesting.

Learning To Like Eggplant

Eggplant was never a favorite of mine to say the least. The texture...the seeds....the bitterness. Life is short and tons of people seem to enjoy it, so today I was adventurous and got an Eggplant Panini from Uptown Pizzeria in Herndon. Sans cheese! It was actually kinda good (Hey Mikey!) although that could be due to the generous amount of Oil & Vinegar they used to dress the sandwich. I'm going to continue to try and be more accepting of this vegetable. (Beets, however, are simply a lost cause).

Vespucci, Fairfax

The restaurant highlighted on VegDC this month is Vespucci. Today we ventured out with very high expectations in $upport.
The building was formerly a Chinese restaurant for many years. I was surprised to see it was now Vespucci.

The $20 AYCE buffet includes one glass of Champagne as well as Tofu Scramble:Buckwheat/Whole Wheat Pancakes:Vegetable Soup, Salad:Spinach, Eggplant..

Bolani (Triangle shaped crepes filled with mashed Potatoes),Veggie Spring Rolls:Store bought French Rolls, Raw "Spaghetti"/Squash with Raw Tomato Sauce, a dip composed of Sun-dried Tomatoes, Olives, Basil, Parsley and Tofu and Quinoa Salad...Fresh fruit and sweet Rice for dessert.

I had one Pancake along with some Tofu Scramble..

..some raw Spaghetti, Quinoa Salad, Spinach and a Bolani..

...Sun-dried Tomato dip on a French Roll with a few more Bolani......and a cup of Vegetable Soup.They've only been offering the vegan buffet for a month and are still working out the amount/type of food offered. My personal opinion is that $20/pp is way over-priced for what was served today. None of the food was exceptional or unusual (unless you consider the raw spaghetti unusual) or even organic that I could determine. Why offer Tofu Scramble (Soy) and French Rolls (white flour) but no Veggie Sausages, Grits, Oatmeal, Hash Browns etc? I'd choose the salad bar/hot bar at Whole Foods over this any day.

The Mediterranean Cafe, Charles Town, WV

This is turning into our new favorite place. Today, Mr. SV had the Vegetarian Pasta (tossed with Zucchini, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives on the side) made with Olive Oil instead of butter. I wanted to try the Baba Ganoush, but it wasn't ready yet, so I got the Salata Horiatiki sans cheese.

The owners said I could put a 15% off coupon on my site, so just right click on the pic below to print and give the place a try.

They don't serve beer or wine yet, but you can bring your own.

Community Canteen, Reston

Today I got carry-out from this restaurant in Reston Town Centre. For $5.95, you take a bowl of salad to the counter and they toss it with whatever fixins you want and then you have it turned back over to you as or salad or a wrap. I chose Spinach Salad (they also have Romaine or Field Greens) to have tossed with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Red Onions, Artichokes, Carrots and Red Peppers.
Delicious and kinda fun. Highly recommend.

Random Meal Pics

Last weekend we were in NYC. The best vegan cuisine I ever had in my life was from Wild Ginger, however, I gobbled it (Black Pepper Seitan) down before taking any pics. Another meal was at Sacred Chow: I had the $10 Soy Meatball Hero with a topping of 'Oat Cheese'. The Slaw and Pickles on the side were too spicy to eat.

It was just so-so. I would not go back.

Below is my dinner from Friday night:
Carry-out from Yuan Fu Vegetarian Restaurant in Rockville, Maryland. They have a daily $6 buffet where you can pick three items (eat-in or to-go) plus Rice. I couldn't make up my mind, so I picked one order of the Vegetable Roll (diced Vegetables rolled-up in Tofu Skin) and two orders of the Curried Potatoes and Meatballs. An incredible value and very tasty!Finally, today's lunch of Falafel from The Mediterranean Cafe in Charles Town, WV. I was so happy to see they were doing lots of business, this place is a real treasure amongst all the chains.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!